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Dr. Burtt Davy's account of the introduction of mule-grab 

 into South Africa has suggested to the writer a possible explana- 

 tion of how a seed-capsule of the plant came to be discovered at 

 Wolvercote, so remote from either its original or its adopted 

 habitat. After the South African War, it was common to see 

 in English cottages carefully-treasured specimens of African 

 plants, brought home by the soldiers; the silvery leaves of 

 Leucadendron, in particular, were great favourites as "sou- 

 venirs." It is quite possible that some native of Wolvercote, 

 finding the mule-grab capsule near a repatriation camp, was 

 attracted by its curious, somewhat hedgehog-like appearance, 

 and carried it home on his return from the war. In course of 

 time, its interest and its associations having been forgotten, it 

 may have been thrown out, after the manner of cottage refuse, 

 into some garden or waste land, to await its re-discovery during 

 the opening-up and extension of the village as a residential 

 suburb of Oxford. The writer has not been able to confirm this 

 idea; no one can be discovered who remembers having seen the 

 "mule-grab" before, so that how it found its way to Wolvercote 

 must remain a mystery. The suggested explanation is, however, 

 possible, and it is at any rate interesting to speculate concerning 

 the adventures of this odd "fruit." 



The School of Rural Economy 

 University of Oxford, England 



