JANUARY 1 TO MARCH 31, 1923 



21 



"All of these are good sugar-producing canes but 

 are[subject to yellow-stripe disease." 



56478. "Cuba 450. Seedling of Demerara 419, 

 obtained in 1917-1918." 



56479. "Cuba 519. Seedling of Demerara 99 

 obtained in 1918-1919." 



56480. "Demerara 74." 



56481. "Demerara 99." 



56482. "Demerara 108." 



56483 to 56487. 



From Loanda, Angola, Africa. Seeds presented 

 by John Gossweiler. Received January 30, 

 1923. 



56483. Aspaeagus afkicantjs Lam. Con- 

 vallariacese. 



" This asparagus is a great delicacy and in 

 my opinion better than any of the cultivated 

 kinds." (Sir Percy Fitzpatrick, in note under 

 S. P. I. No. 82271.) 



A much-branched tall shrub native to 

 many places in tropical and South Africa. 

 The main branches are woody, and the 

 leaves are spiny at the base. The 1 -seeded 

 berries are a sixth of an inch in diameter. 

 (Adapted from TMselton-Dyer, Flora of 

 Tropical Africa, vol. 7, p. 483.) 



56484. Melinis mintjtiflora Beauv. Poa- 

 ceae. Molasses grass. 



"John Morley, of Lake Alfred, Fla., in- 

 formed me that the molasses grass {Melinis 

 minutiflora) was so successful on his place 

 that he is going to get a large quantity of 

 seeds for the planting of a very considerable 

 area of it. He said the trouble which other 

 people who had tried to use this grass ex- 

 perienced was, apparently, that they did not 

 keep it grazed or cut closely enough. When 

 permitted to grow unmolested it is likely to 

 get rank." (David Fairchild.) 



For previous introduction, see S. P. I. 

 No. 54680. 



56485. Mtjsa gilleth Wildem. Musaceae. 



t Banana. 



A close relative of the Abyssininian banana 

 (Musa ensete), native to the vicinity of 

 Kisantu, Belgian Congo. It is a plant up 

 to §Yi feet high, with the lower leaves reaching 

 a length of 5 feet and the upper leaves be- 

 coming smaller and smaller until they merge 

 into the floral bracts. The fruits, 2 inches 

 long, are oblong and somewhat pear shaped, 

 with a grayish surface irregularly marked 

 because of the prominence of the seeds. The 

 powdery pulp incloses shiny black seeds. 

 (Adapted from Revue des Cultures Coloniales, 

 vol. 8, p. 102.) 



56486. Rumex abyssinicus Jacq. Poly- 

 gonaceae. 



"This Rumex has proved a most interest- 

 ing plant, reaching a height of from 7 to 8 

 feet in one season and yielding, from the first 

 of June all through the summer, an abun- 

 dance of succulent green leaves which make an 

 excellent substitute for spinach. It promises 

 to be an excellent plant for our Southern 

 States where summer green-leaved vegetables 

 are very scarce." (Peter Bisset.) 



For previous introduction, see S. P. I. 

 No. 48023. 



56487. Nathtjsia alata Hochst. Oleaceae. 



(Schrebera alata Hochst.) 



A tree of moderate size, native to Abyssinia 

 and parts of British East Africa, with large 

 compound leaves having winged stems and 

 small white flowers, tinged with lilac, borne 

 in lax[terminal clusters. The timber is very 

 hard. !&*> 



56488 to 56494. 



From China. Seeds collected by J. F. Rock, 

 Agricultural Explorer of the TJ. S. Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture. Received February 

 9, 1923. Quoted notes by Mr. Rock. 



56488. Castanea sp. Fagaceae. Chestnut. 



" (No. 6436. October, 1922.) A tall tree 60 

 to 70 feet high, with a trunk 3 to 4 feet in 

 diameter, found wild in a dry district of the 

 Shiku Valley, Yangtze River, two days' 

 travel west of Likiang." 



56489. Castanopsis sp. Fagaceae. 



"(No. 6739. November 29, 1922.) A fine 

 tree 60 to 80 feet tall, with a straight trunk 2 

 to 3 feet in diameter, found in an oak and pine 

 forest in the Shweli Valley, between Chiang- 

 tso and Linchiapu, on the Shweli-Salwin 

 watershed, two days' travel north of Teng- 

 yueh at an altitude of about 7,000 feet. In 

 this region at this time of the year there is 

 frost every night. 



"The slightly crenate leaves are oblong, 

 silvery glaucous beneath and dark green 

 above, and the small burs, with short thick 

 spines, are in axillary spikes 4 or 5 inches long. 

 The small nuts are at first brown, later becom- 

 ing black, and they are sweet in taste." 



58490. Corylus sp. Betulaceae. 



Filbert. 



"(No. 6756. October, 1922.) A tree 50 

 feet high, with trunks 2 or 3 feet or more in 

 diameter, found wild among limestone bowl- 

 ders and humus on the Likiang Snow Range 

 at an altitude of 10,000 feet. The nuts are 

 large and edible." 



56491. Pyrus sp. Malaceae. 



Pear, 



"(November, 1922.) A fine tree with a 

 dense round crown from the mountains near 

 Puerhfu. The white flowers are borne in 

 great profusion and the fruits remain for a long 

 time on the tree, becoming black and sweet. 

 This is the species used in southern Yunnan 

 as a stock for the cultivated pears. Obtained 

 through Miss Clara Peterson, of the Puerhfu 

 Mission." 



56492. Querctjs sp. Fagaceae. Oak. 



"(No. 6818. October, 1922.) A tall tree 50 

 to 60 feet in height, from the western slopes 

 of the Likiang Snow Range, on the read to 

 the Yangtze River at an altitude of 11,000 

 feet. The leaves are lanceolate and entire 

 and the acorns oblong." 



56498. Ziziphus sp. Rhamnaceae. 



"(No. 6824. October, 1922.) A hand- 

 some spreading tree 30 feet high, with a 

 round crown, found above Yangpi two days' 

 travel from Talifu, at an altitude of 7,500 feet. 

 The leaves are large, oval, and finely serrate, 

 and the tree was loaded with olive-shaped 

 drupes." 



56494. (Undetermined.) 



"(No. 6740. November 28, 1922.) He ko 

 (black fruit tree). A tree 25 to 30 feet high 

 with tall, spreading, drooping branches, 

 which grows commonly on the trail to Chuchi, 

 one day's journey northeast of Tengyueh. 

 The tree was loaded with fleshy, bluish black 

 3-lobed capsular fruits; the one fertile lobe 

 contained an oily, bitter seed. The fruits are 

 gathered by the natives, dried, pressed, and 

 heated, and an oil extracted which is used for 

 lighting purposes." 



56495 to 56498. 



From Burringbar, New South Wales. Seeds 

 presented by B. Harrison. Received Feb- 

 ruary 7, 1923. Quoted notes by Mr. Harri- 

 son. 



18609— 25f- 



