24 



SEEDS AND PLANTS IMPORTED 



59358 to 59360— Continued. 



59360. Coronilla glauca Jusl. Fabaceae. 



A small, yellow-flowered European shrub with 

 handsome glaucous foliage. 



59361 and 59362. 



From Hobart, Tasmania. Seeds presented by 

 L. A. Evans, Secretary of Agriculture, Agricul- 

 tural and Stock Department. Received April 

 26, 1924. 



59361. Danthonia semiannularis (Labill.) R. 

 Br. Poaceae. 



A perennial tufted grass, producing a fair 

 amount of soft succulent fodder suitable for 

 either sheep or cattle. The leaves are narrow, 

 usually hairy, and light green. The flower stems 

 grow about 2 feet high and the seed, which sheds 

 easily, is produced in clusters that have a white 

 woolly appearance when ripe. Wallaby grass 

 provides good pasturage during the spring and 

 summer and remains green in the winter months. 



For previous introduction, see S. P. I. No. 56566. 



59362. Themeda qvadrivalvis (L.) Kuntze 

 (Anthistiria ciliata L. f.) . Poacese. 



A coarse, rather tough annual grass which grows 

 in tufts from 1 to 3 feet in height. It is closely 

 related to the kangaroo grass of Australia and 

 Tasmania. (C. V. Piper, Bureau of Plant In- 

 dustry.) 



For previous introduction, see S. P. I. No. 50334. 



59363 to 59371. 



From Copenhagen, Denmark. Seeds presented by 

 Dr. Axel Lange, director, Botanical Garden. 

 Received April 30. 1924. 



The following collection of plants, chiefly grasses, 

 has been secured for forage-crop specialists. 



59363. Avena Montana Vill. Poaceae. Grass. 



A perennial, cespitose grass, native to alpine 

 and subalpine sections of southern Europe, with 

 laxly ascending stems and loosely folded leaves. 

 The' loose panicle is about 6 inches long. 



59364. Avena planiculmis Schrad. Poaceae. 



Grass. 



A Siberian species with .leaves about half an 

 inch in width, found in dry, open situations. 



59365. Ckotalaria semperflorens Vent. Fa- 

 baceae. 



A shrubby species from the tropical section of 

 India, with oblong green leaves about 4 inches 

 long and bright-yellow flowers. 



59366. Elymvs europaeus L. Poaceae. 



Lyme grass. 



A loosely cespitose, perennial, European grass, 

 with erect flowering stems and broadly linear 

 leaves which taper to a long, slender point. 



For previous introduction, see S. P. I. No. 53048. 



59367. Medicaoo marina L. Fabaceae. 



A perennial, very hairy, yellow-flowered species 

 from the sandy coastal regions in Asia Minor. 

 The stems are either prostrate or ascending. 



59368. MUHLENBERGIA MEXICAN A (L.) Trin. 



Poaceae. Grass. 



A good perennial fodder grass, native to Mexico, 

 said to be particularly suited for low, humid lands. 

 It has a creeping rootstock and a much-branched 

 stem. 



59369. Pisum sativum L. Fabaceae. Pea. 

 Introduced for varietal studies. 



59370. Tkifolilm maritimum Huds. Fabaceae. 



Clover. 



An annual, erect or decumbent, branching 



clover from Asia Minor, where it grows in fields 



and along the seacoasts. The flowers are white 



or pale flesh colored. 



59363 to 59371— Continued. 



59371. Vigna cylindrica (Stickm.) Skeels. 

 Fabaceae. Catjang. 



The catjang is closely allied to the cowpea, and 

 these seeds have been secured as of possible value 

 in obtaining an improved strain of cowpea for 

 cultivation in the United States. 



59372 and 59373. Magnolia camp- 

 bellii Hook. f. and Thorns. Magno- 

 liacese. 



From Orleans, Loiret, France. Plants presented 

 by Leon Chenault. Received May 14, 1924. 



The enormous flowers of this magnolia, 10 to 14 

 inches across and varying in color from white to 

 nearly purple, make it one of the finest ornamentals 

 of the genus. It is a native of the Himalayas, where 

 it ascends to an altitude of 8,000 feet. The tree 

 becomes 80 feet in height and is deciduous, with 

 very dark bark and large, elliptical, dark-green 

 leaves. It is most likely to find congenial condi- 

 tions in mild-wintered sections of the Southern 

 States where there is abundant rainfall. 



59372. A red-flowered form. 



59373. A white-flowered form. 



59374. Erythrina bogotensis Hort. 

 Fabaceae. 



From Havana, Cuba. Cuttings presented by 

 F. E. Betheuser. Received May 10, 1921 



The erythrinas are handsome leguminous trees 

 or shrubs, rather generally distributed throughout 

 the Tropics of both hemispheres. This species, 

 in common with many of the rest, has terminal 

 racemes of beautiful scarlet flowers and deserves a 

 trial in southern Florida. 



59375. Cicer arietixum L. Faba- 

 ceae. Chick-pea. 



From Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico. Seeds pre- 

 sented by Albert H. Amis, Los Mochis Agri- 

 cultural Experiment Station. Received May 2, 

 1924. 



A small-seeded chick-pea introduced for testing 

 by agronomists. 



59376. Garcinia bintjcao (Blanco) 

 Choisy. Clusiacese. Binukao. 



From Manila, Philippine Islands. Seeds pre- 

 sented by the Director, Bureau of Agriculture. 

 Received May 21, 1924. 



For previous introduction and description, see 

 S. P. I. No. 58958. 



59377. Musa paradisiaca sapientum 

 (L.) Kuntze. Musacese. Banana. 



From Santa Marta, Colombia. Stumps presented 

 by V. M. Cutter, United Fruit Co., Boston, 

 Mass. Received May 6, 1924. 



Gros Michel. More than nine-tenths of the bana- 

 nas imported into the United States are of this 

 variety. It is cultivated in the West Indies and 

 in many places on the mainland of tropical Amer- 

 ica. Commercially it has been found the most 

 satisfactory of all varieties, and now that our 

 markets have become so accustomed to it, attempts 

 to popularize other sorts have not been successful. 



In quality, Gros Michel is surpassed by many 

 other bananas. It has another defect also — sus- 

 ceptibility to the Panama disease, Fusarium 

 cubense, which has played havoc in the banana 

 plantations of several countries. In spite of these 

 handicaps, it still reigns supreme. 



During the last few years, considerable attention 

 has been devoted to banana culture in Florida. 

 The Cavendish or Chinese variety has been planted 

 commercially in a few sections, and good returns 

 have been reported. Several other varieties also 



