56 



SEEDS AND PLANTS IMPOETED 



60307 and 60308. Mangifera spp. 

 Anacardiacese. 



From Manila, Philippine Islands. Plants pre- 

 sented by Don D. Strong, acting director, Bureau 

 of Agriculture. Received June 12, 1924. 



These two Philippine relatives of the mango 

 bear edible fruits, which are sold in the markets 

 of their native country. Although tropical in their 

 requirements, it is possible that they will do as 

 well in southern Florida as some of the varieties 

 of the mango, and it is for the purpose of testing 

 them in that section of the United States that 

 plants have been obtained. The fruits of both are 

 ■similar to those of the mango. 



60307. Mangifera odorata Griffith. 



According to P. J. Wester, in "Food Plants 

 of the Philippines," the Huani is a handsome 

 tree very similar to the mango in habit, foliage, 

 and flowers. The fruits, about the size of a cara- 

 bao mango, but more rounded, are green, thick 

 skinned, sweet, and juicy, very aromatic, with 

 yellow flesh containing numerous coarse fibers. 

 Its occurrence as a wild plant is confined to low 

 altitudes in the Philippines where the rainfall is 

 equally distributed throughout the year. It is 

 recommended for trial in regions where the 

 mango does not thrive because of excessive 

 moisture. 



. Mangifera verticillata C. B. Robin- 

 son. Anacardiaceae. Bauno. 



Like the preceding [S. P. I. No. 60307] the 

 bauno resembles the mango, although it is more 

 upright in habit, with sparser foliage. The 

 smooth, leathery, narrow leaves are 5 to 7 inches 

 long, and the small, blue flowers are produced 

 in terminal panicles like those of the mango. 

 According to P. J. Wester (Food Plants of the 

 Philippines), there is considerable variation 

 in the size and quality of the Philippine fruit 

 on different trees; the best being somewhat 

 larger than the Carabao mango, about 5 inches 

 long and 3 inches in diameter, yellowish green, 

 with very thin skin, and very juicy white flesh, 

 which is subacid, aromatic, and of excellent flavor, 

 resembling that of the apricot and soursop com- 

 bined. The best strains of the bauno are found 

 in Zamboanga. 



60309 to 60313. 



From Edinburgh, Scotland. Seeds presented by 

 W. Wright Smith, regius keeper, Royal Botanic 

 Gardens. Received May 22, 1924. 



60309. Echeveria nodulosa Otto (Cotyledon 

 nodulosa Baker). Crassulaceae. 



According to Saunders (Refugium Botanicum, 

 vol. 1) this Mexican plant, about 8 inches high, 

 is excellent for greenhouse culture. It produces 

 an abundance of small, straw-colored flowers 

 tinged with red. The fleshy, oval, sharp-pointed 

 leaves, dull green tinged with red, are in a rosette 

 at the apex of the stem. 



80310. Lopezia racemosa Cav. Onagraceae. 



A graceful annual, native to Mexico, described 

 by Cavanilles (Icones Plantarum, vol. 1) as a 

 plant 3 to 4 feet high, with narrowly oval, toothed 

 leaves and terminal racemes of crimson flowers. 



80311 and 60312. Passiflora suberosa L. Pas- 

 sifloracese. 



Several of the small-fruited passifloras are 

 valued as ornamental plants, and this woody 

 climber from the West Indies is one of the little- 

 known species which properly comes under that 

 class. The flowers are greenish yellow, and the 

 fruit is a small, ovoid berry. Coming from the 

 Tropics, this vine will probably endure little or 

 no frost. 



For previous introduction, see S. P. I. No. 46629. 



60309 to 60313— Continued. 



60313. SCHIZOCENTRON ELEGANS (Schlecht.) 



Meisner. Melastomaceae. 



A very charming little creeper native to east- 

 ern Mexico, which roots at the joints and forms 

 a dense carpet. The leaves are small, opposite, 

 and short stemmed, and the comparatively large, 

 purplish flowers appear at the ends of short 

 branches. The plant deserves to be more widely 

 cultivated and would probably grow in the open 

 in the southern part of the United States. (.7. N. 

 Rose, United States National Museum.) 



For previous introduction, see S. P. I. No. 58366. 



60314 and 60315. Hibiscus spp. Mal- 

 vaceae. 



From Dacca, Eastern Bengal, India. Seeds pre- 

 sented by R. S. Finlow, Department of Agri- 

 culture. Received June 23, 1924. 



Introduced for testing as a possible source of fiber. 



80314, Hibiscus cannabinus L. Ambari hemp. 



Ambari is an annual plant with slender herba- 

 ceous stems, 1 to 3 meters tall, usually dark 

 purple, the earlier lower leaves nearly round, 

 and the later upper ones deeply lobed. The 

 flowers are large, 4 to 7 cm. across, creamy white, 

 with purple at the base of the petals. 



It is cultivated for fiber in southern India, and 

 its fiber, shipped from the port of Bimlipitam, is 

 known in the London markets as "Bimlipitam 

 jute" and is quoted at prices 20 to 30 per cent less 

 than quotations for Indian jute. In Senegal and 

 other parts of French West Africa the plant and 

 its fiber are called "da." In Angola it is called 

 " gambo" or " gombo" and in Brazil it was given 

 the fanciful name " Canhamo Braziliensis Perini." 



The fiber is cleaned by hand after retting the 

 stalks in water. It belongs to the jute group and 

 is suitable for making bags, burlaps, and twines. 



Ambari will grow in this country from the Po- 

 tomac and Ohio valleys southward, but the fiber 

 could not be produced profitably without efficient 

 fiber-cleaning machines. It is a hardy plant, 

 resistant to drought and attractive in appearance, 

 and is worthy of cultivation as an ornamental. 

 (L. H. Dewey, Bureau of Plant Industry.) 



For previous introduction, see S. P. I. No. 55481. 



60315. Hibiscus sabdariffa L. Roselle. 



Variety alba. A form with calyces which are 

 smaller than those of the typical roselle and 

 whitish or pale yellow in color. The plant is of 

 upright habit and not as vigorous as the typical 

 form. 



For previous introduction, see S. P. I. No. 51268. 



60316 and 60317. Soja max (L.) Piper 



(Glycine hispida Maxim.) . Fabaceae. 



Soy bean. 



From Hakozaki, FuKuoka, Japan. Seeds pre- 

 sented by Dr. Tyozaburo Tanaka, Kyushu 

 Imperial University. Received June 24, 1924. 

 Notes by Doctor Tanaka. 



Introduced for specialists interested in soy beans. 



60316. A, Meguro Daizu (black-eye soy bean; 

 black-eye may be a local name) . From Tara 

 village, Fujitsu County. 



60317. B, From Nanaura village, Fujitsu County. 



60318. Triticum turgidum L. Poa- 

 ceae. Poulard wheat. 



From South America. Seeds collected by Fred D. 

 Richey, of the Bureau of Plant Industry, and 

 Prof. R. A. Emerson, of Cornell University. 

 Received May 20, 1924. 



No. 49. Calca, Peru. Yana barba (black 

 bearded). Obtained from T. E. Payne; grown 

 locally for a long time. (Richey and Emerson.) 



