﻿JULY 1 TO SEPTEMBER 30, 1916. 49 



43383 to 43385— Continued. 



43385. Opeeculina tuberosa (L.) Meisn. Convolvulacese. 

 (Ipomoea tuberosa L. ) 



A perennial, stout-stemmed herbaceous vine, climbing to the tops of 

 the tallest trees. The leaves are large and compound, with seven oblong 

 sharp-pointed leaflets, and the three to six yellow flowers are on a long 

 peduncle. The fruit is a membranous round capsule, about an inch 

 long, containing two or four seeds which are covered with a black 

 tomentum. The tuber is enormous, but not edible, the entire plant being 

 used as a purgative. (Adapted from De Lanessan, Les Plantes Utiles 

 des Colonies Francoises, pp. 398 and 567.) 



43388 and 43387. 



Collected by Dr. J. N. Itose, United States National Museum. Received 

 September 25, 1916. 



43386. Prosopis strombulifera (Lam.) Benth. Mimosacese. 



" Rose No. 20974. From the vicinity of Mendoza, Argentina, Septem- 

 ber 1, 1915. This grows commonly in the Mendoza Desert and is a 

 low shrub not over 12 inches high. Its peculiar screw-shaped pods look 

 like bright-yellow spikes of flowers a short distance away. The plant 

 might prove to be a very good hedge or border plant in western Texas 

 and Arizona. The pods hang on long after the leaves have fallen." 

 (Rose.) 



43387. Totjnatea crocea (Benth.) Kuntze. Csesalpiniaceae. 

 (Swartzia crocea Benth.) 



" Mocutaiba. From the Jardim Botanico, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil." 

 A bushy tree, with leaves having three elliptical leaflets and winged 

 petioles. In October the tree is covered with racemes, each consisting 

 of three or four very aromatic yellow flowers. The Brazilian tree 

 is planted in avenues, and the wood is used for interiors and cab- 

 inetwork. According to Rodrigues, its native name is Mocutaiba, while 

 Correa gives Mocitahyba. (Adapted from Rodrigues, Hortus Flumincnsis, 

 p. 138, and from Correa, Flora do Brazil, p. 51.) 



43388. Phaseolus coccineusL. Fabaceae. Scarlet Runner bean. 



From Boscotrecase, Naples, Italy. Presented by Dr. Gustav A. Eisen. 

 Received September 28, 1916. 



" Fagiuoli di Cera. Named on account of their waxy color, and were the 

 best I tasted in Italy." (Eisen.) 



A bean with a twining stem, which, if supported, will rise to a height of 14 

 feet. The leaves are smaller than those of the common kidney bean, and the 

 flowers, which are in long spikes and of a deep scarlet color, are larger. The 

 pods are large and rough, and the seeds are purple marked with black, 

 although sometimes pure white. This bean was formerly cultivated for its 

 flowers only and was first mentioned as being edible by the gardener, Philip 

 Miller. (Adapted from Miller, Gardener's and Botanist's Dictionary, ed. 9.) 



43389. Alettrites trisperma Blanco. Euphorbiacese. 



Soft lumbang. 



From Los Banos, Philippine Islands. Presented by Mr. F. W. Foxworthy, 

 Manila Bureau of Forestry, at the request of Mr. A. W. Prautch, Mun- 

 tinlupa. Received September 28, 1916. 



