ON THE WESTERN COAST OF AFRICA. 299 
inhabitants. Ibadan is much larger, and supposed to contain 120,000. 
lyesa and Morin are as large or larger. The whole Yoruba country is 
supposed to contain between two and three millions of inhabitants, all 
of whom are clad in cotton cloth, chiefly of their own growth, besides 
which, large quantities are traded with to other places. 
2. Akese (Flore purpureo). 
Character.—Bush, 7-10 or more feet high. Stem hard, woody, 
rises from the ground, and numerous branches soon proceed from 
it at an acute angle, which are long, slender, virgate, bending grace- 
fully. Stem and branches are greyish-white, with many small tuber- 
culated points of the same colour. Stipules subulate or subulato- 
lanceolate. The younger parts of the plant, as the young shoots, 
petioles, ete., and younger branches are purple or purple-green, 
downy or hairy. The Zeaves are soft and velvety to the touch, dark 
green, with a reddish tinge, lobed. The upper, smaller, and younger 
three- to five-lobed; the larger, older, and lower seven-lobed ; the two 
Smaller lobes towards the petiole. Zodes lanceolate and acute, angles 
rounded, with or without intermediate lobules, of which the two central 
are free; the two lateral either wanting, or, when present, only partially 
detached. Veins pink, chiefly on the lower side, where also most pro- 
minent, finely punctated with black spots, rendered more distinct by 
transmitted light or the employment of a lens. One gland on the — 
leaves, surface of the midrib not far from its commencement. Petioles 
purple, or purple above, green below, hispid, woolly or hairy, moderately 
long, dotted. Flowers axillary, solitary near the end of the shoot, or 
most generally half a foot below it. Peduncles or flower-bearing stalk- 
lets, slender, shorter than the petioles; at three-fifths of the distance 
from the stem are two faleato-lanceolate, often serrated, black-dotted 
stipulæ, from which often proceeds a small three- to five-lobed leaf. 
Petals are of a dark pink-purple, highly ornamental, with a darker 
patch near the claw, where also at the commencement is a narrow line 
of yellowish-white. Outer calyx (ext. bracteas or involucel) spread- - 
ing so as to display the inner or true calyx, the constricted neck of 
the corolla, cordate at the base, either entire or generally tridentate at — 
the apex. The middle tooth disproportionately larger, often one or two- 
toothlets at the sides. Colour purplish, especially towards the centre, 
more green elsewhere. Capsules trigonal, the angles rounded. Internal 
structure well marked by the impressions and lines externally, ovate, 
