THE GABDENEBS' CHRONICLE. 



[July 7, 1888. 



Of the Kombe (Strophanthus), which has attracted 

 so much attention in this country of late, it is 

 stated that during last year oyer 1100 lb. were 

 exported from the districts around Zomba, which 

 realised in the London market 9s. per pound. The 

 following description of the plant and its uses is 

 given : — " Strophanthus is considered the most 

 powerful poison the natives possess. It is found at 

 a low level, and, as far as can be gathered from per- 

 sonal observation and native sources, is not to be 

 had on the high land. The supplies hitherto ob- 

 tained have been drawn from the right bank of the 

 River Shire below the Murchison Rapids. There is 

 apparently more than one species, or, at least 

 variety, the distinguishing feature being a much 

 smaller pod and fewer seeds. At present informa- 

 tion relative to these other varieties is scant. The 

 Strophanthus is a strong climbing plant.and is always 

 found in the vicinity of high trees on which it sup- 

 ports itself. The stem varies in diameter, but has an 

 average of a few inches. It lies on the ground in 

 folds, the branches supporting themselves on the 

 nearest trees. The young branches have a rod- 

 habit, and are in appearance not unlike Elder. The 

 fruit grows in pairs, and has a peculiar appearance, 

 very like a pair of immense horns hanging to a 

 slender twig. The fruit begins to ripen in July and 

 lasts till the end of September. The natives are quite 

 ignorant of its age or how old a plant may be before 

 it bears fruit. The native method of preparing 

 the poison is very simple. They first deprive 

 the seeds of their hairy appendages, and then pound 

 them in a mortar until they have reduced them to 

 pulp ; a little water is then added. This is done by 

 using the bark of a tree containing a gummy sub- 

 stance, which helps to keep the poison on the arrow 

 in the event of its striking against a bone. The 

 poison thus prepared is spread upon the arrow, and 

 allowed to dry. Game wounded by arrows poisoned 

 with Strophanthus dies quickly; the flesh is eaten 

 without evil effect. The only precaution taken is 

 to squeeze the juice of the Baobab bark in the wound 

 made by the arrow, and this counteracts the evil 

 effect of the poison. Buffalo and all smaller game 

 are killed by this poison." 



Though fibres are much in use amongst the 

 natives, it is said to be doubtful whether those of 

 native preparation would command a profitable sale 

 in the home market. In the highlands of Zomba 

 Sanseviera longiflora grows abundantly, and Likanga 

 fibre is obtained from it. At lower elevations, such 

 as Lake Shirwa ; and Livingstonia, another species, is 

 found. The fibre which is obtained from the 

 leaf might be used for coarse manufactures, but 

 proper machinery would be required to perfectly 

 crush the leaves and obtain the fibre. The Buaze 

 fibre (Securidaca longipedunculata) is used by the 

 natives for stringing beads and for making twine ; 

 and a fibre known as Ntingo, said to be from a 

 Tiliaceous plant, is much used by the fishermen on 

 Lake Nyassa for making nets. 



On the subject of Coffee culture it is stated that, 

 promising as it seemed to be two years ago, the 

 result hitherto obtained has not realised the expecta- 

 tions of the planters, and though the quality of the 

 Coffee grown at Zomba has been established beyond 

 doubt, still more experience is required before it 

 can with certainty be said whether the cultivation of 

 Coffee in those districts of Africa will be successful 

 or not. The crops grown last year, both in the 

 Mandala and Zomba districts, were to a great extent 

 rendered unsaleable by the berry becoming diseased 

 just before attaining maturity. The same disease is 

 said to be showing itself again this year, the cause 

 of which is partly attributed to allowing the trees to 

 bear too profusely, In Coffee culture the difficulty 

 of obtaining labour presents a serious obstacle. At 

 the season when the planter requires a large supply 

 of labour to keep down weeds and plant out new 

 ground, the natives are all employed making their 

 own gardens, and will not do other work. 



