July 3° 



1898 



GA RD ENERS y MA GAZINE 



4QT 



TH 



Vegetatio 



OF ASHANT1 



-ration of the Kew authorities, Surgeon-Captain II. A. Cummins 

 On the recommen °„ hpr of the medical staff that accompanied the military expe- 

 «s appointed » memDer ^ travelled from Cape Coast Castle to the 



did0 "-Hilir?w miles inland; and, being stationed for three weeks at Assin 

 ^^umass'i 58 miles from the coast, was enabled^ to collect specimens of the 



The collection of 200 species 



nw onrl with the result that nine new species ana one new genu* .mv C 

 his return, Wltu 



^Interesting communication appearing in a recent Kew Bulletin, Surgeon- 

 ,. , D n Vummins gives much information anent the geography of the country, 

 Captain Lunra s.^ Re states that there are two we ll-marked seasons— the 



dima i te, fin<T from April to November, with an intermission in August and Sep- 

 " et ii and the dry season, from December to March. The forest region, how- 

 ; e Excessively damp during the whole year, for an immense amount of watery 

 eV ^'»r is exhaled from the leaves of the large forest trees during the bright sun- 

 and soon after sunset this becomes condensed, owing to the fall of the 

 ,T£rature, into a thick mist, which extends over the whole forest region, and 

 where " clearings " have been made reaches to the ground and becomes dispersed 

 *lv w hen the sun is again high in the heavens. 



With regard to the vegetation, Surgeon-Captain Cummins says that two very 

 distinct regions exist which merge into each other: (1) the so-called "bush;" 



(2) the forest region. ... , , ., . , lL 



The " bush " forms a belt along the coast for many miles, varying in width 



from three to twenty-five miles. It consists of a dense undergrowth of erect, scan- 

 dent and twining shrubs with comparatively few grasses, sedges, and other 

 herbaceous plants, the whole being matted together into an impenetrable thicket. 

 Small trees occur at intervals, and a few miles from the coast huge Cotton Trees 

 iBombax buonopozense) appear. At Akeoful, fifteen miles inland, forest trees 

 become fairly numerous, increasing up to Mansu, forty-two miles inland, where 

 the dense forest region commences. Clumps of bamboos grow to a great size and 

 in large numbers wherever the ground is swampy. Villages are very numerous as 

 fu as Mansu, and each possesses a tract of cultivated land. The natives plant 

 umbrageous trees, commonly figs, in and around every village for the benefit of the 

 ihade afforded by them. By the roadside hedges of Jatropha Curcas, which 

 possesses a copious white milky juice, are frequent. Strophanthus gratus and S. 

 tarmentosus are common climbers with handsome flowers, as are also Ipomroa 

 palraata and I. involucrata, the former having conspicuous purple flowers, 

 assillora f" tida, Cassia alata, Amaranthus spinosus. and the prickly climber, 

 Acacia pinnata, also occur. Myrianthus arborescens, a tree which possesses 

 rery large leaves, each of the six leaflets being over a foot long, is 

 of not infrequent occurence near Dunquah. Sedges and grasses are to be seen in 

 small numbers. Many plants which are in abundance in the forest first make 

 : heir appearance at Dunquah. The ponds from which drinking water is procured 

 are frequently covered by Pistia Stratiotes ; this plant is said to have a purifying 

 effect on the water. 



The forest region commences about Mansu and is said to extend to the Kong 

 aotratains. The trees are of great height (one hundred to two hundred feet). 

