55 
A full account of what was known at the time of the Shea 
Butter Tree, together par details gathered from Mungo Park's 
Travels. will be found in the Pharmaceutical Journal (Vol. IX. 
[ser. 3], es p. 81 Fas 
In Museum No. 1 e 69, are specimens fully illustrating cs 
indiistrial ae ‘of this tree, together with examples of t 
seeds as they appear in commerce. It may be well to set EN: 
that the Herbarium of the Royal Gardens contains a specimen of 
a variety collected at Borgu, by Mr. Barter, which is small-leaved, 
and flowers three weeks before the ordinary tree. 
Stapelia gigantea, N. E. Brown. Recent discoveries point to 
the fact that in size and distribution this plant is the most 
remarkable of the whole tribe of Stapelieæ. Not only has it very 
much larger flowers, but its geographical range is vastly more 
extensive than any other known species, as the plants of this tribe 
are notably somewhat local or restricted in their distribution. 
S. gigantea was originally discovered by Mr. R. W. Plant, whilst 
collecting in Zululand, and at his death a living ud was brought, 
with the rest of his belongings, by his Caffir servants to Durban, 
Natal, where it is recorded as having flowered in 1860; and a por- 
on the en Range, à nd near the Nylstroom River, in the 
Transvaal. In 1887 a specimen and a living plant were sent to 
Kew by Professor MacO wan, collected at Walfisch Bay, in Great 
Namaqualand, quite the other side of the Continent. And; lastly, 
specimens were sent to Kew, in 1897, from British Central Africa, 
y Mr. Kenneth J. Cameron, who states that it is “found growing 
wild at Namasi," in Nyasaland. This species has a ra nge, erue 
fore, through about thirteen degrees of latitude and se 
degrees of longitude, being found within and without qe ee 
and on both sides of the Continent of Africa. 
N. E. BROWN. 
Serenoa serrulata as a remedy.—The Desine letter draws 
attention to the therapeutical value of the se f the “Saw 
Palmetto,” which is abundant in the sandy piers of the Southern 
United States. A previous and more detailed MET will be 
found in the Planters’ Gazette (May 31st, 1879, 123). A 
tanning extract is obtained from ng leaf-stalks ; see ae 
tical Journal, July 6th, 1895, p. 4 
PROFESSOR C. S. SARGENT TO ROYAL GARDENS, KEW. 
A | Harvard University, 
maica Plain, Mass., February 4th, 1899. 
My DEAR DYER, 
We are sending you by express a small box area various 
seeds fe a supply of fruit of Serenoa serrulata for the Economic 
Museum. This fruit is now very largely used in this country in 
