346 BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 
Sierra Leone, west coast of Africa. It is valued by the natives as a 
specific against nausea, from whatever cause arising; and the part used 
is the stem, after stripping off the leaves, and peeling. The leaves 
however will probably be found to contain a considerable quantity of 
the active principle, as well as the stem, though the latter alone is em- 
ployed. It is eaten in the green state, and is perfectly harmless. The 
taste resembles that of the common Ovalis Acetosella. A peculiarity 
of its growth is, that it has no seed, nor does it propagate from suckers ; 
but the flower-head, after shooting out its flowers, and by its weight 
bending the long stem to the ground, gradually withers, while a new 
plant arises from its base, and obtains nourishment from it, while for- 
cing its roots into the soil, which is the light volcanic loam which is 
sent with it. The climate is dry heat from November to March, and 
rains more or less frequent during the other months, with almost con- 
stant heat. It is a very free grower in Africa, and therefore easily 
obtainable in any quantity, if found to be so valuable as it would 
seem for medicinal purposes. As far as I have had the opportunity . 
of trying it, it has been uniformly successful in relieving nausea. 
The leaves are dark glossy-green, the flower-head also; and the 
flowers are white, and yellow towards the mouth,—altogether a hand- 
some plant.—J. H. SEL ww." 
It was easy to see, from the habit and foliage of the plant, that the 
plant belonged to the Scitamineous family, and the opinion was con- 
. firmed by a pencil-sketch of the flowering plant sent by Captain Selwyn. 
It produced its flowers in the stove in the month of September, and 
proves to be a Costus, and the Costus Afer of Ker in ‘Botanical Re- 
— gister, tab. 683 ; though that figure is evidently made from a very im- 
. perfect specimen, which gives no idea of the beauty of the blossom, 
which is large and white, and, as Captain Selwyn says, really hand- 
some. id 
.. We have had no means of proving its remedial qualities ; should it 
indeed possess them, they are probably rather attributable to the aro- 
matic and stomachic properties which prevail in the Order, than to the 
acid. The roots of Costi are bitter, and have had a great reputation 
as tonics, but are now out of use; and Dr. Lindley says the Costi of 
Brazil have a subacid, mucilaginous juice, which is used in some dis- 
ers, and held in very great repute by the natives; but we are not 
ware that the property attributed to the present species is at all known. 