 Amongst them the cotton trees (Bom/>ax) are remarkable and very numerous ; 

 each 1 has its smooth clean trunk from epiphytes and climbers, which here find no 

 foothold, and radiating from the base large buttress-roots. Far above the tops of 

 tbe other trees the branches begin to come off and carry in the full sunshine the 

 spreading foliage. The buttress-roots deserve further description ; there are 

 generally hve or six to each tree, and the part above ground varies in length from 

 ttree to twelve feet ; in thickness they vary from a quarter to four inches at the 

 owoers, and when cut to the required size are used by the natives as doors for 

 ■owe* Other trees of the forest belong to the following genera : Cola, Sterculia, 

 wrapa, triodendron, Monodora, Acacia, Albizia, Pentaclethra, Lonchocarpus, 



Th**! 1CUS ' MusaDga ' Macaranga, and Diospyros. 

 in Jr,n f T S ° f . the treeS form an a,most uninterrupted layer of foliage which 

 Z 3 1 SU " \ I!l y? and causes a Perpetual gloom beneath. The majority of 

 the Srar^ir d ?<: ,duous ' ,( ormin g a marked contrast to the shrubs composing 

 kinds of E ' W 5' Ch arC aU ever 8 reen - T »e undergrowth consists of various 

 Vines «,? n • 1 1 sc " amine °us plants, aroids, and melastomaceous climbers. 



eAnnrhL lck, y scandent Palms, forming lianes, in thickness from a thread to 

 To the north Af W i D i 0,md L each other in their struggle upwards towards the sun. 



•emv (S of >, Pral \ the *«* are wore closely set, branching as a rule within 

 impair the r vitalL^T^"? ?° vered h ? cree P er s which do not seem to 

 top* of the h£S >' ^'Pk/tJC shrubs - ferns , and orchids are to be seen near the 

 "Jergrowth. ' DraC3enas and P alms are comparatively common in the 



SinuTS tl?r ° Ugh - the forest many interesting and beautiful plants are 

 •"white and fullv r^ lailU T 15 ° ne_a ver y han <3some species, the flowers of which 

 red flowers and I ? "V* 68 Ion£J - H *n"nthus multiflorus has a head of bright 

 l"inea appear a wl^ freo . uent : The small flower heads of Thonningia san- 



parple an I white iwi u grOUnd l \ ke sma11 red stars - Vanilla crenulata, with 

 f oiia has verv VllT \ aDgS ltS ° n S stems from th e trees. Monodora tenui- 

 r «emb|i n g a lam/™ ^ Howers « coloured white and yellow, flecked with purple, 

 ™* numerous Ire 22 ' -us J owers « allh ough three inches in diameter and 

 Ending foliac'e Tn W . dlfficu,t y owin g to their resemblance to the sur- 



of Erioden f lr^ ai y P CeS the ground ma y be covered with the fallen 



^Pbidophora i s a r ° ra ° r° S u m » which is a ver ^ loft y tree. A species of 

 *? n ^lier noticed rvT°r c,lm , ber » and il seems strange that it should not have 

 plants forminp , £ J* P edunc ularis is a very common undershrub. Amongst 

 ^o«a.nda, al so p^nPf. und ergrowth may be mentioned species of Oxyanthus, 

 I)f «*0a arborea ?S 4 P H m * l ?» Lfea sambu cina, Ancistrophyllum opacum, 

 SCf***. HeisteVia sn rf lon 8 , P eta, a. Selaginella scandens, Cardiospermum 

 ^AchyranthesanrpAi r °^ ga P amculata « Oncoba echinata, species of Cya- 

 , ^tarnmecMK ' P,per umbeliatum, Dioscoreasp., and many others. 



^ yellow ~. _f! an « are numerous. Species of Costus are frequent, and have 



spike. - — 



,1; \.— ■ c oniucr afum ' rZ~"' \ cw grasses w 



C1 " r,blD 8. verv t^r* 01 ? 11 "** J a Ppacea, &c, Scleria Barteri is an extensively 



