^ The Liberian Flora 



Amongst other prominent 

 members of the Rubiaceous family 

 in Liberia is the "wild peach" ot 

 the coast regions (^Sarcocephalns 

 esculentus). This has large white 

 fragrant flowers, and deep red fruit 

 about the size of a peach and not 

 unlike it in appearance. The fruits 

 are too aromatic for the taste of a 

 European, but are much appreciated 

 by the natives. Some plants of 

 this order yield the natives yellow 

 dyes ; others, like Ixora, exhibit 

 splendid bunches of rose-coloured 

 flowers. Others again, like the 

 celebrated Coffea or coffee tree, 

 produce beiTies which are edible 

 for their pleasant sweet pulp, or 

 the seeds of which furnish the 

 material for a stimulating beverage. 

 In addition to the . well-known 

 Coffea liberka — the Liberian coffee 

 (which is a taller tree than the 

 common coffee, with larger black 

 berries) — there are two other kinds 

 of wiki coffee (red berried), both 

 of which apparently might furnish 

 coffee beans for commerce. 



Under the order Apocynacect 

 in the Appendix (p. 6i6 f/ seq.^ will 

 be found set forth all the known 

 sources of rubber in Liberia. Of 



539 



220. an akistoluchia flower 

 unopp:ned 



Pale yellow-green, with dark crimson 

 veins (§ nat. size). Also base of 

 corolla to show sexual parts. 



