FLORA AND FAUNA 
33 
is found the tanghinia {T. venenifera)^ not unlike a large 
oleander. Its branches are densely clothed with bright 
green coriaceous leaves, and when cut exude a milky 
sap. The olive-green fruit, of the size of an apple, con¬ 
tains a poisonous kernel whose juice acts upon the heart, 
and in earlier times was made use of for the ordeal by 
poison. The tanghinia at one time attained a sad notor¬ 
iety in the history of the country. 
Somewhat further inland we are met by a specimen of 
the vegetable kingdom which makes a great impression on 
a stranger. This is the Ravenala of Madagascar {Urania 
speciosa)^ also called by Europeans ‘^Travellers’ Tree”. 
It is a gigantic banana, with leaves arranged like a fan; it 
seems to like dry situations and frequently grows on bare 
slopes of the hills. Here the spongy trunk attains no great 
height, the heavy clusters of fruit, separately not unlike 
the horns of an ox, are conspicuous between the leaf stalks; 
the edges of the leaves are usually torn by the wind. 
The ravenala penetrates even to the primeval forest, but 
there it acquires quite imposing dimensions. In the struggle 
for air and light with the giants of the forest the trunk 
rises to the height of from 90 to 120 feet, and at the 
same time spreads out its mighty fans, as in triumph, at 
a dizzy height above the sea of foliage. This plantain 
has been named the Travellers’ Tree because water 
always collects in the sheathing axils of the leaves, and 
these have only to be tapped in order to allay the tor¬ 
ment of thirst. To speak plainly, I cannot join in the 
enthusiastic praise that certain travellers have bestowed 
on these beneficent springs of water, for on closer 
investigation, not only are small tree-frogs found bustling 
about in them, but they also hold a marvellous collection 
of dead ants and grubs. 
In the warm moist valleys, but never in close proximity 
to the coast, the raphia palm [R, madagascariensis) forms 
isolated groups and occasionally large palm forests of 
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