65 



<©rigmal %ttitW. 



THE BITTER COLA {GARCINI^,^^.), 

 By Maxwell T. Masters, M.D., F.E.S. 



(Tab. 160.) 



In addition to the ordinary Cola or Kolah seeds of Western Tropical 

 Africa, and which are the produce of Cola acuminata, R.Br.* there are 

 in museums other seeds from the same region, called " Bitter Cola." 

 Barter and other collectors have transmitted these seeds, but without 

 any information as to the tree producing them. As these seeds are 

 reputed to have properties similar to those of the common Cola it became 

 a matter of interest, on economic as well as on botanic grounds, to 

 determine what they really were. An examination of the seeds 

 indeed sufficed to show that in all probability they belonged to 

 some Guttiferous tree, but no further information was to be had until 

 recently. In the early part of 1870 the editor of the Athenmum 

 consulted me with reference to a letter from a correspondent at 

 Lagos, in which the properties of the Cola were mentioned, and in 

 which the '* Bitter Cola" was also alluded to. The editor at my sug- 

 gestion, communicated with his correspondent, and requested him if 

 possible to secure specimens of the Bitter Cola, so that the species 

 might be determined. 



The result of this was that in September last a branch, with 

 leaves and fruit of the Bitter Cola, was received, together with the 

 following letter, dated Lagos, August 15th, 1874. 



'* With reference to the notice in your issue, No. 2209, Feb. 26th, 

 1870, p. 296, of the Kola Nut, which I had the honour of sending 

 you from the Gambia, I have now the pleasure, after many fruitless 

 inquiries and promises of friends for the last four years, to for- 

 ward you a branch, with fruit and leaves attached, of the Bitter Cola, 

 which I was fortunate enough to obtain here from the only tree 

 within twenty miles of Lagos. It is about 20 to 30 feet high, its 

 trunk straight, like that of the Poplar, and about 1 foot in diameter, 

 the branches commencing about 6 to 10 feet from its base. The 

 upper branches bore several samples of undeveloped fruit, in size and 

 colour like the apricot ; but only two or three of the branches pos- 

 sessed fruit of the size of an ordinary pear, such as I send. I like- 

 wise transmit a small bag of the newly-dried nuts. These are esteemed 

 by the natives as a remedy in cases of cough, and are said to improve 

 the voice of the singer. The bitter principle is agreeable and tree 

 from the astringency of the common red and white Colas, and it imparts 

 to water a more pleasant sweet taste than that description does. 



* For synonymy, etc., see Mast, in Oliv. Flor. Trop. Afric, i., p. 220 (1868). 

 N.s. VOL. 4. [March, 1875.] ^ 



