Liberia <«- 



In the low bush, especially in the coast region, there is a 

 tall Lycopodium^ which grows to the height of two or three feet 

 from the ground, and in appearance is exactly like a miniature 

 tree, recalling its vanished and gigantic relations of the Coal 

 Measures, of a period in the world's history before flowering 

 plants were invented. In its way it is a dwarfed survival, like 

 that other example of archaic vegetation, the Equisetum or 

 marestail, which still lingers in Britain and elsewhere. 



The cultivated plants of Liberia are touched on in other 

 chapters, and in the following appendix many of them are 

 included in the catalogue of Liberian plants. Some of these, 

 like the papaw, are so well established that many Liberians — 

 both African and American — probably think they are true 

 natives. Unlike most of the cultivated plants, the papaw 

 extends its range into the forest, far from human habitation. 

 Its succulent fruits with their abundance of hard black seeds 

 contribute to this result. It is much the same with the pine- 

 apple. This last is spread by the sprouting tops from the upper 

 end of the fruit. Native porters and travellers cut the pineapple 

 when ripe, devour the luscious pulp, and throw away the 

 tuft of leaves at the top. These lie by the roadside and soon 

 take root in the moist soil, so that many Liberian roads far into 

 the interior are bordered by hedges of wild pineapple. The 

 pineapple where naturalised in West Africa is in a little less 

 specialised form than the pine which is more carefully cultivated 

 in America and Europe, It still produces seeds, and these are 

 often abundant, large, and hard enough to be a nuisance in 

 eating the fruit. I believe it would be possible to raise plants 

 from these seeds, which seem to have vitality. 



The mango tree introduced from the West Indies grows 

 nearly without interruption along the whole littoral of Liberia. 

 The fruit is often turpentiny and degenerate. Liberian oranges, 



568 