Proprietors of small plantations may, with their 

 few permanent hands, tide over the difficulty till 

 workers can be obtained, but the question of labour 



forms a serious consideration, and will tell greatly 

 against any foreign enterprise on a large scale being 

 successfully carried out in this country. Another 

 drawback to the prospects of Coffee planters is the 

 heavy transit freights to the coast. Until com- 

 petition brings about a lower rate of charges, a 

 serious barrier is opposed to the development of 

 European enterprise in these territories. 



In favour of the cultivation of Coffee it may 

 be stated, that land with suitable soil can be 

 purchased cheaply. Though unlimited acreage of 

 good soil may not be obtainable, still sufficiently 

 large areas to justify planters in establishing 

 plantations can readily be got. At present about 

 90 acres of land in the Zomba and Blantyre dis- 

 tricts are under Coffee cultivation, a considerable 

 portion being new plantation formed this year. 

 Sugar-cane grows well in the Zomba district, and is 

 rich in saccharine matter. It is successfully cul- 

 tivated and manufactured by Messrs. Buchanan 

 Brothers, who have erected a sugar-mill on their 

 estate. At present it would not pay to export sugar 

 from Zomba, and as yet it has only found a local 

 market with the Europeans in these districts. The 

 natives, though very fond of sugar, have not shown 

 any desire to purchase the manufactured article. 



A few Tea plants have been introduced, and grow 

 fairly well ; but as yet nothing definite can be said 

 of the prospects of Tea plantations. In the high- 

 lands it is doubtful whether the cultivation would 

 ever prove successful, and the uncertainty of labour 

 would render it a very precarious undertaking. 



Cinchona has been introduced and shows every 

 prospect of its cultivation being a success, from the 

 fact that plants three years' old are now 6 feet high. 

 It remains to be seen whether the quality of the bark 

 will justify the planters' investment of capital, and 

 whether the state of the market will offer encourage- 

 ment. A small plantation of 1000 plants has been 

 formed this season at Zomba. 



Trees and Shrubs. 



CLEMATIS BALEARICA. 

 Among the excellent illustrations of the Flora of 

 Spain and the Balearie Islands, in course of publica- 

 tion by Prof. Willkomm, t. 122, recently published, 

 is devoted to an excellent figure of this very elegant 

 Clematis, which, though long since introduced into 

 our gardens is not seen so often as its beauty 

 warrants. This may arise from its being slightly 

 tender on cold soils and in exposed situations, when 

 it does not flower freely, but the elegantly cut 

 foliage and its deep green colour render it most 

 desirable in suitable situations. Prof. Willkomm 

 retains the name balearica but considers is as a 

 form of C. cirrosa with more deeply divided leaves. 

 In the same fascicle is figured a variety of C. cirrosa 

 with the perianth segment thickly spotted with red. 

 The plant is figured in the Gardeners' Chronicle in 

 1878, vol. ix., p. 501. 



Zenobia pulverulenta. 

 Mr. Vertegans sends us blooms ofthis very beauti- 

 ful hardy shrub. Though by no means new, it is not 

 nearly so often grown as its merits warrant. The 

 glaucous leaves and racemes of flowers, like those of 

 Lily of the Valley on a large scale, are very orna- 

 mental. A figure of the plant will be found in our 

 columns, July 28, 1883. 



EmBOTHBIUM COCCINEtTM. 



In the grounds of Eastdon House, the residence of 

 H. Waterfield, Esq., near Starcross, on the South 

 Devon coast, with an eastern aspect, is growing one 

 of the finest specimens of Embothrium coccineum I 

 have ever seen. It is now about 12 feet high and 

 the same in width, and for some time past has been 

 full of bloom of a most exquisite vermilion colour. 

 It has now stood eleven seasons outdoors perfectly 

 healthy. The bed prepared for its reception, says 

 Mr. Bach, the gardener, was half loam and peat. It 

 seeds freely, but he has not been able to get any to 

 germinate. P. P. 



