APRIL 1 TO MAY 31, 1920. 



71 



50466 to 50617 — Continued. 



60468. AsTROCARYUM JAUARi Mart. Phoenicaceae. Palm. 

 ' Soed of a palm with large nuts." 



A p:raceful palm of medium height, with pinnate spiny leaves. Native to 

 tropical America. 



50469. Caryocar villosum (Aubl.) Pers. Caryocaraceae. 



' ' Seeds of the piquia tree, which furnished a hard wood especially valuable 

 for cart work. The pulp of the fruit is edible when the whole fruit has been 

 cooked in salted water." 



For previous introduction, see S. P. I. 31204. 



50470. Cassia sp. Csesalpiniaceap. 

 "Plants." 



50471. Chrysophyllum cainito .L. Sapotaceae. Caimito. 

 ' ' Plants of the caimito. ' ' 



A tree 8 to 10 meters high, nati^ e to tropical America, highly esteemed there 

 for its rose-fleshed fruit. The large, entire, elliptic leaves are glabrous above 

 and golden tomentose beneath. The small white flowers are followed by round 

 pale reddish yellow fruits the size of a large apple. It is a rival of the sapodilla 

 {Achraft sapoin), which is often considered the best of tropical fruits. (Adapted 

 from UlUustmtimi Horticole, vol. S2, p. 127.) 



For previous introduction, see S. P. I. No. -10150. 



50472. Chrysophyllum sp. Sapotaceae. 

 "Small seedlings from the Purus River.'" 



50473. Chrysophyllum sp. Sapotaceae. 

 ' Seed from the Purus River." 



50474. Cissus sp. Vitaceae. 



"Roots of a Cissus which I brought from the Purus River some yeare ago. 

 The A'ine grows wild there in the forests. Except for the somewhat more 

 rigid flesh, the fruits have more or less the taste of an Isabella wine grape." 



60475. CouRoupiTA GuiANENSis Aubl, Myrtaceae, 



Plants of the cannon-ball tree, a native of British Guiana, and known there 

 to the half-breed Spaniards as Tapara da Suce; the Caribs call it Cokoi monoh 

 (probably a corruption of the Spanish Coco de monos. that is, "monkey coconut ") . 

 The tree is plentiful in the upper Cu>imi River region and grows to a ^ ery con- 

 siderable size. The trunks are straight and clear of leaf branches nearly to the 

 top, but from about 10 feet from the ground upward they bear many of the 

 peculiar flower and fruit branches which are ver^' persistent. A very charac- 

 teristic feature of the cannon-ball tree is the uniform change of foliage three 

 times a year. There is no variation of this change due to age. situation, or 

 weather. The gradual shedding of the foliage takes three or four weeks, and 

 at last Q\ev\ leaf has dropped and the trees stand bare; in a few hours, rarely 

 more than a day, the new foliage bursts forth, and in a day or two, as if by 

 magic, the trees are vested again in full dress. The flowering branches are 

 2 to 5 feet long, pendent and interlaced, persistent like the foliage branches. 

 (Adapted from The Journal of the Board of Agriculture of British Guiana, vol. 

 12, p. 40.) 



60476. Dracontium sp. Araceae. 



"Plants of an interesting aroid which grows wild in the open savannas at 

 Marajo Island. No use is made of it, but I once tasted the roots cooked and 

 roasted like potatoes and found them not disagreeable. Perhaps it may be of 

 use in the future." 



