1968 
as McNeill, Miss. It succeeds on nearly all types of soil, even on the 
sand hills, but best in fairly firm soils. 
The grass can easily be propagated by division, and it produces 
seeds abundantly throughout the warm season. Unfortunately the seeds 
for some obscure reason do not germinate well. This has proved true 
of seeds from Cuba, from Florida, and from Costa Rica. Even when the 
seeds are decorticated or treated with sulfuric acid the germination 
is still poor, usually below 10 per cent. This difficulty is the prin- 
cipal impediment to the extensive culture of Bahia grass at present. 
At the Florida Experiment Station, Bahia grass is spreading year 
by year in spite of the apparently poor seeds, even into land already 
occupied by other grasses. A firm seed bed seems desirable. In Flor- 
ida the best germination has been secured by sowing the seeds in the 
latter part of May and in June. 
The ergot which attacks Dallis grass and many other species of 
Paspalum also affects Bahia grass. Indeed, in parts of Argentina 
where the pastures are largely of this grass, the ergot causes a di- 
sease of cattle apparently the same as that caused by the same ergot 
on Dallis grass in Mississippi. It is not likely, however, that this 
ergot will ever be serious except perhaps in limited areas where Bahia 
grass or Dallis grass makes up the whole pasturage. 
schizandra rubiflora (Magnoliaceae ) , 58619. From Elstree, Herts, 
England. Seeds presented by Hon. Vicary Gibbs, Aldenham House Gardens. 
A climbing shrub, often 20 feet in height, which grows at high altitudes 
in the mountains of western China. The oblong or obovate,. sharp-pointed 
leaves are dark green above and paler below,' and the solitary dark-red 
flowers are about an inch across. 
tigridia pavonia (Iridaceae), 58573. From Casa Alvarado, Coyoacan, 
Mexico. Seeds presented by Mrs. Zelia Nuttall. This plant is native 
about Mexico City, where its bulbous roots, under the name of "cacomites," 
have long been used as food. It is hot unknown in the United States, 
though its culture has never become widespread in this country. It is 
with a view to popularizing it that the Office of Foreign Seed and 
Plant Introduction has secured, through the kindness of Mrs. Nuttall, 
a large quantity of seed, grown mainly at Coyoacan. Dr. David Griff- 
iths, who has charge of work with bulbous plants in this Department, 
has undertaken to grow these seeds, and to utilize the resulting plants 
in furthering the dissemination of the species in the United States. 
He has supplied the following note regarding it: 
"Although this species, like the dahlia, is looked upon as a food 
plant in some quarters, it will in all probability be more often em- 
ployed as an ornamental in the United States. Its beautiful, delicate 
flowers with their unique and peculiar markings, make it an object of 
