179 



Agelaea Lamarckii, Planch., of which it is stated that an infusion is 

 a powerful astringent, and which used in excess causes severe 

 dysentery. They are also much used as a cure for blennorrhoea, 

 being taken in the form of a diet-drink. The hairs of the fruit are 

 irritant in somewhat the same manner as those of certain Mucunas 

 (De Rochebrune, I.e. pp. 112, 117). 



Ref. — "Cnestis corniculata, Lam.," in Toxicologic Africaine, De 

 Rochebrune, ii. Fasc. 1, 1898, pp. 115-122 (Octave Doin, Paris, 1898), 

 Historique, Chimie, Physiol Dgie et Therapeutique. 



Cnestis ferruginea, DC. ; Fl. Trop. Air. I. p. 461. 



Ill— Engl. & Prantl, Pflan. iii. pt. 3, f . 37, A— D. 



Vernac. names. — Ekoro (Yoruba, Millson) ; Esise (Lagos, 

 Dawodu) ; Gboyingboyin (Oloke-Meji, Hislopi). 



Lagos ; Yoruba ; Onitsha ; Lokoia ; Old Calabar, and widely 

 distributed in West Africa. 



A decoction of the leaves is used as a laxative in Yoruba (Millson, 

 Kew Bull. 1891, p. 217). The fruit is very bitter, and is used by 

 the natives of Sierra Leone for cleaning their teeth (Scott Elliot, 

 Herb. Kew). 



A handsome bush, bearing clusters of red fruit and white flowers 

 at the same time (Millson, I.e.). Found growing, 12 feet high, at 

 Onitsha (Barter, Herb. Kew) ; on the slopes of Mount Patti, Lokoja 

 (Elliott, Herb. Kew) ; in bush, under shade, and in open spaces near 

 the seashore, Victoria, Cameroons (Kalbreyer, Herb. Kew) ; as an 

 evergreen shrub, 4-6 ft. high, in Golunero Alto (Welwitsch, in Hiern. 

 Cat, Welw. Afr. PI. i. p. 190) ; Apasam, Gold Coast, about 700 ft. 

 (Johnson, Herb. Kew). 



The order Connaraceae is comparatively unimportant economically. 

 In addition to the above-mentioned species, there are some fruits in the 

 Museum at Kew called " Sabongo," collected by Welwitsch in.Golungo 

 Alto ; they no doubt belong to this order, probably to Byrsocarpus 

 (Rourea) venulosa, Hiern, but the only description given of the 

 uses (see Hiern Cat. Welw. Afr. PI. i. p. 186) seems to apply more 

 correctly to Xylopia aethiopica, the fruits of which also bear the 

 same native name in Angola. Fruits from S. Nigeria resembling 

 the " Sabongo " (Connaraceae) of Welwitsch were sent to Kew, by 

 Messrs Alex. Miller Bros, in 1902. 



The " Kitsongo " (Byrsocarpus (Rourea) orientalis) of Madagascar 

 is described in an extensive paper by Prof. L. Courchet, Annales 

 L'Inst. Col. Marseille, v. 2nd series 1907, pp. 67-135, f. 14, and the 

 only wood in the order known to be of any value, is " Zebra Wood " 

 (Connarus guianensis, Lam.), an ornamental, hard wood, used for 

 inlaying. 



LEGUMINOSAE— PAPILIONACEAE. 

 Cytisus, Linn. 



Cytisus proliferus, Linn./. Suppl. (1781), p. 328. 



A large bush or tree 8-10 ft. high ; branches slender. Leaves 

 drooping, ternate, on short petioles ; leaflets oval lanceolate, pointed at 

 both ends, and clothed on the under side by copious, silky adpressed 

 hairs, generally white but in some cases fulvous or of a rich brown 

 colour. Flowers silky in bud, snow T white when fully expanded, 

 attached in loosely packed umbels on the sides of the branches ; 

 pedicels rosy in colour. Pods slightly narrowed at the base, sinuous 



16583 A 2 



