cultivating in England. By Mr. John Lindley. 89 



Lote tree. He describes it in its dry state as of the size of 

 a pigeon's egg, of a brownish yellow colour, with a large 

 kernel enveloped in a thin fleshy substance which has a sub- 

 acid and agreeable taste. It was also called Tamr el berr, 

 or the Date of Soudan. The fruit called Zakkoum, at Cairo, 

 which is brought from the plains of Ramie, in Palestine, ap- 

 peared to him the same as the Allobe.* 



The other fruits of tropical Africa are very imperfectly 

 described ; only two or three have been introduced into this 

 country; and but few appear to be of much importance. 

 Those of 



Sierra Leone 



are chiefly known from the report made by Dr. Afzelius to 

 the African Society. 



The Cream Fruit is the most worthy of notice ; and must 

 indeed be one of the finest fruits in the world. It is sup- 

 posed to belong to the natural order of Apocinece, and to be 

 a genus not yet published, f Two of the fruit are always 

 united, and hang down from the end of a small branch. 

 When wounded they yield a quantity of fine white juice 

 " resembling sugar, or the best milk." It is held in high esti- 

 mation by the natives, who use it to allay their thirst. The 

 tree which bears it is very lofty and abundant ; particularly 

 on the Island of Plantains. \ 



The Country Cherries surpass all the fruits of Sierra 

 Leone ; they bear most resemblance to a fine Nectarine. || 



* Burckhardt's Travels in Nubia, page 295. 

 f Brown in Appendix to Tuckey's Expedition, page 449. 

 + Afzelius in African Repository, 1794, page 173. 

 || Ibid, page 172. 

 VOL. V. N 



