TEeETATIO]!^^ OF TROPICAL WESTERN AFRICA. 25 



and imperfect specimens of a new species which has almost entire 

 leaves, and a stem without spines. Many species of these 

 climbing palms exist in the hot jungles which abound on the 

 coast, but they nearly all grow to a great height, firmly attached 

 by their hooked spines to lofty trees. Elowers or fruit in such 

 situations it is almost impossible to obtain, unless many trees are 

 felled for the purpose. 



About the town of Eppah I gathered some fine crimson-fruited 

 SterculiacecB. An Apocynea with white fragrant flowers, Acanthacece, 

 RMacecB, and a few shrubby Ev^phorliacece occupy the cleared 

 places. Phrynium Danielli is very common in the deep woods ; 

 its singular-tasted fruit is now in the greatest profusion. 



Orchids were very scarce ; but on some old trees grew large 

 masses of the Bhipsalis, which I sent from Prince's Island. 



The large Eubiaceous fruit (enclosed) is employed by the 

 people in marking their faces and other parts of the person with 

 permanent black lines. I believe an incision of the skin is neces- 

 sary to effect this properly. It is used chiefly by those people 

 who pride themselves on a skin a few shades lighter than the 

 ordinary negro of the coast ; the latter is too black for such an 

 embellishment to be visible. 



No. 3298 of ' Herbarium,' is a beautiful Anonaceous shrub grow- 

 ing at Eppah : the flowers (now turned black in drying) are very 

 handsome ; the long outer petals are spotted red, brown, and yellow, 

 quite white at the base ; the inner ones, almost hooded, have a 

 singular appendage midway on the margin, which I first mistook 

 for stamens, till a closer examination showed it to be Anonaceous. 

 No fruit or seeds could be obtained ; but, as I shall probably meet 

 with it again in the Yoruba forests, I hope to see it yet in our stoves 

 at home. 



Aquatic plants can hardly be said to be numerous in "Western 

 Africa ; the following species occur in the Crado Lake : — 

 Papyrus antiquorum, 10 or 12 feet high, is very abundant about 

 Palaver Island when the water is brackish, with Typha angmtifolia, 

 Vallisneria spiralis, Pistia stratiotes, Jussicea villosa,AzoUaJV^ilottca, 

 NymplicBa dentata, CeratopTiyllum vulgare, Utricularia stellata, 

 Ceratopteris thalictroides, Salvinia sp., Lemna sp., and a species of 

 Hydrophyllacece with small blue flowers ; these plants occur in 

 small bays or creeks where the water is undisturbed by the swell 

 raised by the sea breezes. The bed of this lake is hard white clay ; 

 average depth of water 10 or 12 feet. 



Before our interview with " Kosoko," I could only get on shore 



