













32 



ME. fl. 2ST. BIDLET ON THE 





high, with a spreading head of branches, which, as it was in flower 

 at our visit, bore then only a few leaves on the extremity of the 

 branches. The bark in younger plants is dark green, and covered 

 with strong blackthorn ; but in the lower part of the older tree it 

 was brown and bare of the thorns. It is quite smooth, and not 





Erythrina Mulung 



The 



full-sized leaves are glabrous and of a greyish green, the younger 

 ones covered with a mealy pubescence which becomes rufous. The 

 flowers are borne on short racemes, of about a dozen, on the ends 

 of the branches. They somewhat resemble at first sight those of 



JE. alauca* Willd 



The standard 















with 



The ala& and keel are polished green with red edges, and the 

 bright crimson andrcecium contrasts beautifully with the orange 

 standard. The buds are covered with a reddish tomentum like 

 the young branches. We were unable to obtain fruits at the 

 time of our visit ; but bv the kindness of the Director of the 

























island we received a good series of both fruits and seeds. The 

 pods contain one or two seeds, entirely black, except for a red 

 band round the hilum ; they are oblong, smooth, and polished. 

 "With the specimens came notes, savins that "it is said that 



















three or four unbarked Mulungu-seeds, being ground and mixed 

 with food, will kill any dog or cat that eats it ; and consequently 



never found eaten by mice. It is propagated 







- 



. 



are 



cuttings 



inn 



K 







m 



Eetthbika, sp. 



■ 





Among the fruits and seeds sent after our return to England 

 by the Director of the island were fruits and seeds of another 

 species of Erythrina from Leao, with a note that this species 

 very closely resembled the preceding in foliage and habit, but 

 that the seeds were different. The pod is rather longer and 

 broader, and less abruptly dilated where the seeds occur. The 

 seeds are a little longer and more pointed, i. e. less oblong with 

 no distinct keel, and entirely red except the hilum. This is 

 the rosy Mulungu, " Mulungu vermelho " of the inhabitants. 

 The material received is insufficient for determination as to 























■ 























species 





i 























. 













. 



■ l 



■ 









■ 







" 





: ■ 















1 









■ 

 ■ 



* 



















■ 







* 







