xx THORNS 257 



The ekirikiti tree, Erythrina tomentosa, possesses 

 formidable thorns ; for this reason as well as for its 

 quick growth the Baganda use it for making hedges 

 round their compounds. It is common in Uganda and 

 usually bears flowers and leaves at different seasons. 

 The red flowers are exquisite, brilliant, and conspicuous 

 on the bare branches. This tree is considered a charm 

 among the Kavirondos, and in some tribes the bean- 

 like seeds are used as beads for making necklaces. 

 The fruit is in the form of a pod. 



The word scrub is often used to describe East 

 African scenery. Scrub consists of thorny acacias with 

 flat tops and white stems, which in dry weather are 

 gaunt and bare-looking, like the handle and ribs of an 

 inverted umbrella. Between these stunted trees the 

 ground is covered with tall, dry, yellow grass. In the 

 rainy season the aspect is changed. The trees are leafy 

 and covered with creeping plants which burst into 

 flower and, for a short time, convert the plain into a 

 paradise. The courses of rivers are marked by trees 

 rich in foliage and flower, standing out of an abundant 

 green vegetation and haunted by all sorts of birds and 

 wild animals. 



The Euphorbia illustrates modifications of vegetable 

 structure adapted to thrive in countries subject to 

 prolonged droughts. The Candelabra Euphorbia is 

 very common in East Africa, where it may attain a 

 height of thirty or even fifty feet. It has a round 

 thick stalk or stem, from which oddly jointed branches 

 spring and curve upwards like the arms of a cande- 

 labrum. Each segment has four prominent ridges. In 

 the rainy season flowers appear along these ridges ; they 

 are sessile and alternate with the prickles. The 

 segmentation of these branches resembles a scorpion's 

 tail. The branches \vhen broken across exude an acrid, 

 milky sap (latex). The Euphorbiacece possess large latex 

 or milk cells. The latex contains gum resins which 

 quickly coagulate on exposure to the air. Caustic 



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