18 



SEEDS AND PLANTS IMPORTED. 



"The yearly rainfall of the region in which the spekboom thrives averages 

 about IS} inches, and the rainiest months are the hottest ones (November, De- 

 cember, and January), the temperature reaching 108° F. During these months 

 the rainfall is about 2 inches. In the winter months the rainfall is between 

 O.ao and 0.54 of an inch and the temperature sometimes as low as 21° F. The 

 phint has been succes.sfully introduced into America and small trees of it are 

 now growing in San Diego and Santa Barbara, Calif." {David Fail-child.) 



For previous introduction, see S. P. I. Nos. 9604 and 12020. 



The spekboom is illustrated in Plate II. 



48511 to 48515. Kibes lobbii A. Gray. Grossulariacese. 



Gooseberry, 



From near Castlerock, Wash. Collected by Dr. David Fairchild. Re- 

 ceived September 30, 1919, and October 6, 1919. 

 " St^ds of the largest wild gooseberries that I have ever seen. The fruits 

 from which these seeds were taken I collected from a vigorous bush growing 

 beside the road on a detour between Castlerock and Kelso, Wash., September 

 10, 1919. This particular bush appeared to bear unusually large fruits for a 

 wild plant, some of them attaining a diameter of an inch. The fruits were 

 attached to the bush by a very slender pedicel, and when I touched them they 

 dropped into my hands. They were covered with flat-topped glandular hairs 

 which made them slightly sticky to the touch and they had an odor reminding 

 me of that exhaled by the leaves of Rosa xanthina. A farmer whom we met 

 on the road declared that he could tell when he was near bushes of this species 

 of gooseberrj' by the odor. The entire skin is claret red when the fruit is ripe, 

 but as these were near the roadside they were grimy with dust which had stuck 

 to their sticky glandular surfaces. The skin peels off easily, exposing a whitish 

 tissue inside of which is the characteristic gooseberry flesh containing a few 

 small seeds. The flavor is extremely mild, not sour but sweetish and rather 

 lacking in character; capable of being improved possibly through breeding by 

 the addition of that tartness so characteristic of our eastern wild gooseberry. 

 I obtained as many seeds as possible with the idea that the seedlings from 

 this particular specimen might inherit the unusual size and that it might be of 

 value in breeding experiments." {David Fairchild.) 



48511. No. 1. Wild gooseberry. 



48512. No. 2. Wild gooseberry. 



48513. No. 3. Wild gooseberry. 



48514. No. 4. Seeds from the largest berry. 



48515. Mixed seed of wild gooseberry. 



48516 and 48517. Crataegus azarolus L. Malacese. 



From Granada, Spain. Purchased from Mr. Pedro Giraud. Received 

 November 29, 1919. 



Among the species of Crataegus one of the most important is C. azarolus 

 with its numerous varieties and races. This is a shrub of the calcareous hills 

 and grows only on very dry lands. If undisturbed it grows as high as 13 to 

 IG feet, but its branches are generally hacked off for fuel by Arab w^omen or 

 mutilated by heavy stones thrown by the boys to shake down the fruit. Some 

 varieties of C. azarolus have fruits as large as a large cherry, with a very 

 agreeable acid taste. Although they are sold on the markets of the Orient, 

 they would not be marketable in Europe or America because of the large stones ; 



