
          Presented by W. Harris, superintendent, Hope Gardens. A rather small, 
white-flowered plant which is cultivated in the West Indies for its 
clusters of white, shiny, thin-skinned tubers, from which is obtained 
about 20 per cent, by weight, of starch. West Indian arrowroot, as 
the raw product is called, is over 80 per cent pure starch, and is much 
used as an ingredient of certain infant foods. The plant succeeds in 
the Gulf States and Florida, and is not difficult to cultivate. The 
roots are planted in the spring at a distance of about a foot and a 
half apart, and as the plants grow they are mounded up like potatoes. 
Rich soil and plenty of water are essential. In the autumn the tubers 
are harvested, a growing season of about ten months being required.

55936. MELIOSMA CUNEIFOLIA. From Yunnan, China. Collected by J. 
F. Rock, Agricultural Explorer. A beautiful flowering shrub or small 
tree 12 feet high, found growing among limestone bowlders at altitudes 
of 9,000 to 10,000 feet along watercourses on the northern end of the 
Likiang Snow Range. In habit it resembles the weeping willow, with 
drooping branches bearing near their ends large pyramidal clusters of 
cream-colored flowers.

30330. MORUS NIGRA. Black Mulberry. From Khotan, Sinkiang. Collected 
by Frank N. Meyer, Agricultural Explorer. The berries are large, 
dark violet-black in color, and have a fresh, subacid taste. They 
ripen from early August until the end of September. Recommended as a 
home fruit in desert regions under irrigation.

56785. MUSA GILLETII. Banana. From Kisantu, Belgian Congo, Africa. 
Presented by Pere J. Gillet. This species, which is a close relative 
of the Abyssinian banana, Musa ensete, grows about 6 feet high, with the 
lower leaves reaching a length of 5 feet. The upper leaves become 
smaller until they merge into the floral bracts. The fruits are oblong 
and somewhat pear shaped, 2 inches in length, with a grayish, warty 
surface, shiny black seeds, and powdery pulp.

55735. MYRICA RUBRA. From Japan. Received from the Yokohama Nursery 
Company. An evergreen tree native to eastern Asia, called yang mae in 
China. The beautiful, dark-purple fruits average from one to one and 
a quarter inches in diameter and can be eaten out of hand or made into 
compotes and pies. There is great variation in the productivity of 
the trees, as well as in the size, color, and flavor of the fruits 
which generally taste of strawberry and lemon.

56487. NATHUSIA ALATA. From Loanda, Angola, Africa. Presented by 
John Gossweiler. A tree of moderate size, native to Abyssinia and parts 
of British East Africa, with curious winged stems and small white flowers 
tinged with lilac. The timber is very hard. It is suggested as 
an ornamental shade tree for the warmer portions of the United States.

44709. OLEA EUROPAEA. Fayum Olive. From Egypt. Presented by 
Thomas W. Brown, Director, Horticultural Division, Ministry of Agriculture, Cairo. The tefahi or "apple olive" is considered the best of 
the three varieties grown in Fayum. Though reputed to be only moderately productive, its large size and fine appearance cause it to be in

-29- 
        