By Joseph Sabine, Esq. 



417 



Vitis. Linnceus. 



Country Grapes. Vitis CLesia. (Cissus cesius.) Afzelius. 



This a climbing, and in some degree, herbaceous plant, 

 with roundish cordate leaves, downy underneath, the margins 

 of which are delicately toothed, having the appearance of 

 being edged with fine hairs ; the stems are round and glaucous; 

 the berries grow in small axillary bunches ; they are round 

 and black, with an austere acid taste not very agreeable to 

 Europeans, and are chiefly eaten by the Negroes, who are 

 fond of them. 



This species grows in open low situations, and bears 

 good crops of fruit. It is mentioned by Afzelius * Plants 

 which were sent home by Mr. Don from Sierra Leone, are 

 in the Garden of the Society, but have not yet produced 

 flowers. 



Country Currants. 



Mr. Don states that this fruit grows in great abundance 

 in racemes on the branches of a very slender shrub; the ber- 

 ries, in size and taste, resembling those of the Elder. The 

 plants are found plentifully in the mountains. No speci- 

 mens were sent home, but from the description given, it is 

 supposed to be an Antidesma, of which a species is also 

 enumerated-f among the Congo plants. Afzelius men- 

 tions! an Antidesma in his Report, which bears fruit of the 



* See Afzelius's Report, page 237, No. 35. 

 f See Brown on the Congo Plants, page 469. 

 \ Afzelids's Report, page 238. 



