680 



Vernac. names. — Ocperdo (Bassa, Lamb); Rumeni (Hausa, 

 Lamb); Rumana (Hausa, Dalziel). 



Oloke-Meji, Yola, Bassa, and also found in Portuguese East 

 Africa, Corm edible (Dalziel, Hausa Bot* Voc. p. 82); it is 

 l)ounded up with water and guinea-corn flour in which it is drunk 

 and much esteemed as a cooling; beverage in Bassa (Lamb, 

 ^o, 88, Herb, Kew). Cultivated by the Igara in Bassa (I.e.); 

 abundant, Kilba bush, Yola (Dalziel, No. 250, 1909, Herb. Kew) ; 



River, Nyassa (Allen, No. 135, 



Msala 



Herb, Kew). The var. superbiis figured in the Gardeners' Chronicle 

 (I.e.) came from Delagoa Bay, flowered by Mr. Tillett, of Norwich, 

 named at Kew ; the colour of the flowers is yellow, deeply flushed 

 with crimson. 



Gladiolus spicatus, Klatt; Fl Trop. Afr. VII. p. 369. 

 Verjiac. names. — Rumena (Lokoja, Elliott); Humana (Hausa, 



Dalziel) 

 Lokoja. 



Ward); Nupe, Jeba, Zungeru, 



Hausa 



Herb. 



attributed to a Gladiolus, probably this species, on the Gold Coast 

 {Ward, Pharm. Journ. March 17th, 1900, p. 280). 



Found in open uplands and meadows, -Zungeru (Dalziel, 

 No. 252, Herb. Kew, Comm. Imp. Inst, Oct., 1906), 



The root of G. zainbesiacus, Baker, is also eaten in 



Afric 



Ke^^ 



AMARYLLTOEAE. 



Haemanthus, Linn. 



Haemanthus cinnabarinus, Decalam; Fl. Trop. Afr. VII. 



p. 390. Bot. Mag. t. 5314 (figured (1862) from bulbs sent to 

 Kew by Gustav Mann from Ambas Bay at the fool of the 



Mts 



Maga 



<p. 245) as " one of the rarest and when well-grown, most 



rvm 



extended cultivation in our gardens " ; widely distributed in 

 West Africa including S. Nigeria and the Cameroons. 



Haemanthus multifloms, Martyn ; Fl. Trop. Afr 



Bot. Mag. t. 961 (1806), t. 1995 (1818) t. 3870 (1841 ; j 

 var.) — bulb said to be " poisonous for pig," Sierra 



tenuijt 



Leone 



EUiot, No. 5540, Herb, Kew), known from Lagos, Yoruba, 

 Bornu, and Cameroons. Haemanthus rotularis, -BaA:er ; Fl. Trop. 



p. 390, found in the forests of Yoruba, and Haemanthus 



Tupestris 



t< 



K 



(Dalziel, Hausa, Bot. Voc. p, 8), known from Nupe, in rocky 

 X>!aces (Barter, Herb. Kew), Kont agora— amongst rocky hills 

 (Dalziel, Herb. Kew), Yola, Lokoja and Sokoto, are all only of 

 ornamental value, conspicuous for their bright red or scarlet 



