8 



SEEDS AND PLANTS IMPORTED. 



in the Northwest and which, because of its fine characteristic flavor, 

 will be of use in hybridization experiments in that region; two 

 Guatemalan varieties of avocado, originatmg from seed introduced 

 into Hawaii many years ago by Admiral Beardsley (S. P. I. Nos. 

 36603 and 36604) ; seeds oiPrunus salicifolia (S. P. I. No. 36371), a wild 

 species which, according to ^Ir. W. F. Wight, is considered promising 

 in Peru as a stock for the sweet cherry; the Shalil, probably a hard- 

 fleshed peach, from the Kurram VaUey in the Northwest Frontier 

 Province, India (S. P. I. No. 36485); the madronho tree of the Canary 

 Islands, a species which is gradually becoming rare, but which as a 

 shade tree in Naples is strikingly beautiful (S. P. I. No. 36529); the 

 Mu-yu, a south Cliinese species of wood-oil tree, Aleurites montana (S. 

 P. I. No. 36897), from Hongkong, of special interest because a larger 

 proportion of its flowers are reported to be fertile than is the case in 

 the central Chinese species which is now estabhshed in this country; 

 a collection of Chinese com (S. P. I. Nos. 36889 to 36895) made by 

 Dr. Yamei Kin in the Chihh Province; nuts of the palm Bactris 

 utilis (S. P. I. No. 36573), which when cooked have much the taste 

 of potatoes and form one of the principal foods of the Indians of 

 Costa Rica around San Jose and Cartago; the white sapote tree, 

 Casimiroa edulis (S. P. I. No. 36602, PL III), from Sierra Madre, 

 Cal., where the severe frost of 1913 caught only a few of the blossoms; 

 a near relative of the chayote vine, PolakowsMa tacaco (S. P. I. No. 

 36592, PI. II), which forms one of the primitive foods of the Indians 

 of Costa Rica and has been incorporated by the Spanish Costa Ricans 

 in their menu; a perennial rice from Senegal, West Africa, discovered 

 recently by M. Ammann, of the Jardin Colonial at Nogent sur Mame, 

 France (S. P. I. No. 36533); a collection of strains of alfalfa, gathered 

 together at Poona, India, from various parts of British India (S. P. I. 

 Nos. 36551 to 36560); the fruit tree RoUinia ortJiopetala, which grows 

 on soil which is often flooded for a considerable period of time at 

 Para, at the mouth of the Amazon, and which produces a fruit similar 

 to the cherimoya (S. P. I. No. 36561, PI. I); and a hybrid of superior 

 excellence between the cherimoya and the sugar-apple, produced by 

 Ih. Edward Simmonds at the ]\Iiami Field Station (S. P. I. No. 36562). 



The manuscript of this inventory has been prepared by !Miss May 

 Riley, the botanical determinations of seeds introduced have been 

 made and the notes on geographic distribution compiled by ^Ir. H. C. 

 Skeels, and the descriptive and botanical notes arranged by ^Ir. S. C. 

 Stuntz, who has also had general supervision of this invent oiy, as of 

 all the pubhcations of this office. 



David Fairchild, 

 Agricultural Ex2)lorer in Charge. 



Office of Foreign Seed axd Plant Introduction, 



Washington, D. C, October 4, 1915. 



