342 



medicinal uses are attributed to the plant, aromatic, aperient and 

 anthelmintic (Diet. Econ. Prod. India ; Dymock, Pharmacog. Indica, 

 ii. p. 105). 



ARALIACEAE. 



CUSSONIA, Thunb. 



Cussonia nigerica, Hutchinson in Kew Bull. 1910, p. 136. 



A tree with corrugated bark and branches disposed more or less in 

 an umbellate manner. Leaves crowded at the ends of the branches, 

 long petiolate, digitately 6-foliate ; petiole 4-12 in. long, slender, 

 glabrous ; leaflets sessile, oblanceolate or elliptic- lanceolate, caudate - 

 acuminate, narrowed to the base, 2^-5^ in. long, f-2 in. broad, 

 remotely repand-dentate, with the lower cuneate portion entire, 

 glabrous, pale and closely reticulate below, with about 11-15 lateral 

 nerves ; stipules adnate to the base of the petiole, ovate, acuminate, 

 ciliate, about \ in. long. Spikes crowded at the apex of the shoots, 

 about 12 in. long ; axis gradually narrowed to the apex ; bracts 

 ovate triangular, acutely acuminate, at length reflexed, glabrous. 

 Flowers not known. Fruits ellipsoid, slightly 4-ribbed, 3| lin. long. 



Vernac. names. — Takanda giwa (Hausa, Dalziel) : Hanan Kuturu, 

 or u Leper's Hand " (Yola, Dalziel). — Elephants sugar cane. 



Kilba, Yola (Dalziel, No. 179, 1909, Herb. Kew). 



Yields a clear, colourless gum, slightly irritant to the taste, not 

 known to be collected by the natives (Dalziel, Kew Bull. 1910, 

 p. 136). 



