The Country Gcntlcniaiis Magazine 



493 



^he Naturalist. 



THE VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS OF ABYSSINIA. 



BY W. B. HEMSLEY, 



FORMERLY ASSISTANT IN THE HERBARIUM OF THE ROYAL GARDENS, KEW. 



(Concluded from page 403.) 



TWO species of Coniferce are indigenous 

 — viz., Podocarpus elongata and 

 Juniperus procera. The latter is called 

 "Zadd," and is one of the largest trees in 

 the country, yielding a hard and durable 

 timber, much sought after for building pur- 

 poses. 



Willows, or Salicinese, so familiar to us, are 

 not unknown to the Abyssinian, there being 

 three species (Salix axillaris, S. cyathipoda, 

 and S. octandra) on the mountains. One 

 species of Gale (Myrica salicifolia) grows in 

 the mountainous districts ; it is, unlike ours, a 

 tree of 30 to 40 feet in height. The most 

 important and conspicuous Euphorbiaceae 

 are the species of Euphorbia itself, which, in 

 some sterile districts, forms the principal 

 feature of the landscape. These are mostly 

 fleshy-stemmed, leafless, or with very small 

 leaves, spiny species, much resembling Cacti ; 

 and some of them attain the dimensions of 

 large trees. When cut or bruised, these 

 Euphorbias exude an enormous quantity of 

 an exceedingly acrid juice. E. Abyssinica, 

 the " Kolqual," is employed for purposes of 

 construction, and rags dipped in its juice are 

 rolled up for torches. I must here quote a 

 few lines from Bruce : — 



" Tn that memorable day, when leaving the 

 Lanibar, or low flat parched country which forms the 

 sea coast of Abyssinia, and turning westward, we came 

 to the foot of that stupendous mountain, Taranta, 

 ^\'hich we were to pass in order to enter into the high 

 land, we saw the whole side of that prodigious 

 mountain covered from top to bottom with this 

 beautiful tree. The fruit was ripe, and being carried 

 on the top of the branches, the trees that stood thick 

 together appeared to be clothed with a cloth or \t\\ 

 of the most vivid crimson colour." 



Although his description and plates were 

 against him, Bruce contended that this tree 

 could not be a species of Euphorbia. 



E. Petitiana, and E. Schimperiana, are 

 sometimes employed medicinally, mixed with 

 "Cussoo" (Brayera), to augment their 

 activity. Urtica sinensis, a stinging-nettle, is 

 cooked and eaten as a vegetable in Abyssinia, 

 as our common one sometimes is in this 

 country. 



Trees of the Moraceae, or fig family, are 

 abundant ; sixteen species of Ficus alone 

 have been reported. F. Sycomorus is a 

 native of the low country between the Red 

 Sea and the mountains of Abyssinia, where, 

 Bruce tells us, he saw a number of very fine 

 old trees. The fruit of this, as also of F. 

 Vallis and F. pseudo-carica, is eaten. Ac- 

 cording to Messrs Fecet and Galinier, the 

 inner bark of F. panifica is eaten by the 

 natives, and tastes somewhat like bread. 



Proteaces, a South African and Australian 

 family, is represented by one species of Protea 

 and one of Leucospermum. Amongst the 

 few Polygonacete, is a Dock, Rumex Abys- 

 sinicus, or Mok-moks, the root of which is 

 macerated and mixed with butter to prevent 

 the latter from becoming rancid. It is largely 

 employed, and unparts, it is said, no bad 

 flavour to the butter. The singular genus 

 of Bignoniaceas Kigelia is spread over a great 

 part of tropical Africa, and one species, called 

 by the natives Meder-Deur, is met with in 

 Abyssinia. It forms a large tree, and is a 

 very conspicuous object from the long pen- 

 dulous racemes of crimson flowers and woody 

 seed-pods, the peduncles being from four to 

 six feet long. This is said to possess aphrc- 



