Notes on scientific research. 119 



A wine-like odour is characteristic for the little clusters of blossoms borne by the 

 little Capparidacea-tree, Boscia Pechuelii which flower in September and are quite common 

 all over the Herero- and Nama-lands; on the contrary, the blossoms of Boscia fceUda 

 are distinguished especially at a certain distance by an awful smell of human excrements. 

 On the other hand, the beautiful flowers of the 13 species belonging to the genus 

 Chome, N. 0. Capparidacece, are quite odourless, whereas the leaves of some of these 

 species smell exceedingly strongly aromatically. 



The white spiraea-like clusters of blossoms of the Aizoacea-bush Anisostigma SchencHi 

 which occurs in the brackish sand and clay formations of Nama-land smell of mignonette. 



A strawberry-like odour is characteristic for the flowers of the Capparidacea 

 Meter ua Gurichii. 



Cephalocroton Pilschelii, an Euphorbiacea growing up to the height of 1 m. has blossoms 

 which remind exactly of the smell of violets. 



The transparent white bell-like buds of the Amaryllidacea Pancratium Chapmani 

 have the property of bursting after the first heavy rains in December and January 

 between 5 and 7 in the evening and then develop a very strong smell of hyacinths, 

 which, however, only lasts until about 7 o'clock the next morning. The buds then 

 remain completely closed. It is a very striking fact that the numerous South-west 

 African Liliacea? have no odour at all, whereas the equally common Amaryllidacese 

 nearly all are distinguished by a weak or sometimes very strong lily-like smell which 

 depends on the species they belong to. The genus Crinum is especially worth mentioning 

 in this respect. 



The odour of the Rubicacea Gardenia Thuribergia can hardly be considered inferior 

 to that of Gardenia fioribunda. 



The Sterculiacea Hermannia atrosanguinea and similar species smell of good hock. 



Jasminum mauritianum has the same odour as the other white-flowering jasmine 

 species. 



The odour of the Iridacea Lapeyrousia stenoloba is exactly like that of the well-known 

 Freesia. 



The Polygalacea Securidaca longepedunculata, a tree which grows to the height of 

 8 m., bears clusters of blossoms, smelling of violets and has hence been named 

 "violet-tree". 



The scent of the greenish-white blossoms of the Liliacea Sansevira thyrsiflora is 

 just like that of hyacinths. 



The blossoms of the Aizoacea Mesembryanthemum inachebense have a pleasant 

 odour; all the other 57 Mesembryanthemum species in South-west Africa are odourless. 



Numerous plants in South-west Africa are distinguished by an exceedingly unpleasant 

 smell, for instance Boscia fcetida, which has already been referred to; the same applies 

 to the Hydnora species (N. 0. Hydnoracece), root parasites whose blossoms smell of 

 carrion and whose long and wide flower-tubes are hence much frequented by numerous 

 small dung-beetles and fly-larvas. Some species of the genus Stapelia (StapeUacece) have 

 an awful odour of carrion, others, as for instance S. Fleckii, smell strongly of honey. 



The Composite Peschuel-Loschea Leubnitzice and Blumea, gariepina, the Geraniaceas 

 Monsonia umbellata and senegalensis, as well as the Euphorbiacea Croton gratissimus 

 contain volatile oils 1 ). Blumea gariepina smells strongly of dill, Pechuel-Loschea "just 

 like niggers". Helichrysum cerastoides has a strong odour of licorice. The following 

 are also distinguished by strong scents: — 



l ) Report October 1913, 111. 



