﻿26 SEEDS AND PLANTS IMPORTED. 



41418. Ocotea sp. Lauraceae. 



Seeds from San Jose, Costa Rica. Presented by Mr. Carlos Werckle", 

 Department of Agriculture. Received October 9, 1915. 



41419. Amtgdalus persica L. Amygdalacese. Peach. 

 (Prunus persica Stokes.) 



From Naples, Italy. Presented by Mr. Jay White, American consul. Re- 

 ceived October 19, 1915. 

 " Seeds of a variety of clingstone peach known as the Pesca-Cotogna, and 

 locally as the Percoca. The peach of this variety is a large, hard, yellow fruit, 

 all of which characteristics are suggested by its name, which is literally the 

 ' peach-quince.' " ( White. ) 



41420. Pro-tea argentea L. Proteacese. Silver tree. 



(Leucadendron argenteum R. Br.) 

 Seeds from Lawang, Java. Presented by Mr. M. Buysman, Botanic Gar- 

 den. Received October 18, 1915. 



" The Silver tree of South Africa, the leaves of which plant are used for 

 various purposes and contain protexein, used in cases of malaria." , (Buysman.) 



" Wittcboom, a beautiful tree, native only in the immediate neighborhood of 

 Cape Town. It is a small tree, up to 50 feet in height and 12 to 18 inches in 

 diameter, with verticillate branches and white silky foliage which render its 

 name appropriate and make the tree visible from a distance. Leaves widely 

 lanceolate, 3 to 7 inches long, softly coriaceous, entire, acute. The soft, silky 

 white leaves are now an article of commerce, being salable as curios, bookmarks, 

 mats, fancy articles, etc., especially as when dried they take writing, painting, 

 etc., and are then sold with texts or names inscribed or small scenes depicted. 

 An export trade in these exists, as also in leaves for everlasting bouquets. The 

 tree seldom attains maturity, on account of the constantly recurring fires, but 

 where seeding is allowed these fires appear to assist germination and are fol- 

 lowed by dense regrowth which would not otherwise appear. The limited dis- 

 tribution of this tree and its great abundance over that area where it has prac- 

 tical possession are very remarkable. In cultivation elsewhere there is little 

 difficulty in securing germination, and if it does not damp off during the early 

 stages it may continue to grow up to cone-bearing stage in 10 to 15 years, but 

 seldom attains the size or vigor it has on Table Mountain, and nowhere has it 

 shown any tendency to become naturalized." (Sim, The Forests and Forest 

 Flora of Cape Colony, p. 29Jf.) 



41421 to 41423. Amygdaltjs persica L. Amygdalaceae. Peach. 

 (Prunus persica Stokes.) 

 Seeds from Shanghai, China. Presented by Mr. C. E. Gauss, American 

 consul. Received October 16, 1915. Quoted notes by Mr. Gauss. 

 11 Peaches are grown in the Ziccawei district of Shanghai and are of two 

 general types, viz, the round peach and the flat peach. It is said that the 

 peaches sold in Shanghai must necessarily come from within a radius of about 

 20 miles, due to the fact that there are no cold-storage facilities in China. 

 Nevertheless peaches grown in Chefoo, Hangchow, and Ningpo are to be found 

 on the Shanghai market. These, however, are said to be picked while green 

 and allowed to ripen during the period of transportation." 



