182 ON THE BOTANY OF THE NIGEB EXPEDITION. 



petioles are short; the trunk sometimes 60 feet high, always of 

 greatest diameter in the middle ; so conspicuous is this, that it de- 

 stroys all pretensions to beauty. The Oil Palm, which I believe is 

 somewhere so figured, never approaches this form, — a small stem 

 tapering from the base being universal with Elcdis. On the disputed 

 point — the sexes of Ulcsis, — the evidence gathered confirms the 

 truth of Brown's statement : both sexes occur on one tree, although 

 in most plants the sexes are on diiferent trees : the plant producing 

 male flowers only, is the one alone pierced for making wine. Plants 

 having reputed medicinal properties are so common in use among 

 the natives that I have ceased to pay much attention to them ; 

 nearly all which grow round their towns are used for some 

 amaziQg virtue. A species of Balanophorea, Thonningia sanguinea, 

 which I was requested to look after by Dr. Hooker, appears 

 useful in dysentery, being used by several nations : it is a rare 

 plant, but frequently seen exposed for sale in the markets ; I have 

 met with it but once, growing on the roots of a Bauhinia, its fine 

 crimson flowers just appearing above the sand. Among many 

 interesting fruits gathered is a species of gigantic Bread-fruit, — 

 an Artocarpus, mentioned by Dr. Yogel as growing about the con- 

 fluence ; it is a large tree, 60 to 80 feet high, with smooth whitish 

 bark yielding a milky juice, leaves ovate acuminate, shiaing and 

 coriaceous: the fruit of this is said to weigh sometimes 30 lbs. ; 

 specimens which I have preserved are over 17 lbs., though many 

 larger ones could have been obtained, had space allowed ; seeds of 

 this are about the size of small kidney beans, and form an important 

 article of food to the natives ; in the woods near the Model Parm 

 this tree is most abundant. On one occasion, when botanizing 

 there after rain, the sun shone out fiercely, loosening the hold of 

 these fruits : the sound of their fall, as they crashed through the 

 branches, was continuous throughout the afternoon, like the 

 passing of large animals. Several kinds oiAnonas and Artalotrys 

 abound : the fruit of one of these is almost equal in flavour to an 

 English apricot. Perns have become very rare now, and epiphytic 

 Orchids not any. Aquatic plants are not numerous. NymplicBa 

 dentata, Ceratopteris thalictroides, JPistia Stratiotes, Salvinia, a 

 species of floating plant* (the latter is very beautiful, and will, if 

 I can bring it home, be an interesting addition to the aquarium). 

 Char a, sp., and two kinds of TltriGuloA^la, are forms of much 

 interest. Several Cyperacece, a Polygomt/m, Alisma sagittifolimn, 

 «7wssi<:p«,sp.jwith some other Onagracece, occiiipj most of the swampy 

 * A specimen enclosed in the Letter shows this to be an Azolla. — Sece. 



