SECTION II : AFRICAN COTTONS 155 



1. G. herbaceum proper does not occur in Africa, though it may African 

 have been introduced into Egypt several centuries ago. cottons, 



2. The chief cultivated indigenous plants met with along the entire 

 eastern side of Africa constitute a perfectly parallel series to those of 

 India, and are derived mainly from G. obtusifolium and G. Nanking. 



3. On the western side a much more varied assortment is met 

 with, the most characteristic being G. punctatum, which has, indeed, 

 been there repeatedly found as a wild plant. The series on the 

 west, especially near the coast, has, it may be said, a closer approxi- 

 mation to the cottons of America than to those of the eastern tracts 

 of Africa, although certain forms of G. obtusifolium are found in both 

 the eastern and western areas. 



4. G. arboreum exists in a greater state of cultivation in Africa 

 than even in India. The forms of that species seen on the eastern 

 side correspond with those of Arabia and India (viz. typical 

 G. arboreum and the herbaceous var. neglecta), while on the western 

 side there occurs mainly the special variety G. sanguineum, Hasskl. 

 But the forms of G. arboreum extend all over Africa and are by no 

 means so much restricted to the eastern and western divisions as 

 are G. obtusifolium and G. punctatum. 



From these considerations there would seem no doubt that greater Indication 

 success may be looked for in the cultivation of the special modern 

 races of America, if tried on certain portions of the western than of 

 the eastern tracts. So also, if India has to look to Africa for useful 

 new races, the effort to procure these might, in the first instance at 

 all events, be directed toward the plants grown on the eastern side of 

 that continent ; and conversely, if Africa desires to improve by fresh 

 stock, the Indian races might be experimented with on the eastern 

 regions in the first instance, rather than on the western. But to 

 these general statements, drawn from botanical experience, it may 

 be added that greater success with Egyptian cottons may be looked 

 for on the eastern than the western side of Africa. 



25. G. HERBACEUM, Linn., Sp. PL, 1st ed. (1753), n., 693, (in part); 

 Buellius, De Nat. Stirp. (1537), Bk. n., ch. 150, 463 ; Fuchsius, 

 PL Hist. (1549), ch. 221, also Hist. Stirp. (1542), p. and t. 580-1 ; 

 Matthiolus, New Kreiiterb. (1563), 132 and t. ; Label, Stirp. Hist, 

 et Adv. (1576), 370 and t. ; G. FRUTESCENS, C. Bauhin, Pinax, 

 Thet. Bot. (1623), 430 ; G. HERBACEUM, J. Bauhin, Hist. PL 

 (1648), i., 343-5 ; Jonston, Dendrog. n., Arb. Nucif. (1662), 132 ; 



