APRIL 1 TO JUNE 30, 1932 



27 



98793 to 98888 — Continued. 



98860 and 98861. Indigofera tinctoria L. 

 True indigo. 



For previous introduction and description see 

 98856. 



No. 3877. From the roadside in dry 

 situations on the southern Dart of St. 

 Martin Island, March 17, 1932. 



$861. No. 2886. From Guantanamo, Cuba, 

 March 24, 1932. Found in heavy clay soil 

 on a high bluff above the river. 



Inga laurina (Swartz) Willd. Mimosa- 

 ceae. Guama. 



No. 3761. Poisdoux. From the Jardin d'Essais, 

 Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe, Grand Terre Island, 

 French West Indies, March 11, 1932. A valuable 

 shade and windbreak tree with dark glossy-green 

 leaves like a laurel and remarkably strong trunks 

 which appear to withstand the hurricanes well. 

 The tree is a rapid grower and produces pods con- 

 taining beans surrounded by a sweet but insipid 

 aril of which children are quite fond, hence the 

 name Pois dour (sweet peas) . 



For previous introduction see 52511. 



98863. Lonchocarpus domingensis (Pers.) DC. 



No. 3770. From the Botanic Garden, Basse 

 Terre, Guadeloupe, March 12, 1932. The Savon- 

 eth de Riviere of Martinique. A medium-sized 

 handsome spreading tree with long slender 

 branches, large pinnate leaves, and violet or rose- 

 colored flowers. A leguminous tree of real 

 promise. 



98864. Lucuma dussiana Pierre. Sapotaceae. 



No. 3854. From the Basse Terre Botanic Gar- 

 den, Guadeloupe, March 12, 1932. A small trop- 

 ical tree with elliptic-obovate leathery leaves and 

 edible ovoid or depressed-spherical fruits about 

 twice as large as a hen's egg, with smooth yellow- 

 ish skin and yellow-brown pulp. Native to Peru, 

 where it is called pomme pam. 



98865. Maba grisebachii Hiern. Diospyraceae. 



No. 3888. Presented by Comdr. G. B. Keester, 

 of the Naval Station at Guantanamo, Cuba, 

 March 24, 1932. Ebony tree. A tree 1 foot in 

 diameter found on the top of dry calcareous cliffs. 

 The hard green fruits, with persistent 3-parted 

 calyx, are filled with a sticky juicelike gamboge 

 that upon exposure to air turns very dark and 

 almost iridescent. It is not astringent, but 

 stains the hands deep yellow. The wood is said 

 to be blue-black. 



98866. Malpighta punicifolia L. Malpighicaeae. 



No. 3805. Presented by Mrs. Lawton, wife of 

 the American consular agent in Paramaribo, 

 Surinam, March 1, 1932. A shrub that is quite 

 generally cultivated in the West Indies, with 

 pretty rose-colored flowers followed by brilliant 

 red fruits the size of ordinary cherries, which have 

 a thin skin and juicy orange-colored pulp of a 

 refreshing flavor. 



98867 and 98868. Mammea Americana L. Clusia- 

 ceae. Mamey. 



A tropical tree with dark-green glossy foliage 

 and large gray-green fruit. The skin of this fruit 

 exudes a resinous, gummy juice which is used for 

 killing chigoes and lice when applied locally. 



For previous introduction see 47425. 



No. 3709. From the market at George- 

 town, British Guiana, February 29, 1932. 



No. 3906. From near the citadel of 

 Christophe, Haiti, March 27, 1932. 



98793 to 98888 



98869. Mimusops 

 Sapotaceae. 



-Continued. 



BALATA (Aubl.) 



Gaertn. f. 



No. 3895. From the Bayeux plantation in west- 

 central Haiti, under observation of the Division 

 of Rubber Plant Investigations, March 27, 1932. 

 A tree which bears small round edible fruits, but 

 is cultivated for its latex which is much like gutta- 

 percha in character and is used in the trade for 

 coating cables, etc. 



98870. Ochna mossambicensis Klotzsch. Och- 



No. 2971. From the Botanic Garden, George- 

 town, British Guiana, February 25, 1932. An 

 ornamental evergreen shrub which has large 

 thick deep-green obovate leaves and terminal 

 clusters of showy flowers, with the central disk 

 and rather fleshy sepals wine red. 



98871 and 98872. Passiflora laurifolia L. Pas- 

 sifloraceae. Waterlemon. 



Pomme Liane. A strong vigorous vine, very 

 suitable for arbors and trellises, with oval to ovate 

 leaves and fragrant purple flowers about 2 inches 

 in diameter. The ovoid-pointed fruit has a tough 

 leathery shell which when green is six-striated 

 with white stripes, but when quite ripe is a dull 

 orange yellow. The numerous seeds are embed- 

 ded in the juicy scented pulp, which is aromatic 

 and delicious. 



For previous introduction see 68038. 



98871. No. 3771. From the market at Castries, 

 St. Lucia, Windward Islands, March 8, 1932. 



98872. No. 3775. From the market at Basse 

 Terre, Guadeloupe, March 13, 1932. 



98873. Phaseolus lunatus L. 



Fabaceae. 



Lima bean. 



No. 3795. Run bean. From Bottom, Saba, 

 Netherland West Indies. A variety with brown- 

 spotted seeds, which is one of the staple food plants 

 of the island. 



98874. Phaseolus mungo L. Fabaceae. Urd. 



No. 3705. From Paramaribo, Surinam, March 

 3, 1932. A promising bean grown on sandy soils 

 of the savanna back of Paramaribo by the Javan- 

 ese colonists . It seemed to be growing and fruiting 

 well in the strictly tropical climate and was 

 probably introduced from Java by the Javanese. 



98875. Pithecollobium dulce (Roxb.) Benth. 

 Mimosaceae. Guamachil. 



No. 2962. From the Botanic Garden, George- 

 town, British Guiana, February 23, 1932. A large 

 stately tree with pinnate leaves composed of 

 obovate or oblong leaflets 1 inch long; the white 

 flowers, finely pubescent, are followed by twisted 

 pods 5 or 6 inches long and over 1 inch wide. It is 

 widely cultivated in the Tropics as an ornamental. 

 The pulpy arils are eaten by the poorer classes as 

 food, and the bark yields a yellow dye. 



For previous introduction see 92366. 



98876. Plumeria. alba L. Apocynaceae. 



No. 3799. From Anguilla, Leeward Islands, 

 March 16, 1932, where it was growing in the pot- 

 holes in calcareous rocks and exposed to the drying 

 salt-spray-laden trade winds. A tree up to 30 feet 

 high, native to the West Indies. The linear- 

 lanceolate subcoriaceous leaves, 10 inches long, are 

 glabrous above and densely white-tomentose 

 beneath. The salver-shaped flowers, 2 inches 

 across, white with a yellow eye, are borne in 

 compact clusters. 



For previous introduction see 97576. 



