APRIL 1 TO JUNE 30, 1927 



31 



73924 to 73942— Continued. 



73935. Ficus capensis Thunb. Moraceae. 



No. 1262. Near Mamou, en route to Dalaba, 

 Fouta Jalon, French Guinea, March 10, 1927. 

 A small tropical tree with smooth, juicy fruits 

 1H inches in diameter, which are eaten with 

 milk by the natives of French Guinea. Tt may 

 prove valuable as stock for the cultivated fig. 



For previous introduction see No. 56533. 



73938. Indigofera sp. Fabaceae. 



No. 1275. En route from Mamou to Dalaba, 

 Fouta Jalon, French Guinea, March 10, 1927. 

 A tall upright herbaceous tropical plant 8 feet 

 high, which produces small brown pods con- 

 taining five or six seeds. It is probably a peren- 

 nial, and may be a good cover plant. 



73937. Memecylon spathandra Blume. Me- 

 lastomaceae. 



No. 1270. Near Mamou, Fouta Jalon, 

 French Guinea, March 10, 1927. A tall orna- 

 mental tropical shrub, up to 25 feet high, with 

 large green leaves and deep-blue flowers. 



73938. Pahudia africana (Smith) Prain (Af- 

 zelia africana Smith). Caesalpiniaceae. 



No. 1272. En route to Dalaba, Fouta Jalon, 

 French Guinea, March 10, 1927. A handsome 

 tropical shade tree producing large ornamental 

 pods 6 inches long, which contain dull-black 

 seeds with scarlet arils. These seeds are very 

 attractive and are used by the natives for beads. 



For previous introduction see No. 47501. 



73939. Parinari benna S. Elliot. Rosaceae. 



No. 1282. Fouta Jalon, French Guinea, 

 March 10, 1927. A shapely tropical tree called 

 sigon by the natives of this region. The fruits 

 are used medicinally by the natives, especially 

 as a vermifuge. 



73940. Tetrapleura tetraptera (Schum.) 

 Taub. Mimosaceae. 



No. 1276. Obtained in the market at Akkra, 

 Gold Coast, March 9, 1927. A tall, unarmed 

 tree which has alternate compound leaves with 

 leathery leaflets and small flowers in spikelike 

 clusters. The pods are roasted and ground to 

 make black soup, a common native dish in parts 

 of tropical Africa. The soft pulp of these pods 

 contains sugar, tannin, and a small quantity of 

 saponin. The presence of saponin enables the 

 natives to use the pods for washing purposes also. 



For previous introduction see No. 62918. 



73941. Uvaria chamae Beauv. Annonaceae. 



No. 1265. Near Mamou, Fouta Jalon, 

 French Guinea, March 10, 1927. A small trop- 

 ical drought-resistant tree with shiny fragrant 

 leaves and large greenish brown flowers, followed 

 by clusters of small tomentose fruits, filled with 

 seeds, which are edible but insipid. The roots 

 are used medicinally, and the wood is made into 

 oars. This species may be valuable in the 

 breeding of hardier Annonas. 



73942. Zea mays L. Poaceae. 



Corn. 



No. 1278. Mamou, Fouta Jalon, French 

 Guinea, March 10, 1927. The brown color is 

 caused by the smoke in drying. 



73943 to 73950. 



From Moscow, Russia. Seeds presented by the 

 secretary, Institute of Applied Botany and New 

 Cultures. Received May 11, 1927. 



73943. Allium barsczewskii Lipsky. Lili- 

 aceae. 



A hardy bulbous plant which may be of 

 ornamental value. Native to western Russia. 



73943 to 73950— Continued. 



73944. Astragalus borrovianus Hort. 



Fa- 



A hardy leguminous herbaceous plant native 

 to Russia. 



73945. Calamagrostis sp. Poaceae. Grass. 



A rather tall hardy perennial grass, native to 

 Russia. 



Convallaria majalis L. Convallari- 

 aceae. Lily of the valley. 



Variety Mandschurica. A Manchurian form 

 of the lily of the valley. 



73947 to 73950. Papaver somniferum L. Pa- 

 paveraceae. Poppy. 



Decorative Mongolian varieties. 



73947. A double salmon variety. 



73948. A double white variety. 



73949. A double crimson variety. 



73950. A double white variety with rosy 

 margins. 



73951. Musanga smithii R. Br. Mora- 

 ceae. 



From Cameroon, West Africa. Seeds collected by 

 David Fairchild, agricultural explorer, Bureau of 

 Plant Industry, with the Allison V. Armour 

 expedition. Received June 1, 1927. 



No. 1213. En route to the Ekona estate, March 

 18, 1927. The corkwood tree of West Africa, so 

 called because of the lightness of the wood, which is 

 used for building purposes. It is a handsome 

 tropical tree, related to the mulberry, and becomes 

 60 to 80 feet in height, with palmate leaves having 

 drooping lobes. 



73952. Persea sp. Lauraceae. 



Aguacate. 



From Venezuela. Seeds presented by H. Pittier, 

 Museo Comercial, Ministerio de Relaciones 

 Exteriores, Caracas. Received May 23, 1927. 



A small-fruited wild avocado from the Tuy 

 Valley, State of Miranda. The fruits have a deli- 

 cate flavor. 



73953. Ophiopogon japonicus Ker. 

 Liliaceae. Japanese snake 's-beard. 



From Peradeniya, Ceylon. Roots presented by 

 T. H. Parsons, curator, Royal Botanic Gardens. 

 Received May 20, 1927. 



A tropical grasslike ornamental with variegated 

 foliage, native to tropical Asia. 



For previous introduction see No. 48720. 



73954 and 73955. 



From West Africa. Seeds collected by David 

 Fairchild, agricultural explorer, Bureau of Plant 

 Industry, with the Allison V. Armour expedi- 

 tion. Received April, 1927. 



73954. Firmiana barteri (Masters) Schum. 

 Sterculiaceae. 



No. 1239. Akkra, Gold Coast, February 

 27, 1927. A tropical ornamental tree with coral - 

 pink flowers. The wood is light and used for 

 fish-net floats, and the fiber is used for making 

 rope. 



73955. Picralima klaineana Pierre. Apocyna- 

 ceae. 



No. 1252. Agricultural experiment station, 

 Aburi, Gold Coast, February 26, 1927. An 

 ornamental tropical tree with attractive foliage 

 and large bitter fruits used as a substitute for 

 quinine. 



