XXXIV. MELIACESE. 129 



more on account of the usefulness of their timber and oily seeds ; 

 most of them are distinguished by their majestic habit, so much 

 so that they decidedly influence the physiognomy of portions of 

 many primitive forests. Turrcea contains two species, one a tree, 

 the other a climbing shrub ; the latter envelopes with its green 

 foliage the higher trees on the borders of shady forests. Nela- 

 naregam, the smallest of all known Meliacese, forming a little shrub 

 scarcely 3 in. high, is covered at the beginning of the rainy season 

 with rather large snake-like long-tubed white flowers, announc- 

 ing the approach of spring in the southern hemisphere, as do the 

 species of Anemone in Europe. Of the Tribe Melieee, Melia dubia 

 Cav. must be regarded as the most prominent; it is found 

 frequently in the higher mountainous districts of Golungo Alto, 

 Pungo Andongo, Dembos, etc. ; and its wood, of a pretty cinnamon- 

 colour, of light specific gravity, of great durability, and easily 

 cut, is very much prized even by the natives ; in many parts 

 of the hilly regions, for instance, about Cambondo, a station 

 between Trombeta and Sange, in Golungo Alto, it furnishes 

 the materials for a special industry; for many thousands of 

 little chests, used by the negroes, are annually manufactured 

 from the timber of this Melia, and the cost, owing to the cheap- 

 ness of the abundant materials as well as to the low scale of 

 wages, is only about 150 to 200 milreis each, a price which 

 renders them accessible even to the poorest traveller. Melia 

 Azedarach L. is cultivated by the colonists rather frequently and 

 in nearly all districts ; it is one of the favourite trees of the 

 Portuguese, who call it " Sycomoro," while the natives, perceiving 

 at once its affinity to the above-mentioned indigenous Melia, call 

 the introduced Melia " Bombolo-ian-Puto," that is, Portuguese 

 Melia ; for Bombolo is the negro name for Melia. 



Trichilia is called " Pao cachique " in Golungo Alto ; but several 

 trees of different Natural Orders, or, at least, of different genera, 

 are called by the same name. Trichilia, which is represented by 

 three species, is particularly remarkable for its fatty seeds, and 

 inhabits the whole breadth of the continent ; the seeds are called 

 " Mafureira " and the tree itself " Mafura " ; it occurs in Mozam- 

 bique on the east coast, and is more frequent there than in Angola ; 

 in Mozambique tallow is manufactured from it. In the Kalahari 

 region of South Africa, Burchell (Travels, vol. ii. p. 594, 1824), 

 states that " mahura " signifies fat in any form. The wood of the 

 species of Trichilia is more or less of a cinnamon colour, the same 

 as that of many other Meliacese, but with a much finer grain, 

 firmer and harder than that of Melia dubia Cav., taking a very 

 fine polish. Carapa, Untandrophragma, and Khaya belong to the 

 giants of the primitive forests of Angola, and each of them is so 

 distinct, owing to its peculiar habit, that an observer, even at a 

 considerable distance, can easily distinguish them from the other 

 forest trees ; the timber of these three genera must be classed 

 among the most useful and highly-prized of those in the African 

 forests. 



