Introduction 



In the following pages will be found a descriptive account of plants, mostly 

 indigenous, which are of use to the peoples of Nyasaland. The majority of the 

 plants are used in some way or other as food. 



The plants are listed under their botanical names in alphabetical order. Wherever 

 possible, the common name has also been given as well as the vernacular names in a 

 variety of languages. An index is provided to the vernacular and common English 

 names and to the vernacular names of cooked dishes and processed foods. The 

 plants have also been classified according to their uses; for example, those useful 

 for their timber or for their edible leaves. A few of the plants have not been identified 

 botanically and will be found at the end of the main list. 



Much of the information was collected in 1938-9 when the Colonial Office 

 Nutrition Survey was carried out in the Kota Kota District. The Survey was 

 under the direction of Prof. B. S. Piatt and it was he who first suggested the compila- 

 tion of a list of this nature. The remainder of the information was collected by me 

 between 1939-43 when I was working as a member of the Nutrition Unit, and when 

 I had an opportunity of visiting many parts of the country. Various minor additions 

 have been made during 1949-53. Mr. P. Topham, recently of the Nyasaland Forestry 

 Department, Mr. W. H. Rangeley, of the Administration, and Dr. P. J. Greenway, 

 of the East African Agricultural and Forestry Research Organisation, have also 

 kindly supplied information. 



The majority of the identifications of plants collected during the survey year 

 were made by Dr. G. A. C. Herklots, now Principal of the School of Tropical Agricul- 

 ture in Trinidad, and by Dr. P. J. Greenway, now Botanist-in-Charge of the East 

 African Herbarium in Nairobi. Miss Owen of the Nutrition Survey also helped 

 with some of the identifications. Since 1939, Dr. Greenway has named further 

 collections and Mr, J. B. Clements, while he was Conservator of Forests in Nyasaland, 

 identified a number of trees and shrubs. 



The botanical descriptions of plants collected in the survey year were written 

 by Dr. Herklots and his references are included under each plant. As the descriptions 

 are not intended for purposes of complete identification, and as some of them are 

 already very brief, I have shortened and simplified many others. In the case of 

 plants collected since the survey year, only very brief descriptions are given, on the 

 lines of, and in many cases copying, those of Dr. Greenway in his '' Swahili-Botanical- 

 English Dictionary of Plant Names." 



Mr. Topham has recently (1952) completed the revision of the " The Check 

 List of the Forest Trees and Shrubs of Nyasaland " and has kindly allowed me to use 

 the manuscript to revise my list. 



During 1951-53, Dr. Greenway has completely checked the list from a botanical 

 standpoint, and I should like to take this opportunity of thanking him most sincerely 



