198 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
A plant belonging to the cucumber family must be included 
as forest-produce. This is Zelfaria pedata (Hook.), a gigantic 
tree climber, with a large gourd-like fruit, often 60 lbs. in weight, 
and which contains from 200 to 300 seeds which are rich in 
oil, and form an article of export to Europe. The natives 
boil and eat the seeds. Gardenia Thunbergit (L.) is a small- 
sized tree, with large, white, sweet-scented flowers. The wood 
is very hard and tough, and is used for many purposes. 
Another forest product found in abundance in some parts is a 
variety of coffee (Coffea arabica), with small, numerous, and 
rather astringent berries. It is the chief coffee used by the 
Portuguese and natives. 
Myrsine melanophieos (R. B.), an erect tree, common in 
South Africa, produces excellent and useful timber. JZinusops 
caffra and M. obovata (Sond.), “ Milkwood,” are both useful 
woods, and are used in buildings and carriage work. Schrebera 
alata (Wel.), a moderate sized tree, produces very hard wood 
and a profusion of fragrant flowers. Olea verrucosa (Link.), 
a not uncommon tree, produces heavy, strong wood, which is 
used for teeth of mill-wheels, etc. Olea faveolata (E. M.) and 
O. laurifolia are both useful woods. 
Dobera Roxburghii (Planch.) is a large soft-wooded tree found 
about mangrove swamps, the timber of which is used for 
making canoes. Strychnos Atherstonet (Harv.) is one of the first- 
class woods of South Africa, and is used for staves, etc. There 
are many other species of this genus, some of which produce 
edible orange-shaped fruits, but their timber is inferior, In 
the natural family Hemodoracee are some interesting commercial 
plants. Of the Sansevieras, which comprise twelve species in 
Africa and tropical Asia, two species, Samseviera guineensis 
and SS. cylindrica (Bojst) are plentiful on the coast. The fibre 
from the stalks of these plants is of a very fine silky nature, 
commanding in the European markets the high price of £30 
per ton. The natives in the East produce beautiful mats and 
cordage from the fibre. These plants occur on stony places 
in the open forests and on old ant-hills, where they luxuriate, 
producing strong growths. 
Of charcoal woods we have the following :—Bridelia micrantha 
(Planch.), Zrema bracteolata (Bl.), Grewia caffra (Mei.), Sapindus 
capensis (Hook.), and many others. 
Not uncommon is Zrachylobium Hornemannianum (Hayne), 