Cauru 

 Pasprt 



e. Species of Phrynium, Amomum 

 grasses were found, Panicum ovalifolium 



t erns and mosses are fairly frequent. Among 

 tens spinulifera, &c. The orchids were few and 



the fer„ ' ery scabrou 



Sj^m, Polystachva "r7m.,i A " e * M 1 low,n g ma y °e mentioned : Megaclinium 

 *EL ^^HnaceoS n^,' Pol y stach y a affi ™, Listrostachys sp., &C 

 K^^. a P lam ei Ph t l ' i I ' >ccurred - e &> Aneilema sp., Palisota 

 ^7 Dd fr °m Mansu fnl^ - f «t high with purple flowers; Pollia condensata is 

 «e colour ns « mland. The berries of this plant are of an intense metallic 



agi lculture employed by the nativeg Jn . s gitnple ^ 



The trees are cut down in the area selected for the " clearing" and the trunks 

 removed, if not too large and heavy, otherwise they are left to rot on the ground. 

 All the undergrowth is then cleared away. The moist condition of the ground 

 and foliage prevents the use of fire for this purpose. When the clearing has been 

 satisfactorily accomplished, the soil is lightly turned up, and tubers, seeds, 

 are planted. The following are generally found in cultivation : Plantains, Indian 

 corn, pineapples, sugar cane, yams, bems, ochros {Abelmoschus esculent its), 

 papaws, cassava, chillies, castor oil, egg apples, cotton, cocoanuts, and oil palms. 

 A distinction has been made locally between plantains and bananas ; the former 

 never become soft when ripe, and require cooking, while the latter can be eaten 

 raw. Very little trouble is taken to keep the land clear of weeds, consequently 

 numbers of small herbaceous plants spring up and cover the surface of the ground. 

 Growth is extremely rapid. Ginger plants grew eighteen inches in three weeks in 

 the " clearing " at Assin Yan Kumassi. 



Plantains are largely grown, and form the principal food of the inhabitants. 

 Indian corn is extensively cultivated and freely grown. Sugar cane is grown 

 in many of the villages. Pine apples are found all over the country in 

 such a way as to lead persons who have travelled far inland to believe 

 them indigenous. Cola, rubber, and gum trees grow plentifully in the forest 

 region, and are reported to be more numerous in the districts around Kumassi. 

 Palms producing "wine" and oil are to be found in most "clearings;" the 

 " wine " is obtained after the tree has been felled by applying heat to the summit, 

 the heat causing it to exude from wounds made near the base. Oil is obtained 

 from the fruits. The cocoa-nut grows as far north as Assin Yan Kumassi, and 

 the bread-fruit tree at Prahsu. The Indian Mango tree {Maitgifera indua) is 

 cultivated, but does not appear to ripen fruit. The leaves, flowers, and young 

 branches are usually injured by ants and other insects. The cola nuts in the 

 region of Assin Yan Kumassi are obtained from Cola acuminata, R. Br. These 

 trees are plentiful. The natives of this region obtain rubber from Kickxia africana. 

 Spiral grooves are cut in the bark of the tree from which the rubber flows. This 

 tree has a widespread reputation for yielding excellent rubber. Tabernsemontana 

 crassa yields, on incision of the bark or fruit, a copious supply of milky juice which 

 gives good rubber ; it also grows at Assin Yan Kumassi. Gum exudes from the 

 bark of many leguminous trees when wounded, and soon hardens on exposure to 

 the air. 



Trees producing valuable wood are in quantity ; amongst them is Carapa 

 guyanensis, which is probably the M Danta " of the natives ; the wood is hard and 

 dark. The so-called "Aman" has a white, close-grained wood; the "Ceda," 

 probably a species of Albizzia, has a red wood. A tree yielding wood called 

 "Quanta" is also utilised. The "Odoom" (Chlorophora exceha) is said to be 

 plentiful, and its . value is well known. The Cotton Tree {Bomba \ ) has a soft, 

 white wood, and is employed by the native carpenters for making canoes, stools, 

 &c. ; its brittle " cotton " is used for stuffing pillows and mattresses. The long 

 offshoots of several palms make excellent canes, and are much used for binding 

 when making huts. Bamboos grow as far inland as Fumsoo ; the African is not 

 so skilful in utilising this grass for his needs as the East Indian. Native carriers 

 take all the merchandise to the coast except timber, which is, I believe, floated 

 down the Prah river during the rainy season. The former method is very unsatis- 

 factory, being uncertain and expensive. A railway is urgently required for trade 

 purposes. 



