XX 
THORNS 
257 
The ekirikiti tree, Erythrina tomentosa, possesses 
formidable thorns ; for this reason as well as for its 
quick growth the Baganda use it for making hedges 
round their eompounds. It is common in Uganda and 
usually bears flowers and leaves at different seasons. 
The red flowers are exquisite, brilliant, and conspicuous 
on the bare branches. This tree is considered a charm 
among the Kavirondos, and in some tribes the bean¬ 
like seeds are used as beads for making necklaces. 
The fruit is in the form of a pod. 
The word scrub is often used to describe East 
African scenery. Scrub consists of thorny acacias with 
flat tops and white stems, which in dry weather are 
gaunt and bare-looking, like the handle and ribs of an 
inverted umbrella. Between these stunted trees the 
ground is covered with tall, dry, yellow grass. In the 
rainy season the aspect is changed. The trees are leafy 
and covered with creeping plants which burst into 
flower and, for a short time, convert the plain into a 
paradise. The courses of rivers are marked by trees 
rich in foliage and flower, standing out of an abundant 
green vegetation and haunted by all sorts of birds and 
wild animals. 
The Euphorbia illustrates modifications of vegetable 
structure adapted to thrive in countries subject to 
prolonged droughts. The Candelabra Euphorbia is 
very common in East Africa, where it may attain a 
height of thirty or even fifty feet. It has a round 
thick stalk or stem, from which oddly jointed branches 
spring and curve upwards like the arms of a cande¬ 
labrum. Each segment has four prominent ridges. In 
the rainy season flowers appear along these ridges ; they 
are sessile and alternate with the prickles. The 
segmentation of these branches resembles a scorpion’s 
tail. The branches when broken across exude an acrid, 
milky sap (latex). The Euphorhiacece possess large latex 
or milk cells. The latex contains gum resins which 
quickly coagulate on exposure to the air. Caustic 
