CATALOGUE AND DESCRIPTIONS OF VARIETIES. 121 



23214. Asparagus bean. From Tangsi, Chekiang, China, July, 1908. Chinese 

 name " Chang kiang tou." Vigorous, procumbent, very viny, the row 

 mass 12 inches high, 2 to 2\ feet broad ; branches few, 3 to 4 feet 

 long; leaves dark, much affected by rust; flowers pale violet 

 purple ; prolific ; pods much inflated, 10 to 14 inches long, pale, the 

 first maturing in about 100 days; seeds 6 by 10 mm., reddish to 

 purplish buff, longitudinal striae. The longitudinal darker lines 

 that occur on the seeds of this and other varieties are peculiar. 

 They vary in number, sometimes appearing on only one side of 

 the seed. In general they are all parallel to the margins of the 

 seed. They present somewhat the appearance of being due to 

 pressure from the pod, but as they are conspicuous on the im- 

 mature seeds in soft green pods, this idea is scarcely tenable. 



23307. From Peking, Chihli, China, February, 1908. Procumbent, moderately 

 vigorous, the row mass 10 to 12 inches high, 3 feet broad, dense; 

 branches rather few, 2 to 3 feet long; leaflets dark, medium 

 sized, somewhat affected both by rust and leaf-spot; flowers pale 

 violet purple ; fairly prolific ; pods well filled, held low, straw 

 colored, the first maturing in 132 days; at Monetta, S. C, the 

 first pods matured in 70 days, all in 90 days; seeds 6 by 7 to 8 

 mm., oblong, buff marbled with brown, usually a small area at the 

 chalazal end white; iris brown. Indistinguishable from this is 

 22539, from Chefoo, Shantung, China. It is also very similar 

 to 17849. 



23307A. Low, half bushy, moderately weak ; the row mass 6 to 12 inches high, 

 3 feet broad; traliing branches few, 2 to 3 feet long; leaflets, 

 medium in size and color, somewhat affected by rust, free from 

 leaf-spot; flowers violet purple; not prolific; pods rather poorly 

 filled, held low, straw colored or somewhat purplish, 5 to 8 inches 

 long, the first maturing in about 85 days; seeds oblong rhomboid, 

 about 6 by 8 mm., vinaceous cinnamon to vinaceous excepting the 

 chalazal end which is white. 



23307B. Low, half bushy, moderately vigorous, the row mass 12 inches high, 

 16 inches broad ; trailing branches rather few, 18 inches long ; 

 leaflets medium sized, dark, considerably affected by rust and much 

 by leaf-spot; flowers almost white; not prolific; pods medium 

 well filled, held rather low, straw colored or some faintly tinged 

 with purple, 5 to 7 inches long, the first maturing in about 90 

 days; seeds oblong, about 5 by 7 mm., white with a large saddle 

 of maroon which extends over the micropylar end and usually 

 with a few scattered spots. A small, nearly worthless variety 

 similar to 22903 but not identical with it. 



23307C. In habit and date of maturity not distinguishable from 23307. Pods 

 straw colored, 5 to 6 inches long; seeds subreniform, 5 by 7 mm., 

 all but the chalazal end maroon marbled with black; chalazal 

 end white, this usually covering one-fifth to one-fourth of the seed. 



23307D. Somewhat procumbent, half bushy, not vigorous, the row mass 10 to 

 12 inches high, 2 feet broad; trailing branches 1 to 3 feet long; 

 leaflets medium sized, dark, free from rust, very much affected 

 by both red and white leaf-spot; flowers pale violet purple; mod- 

 erately prolific ; pods well filled, held low, pinkish to straw colored, 

 5 to 6 inches long, the first maturing in about 80 days ; seeds sub- 



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