ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN Ss, KEW. 
BULLETIN 
OF 
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION, 
No.‘ 8.] (1909. 
XLIV.—_ECANDA RUBBER. 
(Raphionaeme utilis, Brown & Stapf.) 
In the Kew Bulletin, 1908, pp. 209-215, and pp. 305-307, an 
account has been given of Raphionacme utilis, Brown & Stapf, and 
of the rubber prepared from its tukers. Since these accounts were 
published Mr. John T. Norman, of the City Central Laboratory, 
London, E.C., has sent a further consignment of the tubers of the 
Keanda rubber plant, which were brought over from Angola by his 
client, Mr. J. Neale May. 
Mr. May holds a large concession of land near Bihe, Angola, 
where Raphionacme utilis grows in abundance, and he has kindly 
furnished particulars as to the mode of growth of the plants under 
natural conditions and of the country in which they are to be found. 
From this information the following account has been written. 
The tubers of Ecanda rubber recently received at the Royal 
Botanic Gardens came from a plateau near Bihe, in about 17° Ei, 
long. and 12°5-13° S. lat., at an elevation of 5,000 ft. above sea 
level. This plateau, which forms the concession, occupies an area 
of some 25 sq. miles, and slopes away fairly steeply towards the 
east and west, forming the divide between two river systems. The 
plant though found in considerable quantity in the region generally, 
does not appear to flourish in other places so well as on 
plateau. 
The plateau is 
to cross certain mines. In fine weather the journey by wagon road 
can be made in about thirty days. 
The climate is fairly damp and ram falls during five or six 
months of the year. The rainy season commences about January ; 
heavy rains are not frequent, but the rains are more like those of 
England, and there is a considerable amount of damp mist. During 
(14163—6a.) Wt, 108—471, 1875, 10/09. D&S&, 
