42 



in one passage refers to * Yeheb ' as a " tree " it is probable that at 

 times it is of considerable size. Whatever its extreme limits may- 

 be we know that ' Yeheb ' has a densely virgate habit and a 

 hard wood that ultimately becomes eboni'sed at the core. Tbe 

 compound evenly pinnate exstipulate leaves are from 1-2 in. long ; 

 the leaflets are usually 4-paired, leathery, oval-oblong, from ^-1 in. 

 long, and densely beset beneath with reddish flat glands ; if the 

 leaves be soaked in water the fluid takes up from these glands a 

 reddish dye, while as Capt. Wellby and Capt. Cordeaux state if the 

 leaves be rubbed in the hand, these glands stain the skin reddish or 

 magenta. The flowers, which are not numerous, are arranged in 

 small corymbs, very little longer than the leaves, at the ends of 

 the branches. The sepals, which are oblong-obtuse, are about 1 in. 

 long, and are glandular like the leaves. The petals are spathulate 

 and clawed, rather over * in. long. The stamens, ten in number, 

 are free and bearded below. The ovary, shortly stipitate, is 

 glandular like the sepals and leaves. The fruit is a crisp, leathery, 

 compressed-ovoid 2-valved pod, beaked at the tip and from 

 " yLVk' f „ The seeds, popularly but erroneously spoken of as 



h Jj /J \ ^ 5 r i 0D ? ^ in - lon § ; the ? have no albumen but 



fc i f y /5 le ?° nS and are U8ed M an a ' ,ticl e of food. 

 Foi an account of the structure and nature of the peculiar dye- 



gtltt w th * leaVeS ' Sepal8 and l*«i ^rence mav 

 MrT\ LS/^^ 8 ^ n ? te ' With a fi ^ re ^ the text, by 

 *m£mt m eVS ICOmS Planta >'^ vol. xxix, under 



dedfwith a m°tb, 0f J, 0Ung ' Yeheb ' plants under cultivation is 

 ueatt with in the following memorandum by Mr W Wat^rm 

 Curator, Rew :—" Plants of 'Yai^K' i i mr, . w ; vvatson, 



; *»» seeds : reccivfdZl tJtL oV Chtch ?„'T' |f ml 



"second lot hSn! 5^ con ^ ltlon ? an <l germinated readily, tlio 

 " ^^ o S E V ,an thC o- S, l P, ' 0babl y b «»<™ «>« 



>.nnate somewhat leathery leaves. In Ivery case" the fill" - y 



"wards show a preference lor dr E" v7 plants which a ^er- 

 " present appearances ft is XbaWe S v^ u<J Ud ^ from 

 "difficult to cultivate in tropffalw^t^ Yeheb Wi ° DOt be 



Writing on August 17th 1007 «;*». 



referred to in fag lettei of AuCt is^ %** <Y eheb' seeds 

 day before yesterday three of m T «Y^ r \ W f re "7* ^ The 

 are now about an inch above ground Th nUte Sfminated and 

 batch. Those sown from the old H/h h "? fr ° m the ne ^ 



J little plants differ from anvthin* I ^ made no si Sn. The 

 very interesting; little dirty -white £S? T* before ™ d *™ 

 with small red specks." In later w! fles % stems, covered over 



young plants as flourishing anr i' letter8 Dr - Wane speaks of these 



h'owfar'l 11 " ^ ^^h^Z^\ "^ "^ """S 



shown a tendency to drop some of feffij**?' Md . they have 



eaves. As we have seen. 



