﻿12 SEEDS AND PLANTS IMPORTED. 



41316 to 41341— Continued. (Quoted notes by Mr. O. F. Cook.) 



41322. Manihot dulcis (Gesner) Baillon. Euphorbiacea?. 



(Manihot palmata Muell. Arg.) Sweet cassava. 



"(No. 1768. Dried fruits from San Miguel, Peru, July 10, 1915.)" 

 For description, see No. 1680 (S. P. I. No. 41320). 



41323. Caesalpinia pectinata Cav. Csesalpiniacere. Tara. 

 (Caesalpinia tinctoria Domb.) 



"(No. 1795. Seeds from Peru.) A tall, upright, spiny shrub or small 

 tree, often planted for hedges, especially in the district around the town 

 of Urubamba, but very abundant in the wild state farther down the 

 Urubamba Valley, between Ollantaytambo and Torontoy, at altitudes of 

 8,000 to 10,000 feet. Here it grows under much the same conditions as 

 the molle or pepper tree, though going into somewhat lower and drier 

 situations. Yet the tara does not extend into the parts of the valley that 

 are occupied by tropical types of vegetation, as at San Miguel, nor 

 were any seen in the region of Santa Ana. The habit of growth and gen- 

 eral appearance of the tara are striking, the trunk or trunks being strictly 

 upright, with a few spreading branches near the top. The largest trees 

 attain a height of 25 to 30 feet, with trunks 6 to 8 inches in diameter. 

 The foliage is deep green in color, with the leaflets smooth and polished on 

 the upper surface. The greenish yellow flowers in cylindrical open spikes 

 are not very conspicuous, but the pods are produced in large clusters, and 

 * the exposed surfaces show a bright scarlet for a long time before matur- 

 ing. The color affords a very attractive contrast to the leaves, and from a 

 distance the effect is the same as though the trees were producing clusters 

 of red flowers. In addition to the possibility of using the tara as an 

 ornamental, it might have value as a hedge plant or windbreak, espe- 

 cially in the drier, warmer parts of the Southwestern States. The ten- 

 - dency of many hedge plants to spread out laterally and occupy too much 

 ground is not shared by the tara, for all the shoots grow nearly upright, 

 making a very close and effective hedge, the bark being studded with 

 short spines. The spines may afford an objection to the use of the tara 

 as an ornamental in some situations, but they will add to its value as a 

 hedge plant. A well-grown hedge of tara keeps out cattle, pigs, or goats, 

 as well as human intruders. The growth of the young plants is said to 

 be very rapid, the wood being rather soft and not durable. New shoots 

 are formed readily after cutting back, but there are no sprouts from the 

 roots. No information could be secured regarding the feasibility of 

 propagating from cuttings. The hedges about Urubamba are said to be 

 grown from seedlings. 



"A further consideration is that the pods of the tara might be found to 

 have economic value for tanning or dyeing, like the divi-divi and other 

 species of Caesalpinia. In former years it was customary in Peru to 

 make ink of the pods by grinding them and adding a little sugar and 

 verba buena to give luster. The same preparation was used for .dyeing 

 black. The ink was said to be of good quality and continued in use in 

 the district of Ollantaytambo until recent years, when supplies of im- 

 ported ink were available. In the market in Lima tara pods are a regu- 

 lar article of trade and are said to be used for dyeing, tanning leather, 

 and making ink. 



" The immature seeds of the tara contain, underneath the skin, a layer 

 of fleshy opalescent material, with a rather pleasant, slightly sweetish 

 taste, which is considered edible, like the arillus of the seeds of Inga and 



