30 SEEDS AND PLANTS IMPORTED 



56021. Escallonia philippiana (Engler) Masters. Escalloniacese. 



From Exeter, England. Plants purchased from Robert Veitch & Son, The 

 Royal Nursery. Received November 25, 1922. 



This ornamental shrub, native to Chile, is the hardiest of all the Escallonias, 

 and unlike the other species is deciduous. It forms a spreading shrub with 

 gracefully arching branches and has small dark-green leaves which serve 

 admirably as a background for the pretty star-shaped white flowers. (Adapted 

 from Gardening Illustrated, vol. 88. p. 501.) 



56022. Warszewiczia coccixea (Valil) Klotzsch. Rubiacese. 



Scarlet plume. 



From Gainboa, Canal Zone. Seeds presented by F. .Marti. Received 

 November 28, 1922. 



"This is a remarkable ornamental tree: I first saw it on the banks of 

 Gatun Lake at Rio Sucio. At a distance its racemes, over 2 feet long, with 

 their brilliant-scarlet enlarged sepals, produced a startling splash of color 

 against the dark-green foliage. The color is as vividly scarlet as the autumn 

 colors of the sour gum, the sorrel tree, or some species of Japanese maple. 

 The colored ' leaves ' are in reality enlarged sepals. Only one flower in each 

 cluster of flowers on the raceme has an enlarged sepal. Though the flowers 

 themselves are not over a quarter of an inch in diameter, the enlarged sepals 

 are often 2^ inches long. The fact that this tree blooms in summer, the wet 

 season, whereas most of the showy flowering trees of the Tropics bloom in the 

 dry season, would seem to make this an unusually valuable ornamental tree 

 for tropical regions. It is certainly worthy of a place in every collection of 

 tropical trees." (David Fairchild.) 



For previous introduction, see S. P. I. No. 54297. 



56023. Fragaria chiloensis (L.) Duchesne. Kosacese. 



Chilean strawberry. 



From Guayaquil, Ecuador. Seeds presented by Dr. F. W. Goding, Ameri- 

 can consul general. Received December 7, 1922. 



" These seeds were obtained at Guachi, near Ambato. While the fruit of 

 the Chilean strawberry is inferior in flavor to that of our best cultivated straw- 

 berries, it is remarkable for its excellent shipping and keeping qualities ; and it 

 seems that varieties might be produced by selection which would merit culti- 

 vation on a commercial scale. 



" The berry is much used for canning and preserving. It is also eaten fresh. 

 It is a curious circumstance that this species of strawberry, whose fruits are 

 commonly an inch to an inch and a half long, should be called frutilla (little 

 fruit) in Chile, Peru, and Ecuador, while the much smaller fruit of Fragaria 

 vesca. rarely over one-half an inch long, is termed fresa, or strawberry- This 

 last-named species is cultivated commercially at Quillota. Chile, whence the 

 fruit, which ripens earlier than that of F. chiloensis. is sent to the markets of 

 Santiago. 



"As far as I can ascertain by careful examination of the plants and fruits, 

 the frutillas of Chile, Peru, and Ecuador are the same species. Neither in Peru 

 nor in Chile, however, do the plants bear all through the year as they do on the 

 sandy plains near Ambato, Ecuador. I imagine the difference in climatic con- 

 ditions is the cause of this ; on the Equator there are no well-defined seasons, 

 and the plants remain active throughout the year, while in Chile the seasons 

 are fairly well defined and vegetative activity ceases during a part of each year, 

 as with us. The ripening season of F. chiloensis in the highlands of southern 

 Peru and central Chile seems to extend, approximately, from the latter part of 

 October to January." (Wilson Popenoe.) 



For previous introduction, see S. P. I. No. 54630. 



56024. Cornus officinalis Sieb. and Zucc. Cornaceae. 



From Rochester, N. Y. Seeds presented by John Dunbar, Assistant Super- 

 intendent of Parks. Received December 8, 1922. 

 "This resembles Cornus mas when in flower, but the fruits ripen in October 

 and November and are (juite handsome." (Dunbar.) 



