Tab. 7836. 



HONC KENYA ficifolia. 



Native of tropical Africa. 



Nat. Ord. TxLiACE*.— Tribe Tilie.k. 

 Genus HoNCKENYA, Willd. ; (Bentk. & Hook. f. Gen. Plant, vol. i. p. 2;55), 



HoNCKENyA^ct/fZut; frutex v. arbor parva, stellato-pubescens, ramis robustis, 

 cortice fusco, Poliis breviter petiolatis amplis late oblongo v. ovato- 

 rotundatis 3-7-lobatis crenato-dentatis, lobis latis obtusis basi 3-7- 

 plinerviis supra Isete viridibus scaberulis subtus tomentellis pallidic, 

 petiolo robusto supra concavo dorso rotuudato, stipulis parvis lanceolatis 

 caducis, fioribus ampb's 2-3-ni8 v. snbraceaioso-paniculatis roseis, sepalis 

 4-5 linearibus petaloideis, petalis sepalis JBquilontjis orbiculatis late 

 ungiiiculatit^, staminibusS-lO filamentis filiformibus iaa^quilongisantheris 

 variis uliis sagittnto-bilobis aliis minoribus, loculis parallelis, staniino- 

 diis perplurimis confertis staminibus brevioribus interne filiformibus 

 subevectis Huperne in clavellam angustatn elongatam auream glaberrimam 

 desinentibns, ovario 4-6-Ioculari, loculis muItioFulatis, stylo simplici, 

 stigmata denticulate, capsula oblonga echinata loculicide 4-6- valve 

 poljsperma, seminibus horizontalibus compressis, testa Crustacea mem- 

 brana tenni involuta. 



H. ficifolia, Willd. in Usteri, Delect. Opusc. Boi. vol. ii. (1793) p. 201, t. 4; e< 

 Sp. PI. vol. ii. p. 325. DG. Prodr. vol. i. p. 506. Oliver, Fl. Trop. Afr. 

 vol. i. p. 260. 



Ciappei-tonia ficifolia, Decne. in Deless. Ic SeL PL vol. v. p. 1, t. i. WaJp. 

 Ann. vol. i. p. 110. 



HoncJcenya ficifolia is a common West African shrub or 

 small tree, found in watery situations, from Seuegambia to 

 Angola, which has also been collected in the Xiam Niam 

 country, in Central Equatorial Africa, by Dr. Schwein- 

 furth. According to Sir Cornelius Moloney, K.C.M.G., 

 who, when Governor of Lagos, sent specimens from that 

 colony to Kew, it is there known under two names ; one 

 the Bolo-bolo plant, the word meaning slippery, in allusion 

 to a slippery juice given out by the leaves when bruised ; 

 the other Agbourin Ilassa, or rope plant, from the use 

 to which its fibrous bark is put by the Haussas. 



There are probably several species of Ihnirl-miia in 

 Western tropical Africa. One, E, minor. Bail!. (Adans. x. 

 1872, 183), is described as a small shrub a foot high, wiih 

 the habit of a THumfetta, and leaves an inch to an inch 

 and a half long. There are specimens in Kew Herbarium 

 of what appears to be a third species, of still smaller size, 



May 1st, 1902. 



