62 



Haronga, Thouars. 



Haronga madagascarien&is, Chois. ; Fl. Trop. Afr. I. p. 160. 



III. — Lam. Encycl. t. 645 {Harungana Madagascar lens is); 

 Drake, Hist. Madagas. t. 336 A. 



Vernac. name.— Fasua (Gold Coast, Johnson). 



Old Calabar. 



The leaves are used, on the Gold Coast, for chest complaints 

 (Johnson, Herb. Kew), and in Madagascar as a cure for dysentery 

 (Parker, Mus. Kew). 



The fruit is edible and its flavour is said to resemble that of 

 raisins. The seeds are used in cookery in French Guinea, and a 

 beverage like cider is made from them (Pobeguin, Fl. Guin. 

 Franc, p. 82). 



A yellow dye is obtained from the inner bark of the tree, 

 (Purves, Mus. Kew). 



The wood is used by the natives for posts in houses, It is of 

 great beauty, pale citron in colour with a lustrous surface, and 

 prominent and boldly contrasted silver grain. It takes an 

 excellent polish, but the delicate citron colour disappears and the 

 wood becomes brownish. It works very well and smoothly by 

 saw, planing machine, and lathe. It is as soft as deal, rather 

 fissile, splits straight and finishes without trouble. The structure 

 of this wood has a very remarkable resemblance to that of many 

 Proteaceous plants. If means could be devised to produce a 

 satisfactory finish, otherwise than by French polish, and thus 

 preserve the colour, the wood might be appreciated in England, 

 but in the absence of such a finish its importation could not be 

 recommended. Weight 31*25 lbs. per cubic foot. (Stone, Mus. 

 Kew.) 



GUTTIFERAE. 

 Symphonia, Linn, f . 



Symphonia globulifera, Linn. ; Fl. Trop. Afr. I. p. 163. 



///.—Mart, Fl. Bras. xii. part 1. t. 108. 



Hog Gum ; Doctor's Gum ; Karamanni Wax. 



Old Calabar. 



A wax made by mixing the gum with bees wax and powdered 

 charcoal is used by the Indians in British Guiana for cementing 

 arrow-heads and for joining wood (Im Thurn, Mus. Kew). The 

 yellow resin, found at the roots of old trees, is used as a vulnerary 

 and diuretic in topical applications to wounds, in gout plasters 

 and as a substitute for Copaiba (Moloney, Forestry, W. Africa, 

 p. 279). The tree yields a gum-resin like gamboge (Barter, Mus. 

 Kew). 



Pentadesma, Sabine. 

 Pentadesma butyracea, Don ; Fl. Trop. Afr. I. p. 161. 

 7/Z __Heckel, Kolas Afr. pp. 114-116 ; Hook. Ic, PI. t. 2465, 



