199 



In an experiment at the Botanic Station, Lagos, in 1892, with 

 " Sainfoin d'Espagne," the seed was reported to have germinated 

 freely but damped off (Millen, Rep. Bot, St. Lagos, 1892). 



It is considered suitable for culture in tropical and sub-tropical 

 climates, and will stand drought. It has been recommended for 

 cultivation in the Gulf States and other warm parts of N. America 

 (Kennedy, U.S. Dept. Agric. Div. of Agrostology, Bull. No. 22, 1900, 

 p. 57), see Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) for general details of culture. 



Alhagi, Desv, 



Alhagi maurorum, Desv, ; Fl. Trop. Afr. II. p. 142. 



III. — Spach Suites (Hist. Nat. Vegetaux) t. 4, f . 1 ; Ralph, Ic. Carp. 

 t. 39, f . 29 ; Engl. & Prantl, Pflan. iii. pt. 3, f . 123 B. 



Common in the Syrian and Egyptian deserts (Fl. Trop. Afr. I.e.). 

 A common desert plant eaten greedily by camels (Grant, Trans. 

 Linn. Soc. xxix. 1872, p. 58). 



Be/ — "Alhagi maurorum" in Diet. Econ. Prod. India, Watt, i. 

 1889, pp. 164-166. 



Herminiera, Guill. et Perr. 



Herminiera Elaphroxylon, Guill. et Perr. ; Fl. Trop. Afr. II. 

 p. 144. 



III. — Guillem. Ferr. Rich. Fl. Senegamb. t. 51 ; Kotschy, Oesterr. 

 Bot. Zeitsch. viii. 1858, p. 1 (Aedemone mirabilis) ; Ralph, Ic. Carp, 

 t. 38, f. 8 ; Engl. & Prantl, Pflan. iii. pt. 3, p. 320, f . 124 A (Aesch- 

 ynomene Elaphroxylon). 



Vernac. names. — Mbilor (Senegal, Moloney), M'Bilor or Bilor 

 (Ouloff, Chevalier) ; Bimba (Angola, Wehvitsch, De Wildeman) ; 

 " Tripol " (Angola, Edivards Bros.) ; Malindi (Uganda, Mahon) ; 

 Odifonga (Madagascar, Baron) ; Ambash (Nile, Grant). 



Nupe ; Lake Chad ; and widely distributed in Tropical Africa. 



The natives in the Nile region use the logs for crossing rivers 

 (Grant, Trans. Linn. Soc. xxix. p. 58) ; and on the Congo for rafts 

 (De Wildeman, PI. Util. Congo, Art. xxvi. 1904, p. 354) ; in Benguela 

 and Mossamedes the wood is used for domestic purposes, such as beds, 

 stools, &c\, and more especially for fishing punts and landing boats 

 (Hiern, Cat. Welw. Afr. PL i. p. 233). Wehvitsch used the wood to 

 make boxes for his entomological collections (I.e. p. 234). 



The wood is exceedingly light ; though according to Wehvitsch 

 (I.e.) it is strong and durable. A specimen from Uganda in the 

 Museum at Kew has a specific gravity 0-1678= 10*5 lbs. per cubic foot. 

 Another specimen from Angola has a specific gravity 0'1984=12*35 lbs. 

 per cubic foot. 



Attempts have been made to introduce the wood into commerce. 

 The only prospect of success, would be as wood-pulp for the manu- 

 facture of coarse brown paper, but the cost of consignment of the 

 raw material is prohibitive (Bull. Imp. Inst. 1904, p. 226). 



When in flower the shrub is very ornamental. 



Grows on river banks with stems in the water, Nupe (Barter, Herb. 

 Kew) ; mangrove-like in the shallow water of the Victoria Nyanza, 

 and in estuaries and marshes (Johnston, Herb. Kew) ; answers on 

 the lake shore (Uganda) to the mangrove of other countries and 

 forms a dense thicket out in the water to the depth of a man, the 



