Hope . — The ‘ Sudd ’ of the Upper Nile. 505 
figured on Plate 27 of the work. Further on the botanists 
say : — 
‘ L’Herminiera, qui porte le nom d’Ambadj, pousse pendant 
5 ans de ses grosses racines principales, qui sont horizontales, 
placees constamment sous la surface de l’eau, et garnies de 
radicelles capillaires tres-nombreuses, ses troncs coniques qui 
atteignent souvent une hauteur de 20 a 25 pieds : pendant 
les cinq annees suivantes, ces troncs deperissent, et une nouvelle 
periode de vegetation commence a se produire.’ 
In the dry season, fires in the neighbouring jungle frequently 
reach the ‘ Ambatch,’ and thus seriously endanger the boats 
of the inhabitants. 
Herminiera elaphroxylon was first described by Guillemin, 
Perrotet, and Richard, in their Flora of Senegambia, and was 
therein figured : and it again appeared in Speke’s book, ‘ The 
Source of the Nile,’ in the botanical Appendix by Thomson. 
In Kotschy and Peyritch’s book the authors remark as 
follows : — 
‘In stagnantibus aquis ad ripas Nili et Bahr-Ghasal planta 
haec mirabilis radicibus intertextis cum quibusdam aliis plantis 
insulas format, quae ventis hue atque illuc agitantur. 
‘ Crescit in fossis Nili albi inter Schilluk insulas necnon in 
Bahr-Ghasal copiaque navigantibus impedimento est. Arabice 
Ambadj dicitur.’ 
Of Pistia stratiotes MM. Kotschy and Peyritch say that 
it is very abundant in the Bahr-Ghazal, ‘ ou il constitue des 
lies flottantes, en societe des Cypemts colymbates , des Hermi- 
niera elaphroxylon , des Nymphaea , et divers autres plantes.’ 
Besides Cyperus colymbates of Kotschy and Peyritch, Mr. 
Clarke shows another floating Cypertis of the Nile, namely, 
C. nudicaulis of Poiret, collected on the White and Gazelle 
Niles by Schweinfurth. These are small plants, with long, 
pendent roots ; but in quantity they must play a considerable 
part in the formation of ‘ Sadd.’ 
On referring to the Botanical Appendix to Speke’s work, 
‘ The Source of the Nile,’ we find in its place in the order 
Leguminosae, Herminiera elaphroxylon , Guill. and Per., 
