INVENTORY 1 



65048. Lodoicea sonnerati (Giseke) 

 Baill. (L. callypige Comm.). Phoe- 

 nicaceae. Double coconut. 



From the Seychelles Islands. Seeds presented by 

 P. R. Dupont, Director of Agriculture. Received 

 October 17, 1925. 



The double coconut, or coco de mer, as described 

 by Bailey (Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, 

 p. 1899), is a lofty palm, frequently 100 feet in 

 height, with palmate leaves the blades of which are 

 6 feet across. The fruits are probably the largest 

 known, the individual nuts sometimes weighing 

 50 pounds; from the time of flowering to the full 

 maturity of the seeds is said to cover a period of 10 

 years, and the palm itself does not attain full growth 

 until after a hundred years. It is native to the 

 Seychelles. 



65049. Rosa 

 Rosaceae. 



ROTJLETTII 



Correvon. 

 Rose. 



65051 and 65052. Prunusspp. Amyg- 

 dalaceae. Plum. 



From Paris, France. Seeds presented by Vilmorin- 

 Andrieux & Co. Received October 2, 1925. 



65051. Prunus brigantina Vill. Alpine plum. 



The Alpine plum is a shrub or small spineless 

 tree, native to the French Alps; the small, 

 smooth, subacid fruits are about the size of small 

 green-gage plums. 



For previous introduction, see No. 62298. 



65052. Prunus cocomilia Ten. Italian plum. 



The Italian plum, allied to the Cherry plum 

 (Prunus cerasifera), is a bush or small tree with 

 thorny branches, oval, sharp-toothed leaves, and 

 small globular fruits which are fairly good for 

 eating. 



For previous introduction, see No. 62299. 



65053 and 65054. Guilielma utilis 

 Oerst. Phoenicaceae. Pejibaye. 



From Gatun, Canal Zone. Seeds presented by 

 Joseph A. Close. Received October 3, 1925. 



Two varieties of pejibaye from the headwaters 

 of the Ciricito arm of Gatun Lake, about 30 miles 

 west of Gatun, at an altitude of about 100 feet. 

 (Close.) 



65053. No. 1. 65054. No. 2. 



See No. 56158 for a descriptive note. 



65055. Dendrocalamus sikkimensis 

 Gamble. Poaceae. Bamboo. 



From Kew, Surrey, England. Seeds presented by 

 Dr. Thomas F. Chipp, assistant director, Royal 

 Botanic Gardens. Received October 12, 1925. 



This is described (Annals of the Royal Botanic 

 Garden, vol. 7, p. 82) as a beautiful tufted bamboo 

 native to Sikkim, India, where the dark-green 

 culms reach a height of 60 feet or more and a diam- 

 eter of 5 to 7 inches. The species is easily distin- 

 guished by its large, reddish-brown, globular 

 flower heads and densely velvety stem sheath. 

 The long, narrow leaves are said to be poisonous, 

 and from the stems are made the "chungas" or 

 native buckets, used for carrying water and milk 

 and for churning. 



For previous introduction, see No. 56457. 



1 It should be understood that the names of horticultural varieties of fruits, vegetables, cereals, and other 

 plants used in this inventory are those under which the material was received when introduced by the 

 Office of Foreign Plant Introduction, and, further, that the printing of such names here does not consti- 

 tute their official publication and adoption in this country. As the different varieties are studied, their 

 entrance into the American trade forecast, and the use of varietal names for them in American literature 

 becomes necessary, the foreign varietal designations appearing in this inventory will be subject to change 

 with a view to bringing the forms of the names into harmony with recognized horticultural nomenclature. 



It is a well-known fact that botanical descriptions, both technical and economic, seldom mention the 

 seeds at all and rarely describe them in such a way as to make possible identification from the seeds alone. 

 Many of the unusual plants listed in these inventories are appearing in this country for the first time, and 

 there are no seed samples or herbarium specimens with ripe seeds with which the new arrivals may be 

 compared. The only identification possible is to see that the sample received resembles seeds of other 

 species of the same genus or of related genera. The responsibility for the identifications, therefore, must, 

 necessarily often rest with the person sending the material. If there is any question regarding the correct- 

 ness of the identification of any plant received from this office, herbarium specimens of leaves and flowers 

 should be sent in, so that definite identification can be made. 



From Chene Bourg, near Geneva, Switzerland. 

 Plants purchased from H. Correvon. Received 

 December 19, 1925. 



A dwarf shrubby rose of the general type Rosa 

 laurenciana, but even smaller than the latter. As 

 grown in my garden, it does not become more than 

 4 inches high, and the very numerous red flowers 

 are produced continuously from May to January 

 if the plant is sheltered. ( Correvon.) 



For previous introduction, see No. 61853. 



65050. Argyroxiphium sandwicense 

 macrocephalttm (A. Gray) Hillebr. 

 Asteraeeae. Silvers word. 



From Honolulu, Hawaii. Seeds presented by C. 

 S. Judd, Superintendent of Forestry. Received 

 October 1, 1925. 



Collected in the crater of Haleakala on the 

 island of Maui, at an altitude of approximately 8,000 

 feet above sea level. (Judd.) 



The silversword plant of Hawaii is, according 

 to W. J. Hooker (Icones Plantarum, pi. 75), about 

 2 feet high, with long, narrow, basal leaves copiously 

 covered with long, silvery white hairs, and a flow- 

 ering stem a foot or two in length which bears a 

 large number of silvery asterlike flowers. 



