11 



64557. Omphalea oleifeea H e m s 1 , 

 Euphorbiaceae. 



From Moyuta, Guatemala. Seeds pre- 

 sented by Francisco Morcucci. Received 

 July 27, 1925. 



This Central American tree, known in 

 Guatemala as palo de queso and hoja de 

 queso, is called tambor in Salvador, accord- 

 ing to Standley (Pharmaceutical Journal, 

 vol. 110, p. 489). The main value of the 

 tree lies in the fruit and seeds. From 

 the latter is obtained an oil with the same 

 properties as castor oil, but with an agree- 

 able flavor. This oil is also used for mak- 

 ing soap, for illumination, and in cooking. 

 The immature fruits when boiled are said 

 to have an excellent flavor, and the ripe 

 seeds are eaten as a delicacy. 



64558. VlKO LA GUATEMALENSIS 



(Herns!.) Warburg. Myristicaceae. 



From San Antonio Sachitepequez, Guate- 

 mala. Seeds presented by Jorge G. Salas, 

 director general de agricultura, City of 

 Guatemala. Received July 27, 1925. 



A Central American tree which, accord- 

 ing to O. Warburg (Monographie der 

 Myristicaceen, p. 220), bears fruits which 

 yield a valuable oil. The natives of Guate- 

 mala collect tbe oil for making soap and. 

 candles. 



64559. Psidium guajava L. Myrta- 

 ceae. G-uava. 



From Victoria. Cameroon, West Africa. 

 Seeds presented by F. J. Evans. Re- 

 ceived July 27, 1925. 



An exceptionally good white variety. 

 (Evans.) 



64560 to 64565. 



From Kenitra, Morocco. Seeds presented 

 by Gaston Durand, inspecteur d'agricul- 

 ture. Received Julv 27, 1925. 



. Anchdsa undulata L. Boragina- 

 ceae. 



A hardy perennial, about 2 feet high, 

 with panicled clusters of purple flowers. 

 It is native to Spain and thrives best 

 in sunny locations. 



64561. Lavatera sp. Malvaceae. 



A number of lavateras have very 

 showy flowers, sometimes 2 to 4 inches 

 across, and variously colored. They are 

 either herbaceous or sbrubby and mostly 

 native to the Mediterranean countries. 



64562. Malcomia littorea Ait. Brassi- 

 caceae. 



An annual branching plant, a foot or 

 less in height, with large showy pink-pur- 

 ple flowers in loose racemes. It is native 

 to the western Mediterranean countries. 



64563. Malope sp. Malvaceae. 



These are showy annuals belonging to 

 the mallow family, all native to the 

 Mediterranean region. In height they 

 range from 1 to 3 feet, and the Sowers 

 are violet, pink, or white. 



64564. Trifolium sp. Fabaceae. Clover. 



64565. Iris tixgitana Boiss. and Reut. 

 Iridaceae. 



An iris originally discovered in the 

 vicinity of Tangiers, Morocco, whence it 

 was introduced into cultivation several 



64560 to 64565— Continued. 



years ago. The stout stems, about 2 

 feet high, are one or two-headed, and 

 the flowers are borne in clusters of two 

 or three. The standards are bright lilac, 

 about 3 inches long, and the falls are 

 flushed with yellow in the center. In- 

 troduced for iris breeders. 



64566. Bauhinia esculenta Burchell. 

 Caesalpiniaceae. 



From Kirstenbosch, Cape Province, Union 

 of South Africa. Seeds presented by R. 

 H. Compton, director, National Botanic 

 Garden. Received July 27, 1925. 



The " Tamani berry " or " Gemsbok 

 bean," native to South Africa, is described 

 in the Journal of the Department of Agri- 

 culture of the Union of South Africa (vol. 

 8, p. 613) as a leguminous plant whose 

 seeds form the staple diet of the Kalahari 

 bushmen ; animals are also very fond of 

 the seeds, which are excellent for fattening. 

 The seed kernels are rich in protein and 

 oil, the latter resembling cottonseed oil. ' 



64567. Sacchaeum 

 Poaceae. 



OFFICINAEUM L. 



Sugar cane. 



From Santiago de las Vegas, Cuba. Cut- 

 tings presented by Gonzalo M. Fortun, 

 director, Estacion Experimental Ag- 

 ronomica, through E. W. Brandes, Bureau 

 of Plant Industry. Received August 7, 

 1925. 



A locally grown strain. 



64568 to 64586. 



From China. Seeds collected by F. A. Mc- 

 Clure, agricultural explorer, Bureau of 

 Plant Industry. Received July 28, 1925. 

 Notes by Mr. McClure. 



64568. Mtrica rubra Sieb. and Zucc. 

 Myricaceae. 



No. 168. Shuisaits'uen, Lohkongtung. 

 May 23, 1925. Yeung mui. This is a 

 very handsome tree, averaging 5 or 6 

 meters in height, with dark-green glossy 

 foliage which sets off to fine advantage 

 the bright-red to pink fruits. The fruits 

 are globular in shape and quite acid in 

 flavor. Owing to their fragility and pe- 

 culiar structure they do not ship well, 

 but small leafy branches distributed 

 among them as they are placed in the 

 baskets are said to protect them some- 

 what. The fresh fruits are too soft to 

 appeal to the Chinese palate, and they 

 are used for the most part in much the 

 same manner as the Tsing mui {Primus 

 mume), that is, salted and dried. 



64569 to 64582. Prunus mume Sieb. and 

 Zucc. Amygdalaceae. Japanese apricot. 



Tsing mui. The fruits of this group 

 are so sour that they are rarely eaten 

 fresh. Thn most common method of 

 treatment is to place them in large 

 wooden vats having a capacity of nearly 

 400 cubic feet, with salt at the rate of 

 1.3 pounds of salt to 10 pounds of fruit. 

 By means of mats and stones the fruits 

 are weighted down and kept in this con- 

 dition for 10 days or so. They are then 

 spread out on bamboo trays and dried in 

 the sun. When dry they are white with 

 an incrustation of salt. They may be 

 kept indefinitely in this condition so long 

 as they are kept dry. They are used by 

 confectioners to make a great variety 

 of confections, most of which have as 

 their chief flavoring principles licorice 

 and saccharine. 



