
          78

STRYCHNOS SPINOSA. Kafir orange. Remarkable East
African shrub or small tree with evergreen foliage and short spines.
Bears large, round, green fruits with extremely hard shells. When
these ripen they turn yellow and scent the room with the fragrance
of cloves. The seeds have a small amount of strychnin in them.
The flesh is edible, reminding one of a brandied peach.

38828. SYRINGA AMURENSIS. Lilac. From F. N. Meyer,
Tahuashan, Shensi, China. A tree found in great masses on rocky
mountain slopes at altitudes of 3,000 to 5,000 feet. Of value as a
stock for standard lilacs and for hybridization purposes. Attractive
when in flower and useful as a hardy shrub.

40709. SYRINGA sp. Lilac. Collected by F. N. Meyer near
Palitang, Kansu, China. Small bush 3 to 5 feet high, with small
leaves. Apparently very floriferous. Found with Amygdalus davidiana
covering loess slopes at altitudes of 3,500 feet. Of value
as a hardy flowering shrub for the dry and cool sections of the United
States.

43559. TACCA PINNATIFIDA. Polynesian arrowroot.
Perennial herb, about 2 feet in height, allied to the yams [Dioscorea
spp.). It produces edible starchy tubers (resembling young potatoes)
which yield the Polynesian or East Indian arrowroot. The
tubers mature as the plants die down. Inasmuch as they contain a
very bitter principle, the tubers are grated into water, which is poured
off after the starch settles. This washing is usually repeated several
times. The arrowroot from this plant is said to be a superior food
for invalids. The natives of Tahiti get an excellent straw for hats
from the leaf and flower stalks. The plant thrives even on the sandy
shores of tropical countries and may possibly endure a temperate
climate.

39856. TAMARIX APHYLLA. Tamarisk. From Mr. Thomas
W. Brown, Cairo, Egypt. Timber and ornamental tree, up to 30
feet high. Said to be by far the best of the Egyptian species for
cultivation as a timber tree on desert land. Used as a wind and
sand break. Withstands a large amount of chlorin. The terminal
panicle of light-pink flowers against the gray green of the tree forms
a very attractive contrast.

TAMARIX CHINENSIS. Tamarisk. From F. N. Meyer,
China. Extremely rapid-growing tree or shrub, branching close to
the ground, making excellent windbreaks and even hedges. The
Chinese make baskets of the twigs. One of the most drought and
alkali resistant of all plants; cuttings put in the ground just after a
rain grow easily. Recommended for the south side of wind belts on
the Great Plains.
        