4 



SEEDS AND PLANTS IMPORTED 



58028. Hyphaene crinita Gaertn. 

 Phcenicacese. Palm. 



From Pretoria, Union of South Africa. Seeds pre- 

 sented by C. P. Lounsbury, Chief, Division of 

 Entomology. Received October 4, 1923. 



A South African fan palm which in some sections 

 of its native country reaches a height of 30 feet. 

 The leaves are used by the natives to make matting, 

 basketware, and rope. From the sap, obtained by 

 tapping the trunk, a native beverage is prepared. 

 (Adapted from Marloth, Flora of South Africa, vol. 

 4, P. 50.) 



58029. NlCOTIANA TABACTJM L. Sol- 



anaceae. Tobacco. 



From Teheran, Persia. Seeds presented through 

 Bernard Gotlieb, American consul. Received 

 October 4, 1923. 



Seeds of the finest grade of the Persian tobacco 

 variety known as Shiraz Tumbac. (Gotlieb.) 



Introduced for tobacco specialists. 



58030. Annona diversifolia Safford. 

 Annonacese. llama. 



From Chiapas, Mexico. Seeds presented by Dr. 

 C. A. Purpus, Zacuapan, Huatusco, Vera Cruz. 

 Received October 6, 1923. 



It is now several years since the Office of Foreign 

 Plant Introduction undertook an investigation of 

 this little-known relative of the cherimoya and 

 decided that it is a species worthy of wide cul- 

 tivation in the Tropics. In these few years sev- 

 eral thousand seedlings have been distributed, not 

 alone in America but also in southern Asia and 

 elsewhere. A young tree growing in the United 

 States Plant Introduction Garden at Miami, Fla., 

 came into bearing in 1923. So far as known, this 

 is the first time ilamas have been produced in the 

 United States. The tree has always been very 

 limited in its distribution. It is native to southern 

 Mexico, Guatemala, and Salvador, where it is 

 found usually in foothill regions at elevations not 

 greater than 2,000 feet. In some parts of Mexico 

 it is called "ilama," in Chiapas "papauce," and in 

 Guatemala and Salvador "anona blanca." 



The climatic requirements of this tree are similar 

 to those of the sugar-apple and the custard-apple. 

 It will withstand light frost and often grows in 

 regions where the rainfall is light. Seedling trees 

 come into bearing when 4 or 5 years old. The 

 species is not as robust as the cherimoya, rarely 

 reaching more than 20 feet in height and being of 

 somewhat slender growth. The fruit is conical, 

 oval, or round, and weighs from half a pound to a 

 pound or more. The surface is rough, with the 

 carpellary areas indicated by deeply incised lines. 

 The color varies from pale green to magenta pink, 

 overspread with a whitish bloom, whence the com- 

 mon name "anona blanca," or "white anona." In 

 pale-green varieties the flesh is pure white; in pink 

 kinds it is tinged with that color. The flavor is 

 similar to that of the sugar-apple but with more 

 acid. The seeds are about as numerous as in the 

 cherimoya but slightly larger than those of the 

 latter. 



58031. Mangifera indica L. Ana- 

 cardiaceae. Mango. 



From Manila, Philippine Islands. Budwood pre- 

 sented by Adn. Hernandez, director, Bureau of 

 Agriculture. Received October 6, 1923. 



"Carabao." Average weight 230 grams; form 

 oblong, asymmetrical, with full cheeks; ventral 

 shoulder usually prominent; dorsal shoulder short; 

 stem inserted squarely or obliquely; base rounded; 

 beak rather indistinct and variable, sometimes 

 coinciding with apex; nak about 15 to 25 milli- 

 meters above apex, usually not prominent; surface 

 smooth; color yellowish tinged with green; lenti- 

 cels light yellow, usually sparse at basal end of 

 fruit, abundant on apical portion; skin medium 

 thin, tough; flesh yellowish, paler than the Pico, 



very tender and melting; flavor very delicate, 

 aromatic, and spicy; fiber medium coarse, short, 

 confined almost entirely to edges of seed; seed ob- 

 long, medium large; polyembryonic. The simi- 

 larities in the fruit and trees of the Carabao and the 

 Cambodiana, introduced into Florida from Saigon, 

 Cochin China, are so many and great that the two 

 types would seem to have a common parentage or 

 to have sprung one from the other; this fact perhaps 

 may also indicate the original home of the Carabao 

 mango. 



" The tree is of vigorous growth, with fruit mostly 

 ripening from the latter part of May through June 

 and the early part of July; by smoking the trees 

 (the physiological effect of which is not quite under- 

 stood) and by chopping the bark of the trunk the 

 Filipinos force the trees to bear fruit early in March, 

 but this fruit is not so well flavored as that produced 

 . later. In some sections a few mangos are found in 

 the markets during nearly all the months of the 

 year." (P. J. Wester, Bulletin No. 18, Bureau of 

 Agriculture, Manila, pp. 23 and 24.) 



58032. Strychnos suberosa Wildem. 

 Loganiacese. 



From Kisantu, Belgian Congo. Seeds presented 

 by Frere J. Gillet. Received October 1, 1923. 



The fruit of this species is edible. (Gillet.) 



A spiny shrub or small tree, with oval leathery 

 dull-green leaves. It is very similar to Strychnos 

 gilleti [S. P. I. No. 58020]. (Adapted from Annates 

 du Musee du Congo, ser. 5, vol. 1, p. 177.) 



58033. Avena sterilis L. Poacese. 



Oats. 



From Lincoln, New Zealand. Seeds presented by 

 Dr. F. W. Hilgendorf, biologist, Canterbury Ag- 

 ricultural College. Received October 10, 1923. 



" College Algerians. This strain, also known as 

 A 86, is characterized by high tillering power, a 

 creeping habit, quick recovery after feeding off, and 

 a high yield. Under our conditions of climate and 

 soil it has yielded about 10 bushels per acre more 

 than commercial varieties sown under the same 

 conditions." (New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, 

 vol. 26, p. 147.) 



58034. Saccharum officinartjm L. 

 Poacese. Sugar cane. 



From Rio Piedras, Porto Rico. Cuttings pre- 

 sented by R. Menendez Ramos, director, Insular 

 Experiment Station. Received October 10, 1923. 



B. H. 10 (12). This Barbados hybrid is, in my 

 opinion, the most valuable cane seedling at present 

 planted on this island. It is a vigorous cane, 

 giving high tonnage in a variety of soils; it is a 

 heavy stooler and good in ratoon crops. At this 

 station it has yielded as high as 22 per cent sucrose 

 in crusher juice at the age of 13 months. It is 

 tolerant to both mosaic and gumming diseases. 

 (Ramos.) 



58035. Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L. 

 Malvaceae. 



From Manila, Philippine Islands. Cuttings pre- 

 sented by Adn. Hernandez, director, Bureau of 

 Agriculture. Received October 17, 1923. 



The Chinese Hibiscus is an exceedingly popular 

 ornamental plant in southern Florida, where the 

 single scarlet variety is practically the only one 

 which has been commonly planted up to this time. 

 The department has undertaken to introduce the 

 best forms from other parts of the world, in the hope 

 of diversifying somewhat the ornamental plantings 

 of Florida gardens. The scarlet variety, though a 

 handsome and useful plant, is in danger of becoming 

 monotonous. An excellent collection of new varie- 

 ties has recently been introduced from the Hawaiian 

 Islands, where much has been done to improve this 

 genus by breeding. 



