1496 
disease or insect; it produces two or three times a 
year, and thrives in dry and rather poor soils, where 
the common potato is not resistant." (Bertoni.) 
Solanum quitoense ( Solanaceae) , 47951. Naranjilla. 
Prom Guayaquil, Ecuador. Seeds presented by Dr. H. R. 
Carter, assistant surgeon general , U. S. Marine Hospi- 
tal, Baltimore, Md . , who secured them from Dr. M. E. 
Connor, Guayaquil. "The fruit of the naranjilla is about 
the size of a mandarin orange; it is orange-yellow, 
but not flattened as much as the mandarin. The interior 
resembles that of a tomato or eggplant. I was told by 
Mr. Elizade, secretary of state of Ecuador, that it 
grew in the warm countries near Quito, i. e., at a 
lower altitude, and I feel reasonably sure that I saw 
a growing plant in the barren country on the upper 
Magdalena near Giradot, Colombia, but having no oppor- 
tunity to examine it I am not positive. This plant 
resembled a large eggplant 4 to 5 feet high and was 
covered with fruit, some yellow and some green. I am 
told, by the same man, that it fruits when young, i.e., 
the first season, and from what I heard I thought it 
might do so from Thomasvi lie , Georgia southward, and 
in southern California. The fruit, which ripens in 
July, is too acid to be eaten out of hand, although I 
liked it, but it is used as a flavor for frescos (soft 
drinks) and ice cream." (Carter.) 
For previous introduction and description, see 
S. P. I. No. 42034, Plant Immigrant Bulletin, No. 118, 
February, 1916, p. 968. 
Virola sebifera (Myristicaceae ) , 47966. Ucuuba. 
From Belem, Para, Brazil. Presented by Dr. J. Simao 
da Costa. A tree inhabiting the lowlands of the lower 
Amazon which produces in June and July a fruit about 
the size of a cherry with a brown paper-thin shell. 
This fruit contains an abundance of oil and stearin 
and, since each tree produces about 2 barrels of nuts 
a week during the fruiting season, this seems to be a 
promising source of soap material. The timber also is 
valuable, being hard and dense, and reddish brown in 
color, almost like mahogany. (Adapted from Lange , 
Lower Amazon, pp. 34, 407, 467.) 
Notes on Behavior of Previous Introductions. 
The following letter was received January 31, 
