Liberia «*- 



collected by Whyte, but the leaves and flowers agree so well 

 with a typical specimen of " Kidney Cotton " [G . peruviatmin in 

 the broad sense) that there is little doubt of its belonging to this 

 species. Vogcl states that he observed G. barbadense, L., the 

 "Sea-Island Cotton" near Cape Palmas ; there is, however, no 

 specimen of it at Kew. The African cottons are still imperfectly 

 known, and it appears desirable to collect samples of all the 

 varieties, particularly those grown by the natives. It will, 

 however, be necessary to gather, as far as possible, specimens 

 in the flowering as well as in the fruiting state, and with the 

 flowers and fruits still attached to the leaf-bearing branches. 

 Bombax buonopozense, Beauv. : a large, deciduous tree with tuberculatc 

 bark and scattered stout conical prickles, digitate leaves, 5 — 7 

 leaflets, solitary .scarlet flowers with velvety firm petals, almost 

 2 in. by | in., and 5 bundles of very numerous stamens ; near 

 Grand Basa, Vogel\ 



STERCULIACE^: 



Cola acuminata, Beauv. (I'lates 153, 154) : the well-known true "Cola" 

 tree of West Africa ; near Monrovia, Whyte ! — This species, which 

 occurs from Sierra Leone to the Niger, although in many parts 

 rare, was named Cola vera by the late Dr. K. Schumann of 

 Berlin, he being under the mistaken impresssion that Beauvais 

 had another species in view when he described and figured his 

 C. acuminata. 



C. digitata, Mast. : a small tree with a flat top, digitate leaves of 7—g 

 entire or pinnalely lobcd leaflets, 3 to over 12 in. long, and 

 stalked follicles, 2 — 3 in. long, scarlet inside, whilst the 4 — 6 

 .seeds arc of a shining black ; near Monrovia, IVkytel 



Melochia corchorifolia, L. : a sparingly hairy erect herb with ovate to 

 lanceolate serrate leaves and dense terminal (or also axillary) 

 clusters of'white yellow or pale rose flowers, j in. across ; Cape 

 Palmas, Voge/, 30, 57 ! 



M. melissifolia, Bcntli., var. mollis, K. Schum. : a villous herb with 

 sessile axillary clusters of small white or yellow flowers, other- 

 wi.se .similar to the preceding species ; near Kakatown, Wliyte ! 



Theobroma cacao, L.: the well-known "Cacao" tree, cultivated at Cape 

 Palma.s, according to Vogel, and near Monrovia (Johnston). 



582 



