4 



SEEDS AND PLANTS IMPOKTED 



58957. Soja max (L.) Piper {Glycine 

 hispid a Maxim.). Fabacese. 



Soy bean. 



From Sapporo, Japan. Seeds presented by T. 

 Abiko, agronomist, Hokkaido Agricultural Ex- 

 periment Station. Received June 12, 1924. 



Introduced for soy-bean specialists. 



Hadaka-Daidzu. 



58958. Garcinia binucao (Blanco) 

 Choisy. Clnsiaceae. Binukao. 



From Manila, Philippine Islands. Seeds pre- 

 sented by the Director of the Bureau of Agricul- 

 ture. Received June 2, 1924. 



The binukao, a relative of the mangosteen, is a 

 \handsome tree which is very common in certain 

 parts of the Philippine Islands, notably in Luzon 

 and the Visa y an Islands. W. H. Brown, in "Wild 

 Food Plants of the Philippines," states that the 

 yellowish, rounded fruits, nearly 2 inches in diame- 

 ter, with a very acid pulp and numerous seeds, are 

 eaten with fish by the Filipinos. The small, red 

 flowers are borne in dense clusters. The binukao 

 will probably not endure low temperatures, since it 

 comes from a tropical region. 



58959 and 58960. Hibiscus sabda- 

 riffa L. Malvaceae. 



From Kuala Lumpur, Federated Malay States. 

 Seeds presented by the agriculturist, Department 

 of Agriculture. Received June 9, 1924. 



Variety aUissima. A tall variety, first recognized 

 in the Philippine Islands where it was grown from 

 seed received* from Senegal, West Africa. It is an 

 annual plant with slender stalks 2 to 3 meters high. 

 It differs from the more common roselle in being 

 taller and in having calyx lobes less fleshy and is of 

 little value for making jellies, jams, etc. 



Tall roselle is cultivated to a limited extent in 

 Senegal for fiber production, and during the past 

 two or three years a syndicate has been trying to 

 establish its cultivation in the Federated Malay 

 States. 



The fiber belongs to the jute group and is suitable 

 for bags, burlaps, and twines. It is coarser and 

 harsher than Indian jute. No efficient machinery 

 has been devised for preparing bast fibers such as 

 jute and roselle, and it would be impossible to pro- 

 duce these fibers profitably by hand labor in this 

 country. 



Tall roselle may be grown in the warmer parts 

 of the Gulf States and in southern California. 

 II. H. Dewey, Bureau of Plant Industry.) 



58959. Green form. 



58960. Red form. 



58961. Castanopsis argentea 

 (Blume) A. DC. Fagaceae. 



From Buitenzorg, Ja va . Seeds presented by Dr. J . J. 

 Smith, 's Lands Plantentuin. Received June 12, 

 1924. 



In the endeavor to establish in the United States 

 blight-resistant chestnuts or related trees, Asiatic 

 species of Castanea and Castanopsis are being in- 

 troduced for trial. This species, from Java, is a 

 large evergreen tree 50 to 60 feet tall, with dense 

 clusters of spiny burs which inclose edible nuts 

 about an inch in diameter. 



For previous introduction, see S. P. I. No. 58931. 



58962. Meibomia oldhami (Oliver) 

 Kimtze {Desmodium oldhami Oliver). 

 Fabacese. 



From Leningrad, Russia. Seeds presented by Wl. 

 Kousnetzoff. in charge of forage plants, Bureau 

 of Applied Botany. Received June 12, 1924. 



A slender, unbranched Japanese species, 2 to 4 

 feet high, with leaves 5 to 10 inches long. 



58963. Funtumia elastica (Preuss) 

 Stapf. Apocynaeeae. 



Lagos rubber tree. 



From Akkra, Gold Coast Colony, Africa. Seeds 

 presented by W. S. D. Tudhope, Director, Agri- 

 cultural Department. Received April 2, 1924. 



A large forest tree which is very widely distrib- 

 uted throughout central Africa and is the source of 

 Lagos rubber, the quality of which is but little 

 inferior to that of Para rubber. 



Though of doubtful value for growing commer- 

 cially even in the most favorable parts of the United 

 States, this plant is being introduced with a view 

 of including it in the collection of rubber plants now 

 being brought together in southern Florida for in- 

 vestigational purposes. 



For previous introduction, see S. P. I. No. 42367. 



58964. Lilium philippixexse Baker. 

 Liliaceae. Benguet lily. 



From Taihoku, Formosa, Japan. Bulbs presented 

 by R. Kanehira, director, Experimental Station 

 of Forestry. Received April 2, 1924. 



A semihardy Philippine lily with a slender green 

 stem, sometimes purple dotted, 1 to 2 feet high, 

 30 to 40 narrow horizontal, recurved leaves 3 to 5 

 inches long, and delicately fragrant, pure waxy 

 white flowers, 8 inches long, tinged green near the 

 base, with yellow anthers. This species is best 

 suited for pot culture in cold regions. 



For previous introduction, see S. P. I. No. 50311. 



58965. Nicotiana suaveolens Lehni. 

 Solanacese. 



From Sydney, New South Wales. Seeds presented 

 by J. H. Maiden, director, Botanic Gardens. 

 Received April 2, 1924. 



This Australian relative of the common tobacco- 

 producing species is a herbaceous annual or bien- 

 nial, native to sandy, hilly regions throughout 

 most of Australia. It is said that in former times 

 the leaves were chewed by the natives. The plant 

 is readily eaten by stock. It is now introduced for 

 the use of specialists who are studying the narcotic 

 properties of the Solanaceae. 



58966. Axonopus scoparius (Fluegge) 

 Hitchc. (P asp alum scoparium 

 Fluegge) . Poaceae. 



From Guayaquil, Ecuador. Seeds collected by 

 A. S. Hitchcock, Bureau of Plant Iudustrv. 

 Received April 2, 1924. 



This South American grass is used at low alti- 

 tudes for forage, being cut green and fed as is done 

 with guinea grass. I saw it first on the estate of 

 J. A. Cleveland, of Guayaquil, in the rain belt at 

 the foot of the mountains near Bucay. The grass is 

 set out from plants obtained by division of the 

 roots. It is called there "gramalote." I suspect 

 this name is the same as gamalote, which is used 

 for a different species in some other countries. 

 The grass appears to be looked upon with favor, 

 as it is large and succulent and produces abundant 

 forage. It is preferred to guinea grass, which grows 

 under about" the same conditions. I found the 

 same grass again in the Perene Valley of central 

 Peru at an altitude of about 2,000 feet. There it is 

 called maicillo and is used in competition with 

 guinea grass. It appeared again in the Yungas 

 region of Bolivia. It is there called cachi. In the 

 intermediate altitude from 5,000 to 8,000 feet it was 

 the only forage obtained for our mules while travel- 

 ing. Throughout the region the grass is native and 

 has been transferred to cultivation. (Wtchcoek.) 



