325 



(anatomical) ; Journ. Bot. ii. (1873) t. 134 ; Gard. Chron. Aug. 17th, 

 1878, p. 212, f. 40 ; Bihang, Kongl. Svenska, Vetenskaps-Akad. xiii. 

 No. 10, tt. 1-3 ; Rchb. Ic. Fl. Germ, xxiii. t. 26 ; Vilmorin-Andrieux, 

 PI. Potageres, p. 397 (pi. and fruit) ; Schinz, Mitt. Bot. Mus. Zurich, 

 xxxvi. t. 20 (fruits). 



Vernae. names. — M'beegeeree (Victoria Nyanza, Grant) ; Ling 

 (China, Haribury). — Water Chestnut, Jesuits' Nut, Water Caltrops, 

 Marrons d'eau, Gnar Nuts. 



A widely distributed plant ; in Cent. Europe, Temp. Asia — China, 

 Persia, &c. and extending to the Upper Nile, Chari (oriental, Mindjia 

 et Mosouborta, fide Chevalier No. 7859, Herb. Kew) region and the 

 Victoria Nyanza (Grant, Trans. Linn. Soc. xxix. 1875, p. 75) in Africa. 



The seed is farinaceous and may be eaten raw, roasted, or in soups 

 and forms an important article of food in the many countries where 

 the plant is grown. The light brown skin covering the white kernel 

 is also edible. Lega and Knez-Milojkovic have found these nuts to 

 contain, water 37-39 per cent, nitrogenous matter 8-10, fat - 7-0*8, 

 carbohydrates 49, fibre P2-P4, ash P2-P4, and phosphoric anhydride 

 0-56 per cent. (Pharm. Journ. [4] xii. 1901, p. 485). 



See T. bispinosa. The two plants appears to be doubtfully 

 distinct ; there are many intermediate forms differing chiefly in the 

 fruit in which lies the main distinction between T. bispinosa — with 

 two horns, and T. natans, — with four horns, at opposite angles. 



Bef. — " Sur TAnatomie et l'organogenie du Trapa natans" Marius 



Barneoud, in Ann. des Sc. Nat. Series 3, ix. 1848, pp. 222-244. 



" On Trapa natans " : Especially the form now living in the 

 Southernmost part of Sweden, Areschoug, in Journ. Bot. ii. 1873, pp. 



239-246. u Om de Fruktformer af Trapa nutans* som Fordom 



Funnits I Sverige," Nathorst, in Bihang Till Kongl. Svenska 

 Vetenskaps-Akademiens Handlingar, xiii. No. 10, Dec. 1887, pp. 1-40, 

 illust. Pis. i-iii (fruits various forms), figs. 1-11 in the text 

 (Stockholm, 1888). 



PASSIFL0REAE. 



Ophiocaulon, Hook, f . 



Ophiocaulon cissampeloides, Mast. ; Fl. Trop. Afr. II. p. 518. 



Ill— Gard. Chron. Feb. 25th 1871, p. 234, f. 51. 



Vernae. names. — Dodo (Ebute Metta, Dawodu). 



Nupe (Barter No. 1663, Herb. Kew) ; Nun (Niger) River (Mann, 

 No. 497 I.e.) ; Lagos (Millen, No. 33, Herb. Kew) ; found also in 

 Sierra Leone ; Gaboon ; Fernando Po ; Angola. 



Used in Lagos to poison fish — the thick stems are half roasted, 

 pounded and thrown into the water (Dawodu, Herb. Kew). The 

 juice of the stem is used for smoothing the floors of huts in Sierra 

 Leone (Scott Elliot, Herb. Kew). 



The plant has some value for decorative purposes. 



PASSIFLORA, Linn. 



Passiflora edulis, Sims, Bot. Mag. t. 1989. 



Leaves trilobed, glabrous, serrated. Flowers white, tinged with 

 purple, fragrant. Fruit purple, ellipsoidal about 1^ in. in diameter, 

 pulp orange coloured with somewhat the flavour of an orange. 



