57 



VIOLARIEAE. 

 SAUVAGESIA, Linn. 



Sauvagesia erecta, Linn. ; Fl. Trop. Afr. I. p. 111. 



///.— Aublet, Guiana, t. 100. f. b. ; St. Hil. PL remarq. Bres. 

 t. 3 f. A. ; Mem. Mus. Paris, xi. t. 6 ; Desc. Ant. iv. t. 220 ; Spach, 

 Suites t. d2 ; Browne, Janiaic. t. 12. f. 3. 



Herb of St. Martin. 



Niger. 



The plant is very mucilaginous. Uses : — eye complaints in 

 Brazil ; bowel complaints in Peru ; and diuretic in the West 

 Indies (Treasury of Botany). 



BIXINEAE. 



COCHLOSPERMUM, Kunth. 



Cochlospermum tinctorium, Rich. ; Fl. Trop. Afr. I. p. 113. 



Ill— Guillem. Perr. Rich. Fl. Senegamb. t. 21. 



Vernac. names. — Feru ; Rawaye (Yoruba, Mittson) ; Foosca 

 (Gambia, Kew Bull. 1893, p. 371). 



Yoruba ; Nupe ; and the Hausa States in general. 



The roots yield a yellow dye well known in the Soudan (Kew 

 Bull. 1893, p. 371), and used by the Hausas in conjunction with 

 Elu (Indigo) for making the sacred green dye, which is a secret 

 trade of certain Hausa families (Kew Bull. 1891, p. 219;. The 

 bark makes good rope, largely used by Yorubas and Hausas, and 

 is said to be in sufficient quantity for exportation (Kew Bull. 

 1891, p. 219). 



Uncultivated ; said to be very common on a rocky soil. 



BlXA, Linn. 



Bixa Orellana, Linn. ; Fl. Trop. Afr. I. p. 111. 



III.— Berg, Charact. t, 82, n. 587 ; Spach, Suites, t. 44 ; Mart. Fl. 

 Bras. xiii. part 1, t. 87 ; Becld. Fl. Sylv. t. 79 ; Buchoz, Herb. 

 Col. Ameriq. t. 83 ; Vidal, Fl. For. Filip. t. 7 A ; GreshofT, Nutt. 

 Ind. PI. t. 14 ; Cat. PI. Hort. Col. Brux. p. 44 ; Plenck, Ic. t. 428; 

 Contr. U.S. Nat. Herb. ix. t. 39. 



Vernac. names. — Qnisafu (Angola, Welwitscli) ; Arnatto, 

 Annatto or Annotto. 



Native of Tropical America. Widely distributed in most 

 tropical countries ; naturalized in West Africa. 



The seeds yield the Annatto of commerce, an orange or yellow 

 dye, used for dyeing silks and cotton goods, feathers, &c. ; for 

 colouring cheese, butter, jellies, and other foods ; plasters, 

 ointments ; and brown-leather polish. 



The natives of Angola according to Welwitscli (Hiern, Cat. 

 Welw. Afr. PI. i. p. 38) use* the dye for various purposes, amongst 

 them the dyeing of " balagos " or small baskets, made from the 

 straw of a species of Eleusine, the manufacture of which forms 

 one or the most valuable industrial productions of the people. 



