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almond which contains some 60 per cent. of clear oil similar to finest 
olive oil and burning with a bright flame. 
“ No intelligible name can be given to the tree in question, which 
is described as reaching a height of from 45 to 60 feet and prodycing 
annually an average of 1,200 Ibs.* of nuts. It yields after four 
years and grows rapidly even in dry sandy soil.” 
Specimens of the fruits were received subsequently at Kew from 
the Commercial Intelligence Branch of the Board of Trade and the 
Imperial Institute, with the information that the tree bearing them 
grew in large numbers in the Lebombo Mountains and on the banks 
of the Umbeluzi River. 
The new Balanites could be distinguished from all previously 
described species except B. Wilsoniana, Dawe & Sprague, by bearing 
curious forked spines, and from B, Wilsoniana by its much smaller 
fruits. - oe 
In the absence of flowers, an adequate technical description could 
not be drawn up, an r. Maugham was accordingly requested to 
procure flowering specimens of the tree, if possible. Shortly after- 
wards, however, good flowering material, together with fruits and a 
barren shoot, was received from Mr. M. T. Dawe, Director ot 
Agriculture, Companhia de Mocambique, Beira ; and a full descrip- 
tion of the ao is given below under the name Balanites 
Maugham. r. Dawe sent at the same time specimens of a secon 
new species, closely allied to B. Maughamii, but differing in the 
shape of the petals and the elongated fruits. For this the name B. 
Dawei is proposed, 
History oF THE GENUS BALANITES. 
In order that the relationships of the two proposed new species 
may be understood, it will be necessary to give some account of those 
previously described.. 
- The first species known was Balanites acgyptiaca, which has been 
cultivated in Egypt for more than four thousand years. Stones of 
B. aegyptiaca have been found in tombs of the twelfth dynasty. 
These were placed there as votive offerings, the edible pulp having 
previously been removed. Schweinfurth states that the ancient 
4innaeus included Agihalid in the genus Ximenia as a second 
species, X. aegyptiaca, differing from X. americana in having ‘ geminate 
leaves’ (Sp. Pl. 1753, p. 1194). 
Adanson recognized that Agihalid was generically distinct from 
Ximenia, and proposed the new genus Agialid to accommodate it 
(Fam. Pl. 1763, vol. ii. p. 508). He was the first to publish a correct. 
* This amount was subsequently corrected to 40- uts (Dipl. 
Cons, Rep., Ann. Ser., No. 4801, 1912, pet i Ate es ss (ipl. ~ 
Tg Oe a er 
