1879, when seeds were sent by Dr. (now Sir J.) Kirk from 
Zanzibar. In 1892 another plant was received at Kew 
from the Jardin des Plantes, Paris. This latter plant, 
which has been grown since then in the Tropical Economic 
House at Kew, flowered there for the first time in July, 
1910, and provided the material on which our illustration 
has been based. The flowers are pure white and sweetly 
scented; the fruit, which varies in shape from globose on — 
the Lower Zambesi to pear-shaped in German East Africa, 
is edible; the latex yields a rubber, but only of inferior 
quality. The plant thrives well under tropical conditions, 
and is easily propagated by means of stem-cuttings. 
Description.—Shrub, climbing by means of the inflo- 
rescence; young twigs rusty-pubescent or tomentose. 
Leaves elliptic or oblong-elliptic, subacute or often obtuse, 
3-43 in. long, 14-2 in. wide, coriaceous, at first loosely 
pubescent on both sides, at length becoming glabrous; 
lateral nerves 6-8, rarely 10 on each side, reticulation fine ; 
petiole about 4 in. long. Panicle pedunculate, of varying 
length, bearing numerous sessile flowers clustered at the 
tips of its spreading or recurved, thinly rusty-pubescent or 
almost glabrous branchlets ; peduncle 2-4 in. long, slender ; 
bracts ovate-lanceolate or ovate-oblong, acute, rusty-pubes- 
cent, Calyx 1 lin. long; sepals ovate-oblong, obtuse, 
rusty-pubescent. Corolla white, fragrant, 2-1 in. long in 
bud ; tube slender, cylindric, }—1 in. long; lobes oblique, 
oblong or linear-oblong, acute or obtuse, 4-2 in. long, 
crisply ciliate. Anthers ovate-oblong, acute, under 1 lin. 
long. Ovary globose, very finely rusty-tomentose. Style 
with stigma 1 lin. long. Fruit globose, up to 24 in. in 
diameter, sparingly velvety; pericarp coriaceous.  Sceds 
4~% in. long. 
ne 1, flower bud; 2, calyx in section, showing ovary; 3, corolla laid open, 
showing stamens; 4 and 5, stamens :—all enlarged. 
