157 



contains at least two active principles, one of which causes cerebral 

 depression or narcosis, and the other cerebral excitation, leading 

 to epileptiform convulsions ; that the poison which causes con- 

 vulsions is very slowly excreted, so that a cumulative effect is 

 produced by the administration of a series of individually 

 innocuous doses (Chem. & Physiol. Ex. Ghailletia toxicaria, 

 pp. 1181, 1183). Although the genus is an extensive one, the only 

 other species of Ghailletia that has so far been proved to be 

 poisonous is C. cymosa, which has been found poisonous to trek 

 oxen in the Transvaal (Kew Bull. 1901, p. 101). 



Ref. — " Native Poison, West Africa," Dr. Renner, in Journ. 

 African Soc. Oct. 1904, pp. 109-111. — Chemical and Physiological 

 examination of the Fruit of Chailletia toxicaria, Dr. Power, 

 and F. Tutin, pp. 1171-1183, No. 63, Wellcome Chemical 

 Research Laboratories ; a Reprint from Journ. American Chemical 

 Soc. xxviii. Sept. 1906. 



OLACINEAE. 

 XlMENlA, Linn. 

 Ximenia americana, Linn. ; Fl. Trop. Afr. I. p. 346. 



III. — Plumier, Nov. Gen. Amer. t. 21 {X. aculeata) ; Plumier, 

 Ic. Burm. t. 261 (X. aculeata) ; Aublet, Guiana, 1. 125 (Hci/massoli 

 spinosa) ; Jacq. Icon. Select. Stirp. Amer. t. 177, f. 31 (X, multi- 

 flora) ; Lam. Encycl. t, 297, f. 1 ; Desc. Ant. ii. t. 132 ; Baillon, 

 Adansonia, ii. t. 9, ff. o-6 (flowers) ; Nuttall, N. Amer. Sylva, 

 i. t. 36 ; Schnizlein, Ic. t. 223, f. 1 ; Giornale Bot. Italiano, Pisa, 

 ix. t. 11, ff. 1-11 ; Mart. Fl. Bras. xii. pt. 2, t. 2, f. 1 ; Pierre, Fl. 

 For. Cochin, t. 265 A. ; Engl. & Prantl, Pflan. iii. pt, 1, f. 150 A-B 

 (flowers, &c. from Nature), C-F (fruits, &c. after Beccari) ; Ann. 

 Inst, Col. Marseille, v. 1898, "Graines, Grasses," &c. p. 29, f. 5 

 (kernels and seed), p. 31, f. 6 (young plant in pot), p. 32, f. 7 

 (fruit), p. 33, f. 8 (after Engl. & Prantl, I.e.). 



Vernac. names. — Igo (Lagos, Macgregor) ; Osere (Lagos, 

 Dawoda) ; Muhinge or Mohinge (Golungo Alto, Welwitsch) ; Um- 

 peque (Mossamedes, Welwitsch); Elozy-Zegue (Gaboon, Heckel) ; 

 Alimu (Sudan, Bull. Imp. Inst, 1907, p. 359) ; Alankoawe 

 (Arabic, Muriel) ; Bibi (Hameg, Muriel). — Wild Olive ; Wild 

 Lime ; Mountain Plum ; Seaside Plum ; Hog Plum ; Citron of 

 the Sea ; Tallow Nut ; Sennet. 



Niger ; Lagos ; Yoruba ; widely distributed in Tropical Africa, 

 India, Burma, Ceylon, Florida, Brazil, West Indies and Tropics 

 generally. 



The fruit is edible, about the size and shape of an olive. It has 

 been described by various writers as having " a peculiar aromatic 

 flavour and delicious perfume " (Bull. Bot. Dept. Jamaica) ; 

 " smell of cyanic acid " (Welwitsch) ; " flavour like a citron and 

 nearly as sour as anything in nature " (Schweinfurth) ; " watery 

 pulp of a pleasant sweet subacid taste" (Nuttall). This variety 

 of opinion appears to fit the common names enumerated above, 

 but it is singular that according to Welwitsch no animal touches 

 the fruit, In Guam, however, it is said to be much relished by 

 the fruit pigeons (Saffiord, PI. Guam, p. 399). 



