18 



the trunk of this plant contains a spongy farinaceous pith, 

 made use of by the Kaffirs as food, hence the name Kaffir 

 Bread is applied to it. Near by are two specimens of 

 Latania Loddigesii ; a tree of the White Mulbeny, Morus alba, 

 a plant useful in connection with the raising of silkworms ; 

 and a specimen of Eucalyptus creba, the narrow-leafed iron 

 bark tree of New South Wales, the timber of which is used 

 for railway sleepers, for wagons, piles and fence posts. 



Proceeding along the road, a native tree, Swartzia 

 grandi 'flora will be seen on the right. This is remarkable on 

 account of its single-petalled yellow flowers. Next is 

 Capparis ferruginea, a native of the West Indies and behind 

 this a large tree of Sterculia foetida, over which the giant 

 climber Anodendron paniculatum, is growing. Continuing 

 along the border will be found the following trees and shrubs : 

 Nerium Oleander ; Bauhinia picta ; Bauhinia tomentosa ; 

 Bauhinia Petersiana ; Saraca indica ; Brunfelsia americana ; 

 Jatropha multifida ; Calliandra haematocephala ; Thunbergia 

 erecta ; Ixora coccinea, and its variety lutea. The hedge 

 behind the picket fencing is formed partly of Acalypka 

 Wilkesiana, a ruddy foliage plant known as Burning Bush ; 

 and partly of Bixa Or el I ana, the Roucou tree of Dominica. 

 The Annatto of commerce, a dye used for silks, and for 

 colouring butter and cheese, is prepared from the red- 

 coloured pulp which covers the seeds of the last named plant. 

 Formerly this dye was used in Dominica by the Caribs to 

 paint their bodies. 



Growing immediately behind the hedge of " Burning 

 Bush " are clumps of Alpinia nut an*, the stems of which may 

 become of importance as a source of material for paper-making. 

 Also a young plant Mauritia flexuosa, the Moriche palm, 

 common on swampj^ lands along the great rivers of Tropical 

 America. 



Much of the soil of the lawn on the left is very poor, and 

 only such plants thrive on it as are adapted to such conditions. 

 Several of those to be seen here are plants characteristic of 

 dry or even desert regions ; for example, the large columnar 

 Cactus : Cereus peruvianas ; next to which is Cents 

 Napoleonis ; and a little further away a round bed containing 

 several specimens of the well-known Turks Head Cactus 



