SKETCH OF GABOON. 
443 
penetrable. Immense runners, twisting together, dropped from 
the branches hke large cables, generally covered with parasites ; 
sometimes adhering to the parent stem, thej became themselves a 
tree, and at others, shooting across to the branches of neighbouring 
trees, seemed to connect the forest in a general link. The chmbing 
plants contributed to this entanglement, for, interlacing their ten- 
drils amongst the trees, thej enwreathed them in the most beautiful 
flowers, or dropping in festoons, formed a splendid drapery to 
the sober green of the canopy : amongst these the convolvolus cai- 
ricus was conspicuous, from its extreme variety, the flowers being 
not only of that beautiful lilac, so much esteemed in England, 
but of the brightest blue, dark brown, pale yellow, white, pink, 
buff with a purple eye, and all the shades which an opening 
flower presents from budding to decay.* I gathered a few speci- 
mens of the plants as I walked along, which may be acceptable to 
botanists. I can only lament that so many circumstances conspired 
to render my account of them imperfect; the rainj^ season, my 
slight knowledge of botany, and the absence of all instruments 
which might have enabled me to examine the very minute flowers 
which frequently presented themselves ; but I am convinced many 
new species might be discovered. I will submit a few which were 
remarkable for their different virtues, and of which drawings or 
specimens are preserved. 
The Cosa Cosa grew upon a tree about ten feet high, the flowers in 
clusters, but rarely two fully blown at the same moment, the corolla 
white, tube shaped, but cleft to the bottom, tinged at the top with 
crimson and yellow; a slightly tinged glutinous petal was fixed within 
* " Les Botanistes remarquent meme tres fr^quemment ces accidens de couleurs dans 
les pkntes venues en lieux agrestes. Je n'en citerai qu'un exemple entre mille. Sur 
les rives sauvages du Volga et du Samara, Pallas a trouve T Anemone patens charge 
de perianthes tantot bleus, tantot blancs, tantot jaunes." — Mirbel lere partie, p. 264, 
