-^ The Liberian Flora 



2^ ft. in diameter, stout woody spines, 9 — 13-foliolate leaves, firm 

 leaflets, I — i in. by ^ — | in., rather copious dense panicles (i — 3 in. 

 long) of white papilionaceous flowers, ^ in. long, and i — 4-seeded 

 glabrous thin pods, i — 2h in. by h in. — This is widely spread 

 throughout Africa, and also occurs very probably in Liberia. 

 It possesses a very hard jet-black or brownish black heart- 

 wood which is used like ebony and is known as " African Black- 

 wood " or " Senegal Ebony." 



Drepanocarpus lunatus, C. F. Mcy. : a glabrous straggling shrub or 

 small tree with numerous recurved spines, pinnate 5 — 7-foliolate 

 coriaceous leaves, panicles of white papilionaceous flowers, ^ in. 

 long, and sickle-shaped i -seeded coriaceous pods, li by | in.; 

 common near water, Monrovia, JF/ij'te ! ; Grand Basa, ]'ogel, 99! 



Pterocarpus esculentus, ScJium. : a shrub or tree with glabrous leaves, 

 4 — 8 in. long, of 5 — 7 alternating elliptic or oblong leaflets, short 

 dense axillary velvety racemes of yellowish papilionaceous 

 flowers, under i| in. long and winged roundish pods, ih in. in 

 diameter, and very rough in the thickened centre ; Kakatown, 

 Jl7/j'fi' ! — The seeds are eaten, but produce, it is said, intoxication. 



Ostryocarpus riparius, Hook. f. {syn. Millettia micrantha, Harms.) : a 

 glabrous rambling or climbing shrub, sometimes of considerable 

 size with long-stalked pinnate 5-foliolate leaves, elliptic coriaceous 

 leaflets, 4 — 6 in. by \h — 3 in., ample panicles of dense short 

 {h — I in. long) racemes of yellowish papilionaceous flowers, ^ in. 

 long, and flat indehiscent pods, 2 in. by i — 2 in. ; common near 

 water, in the littoral, Fishtown, Dinklage, 1725!; Sino Basin, 

 WhyU ! 



*0. major, Stapf: similar to the preceding but with 7-foliolate leaves, 

 longer panicle branches and slightly larger flowers ; Monrovia, 

 Whytc ! 



Lonchocarpus sericeus, //. B. K. : an ornamental shrub or tree with 

 downy twigs, 7 — i i-foliolate coriaceous leaves, dense racemes 

 or panicles of fragrant lilac or purple papilionaceous flowers 

 with a silky standard, | — | in. long, and flat woody pods, 

 3 — 4 in. by | in. ; Grand Basa, Voge/, Gy ! ; Cape Palmas, 

 Vogel, 21 ! — The wood is very hard and heavy. 



L, barteri, BcutJi. : a lofty woody twiner with glabrous pinnate 

 leaves, \ — i ft. long, usually 5 — 7 oblong to elliptic long 

 acuminate leaflets, long slender interrupted spikelike racemes 



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