60 THE GOLD COAST 



of Funtumia elastica, Stapf . Until recently it was referred 

 to as Kicksia africana, Benth. and others (a genus which 

 is not known to occur in West Africa), and it was also 

 confused with a very nearly allied species, occurring in the 

 same localities, and now known as Funtumia africana, 

 Stapf. Owing to the great similarity which these species 

 of Funtumia bear to one another, it is important that the 

 differences between them should be recognised, F. africana 

 not furnishing any but very inferior rubber. The most 

 reliable method of testing the species which produces 

 rubber, is by rubbing a small quantity of latex between 

 the ringer and thumb, when small particles of rubber 

 should be quickly formed, the latex of F. africana be- 

 coming only a sticky mass under the operation. The 

 leaf of F. elastica can usually be recognised by the presence 

 of a small pit at the origin of each secondary nerve or 

 vein on the under-surface, which feature is not character- 

 istic of the leaf of F. africana, although recently indi- 

 vidual trees have been found exhibiting this peculiarity. 

 The flower bud of F. elastica is typically much shorter than 

 that of F. africana, and the double seed pod of the former 

 species is shorter and more blunt than that of the latter. 



Distribution of F. elastica. The Funtumia rubber tree 

 occurs in a wild state in the forests throughout the Gold 

 Coast and Ashanti, although it has been nearly extermin- 

 ated in some parts. It appears to be most plentiful in 

 the dense forest regions of Northern Ashanti. 



Native Methods for Preparing. Funtumia rubber is ex- 

 ported under the names of "Ashanti lump" and "Niggers," 

 which consist of much adulterated, evil-smelling sub- 

 stances, for which a low price is procurable in comparison 

 with that paid for pure rubber. In certain years the 

 demand for this has been maintained, but the adequate 

 supplies of good rubber from elsewhere, and the rapid 

 expansion of the cocoa industry, have caused a diminution 

 in the export of native-made rubber, which has been 

 replaced to a small extent by plantation rubber. 



The wild trees grow from 50 to 100 feet in height, and 

 often have a girth of three feet at four feet from the 

 base ; the trunk being commonly without branches for 

 a considerable height. The native ascends the trunk by 

 means of a sling passed round it, to one end of which 

 is a loop which fits over his right thigh and to the 



