KERNELS AND MISCELLANEOUS OIL-NUTS. 99 



Africa have been reported as having been received and ex- 

 perimented on by the Imperial Institute during 1917-1918. 



The first is the kernel of the Strephonema, a tree or 

 shrub confined to Tropical West Africa, and particularly 

 abundant in the Belgian Conga. 



The sample consisted of very dark brown kernels, 

 roughly hemispherical in shape, and measuring from 

 1 to 1J inches in diameter. Internally the kernels were 

 hard, and of purplish-brown colour. They were found to 

 yield 38-6 per cent, of a bright yellow, rather soft fat, 

 equivalent to a yield of 41-8 per cent, from the dry 

 kernels. The fat was free from unpleasant smell or taste. 



The report states that the low saponification value is 

 unusual for a fat of this character. This feature is pro- 

 bably due to the presence of a considerable amount of 

 fatty acid having a low saponification value, and not to 

 the presence of di-glycerides. The yield of glycerine is 

 somewhat low, and would be much higher if di-glycerides 

 were present. 



The residual meal left after the extraction of the oil 

 was of chocolate colour, and had an unpleasant astringent 

 taste. It was analysed with the following results : 



Per cent. 

 Moisture, ........ 7*3 



Crude proteins 9-6 



Consisting of 



True proteins, 8-2 



Other nitrogenous substances, . . .1-3 



Fat, 0-9 



Starch, tannin, etc. (by difference), . . .69-9 



Fibre, 9-1 



Ash, 3-3 



No alkaloids or cyanogenetic glucosides were present. 

 A considerable quantity of tannin is present, as the 



