<+> The Liberian Flora 



jA ft. in diameter, .stunt woody spines, 9 13-foliolate leaves, firm 

 leaflets, i I in. by i J in., rather copious dense panicles (i 3 in. 

 long) of white papilionaceous flowers, J in. long, and I 4-secded 

 glabrous thin pods, I 2\ in. by \ in. This is widely spread 

 throughout Africa, anil also occurs very probably in Liberia. 

 It possesses a very hard jet-black or brownish black heart- 

 wood which is u-ed like ebony and is known as " African Black- 

 wood " or " Senegal Ebony." 



Drepanocarpus lunatus, C '. /'. Mey. : a glabrous straggling shrub or 

 small tree with numerous recurved spines, pinnate 5 7-foliolate 

 coriaceous leaves, panicles of white papilionaceous flowers, in. 

 long, and sickle-shaped I -seeded coriaceous pods, i by f in.; 

 common near water, Monrovia, Whyte ! ; Grand Basa, / 'ogcl, 99! 



Pterocarpus esculentus, Sclinui. : a shrub or tree with glabrous leaves, 

 4 8 in. long, of 5 7 alternating elliptic or oblong leaflets, short 

 dense axillary velvety racemes of yellowish papilionaceous 

 flowers, under ii in. long and winged roundish pods, ii in. in 

 diameter, and very rough in the thickened centre ; Kakatovvn, 

 \\'liytc \ The seeds are eaten, but produce, it is said, intoxication. 



Ostryocarpus riparius, Hook. f. (syn. Millettia micrantha, I/arms.) : a 

 glabrous rambling or climbing shrub, sometimes of considerable 

 size with long-stalked pinnate 5-foliolate leaves, elliptic coriaceous 

 leaflets, 4 6 in. by ii 3 in., ample panicles of dense short 

 (J I in. long) racemes of yellowish papilionaceous flowers, in. 

 long, and flat indehiscent pods, 2 in. by I 2 in. ; common near 

 water, in the littoral, Fishtovvn, Dinklage, 1725!; Sino Basin, 

 \Vliyte \ 



*0. major, Stapf: similar to the preceding but with 7-foliolate leaves, 

 longer panicle branches and slightly larger flowers ; Monrovia, 

 //'//>'/,'! 



Lonchocarpus sericeus, //. />. K. : an ornamental shrub or tree with 

 downy twigs, 7 I i-foliolate coriaceous leaves, dense racemes 

 or panicles of fragrant lilac or purple papilionaceous flowers 

 with a silky standard, | f in. long, and flat woody pods, 

 3 4 in. by f in. ; Grand Basa, Vogel, 67 ! ; Cape Palmas, 

 Vogel, 2 1 ! The wood is very hard and heavy. 



L. barter!, BetitJi. : a lofty woody twiner with glabrous pinnate 

 leaves, J I ft. long, usually 5 7 oblong to elliptic long 

 acuminate leaflets, long slender interrupted spikelike racemes 



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