JANUARY 1 TO MARCH 31, 1924 



17 



58635. Crotalaria sp. Fabacese. 



From Angola, Africa. Seeds presented by Merlin 

 W. Ennis. Received February 2, 1924. 



In our experiments with various plants intro- 

 duced for cover crops we did not discover anything 

 satisfactory, so we turned to the plants growing 

 wild in this region. Among these was the " Elende 

 clover," of which we are sending you seeds. This is 

 a rather inconspicuous plant which grows in all 

 sorts of places. I tried it first as a cover crop in the 

 orange grove, in the hope that it might restrain the 

 Bermuda grass. It not only smothered the Ber- 

 muda grass, but as it appears now in its second year 

 it has made a very heavy stand. As the plant is well 

 supplied with root nodules I believe that it will 

 prove valuable as fertilizer. (Ennis.) 



58636 to 58640. 



From India. Seeds collected by Ralph R. Stewart. 

 Received February 2, 1924. Field notes by Mr. 

 Stewart. 



58636 to 53639. Ribes spp. Grossulariacese. 



53638. Ribes alpestre Decaisne. 



(No. 7376H- Sonamarg. August 22, 1922.) 

 Collected at an altitude of about 8,600 feet. 

 This is the only prickly Ribes in Kashmir, and 

 it has very large fruits. 



58637. Ribes glaciale Wall. 



(No. 6743. Sonamarg. August 22, 1922.) A 

 very hardy species, collected at an altitude of 

 10,000 feet. The f/uit is not used. 



A shrub, 10 to 15 feet high, with reddish 

 young shoots, rounded leaves, and small flowers 

 which are maroon or purplish on the inside. 

 The small, scarlet, currantlike fruits mature in 

 July in the higher altitudes, of the Himalayas, 

 where the species is native. (Adapted from 

 Janczewski, Monographic des Groseilliers, p. 467.) 



58638 and 58639. Ribes orientale Desf. 



Unarmed, deciduous shrubs about 6 feet high 

 distributed from eastern Europe to the Hima- 

 layas. The leaves are shining green and bristly 

 below, the flowers are greenish red, and the 

 small red fruits are covered with viscid hairs. 



-^. (No. 7309. Sonamarg. July and Au- 

 gust, 1922.) A hardy species, usually on 

 dry, open banks, at an altitude of 7,000 to 

 9,000 feet. 



58639. (No. 7385M. Matayan Dras, Ladak. 

 • August 29, 1922.) From an altitude of 10,000 

 feet. 

 58640. Rubus saxatilis L. Rosacea?. 

 (No. 7467. Baltal. September 3, 1922.) 



According to Sir Joseph Hooker (Flora of British 

 India), Bubus saxatilis is distributed throughout 

 the Himalayan region, commonly at altitudes of 

 10,000 to 11,000 feet. The stems are short, erect, 

 annual from a stout woody rhizome. The leaves 

 are composed of three ovate, somewhat lobed, 

 acutely double-toothed leaflets, each 2 to 3 inches 

 long. The white flowers, half an inch in diameter, 

 are followed by fruits composed of a few large 

 scarlet drupelets. Judging by its distribution in 

 Asia, this species should prove sufficiently hardy 

 for cultivation in many parts of the United States. 

 It is of interest mainly to plant breeders who are 

 working with this genus. 



58641. Abies forrestii Craib. 

 cese. 



Pina- 

 Fir. 



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

 Rock, National Geographic Society, Washington, 

 • D. C. Received February 5, 1924. 



For previous introduction and descriptive note, 

 see S. P. I. No. 58468. 



94655—26 3 



58642. Abies sp. Pinaceae. 



Fir. 



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

 Rock, National Geographic Society, Washington, 

 D. C. Received February 9, 1924. 



For previous introduction and descriptive note, 

 see S. P. I. No. 58469. 



58643. Ficus carica L. Moraceae. Fig. 



From Saonara, Padova, Italy. Plants purchased 

 from Fratelli Sgaravatii. Received February 9, 

 1924. 



Dottato. Dr. Gustavus Eisen, long with this de- 

 partment and instrumental in bringing about the 

 introduction of many fig varieties into the United 

 States, describes Dottato as the best-known fig of 

 Tuscany. A large proportion of the figs exported 

 from Italy are of this variety. The tree is said to 

 love rich, moist soils and is not suitable for dry 

 lands. Under proper environmental conditions, it 

 is a strong grower and heavy bearer of medium- 

 sized fruits, oval-pyriform in shape, smooth, and 

 yellowish green in color. 



This well-known Italian variety is introduced for 

 cultural and comparison tests by horticulturist ! 

 engaged in fig-breeding experiments. 



For previous introduction, see S. P. I. No. 56631. 



58644. Paspalum notatum Fluegge. 

 Poaceae. 



From San Jose, Costa Rica. Seeds purchased from 

 J. Alfredo Quiros. Received January 30, 1924. 



Bahia grass is a perennial grass forming a dense 

 sward of leaves and with flowering culms about 1 

 foot high, two-branched at the top. It is native 

 from Cuba and Mexico southward to Argentina. 

 It is generally recognized as a very valuable pasture 

 grass. The rootstocks are very stout, so that even 

 on very sandy soil the grass makes a firm sod. At 

 the Florida experiment station, Bahia grass is 

 spreading year by year even into land already 

 occupied by other grasses. In Florida the best 

 germination has been obtained by sowing the seed 

 the latter part of May and in June. A firm seed 

 bed seems desirable. 



Bahia grass has proved hardy throughout Florida 

 and as far north as McNeill, Miss. It succeeds on 

 nearly all types of soil, even on the sand hills, but 

 best in fairly firm soils. 



The ergot which attacks Dallis grass and many 

 other species of Paspalum also affects Bahia grass. 

 Indeed, in parts of Argentina where the pastures 

 are largely of this grass the ergot causes a disease of 

 cattle apparently the same as that caused by the 

 same ergot on Dallis grass in Mississippi. It is not 

 likely, however, that this ergot will ever be serious 

 except perhaps in limited areas where Bahia grass 

 or Dallis grass makes up the whole pasturage. 

 ( C. V. Piper, Bureau of Plant Industry.) 



For previous introduction, see S. P. I. No. 51121. 



58645. Clitandra arnoldiana Wil- 

 dem. Apocynaceae. 



From Kisantu, Belgian Congo. Seeds presented 

 by Frere J. Gillet. Received February 5, 1924. 



One of the commonest rubber-producing plants 

 of the Belgian Congo, being found throughout the 

 entire territory. It is a vine which becomes a foot 

 in diameter and 250 feet in length, with leathery, 

 narrowly oblong leaves. The rubber obtained 

 from the latex of this species is black and of first 

 quality. (Adapted from Wildeman and Gentil,. 

 Lianes CaoutcJioutiferes du Congo, p. 80.) 



Introduced for rubber specialists. 



