LIBEKIA. 251 



part of tlip Kongo Free State. The Fiintvmia afrknna is more strictly 

 West African in its range, from Portuguese Guinea to the Kongo 

 basin. In the western regions of the Kongo Free State and in Angola 

 a third Funtvmia is found, which, like Funtumia africana, is of not 

 much vahie to the rubber trade. Mr. Alexander AVliyte, in his system- 

 atic examination of the Liberian flora, which he undertook at my 

 request during 1904, has discovered two new species of wild coffee — 

 Coffea midifora and Goljfea ligustrifolia. The well-known Liberian 

 coffee with a big berry is, of course, indigenous to the country, and is 

 now being exclusively cultivated by the Americo-Liberians on the 

 coast. 



In Liberia, of course, as in most densely forested countries, the 

 displays in color masses of large aggregations of flowers are not so 

 often observed as in the park lands and more open country. Still, 

 there are many objects of beauty in the forest which should be 

 enumerated as prominent features in Liberian scenery. Every pool 

 and creek of still water is covered with water lilies, chiefly the com- 

 mon Nymphcea lotus, a small variety of which is also present, and is 

 peculiar to Liberia. In the damp glades there are abundance of 

 Crinrim and Ila'inanthus lilies. A small and very beautiful ter- 

 restrial orchis grows on the surface of the water in shallow pools. 

 In the dense forests there are numerous epiphytic orchids, chiefly 

 Angra'cxnis, with enormously long nectaries. A species of vanilla 

 growa wild in the bush. There are many zingiberaceous plants in 

 the undergrowth of the forest, sometimes with large and delicately 

 colored flowers, at others remarkable for the size and rich coloring 

 of their leaves. Among these may be noted Costus, Amomum, 

 77ialf'a, and Renealmia. Another family of plants well represented 

 in the undergrowth, and remarkable for the variety and beauty of 

 their foliage, are the arums. Prominent among these are Ancho- 

 manes, Culcasia, Nephthytis, Aglaonema, and Cytosperma. Tlie 

 Lonchocarpus tree has at times magnificent displays of lilac blossom, 

 not unlike wistaria in shape and color. The waxy-white camelia 

 like flowers of the Anona are objects of great beauty, especially where 

 they are thickly clustered along the horizontal branches. The Mus- 

 scendas also light up the forest with their reel or white bracts. One 

 Mussa'nda, or a closely allied plant, has gorgeous scarlet-crimson 

 bracts like a P ohiHettia ; another, which is very conmion, not only in 

 Liberia, but throughout the whole forest region of West Africa from 

 Portuguese (luinea to Uganda, has a cluster of large white bracts 

 below the yellow flowers. These bracts, which are leaflike in shape 

 (though not like the leaves of the plant itself), look at a distance 

 like foliage cut out of white velvet. The Ochna ■multif.ora is a 

 beautiful flowering tree. 



