NIGERIA 199 



Legtjminos^ : Acacias are the most typical, but are not as a 

 rule markedly flat-topped, e.g. A. Seyal, A. Senegal, A. albida var. 

 saccharata, Dichrostachys platycarpa, forming thorny thickets, while En- 

 tada Sudanica, Acacia Sieberiana, A. campylacantha, Albizzia Chevalieri 

 and others are also evident. Parkinsonia aculeata is found in towns ; 

 the Tripoli or Senegal Senna, Filasko, Cassia obovata, is common, and 

 the Tsamiya, Tamarindus Indica, becomes a predominant tree. 



RosACEiE : the Ginger-bread Plum, Gawasa, Parinarium macro- 

 phyllum, is more familiar. 



CoMBRETACE^ : the Geza, Combretum sp. near C. altum, a 

 shrub or small tree, with several gum-yielding trees of the same genus ; 

 the low shrub Sabarra, Guiera Senegalensis, is perhaps the most 

 typical plant of the nearly treeless savannah. 



CuRCURBiTACE^ : the half-Avild Gurji, Cucumis Melo, var. agrestis, 

 is common, and the Bambus, a variety of water-melon, is known in 

 the North. 



RuBiACE^ : a characteristic species is Eandia Nilotica, a thorny 

 shrub ; Gardenia Sokotensis is a new species found on low rocky hills. 



Apocynace.^ : the Kariya, Adenium Honghel, an unarmed cactus- 

 like shrub, deciduous, with rose-coloured flowers, planted in towns, 

 is characteristic. 



Asclepiadace^ : the small milk-weed, Glossonema Nubicum, and the 

 twiners Oxystelma Bornuense, Pergularia tomentosa and Leptadenia 

 lancifolia, are all abundant, while the Karan masallachi, Caralluma 

 Dalzielii, generally planted farther south, is found wild on bare rocky 

 places. 



Euphorbiace^ : very typical are the two milk hedge Euphorbias, 

 Aguwa, E. sepium, and Fidda sartsi, E. lateriflora. 



Horaces : species of Ficus planted for shade grow to a large 

 size, especially the Chediya, F. Thonningii, and the Durumi, F. 

 syringifolia ; other species generally start as epiphytes. 



The Gramine^ is the prevailing Natural Order of Monocotyledons, 

 and includes all types — little annuals, perennial-rooted Andropogons, 

 etc., and the Burugu, Panicum stagninum, which blocks the streams. 

 The fragrant Nobe, Cymbo2)ogon Sennariensis, is a characteristic 

 tufted species, whilst the bur-grass Karangia, Cenchrus catharticus, 

 has long since spread far southward. 



Rice and wheat are cultivated ; the Bulrush Millet, Gero, Pennisetum 

 typhoideum, tends to displace Sorghum, and a wild rice, Oryza silvestris, 

 is found. The cultivated sugar-cane is the Takanda, Sorghum vulgare, 

 var. saccharatum. 



Of LiLiACE.^ the onion and garlic are features of cultivation. 

 Several bulbous herbs not peculiar to the North are common, e.g. 

 Dipcadi occidentale, Urginea spp., etc. 



