10 
of an ornamental character; a list 
these plants is given in Appendix A. 
With this list, and the assistance of the 
labels attached to the plants, visitors 
should have no difficulty in identifying 
the various species. 
On the left of the road, on the lawn 
marked Z, a fine drooping tree is to be 
noticed. This is the gum copal [Hy- 
mencea verrucosa) affording a copal used 
in varnish. It is a native of Madagascar, 
and attains to a great size. Here also 
several plants of the Traveller’s tree 
(Ravenala speciosa), so called from the 
water contained in the sheathing leaf 
stalks, which are hollow. If these leaves 
are pierced with a spear or knife, a con- 
siderable amount of palatable water can 
be obtained from them. These trees are 
natives of Madagascar. The following 
passage occurs in Ellis’S “ Madagas- 
car »; — "This tree has been most celebra- 
ted for containing during the most arid 
« season a large quantity of pure fresh 
“water, supplying to the traveller the 
“place of wells in the desert. Having 
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I 
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