644 



In Dahomey according to the French explorer, the women are 

 forbidden to eat the beans. 



"'Last year (1910), thanks to the kindness of First 

 Lieutenant Raring of Sokode-Bassari (Togo), the Botanic 

 Garden at Dahlem near Berlin received excellent seeds of 

 this remarkable fruit. They germinated well and numerous 

 plants were raised by Chief -Inspector F. Ledien, not a few 

 of them flowering in July and August. A number of seeds 

 were sent to Inspector E. Rettig of the Botanic Garden at 

 Jena, and under his careful and intelligent treatment, 

 splendid specimens grew up of which some even set fruit. 

 The unfavorable and cold summer of 1910, however, prevented 

 their maturation. The flowers are very small and papilion- 

 aceous and spring from the creeping stem close to the 

 ground. The flowers of the variety with light or occasion- 

 ally black-mottled seeds are white, those of the other 

 varieties pale violet. 



"'It is desirable to follow up the distribution of 

 this cultivation, particularly among the natives in Togo, 

 where it may also be found in the wild state. Similarly 

 Voandzeia subterranea, so generally cultivated in Togo, has 

 never been observed in the spontaneous condition. It is 

 also possible that Kerstingiella occurs in the Hinterland 

 of the Camaroons (Adamaua, Zola, Gerau, etc.). Chevalier 

 states that the Hausa traders contended that it existed in 

 British Nigeria and the probability that the Hausa people 

 were instrumental in the spreading of the cultivation is 

 obvious. The Hausas call it Kouarouroi according to 

 Chevalier. It is also saict to occur in Borgu. It is true, 

 at the first glance it might be mistaken for Voandzeia sub- 

 terranea and Schweinfurth actually suggests that this has 

 been the case with certain writers (Zeitschrift d. Gesell- 

 schaft f. Erdkunde, 1910), but the expert will always dis- 

 tinguish them. Habit and leaves are similar and yet dis- 

 tinct, and Voandzeia, so long and so well known to us, has 

 above all much larger globose seeds. 



"'In any case, I should be very grateful for any com- 

 munications concerning Kerstingiella or Voandzeia, their 

 cultivation and use, and particularly if they are accomp- 

 anied by flowers, fruits, and seeds. Material of this kind 

 would enable us to establish the distribution of the plant. 

 Kerstingiella might possibly also be grown with advantage 

 in other- parts of our 'colonies. Moist and hot countries do 

 not suit it; in Togo it occurs according to Kersting in 

 sandy laterite loam, in a climate of low humidity with 

 occacional heavy showers and a shade temperature of 18- 

 34C. ' " 



"As the resemblance between Kerstingiella and Voandzeia 



