﻿12 SEEDS AND PLANTS IMPORTED. 



40911 to 40913 — Con. (Quoted notes by Mr. Wilson Popenoe.) 

 ripe and very thick. Judging from the immature fruit, the seed cavity 

 is not large and the seed fits in it snugly. According to the gardener who 

 was in charge of the place, the fruit is of excellent quality, with a rich 

 flavor and no fiber. The tree, which stands among a lot of others beside 

 a small stream which trickles through the garden, is bearing a good crop 

 of fruit. The only late avocado at present grown commercially in south- 

 ern Florida is the Trapp. It seems well worth while to try other varieties 

 which ripen late in the season, and Lulsa has been obtained with this in 

 view. The season is earlier here than in Florida, generally speaking, and 

 an avocado which ripens here in October may hang on the tree in Florida 

 until even later than this, because of the cool autumn weather. To be 

 given special attention, as it may be of considerable importance." 



Cuttings. 

 40913. Moeinga oleifera Lamarck. Moringacese. 



" Palo bianco. A small ornamental tree which is planted in the gar- 

 dens of this region. As commonly seen here, it is a tree of about 15 or 20 

 feet in height, erect, and of very attractive appearance. The leaves are 

 pinnately compound, often nearly a foot in length, of pleasing light-green 

 color, with opposite, shortly petiolulate obovate-elliptic leaflets rarely 

 over half an inch long. The flowers are borne in axillary panicles 6 to 8 

 inches long; they are white, about an inch long, and faintly fragrant. 

 As they are produced in great abundance, they make the tree effective 

 as an ornamental. The slender triangular seed pods are often a foot in 

 length; when ripe they dehisce and scatter the ground with seeds. Palo 

 bianco is considered to be an antidote for manchineel poisoning. As an 

 ornamental it seems worthy of trial in southern Florida, and possibly 

 also in southern California, in regions protected from severe frosts." 



40914. Holcus sorghum L. Poacese. Sorghum. 

 (Sorghum vulgare Pers.) 



From Pretoria. Union of South Africa. Presented by Mr. I. B. Pole Evans, 

 chief, Division of Botany, through Mr. C. V. Piper, of the Bureau of 

 Plant Industry. Received July 13. 1915. 

 " Collected in Natal, near Pietermaritzburg. In forwarding this grass seed to 

 you, I think it only right that I should point out that this grass in South Africa is 

 highly susceptible to the rust Puccinia purpurea Cooke, and also to a new smut 

 which I am describing in a paper to be read at the meeting of the South African 

 Association for the Advancement of Science, which meets in Pretoria next 

 month, and have named it Sorosporium simii Pole Evans. In view of the im- 

 portance of Sudan grass in America, I think it highly probable that this smut 

 which occurs on Sorghum halepensis will also attack your Sudan grass." 

 (Evans.) 



40915. Litchi chinensis Sonnerat. Sapindacese. Litchi. 

 (Nephelium litchi Cambess.) 



From Canton. China. Presented by Mr. G. Weidman Groff, Canton Chris- 

 tian College, through Mr. F. E. Shamel. Received July 19. 1915. 

 " Haak-ip (Hei yeh) litchi. The litchi seems to do best in about this latitude. 

 It succeeds somewhat north and south of this, but I should say can not stand 

 much frost. We have a light frost here almost every year, but not heavy 

 enough to do much damage. The litchi seems to do best on dikes of low land 



