1459 
coconut, and renowned for Its power of resisting 
moisture. It is used by the natives of the Indian 
Islands for every purpose of cordage and Is known as 
' tsongll ' . Underneath this material Is f ound a substance 
of a soft, gossamer-like texture, which is imported 
Into China. It is applied as oakum in caulking the 
seams of ships, and more generally as tinder for 
kindling fire, - it Is for the latter purpose that it 
Is chiefly In demand among the Chinese. In Malacca, 
the gomuti, there termed 'kabong' , Is cultivated prin- 
cipally for the juice which it yields for the manufac- 
ture of sugar." (Simmonds, Tropical Agriculture, p. 
252.) - Although the leaves of this sugar-palm were cut 
back by the fall frost, in Bay City, Fla., the trunk 
and body were not Injured, and the tree Is thriving. 
Spathodea nilotiea (Blgnoniaceae ) , 47502. From 
Entebbe, Uganda. Seeds presented by the chief forest- 
ry officer, Forestry Department. This is a bushy, 
very beautiful , flowering tree, up to 20 feet inhelght, 
native to the Upper Nile Valley and the Belgian Congo. 
The opposite leaves are made up of 9 to 15 leathery 
leaflets covered with dense, short hairs beneath. The 
bright scarlet flowers are borne In short, dense, 
terminal racemes and resemble closely those of the 
well-known j. campanulata. (Adapted from Thlselton-Dyer , 
Flora of Tropical Africa, vol. 4, part 2, p. 529.) 
"As S. eampanuhta has flowered In south Florida, 
even though tender, it Is to be hoped that S. nilotiea 
may prove hardier, and, if really as beautiful, It will 
be a valuable addition to the ornamentals of that 
region." (Falrchlld.) 
Stevia rebaudiana (Asteraceae), 47515. Kaa-Hee. 
From Asuncion, Paraguay. Seeds presented by Mr. H. H. 
Balch, American consul. "This Paraguayan herb is of 
peculiar interest because of the remarkable sweetness 
of the leaves. A fragment placed on the tongue seems 
as sweet as a lump of sugar of similar size. Several 
years ago the discovery that this plant, then called 
Eupatorlum, contained a substance many times sweeter 
than sugar was heralded by the press and excited the 
keen interest of sugar planters all over the world. 
The substance turned out to be a glucoslde and the 
anxiety of the sugar Interests subsided. Further 
Investigations, however, are now being made with 
this plant, by biological chemists and dieticians, 
because of the possibilities of utilizing sweet 
