1 



Tabulae 2838 et 2839. 



CORDEAUXIA EDULIS, Hemsl. 



Caesalpinieae. Tribus Amherstieae. 



C. edulis, HemsL in Kew Bull 1907, p. 361, descriptio liic iterati 

 genus novum ex affinitate Schotiae, Jacq., a quo difl'ert sepalis 5 valvatis 

 primum conniventibus, staminibus liberis, ovario biovulato, legumino 

 dehiscente apice cornuto et semine saepissime solitario ovoideo. 



C. edulis, Hemsl. ; species unica. 



Frutex humilis, scopiformis, densissime ramosus ; rami erecti, ligno 

 durissimo. Folia exstipulata, paripinnata, 3-5 cm. longa. FoUola 

 saepissime 4-juga, coriacea, ovali-oblonga, 1-2*5 cm. longa, subtus 

 dense rubro-glandulosa. Flores pauci, in rainorum apicibus corymbosi, 

 corymbis folia vix excedentibus. Sepala oblonga, obtusa, circitor 

 1 cm. longa, glandulosa. Peiala fere aequalia, circiter 1-5 cm. longa, 

 unguiculato-spatliulata. Stamina 10, libera, filamentis infra medium 

 barbatis. Ovarium breviter stipitatum, ut stylus ereberrime glandu- 

 losum, stigmate terniinali obtuso. Legumen coriaceum, compresso- 

 ovoideum, 4-6 cm. iongum, curvatum, cornutum, dehiseens, bivalve. 

 Semen ovoideum, 3*5-5 cm. Iongum, exalbuminosum, cotyledonibus 

 crasso-carnosis ; radicula parva, recta ; plumula tarde evoluta. 



Africa : Somalilaud ; The Hand or waterless desert south of 

 Bohotleh, on the southern frontier of the British Protectorate ; Captain 

 H. E. S, Cordeaux. 



As stated in the Kew Bulletin (1907, p. 361), this plant yields a 

 seed known as the ' yeheb ' nut, said to be of considerable importance 

 as an article of food in its native country. A full account of all that 

 is known of its history and properties will appear In an early number 

 of the Kew Bulletin ; but it may be of interest to explain here the 

 circumstances connected with the discovery of the plant. It is recorded 

 in the place cited above, that Prof. A. H. Church and Prof. W. R. 

 Dunstan had sent seeds to Kew, and that the rest of the material 

 described was contributed by Captain Cordoaux, H,M. Commissioner 

 in Somaliland. Prof. Dunstan now kindly informs us that Colonel 

 Swayne, C.B., ' having realised their probable importance as a food 

 stuff, and who since then has greatly interested himself in the subject/ 

 in the first instance sent all the seeds in question to him in 1905. 



