262 EXPEDITION UP THE KWOBA. 



of some Kigelia, with flowers and leaves ; the bark is used medicinally, 

 but the fruit is said to be employed maliciously by the negroes on each 

 other ; one species of Solatium has been introduced here from Arrachi, 

 and has now become the greatest pest in the island : several accidents 

 have occurred from people eating the poisonous berries; we find a 

 Thunbergia, a species of Brillantaisia, two Eranthemums, and a plant 

 with leaves like Acanthus mollis ; Ocymum pilosum ; 0. Basilicum takes 

 a shrubby character, and produces woody stems of several years' growth ; 

 a species of Teucrium, called " Fever-bush " at Sierra Leone, is common 

 here also ; Amaranthus paniculatus, A. spinosus, are troublesome weeds ; 

 Mirabilis Jalapa is common here as elsewhere on the coast ; a large, 

 handsome, shrubby Euphorbia is abundant in the woods, an unarmed 

 species, with obovate leaves ; Jatropha Manihot is wild and cultivated : 

 in the latter state the roots may be eaten raw with impunity, not hav- 

 ing the slightest acridity characteristic of the American plant ; Micro- 

 desmia puberula, a small tree, is common ; the " Bush Pepper " of the 

 markets on the coast is most abundant in the woods as a climbing 

 plant; some Pipers, a few weedy forms of Urticacece, but no true 

 Nettle ; Ficus, as large trees and huge climbers, abound in the forest ; 

 F. Brassi I met only in the bay north of Clarence Cove ; one singular 

 Dorstenia, near Cape Bullen ; I have gathered two species of Begonia- 

 ccous plants, one epiphytal, with flowers like Begonia nitida, the other 

 a minute but beautiful object, with yellow flowers. 



Of Palms I have seen but four species in this island : Elceis Guineensis 

 forming the bulk of the vegetation on low grounds ; both sexes are oc- 

 casionally found on one tree, but it is more usually dioecious. The plant 

 bearing only male flowers is the only one, as far as I have observed, 

 from which the Palm wine is obtained. The reason assigned for not 

 tapping the other is, that it does not yield such a flow of sap ; probably 

 reasonable enough, when the quantity of fruit it bears is considered. 

 A species of Calamus, perhaps the one mentioned by Dr. Vogel, is a 

 slender plant, fastening itself on other trees, by its barbed leaves, for 

 support : a cluster of dried fruit I send home ; another species, called 



Palm 



ifi 



mon in the Gambia, I have not seen here ; Pandanus Candelabrum is 

 plentiful in swampy places; fruit, section of wood, and seeds, I have 

 forwarded to Kew. Jroidea are most abundant ; Phyllodendron, cover- 