The great prevalence of malarial fevers renders the forest region quite unfit for 

 European residence ; the intensity of these diseases is increased tenfold when the 

 soil is turned up. The portion of the main road extending from Mansu to Kumasi 

 becomes obstructed in many places by trunks and branches of trees after a tornado. 

 The force of the wind is most felt at the edge of a clearing or near the road, where 

 support, from the natural surroundings has been partly removed. The unhealthi- 

 ness of the country is a great hindrance to the employment of European agents, 

 but if a railway penetrated the forest zone, establishing a rapid means of com- 

 munication with the healthy mountainous interior, as has been done in India, it is 

 most probable that a great diminution in the death rate among Europeans would 

 be the result. Trade in the vegetable and mineral products of the country could 

 be carried on without present limitations, and the friendly commercial intercourse 

 thus established with the natives of the interior of this wealthy land would have 

 an advantageous influence on the neighbouring native States, and thus benefit the 

 Colony. 



Myosotis dissitiflora. 



In your answers to correspondents (pige 397) you say truly enough that the best 

 time to sow seed of this forget-me-not. is as soon as it is quite ripe. Then follows 

 good instructions as to cutting, drying, sowing the seeds, culture of the young 

 plants, &c, which need not be repeated. But, unfortunately, this best and most 

 beautiful of all the forget-me-nots ripens its seed one or so at a time, from the base 

 of the flowering stem upwards, and not in the manner of the wood forget-me-not, 

 Myosotis sylvatica, and others en masse. Hence the almost insuperable difficulty of 

 knowing when to cut and dry the flower stems of Myosotis dissitiflora in order to 

 reap a profitable harvest of seed. So very real and great were these difficulties in 

 practice that when I propagated this forget-me-not in thousands every year I 

 was forced to give up raising the plants from seed to any great extent, though the 

 ripe pods were picked off as soon as ripe, leaving the later blooms and perfect 

 seeds in succession for several weeks or months. < 



Your other plan is safer and surer than cutting off the flower stems. Care- 

 fully lift and transplant the forget-me-nots on a rich shady border, watering home 

 to re-establish them, with as slight a check as possible. Leave nine inches or a 

 foot between the patches, and run a hoe occasionally through the plants to pre- 

 serve a loose clean seed bed for the seeds as they ripen and sow themselves. This 

 plan will result in far more seedlings than cuttings to dry the flower or seed 



stalks all at once. . - XT . m , 



One more caution about this beautiful forget-me-not. Never purchase the seed 



without a warranty of genuineness from the seller. I have purchased it from many 

 quarters, and never once received it true, the most common substitute being 

 Myosotis sylvatica. The latter is one of our freest bloomers and seeders, while M. 

 dissitiflora, from its perpetual blooming and slow ripening of seeds, yields 

 a slow and uncertain harvest. And yet these and other sorts are often offered at 

 about the same prices. Through the sparse seeding and our very profuse use of 

 M. dissitiflora, we were compelled to propagate our thousands by cuttings and 

 stool divisions, while grateful to seeds to add thus hundreds of seedlings, the 

 latter, however, being severely rogued before being added to our general stock. 

 After blooming, all the stools that produced increase by cuttings or through division 

 were removed from decorative sites, and planted in good soil, some nine inches 

 apart in rows, with eighteen-inch spaces between them. The fresh growths were 

 rooted as cuttings when from three to five inches long, or the stools were lifted, 

 divided into single-rooted stems, or patches of three stems, and replanted at the 

 same distances, to be removed to their flowering quarters in October. D. T. F. 



