OF WEST EQUINOCTIAL AFRICA. 151 



thusia (foliis simplicibus), and also a multitude of species, almost 

 all large trees, of the families HypericacecBj JRubiacecd, BignoniacecB, 

 Verhenacece, Legnminosce, Mimosecd, &c. But what particularly 

 delighted me was the discovery of Monodora Myristica, already 

 supposed to be native here by B. Brown, which is a native of all 

 the primeval forests of these districts, and which represents one 

 of the most gigantic and certainly one of the most splendid forest 

 trees of the whole of tropical Africa. Later I found at Pungo 

 Andongo, a second species, specifically different in the leaves and 

 fruit, which I have named Monodora Angolensis. I will send many 

 fresh seeds of both to England. 



Terrestrial and parasitical Orchids are pretty tolerably abundant. 

 Among the former there is one remarkable species, probably of the 

 genus Lissochiltcs, distinguished by broad leaves nearly 5 feet long ; 

 a flower-stem 10 feet to 12 feet high ; and particularly by a spike 

 of blossoms often l|^-foot long, bearing twenty to twenty-five large 

 rose-coloured flowers. This is probably the largest and most 

 magnificent of all terrestrial Orchids hitherto discovered. Of this 

 species I have roots ready to be sent to London at the first direct 

 opportunity which offers. To show the gigantic dimensions of 

 this species, I shall send you the dried flower-stem. Grenerally 

 speaking, the whole vegetation of Golungo Alto has a truly gigantic 

 character, so that there is no room left for the growth of smaller 

 plants, especially annuals, with the exception of some Graminew 

 and Gyperaceoe. An Umbellifer, whose leaves at the same time 

 form one of the most famous remedies of the negroes, occurs in 

 the form of a large tree of 1 foot to 1^ foot in diameter, used as 

 timber ; likewise, among the numerous and in most instances 

 woody GompositcB, there occur two species as strong lofty trees. 

 Almost all the Artocarpecd which are found here will form quite 

 new and very remarkable genera, but at the same time will show 

 in the clearest light the transition of this family into the Morece 

 on one side, and the JJrticecd on the other. A genus nearly allied 

 to Dorstenia grows as a large woody shrub 4 feet high, in general 

 habit like a Fig ; but the receptacles are obconic, truncate, and open, 

 just as in Kosaria. Also among the Sapindaeece and Gombretacecdf 

 and especially among the Leguminosce, many highly interesting 

 new genera are to be found. 



The most interesting fact in Phytogeography will be that I 

 have found here a Begonia, a Hypoxis, an Gttelia, a Gnetacea, 

 a Balsaminea, and two Gedrelece — all families of plants which 

 have not before been met with in tropical Africa. A still more 



