VEGETATION OF TROPICAL WESTERN AFRICA. 25 
and imperfect specimens of a new species which has almost entire 
leaves, and a stem without spines. Many species of these 
climbing palms exist in the hot jungles which abound on the 
const, but they nearly all grow to a great height, firmly attached 
by their hooked spines to lofty trees. Flowers or fruit in such 
situations it is almost impossible to obtain, unless many trees are 
felled for the purpose. 
About the town of Eppah I gathered some fine crimson-fruited 
Sterculiacee. An Apocynea with white fragrant flowers, Acanthacea, 
Rubiaceae, and a few shrubby Euphorbiacee occupy the cleared 
places. Phrynium Danielli is very common in the deep woods; 
its singular-tasted fruit is now in the greatest profusion. 
Orchids were very scarce; but on some old trees grew large 
masses of the Rhipsalis, which I sent from Prince's Island. 
The large Rubiaceous fruit (enclosed) is employed by the 
people in marking their faces and other parts of the person with 
permanent black lines. I believe an incision of the skin is neces- 
sary to effect this properly. It is used chiefly by those people 
who pride themselves on a skin a few shades lighter than the 
ordinary negro of the coast; the latter is too black for such an 
embellishment to be visible. 
No. 8298 of ‘ Herbarium,’ is a beautiful Anonaceous shrub grow- 
ing at Eppah: the flowers (now turned black in drying) are very 
handsome; the long outer petals are spotted red, brown, and yellow, 
quite white at the base; the inner ones, almost hooded, have a 
singular appendage midway on the margin, which I first mistook 
for stamens, till a closer examination showed it to be Anonaceous. 
No fruit or seeds could be obtained ; but, as I shall probably meet 
with it again in the Yoruba forests, I hope to see it yet in our stoves 
at home. 
Aquatic plants can hardly be said to be numerous in Western 
Africa; the following species occur in the Crado Lake :— 
Papyrus antiquorum, 10 or 12 feet high, is very abundant about 
Palaver Island when the water is brackish, with Typha angustifolia, 
Vallisneria spiralis, Pistia stratiotes, Jussiea villosa, Azolla Nilotica, 
Nymphea’ dentata, Ceratophyllum vulgare, Utricularia stellata, 
Ceratopteris thalictroides, Salvinia sp., Lemna sp., and a species of 
Hydrophyllacee with small blue flowers; these plants occur in 
small bays or creeks where the water is undisturbed by the swell 
raised by the sea breezes. The bed of this lake is hard white clay ; 
average depth of water 10 or 12 feet. 
Before our interview with * Kosoko,” I could only get on shore 
