88 



decrease in the amount of animal grease, while America is consuming 

 her own cotton-seed oils in vastly increased quantities, and the conse- 

 quence is an increased demand in vegetable oils. Although the pro- 

 duction of the nuts in Africa is enormous, no improvement in the mode 

 of cultivation or the price is anticipated for years to come The soil 

 is readily exhausted by the crop, and nothing is done to restore its 

 virtue ; labour though cheap, is thriftless, and hard to obtain when 

 wanted, and transportation is defective. The uses of the oil are 

 numerous ; it is described as " the most polymorphous of all oils, 

 adapting itself to all purposes, including nutrition, lighting, lubrica- 

 tion, and blending." It is the most difficult of all oils to detect when 

 adulterating olive oil, for its chemical reaction is white. The best 

 qualities are, in fact, used for the table, either pure or mixed with 

 olive or sesame oil; as an ill uminant it gives a soft white light ; when 

 neutralised it is much es eemed for lubricating, and is always pre- 

 ferred to cotton-seed oil It is also largely used in the manufacture 

 of soap, and is the characteristic component of the famous Mars?illes 

 white soap. 



CAMOENSIA MAXIMA. 



Camoensia maxima flowered in April, for the first time, in Hope 

 Gardens. It is said to be the largest flower of any plant in the 

 leguminous order ; the colour is white, edged with gold. 



The first specimens of these flowers found by the botanist Welwitsch, 

 in Africa, were one foot long, but in cultivation they have not attained 

 the same length. The plant flowered for the first time in England in 

 1894. Camoensia is a climbing plant, a native of Angola. It belongs 

 to the pea family, Legnminosae. Welwitsch's specimens were collected 

 in Golungo Alto, a little north of the river Cuanza. Subsequently 

 specimens were sent to Kew from Quiballa, a place situated about 

 sixty miles inland from Ambriz, and from the Congo below Stanley 

 Pool. Welwitsch gave it the name of Giganthemum scandens in 1859, 

 and afterwards in 1865 altered it to Camoensia The former name has 

 been adopted in the " Catalogue of Welwitsch's African Plants," by 

 Mr. W. P. Hiern. Welwitsch described it as " a robust shrub, climb- 

 ing to a great height, and then hanging down its graceful branches, 

 constituting the highest ornament amongst the climbing shrubs of 

 •ftiis region ; flowers very large, emitting a peculiar odour." 



At Hope Gardens it is growing over a calabash tree on the l?wn. 

 The flowers measure 10J inches, from base of sepals to tip of standard. 

 The standard is 7 inches long by 4 J inches broad. The petals are 

 pure white in colour, the edges beautifully crisped, and edged with a 

 line of gold. The standard, in addition, has a deep shading of yellow 

 down the centre, breaking up into small, irregular patches of pure 

 gold near the apex. 



The Hope plant produced a raceme of thirteen flowers at first, and 

 afterwards a second raceme of 8 flowers. The flowers expanded first 

 in pairs, then in sets of three, and finally by single blooms. Each, 

 flower lasted in full beauty nearly two days. The pods dropped off 

 while quite young. 