The Leaves of Trees. 



A feature common to the great majority of trees 

 and shrubs, evergreen and deciduous, indige- 

 nous and exotic, representing, as they do, many 

 families, is that the leaves borne on their stem 

 and stronger branches are as large — generally 

 larger — and, I believe, not less, but usually more 

 numerous, than those borne on weaker shoots. 

 This seems consistent with their more favoured 

 position on the central and stronger sap channels ; 

 more favoured as to light, whereby they are pre- 

 sumably enabled, in accordance with the most 

 modern physiological view, to assimilate while 

 unfolding a greater quantity of nutrient matter, 

 their ultimate size being determined by the amount. 

 Briefly stated, the size of the leaves of such plants 

 is, normally, in proportion to the volume of the 

 shoot. But this rule is not unbroken. Nature 

 would not be true to herself were she not occasion- 

 ally phenomenal. 



I have for many years, at intervals, been puzzling 

 my brains to account physiologically for the com- 

 paratively small leaves borne on the stems or leader 

 shoots of Firs (Abies), and, but in a less well- 

 marked degree, of Spruces (Picea). The feature is, 

 perhaps, best exemplified in the case of adolescent 

 and doubtless also old trees of Abies Lowiana. 

 Readers well acquainted with the tree will at once 

 think of, if they cannot see, the long — up to 3 inches 

 or more — rather broad, obtuse or emarginate leaves 

 of the stronger branches. The stem leaves, on the 

 contrary, are short, pointed, with the blade narrow, 

 and in many cases irregular on the edges, or con- 

 stricted, and all archedly incurved. These are 

 excessively disproportionate to the leaves of all but the 

 uppermost branches. The rule seems to be — the 

 smaller the volume of the shoot, the greater the leaf 

 surface. The smaller branches, wherever situated, 

 are more or less overshadowed, seldom well favoured 

 as to light. The volume of the stem-shoot would 

 seem to be attained at the expense of the leaves. 

 Either this, or the latter are exceedingly sensitive 

 to light. A factor calculated to prejudicially affect 

 the size of leaves is exposure, not so much to light 

 — though this has a retarding effect — as to detri- 

 mental weather, as strong or chilly winds and 

 rains ; and it cannot be doubted that stem-leaves, 

 in their elevated position, are specially subject to 

 such influences. But the relative smallness of stem- 

 leaves to those of the branches would seem to be 

 generic ; at least it may be said to be common — I 

 will not say peculiar — to the genera Abies and Picea. 

 This, however, in a specifically variable degree, the 

 extreme culminating, as I have already remarked, in 

 Abies Lowiana. Geo. Syme, May 11. 



Orchid Notes and Gleanings. 



DENDROBIUM WARDIANUM. 



An illustration of a fine plant of this useful 

 species is seen at fig. 1, which is a representation 

 of the notable specimen exhibited at the Royal Hor- 

 ticultural Society's meeting on March 13 last at 

 South Kensington. It was grown by Mr. East, gr. 

 to E. Wigan, Esq., Clare Lane, East Sheen, and, 

 when exhibited, was fully 4 feet in height, and, as 

 may be seen, wonderfully full of flowers. 



IONOPSIS PANICULATA. 



This desirable species belongs to a small genus of 

 epiphytal Orchids coming from Tropical America. 

 The pseudobulbs are small ; leaves lanceolate, about 

 4 — 6 inches long, from the axils of which erect 

 flower-stalks issue bearing flowers. The colour of 

 the flowers varies considerably in different plants, 

 but is usually of a pretty bluish-white ; the broad 

 bilobed lip has a purple spot at its base. The 

 flowers remain for a long time without fading, and, 

 according to " Descourtilz " in Williams' Orchid 

 Manual, they remain fresh in their native forests from 

 September until the following May. Grown in small 

 pans, suspended from the roof in the warm-house, 



