-•> The Liberian Flora 



met with (except when planted) on the coast. Drawings made 

 for this book by Miss M. Smith show the character of the 

 flowers, leaves, and seed-vessels (vide pp. 411 and 413). 



Amongst the Olacirite should be mentioned the Coula edulis. 

 This produces oily nuts of very pleasant taste and, I should 

 think, very nutritious. They are much eaten by the natives, 

 and may prove valuable to commerce. 



Representing the Connarace,e and the great papilionaceous 

 group are numerous trees and shrubs with beautiful flowers, some 

 of which might be introduced to our 

 horticulture. Among these I would men- 

 tion a form of Connarus discovered by 

 Mr. H. Reynolds in the interior of 

 Liberia. This has panicles or bunches \ 

 of very numerous, fairly large flowers of 

 a beautiful creamy white or pale buflf- 

 yellow. A species of Rhynchosia (a bean) 

 is an ornamental climber, also with thickly 

 clustered bunches of cream-white flowers, 

 rather like those of a sweet pea, and of 

 a velvety texture. The Lonchocarpus 

 tree (L. sericeus) has great bunches of 214- flower ok berlinia 

 lilac-coloured flowers, rather like Wistaria. 



This is very common in the forest, and the ground round the 

 base of the tree sometimes presents a lovely spectacle, being 

 covered with a carpet of mauve blossoms. 



A very handsome tree of the Bean order is Berlinia 

 acuminata, the aspect of which (as regards leaves and flowers) 

 is sufliciently delineated in my illustration. This conspicuous 

 flowering tree is very common throughout the coast region 

 of Liberia. 



Amongst tall trees of the Rose order is Parinarium^ 



531 



