53 



Oware ; Niger ; Old Calabar. 



In Angola the plant is used for food (Welwitsch) ; in Senegal 

 for various medicinal purposes (Sebire, PL Util. Senegal, p. 12). 

 In India the roots, boiled or raw, flowering stems, cooked in 

 curries, young fruits, as vegetable, and the roasted seeds are all 

 used for food (Diet. Econ. Prod. Ind.). In Lagoa de Quilanda. 

 according to Welwitsch, the plant grows in such enormous 

 quantities, together with Lemnaceae — especially Lemna arrhisa; 

 and Pistia Strut iotes — that the natives make heaps on the banks to 

 serve as manure (Hiern, Cat. Welw. Afr. PI. i. p. 22). 



The plant is under cultivation at Kew, together with the 

 varieties dentata (Bot. Mag. t. 4257), devoniensis (Bot. Mag. t. 4665) 

 monstrosa, Ortgiesiana, pubescens, rubra (Bot. Mag. t. 1280) 

 and thermulis. N. Lotus var. Vosgiesiana is a variety recorded 

 from Northern Nigeria. 



Nymphaea stellata, Willd, ; Fl. Trop. Afr. I. p. 52. 



Ill— Bot. Mag. t. 2058 ; Andr. Rep. v. t. 330 ; Fl. d. Serres. 

 t. 854 ; Wight Ic. PI. Ind. or. i. t. 178 ; Wood, Nat. PI. i. t, 33. 



Vernac. name. — Izibo (Zululand). 



Niger. 



In Zululand and Natal the tuber, after being boiled, is eaten 

 by the natives in times of scarcity (Kew Bull. 1898, p. 53). 



In India the roots and seeds are eaten in times of scarcity (Diet. 

 Econ. Prod. Ind.). In Senegal the seeds are eaten made up like 

 " Couscous " [an Arabian dish consisting of very small balls of 

 minced meat and flour, fried in oil]. The fleshy rhizomes are 

 said to yield a dye finer than that obtained from Logwood (Sebire, 

 PL Util. Senegal, p. 12). 



This plant and four varieties are in cultivation at Kew : — viz., 

 var. albiflora, coerulea (Delile, Egypte t. 60, f . 2 ; Bot. Mag. t. 552). 

 scutifolia, and zunzibarensis (Bot. Mag. t. 6843 ; Rev. Hort. 1897, 

 p. 328). 



PAPAVERACEAE. 

 ARGEMONE, Linn. 



Argemone mexicana, Linn.; Fl. Trop. Afr. I. p. 54. 



111.— Bot. Mag. t, 243 ; Lam. Encycl. t. 452 ; Schk. Handb. 

 1. 141 ; Desc. Ant. v. t. 380 ; Wight, Illust. t. 11 ; Gray, Gen. t. 47 : 

 Bailey, Pois. PL p. 3 ; Agric. Gaz. N. S. Wales, ii. t. 23 ; Transv. 

 Agric. Journ. v. t. 227. 



Vernac. names. — Akawn-Ekkun (Yoruba, Millsun) ; Mexican 

 or Prickly Poppy ; Golden Thistle ot Peru ; Devil's Fig. 



Oshogbo, Yoruba. Introduced ; the plant is widely distributed 

 in the Tropics both of the Old and New World. 



The seeds possess acrid, emetic, and cathartic properties, and 

 are poisonous in large quantities. They yield an oil used for 

 medicinal purposes in India, West Indies, Senegal, Yorubaland, 

 &c. ; but considered unlit for food on account of its laxative 

 character and acrid taste. The oil may be useful as an 



