10 



SEEDS AND PLANTS IMPORTED. 



53924. DioscoREA esculenta (Lour.) Burkill. Dioscoreacese. 



Lesser yam. 



From Barbados, British West Indies. Tubers presented by J. R. Bovell, 

 Director of Agriculture. Received August 1, 1921. 



" Tliis Buck yam has a delicious flavor, and persons growing yams would be 

 well advised to try to obtain a few tubers when the next planting season comes 

 around." {Report of Department of Agriculture, Barbados, 1919-20.) 



" This is a white-fleshed yam of excellent quality. The skin is smooth and 

 thin but tough; the variety should be a good shipper. The tubers are cylin- 

 drical in shape and rather small." (R. A. Young.) 



63925. DioscoREA latifolia Benth. Dioscoreacese. Acom. 



From Buenos Aires, Argentina. Tubers presented by D. S. Bullock, agri- 

 cultural trade commissioner, United States Department of Agriculture. 

 American Embassy. Received July 28, 1921. 



" Papa de aire en parral (climbing air potato)." (Bullock.) 



" A yam which produces its crop of edible tubers along the vine, in the axils 

 of the leaves instead of under ground. According to I. H. Burkill, it is of 

 African origin and is called acom. Mr. Burkill states that it is very closely 

 allied to D. bulb if era. The vine is round stemmed and the leaves cordate. The 

 variety is not a very strong grower. The tubers are angular, brownish gray 

 in color, thin but tough skinned, and in form resemble the liver of fowl, 

 whence arises the name * turkey-liver yam ' by which the variety is known 

 in some parts of Brazil. The tubers weigh from a fraction of an ounce to as 

 much as a pound each, depending upon age and the conditions of growth; 

 they keep exceedingly well. The quality of the tubers is fair when they are 

 properly prepared for the table. The cooked tubers are rather firm but mealy. 

 Boiled in the skin the yellowish flesh is of unpleasantly strong flavor, but 

 when the tubers are pared, cut into pieces, and boiled, the objectionable quality 

 is removed. The boiled yam is also very good when slightly fried." {R. A. 

 Young. ) 



53926 and 53927. 



From Africa. Seeds collected by Dr. H. L. Shantz, Agricultural Explorer 

 of the Department of Agriculture. Received August, 1920, and numbered 

 July, 1921. Quoted notes by Doctor Shantz. 



53926. Ceotalaeia sp. Fabacese. 



"(No. 1186. Kisumu, Nyanza, Kenia, British East Africa. July 11. 

 1920. ) A Crotalaria with small clustered pods." 



53927. Ceotalaeia sp. Fabacese. 



"(No. 1187. Kisumu, Nyanza. Kenia, British East Africa. July 11. 

 1920. A Crotalaria with large bladder pods and seeds one-eighth to one 

 fourth of an inch across." 



53928. Leptospermum scoparium nichollii (Darr.-Smith) Turrill. 

 Myrtacese. 



From Richmond, Victoria. Seeds presented by F. H. Baker. Received 

 August 13, 1921. 



A red-flowered variety of this very abundant tree or shrub, the beautiful 

 colonial counterpart of the English broom, or gorse, sometimes 30 feet in 

 height. Early voyagers and colonists sometimes used its pungent leaves in 

 place of tea. The whole plant, including leaves, flowers, fruit, and young 

 shoots, is highly aromatic, and the oil which it contains perhaps, in the future, 

 will be put to some useful purpose. The wood is largely used for fences and 

 firewood. The Maoris made use of it for their paddles and spears, and a 

 bunch of the twigs makes an excellent broom. (Adapted from Laing and Black- 

 well, Plants of Neio Zealand, p. 272.) 



For previous introduction, see S. P. I. No. 48168. 



