﻿56 SEEDS AND PLANTS IMPORTED. 



40615 and 40616— Continued. 



In the form of planks it is used for the bottoms of boats." (Sargent, 

 Plantae Wilsonianae vol. 2, p. 11.) 



See S. P. I. Nos. 30039, 37944, and 38333 for previous introductions and 

 description. 



40617 to 40619. 



From Formosa. Presented by the Bureau of Productive Industry, Taihoku, 

 Formosa. Received May 12, 1915. 



40617. Aspakagus LuciDus Lindley. Convallariacese. Asparagus. 

 From Mount Daiton, near Taihoku. Japanese name Tenmondo. 



" Kusasugi-kadsura or Tenmondo; a perennial herb of the order of 

 Liliacese, growing wild on seacoasts and also cultivated in fields. There 

 are standing and climbing varieties. In summer it produces small yel- 

 lowish flowers, which are succeeded by little red berries. The tuberous 

 roots grow in tufts about the size of a finger, and are preserved in sugar 

 or used for various cooking purposes after having been boiled in water 

 to take away the acridity." {Useful Plants of Japan, pp. 29 and 121.) 



Plants. 



40618. Ctjdkania javanensis Trecul. Moracese. 

 From Mount Daiton, near Taihoku, April 9, 1915. 



" Kwakwatsu gayu, an evergreen shrub of the order Urticacese, of a 

 vinelike nature, provided with thorns on the stem, and found in the 

 Provinces of Satsuma and Osumi. The barren and fertile flowers shoot 

 separately on distinct plants. It bears flowers in summer and reddish 

 yellow sweet fruits in winter. They are eaten fresh or preserved in sugar. 

 The wood is used for dyeing yellow." {Useful Plants of Japan, No. 

 2136.) 



Cuttings. 



40619. Maltjs formosana Kawakami and Koidz. Malaceae. 

 "Japanese name Taiwan-ringo. From Arisan, March 20, 1915." 



" This is a very distinct species, differing from all other [species of] 

 Malus by the tubular constricted disk enclosing the connate base of the 

 five styles. The large globose fruit with its impressed persistent calyx 

 and short stalk resembles that of the common apple." (Rehder, in 

 Plantae Wilsonianae, vol. 2, p. 295, 1915.) 



" In November, 1905, on my exploring trip to Mount Niitaka, I chanced 

 to discover the fruit of a very rare plant belonging to Pomacese at Mount 

 Suizan, 7,000 feet high, in the southern part of the Arisan Range. As 

 it resembled an apple in appearance, I tasted it, and founc* it somewhat 

 like an apple but rather astringent, with a fine odor. Afterwards I 

 was told that the aborigines usually eat them cook . Ar the tree was 

 4 to 5 feet in circumference and 40 to 50 feet high, I was not able to 

 pluck either the boughs or the leaves, and had to content myself with 

 picking up the leaves and fruit lying about on the ground. In October 

 of the following year 1 collected some of the same fruit again at Mount 

 Arisan. At this time I found that the tree belonged to the genus of 

 apple trees, but, being unable to obtain the flower, I could not properly 

 specify it. In March of this year, however, Mr. Mori, of the Botanical 

 Laboratory, succeeded in collecting the flower of this tree at a place 



