1663 
Berberis franeisei-ferdinandi (Berberidaceae ) , 52931. 
Barberry. From Kew, England. Seeds presented by Sir 
David Praln, director, Royal Botanic Gardens. 
A rather striking species apparently most nearly 
related to the Himalayan Berberis ehitria, which is well 
distinguished, however, by its puberulent branchlets, 
longer stalked ovules, and distinct styles. The hand- 
some shrub Is 2 to 3 m. high with red young branches 
which become purplish, glabrous, and shining. The 
simple, yellowish-red spines are up to 2.5 cm. long. 
The papery deciduous leaves are ovate or ovate-lanceo- 
late with marginal spines 1 to 1.5 mm. long. The yel- 
low flowers 7 to 9 mm. in diameter are in dense 
panicles 5.5 to 12 cm. long. The scarlet ovate fruits 
are IS mm. in diameter. Native to thickets in western 
China at altitudes of 1,300 to 4,000 m. (Adapted from 
Sargent, Plantae Wilsonianae, vol. 1, p. 367.) 
Dioscorea sp. (Dioscoreaceae ) , 52927. Yam. From 
Arch Creek, Fla. Tubers presented by, Mr. J. DeHoff. 
"I procured one tuber in 1893, when I first came to 
Avon Park, De Soto Co., Florida, from a neighbor, H. 
G. Burnett, who had in his garden a few which he had pro- 
cured from his father-in-law at Fort Myers where small 
quantities have been grown for 50 years. I had kept 
seed from year to year since that time , no more though, 
than I wanted myself, until year before last when 
somehow they made several times as many seed bulbs as 
I ever saw before. This last year they again made only 
very few seed tubers. I received them under the name 
of 'White Jamaica yam. ' I grew them for 5 years near 
Palatka (at Florahome) and they did well on high ham- 
mock land. Down here in Dade County, on very light 
sandy and rocky land they produce' as much as sweet 
potatoes and with me, take the place of Irish potatoes; 
the latter will not succeed on this dry soil at all. 
The yams keep for months." (DeHoff.) 
"A whlte-f leshed yam,- fairly dry when cooked, 
and of excellent quality. The vine produces aerial 
tubers which are referred to in Mr. DeHoff s letter 
as 'seed tubers.'" (R. A. Young.) 
Leyeesteria formosa (Caprif oliaceae) , 52864. From 
Beaverton, Oreg. Plants presented by Mr. Benjamin W. 
Gothard. "One of the handsomest and most useful of 
ornamental shrubs for all sections where the tempera- 
ture does not fall much below zero. It is not subject 
to pests, is in bloom for months, and if cut down by 
