'Am.  Jour.  Pkarm.  > 
March,  1884.  j 
Some  African  Kolas. 
167 
describes  the  plant  as  growing  wild  in  the  moist  hot  woods  near  the  south- 
ern coast  of  Venezuela,  but  the  authors  believe  it  was  probably  introduced 
there  about  the  same  time  as  it  was  introduced  into  Martinique,  and  that 
it  was  sown  by  African  negroes,  who  brought  it  into  those  countries  in  the 
same  manner  as  they  are  known  to  have  introduced  S.  eordifolia  for  the 
sake  of  its  delicious  fruit.  It  has  also  been  introduced  successfully  by  the 
English  into  the  East  Indies,  the  Seychelles,  Ceylon,  Demerara,  Dominica, 
Mauritius,  Sidney  and  Zanzibar,  and  by  the  French  recently  at  Guadelope, 
Cayenne,  Cochin  China  and  the  Gaboon.  In  all  these  stations  the  kola  tree 
flourishes  best  in  moist  lands  at  the  sea-level,  or  a  little  above.  At  Sierra 
Leone  some  fine  trees  are  found  at  an  elevation  of  200  or  300  metres,  but 
not  higher  than  that. 
The  kola  tree  commences  to  yield  a  crop  about  its  fourth  or  fifth  year, 
but  it  is  not  until  about  its  tenth  year  that  it  is  in  full  bearing.  A  single 
tree  will  then  yield  an  average  of  120  lbs.  of  seed  annually.  The  flowering 
is  nearly  continuous  after  the  tree  reaches  maturity,  so  that  a  large  tree  bears 
flowers  and  fruit  at  the  same  time.  There  are  two  collections ;  the  June 
flowering  yielding  the  fruit  in  October  and  November,  and  that  of  Novem- 
ber and  December  in  May  and  June.  When  the  fruit  is  ripe  it  takes  a 
brownish  yellow  color.  In  this  condition  dehiscence  of  the  capsule  com- 
mences along  the  ventral  suture,  exposing  red  and  white  seeds  in  the  same 
shell.  It  is  at  this  period  that  they  are  gathered.  It  has  been  stated  that 
there  exist  two  varieties  of  kola,  one  yielding  exclusively  red  seeds  and  the 
other  white  ;  but  the  authors  have  been  repeatedly  assured  that  this  is  not 
the  case,  and  that  one  and  the  same  capsule  may  contain  fifteen  seeds  vary- 
ing considerably  in  size,  white  and  red  together,  without  the  white  being 
considered  less  ripe  than  the  red.  The  carpels  are  from  6  to  9  centimetres 
long  and  3  to  5  thick  and  the  spongy  pericarp  is  about  2  or  3  millimetres 
thick.  As  many  as  five  or  six  ripe  carpels  may  result  from  a  single  flower, 
and  these  may  each  contain  from  five  to  fifteen  seeds ;  but  sometimes  carpels 
are  met  with  containing  only  a  single  seed.  The  seeds  removed  from  their 
envelope  weigh,  according  to  their  development,  from  5  to  25  or  28  grams. 
The  epiderm  is  the  principal  site  of  the  coloring  matter,  and  beneath  it  the 
cotyledonary  tissue  consists  of  a  mass  of  cells  gorged  with  large  starch  gran- 
ules comparable  to  potato  starch.  It  is  in  these  that  the  alkaloids  caffeine 
and  theobromine  are  found  in  the  free  state. 
The  collection  is  conducted  with  great  care  and  is  made  by  women.  The 
seeds  are  removed  from  the  husk  and  freed  from  the  episperm.  In  order  to 
maintain  their  value  among  the  negroes  it  is  necessary  to  keep  them  in  a 
fit  state  and  in  good  condition.  They  are,  therefore,  carefully  picked  over, 
all  damaged  and  worm-eaten  seeds  being  removed,  and  the  sound  seeds  are 
then  placed  in  large  baskets,  made  of  bark  and  lined  with  "  bal  "  leaves 
{Sterculia  acuminata,  Car.,  or  S.  heterophylla,  Beauv.?)  ;  the  seeds  are 
heaped  up  and  then  covered  over  with  more  "  bal  "  leaves  which,  by  their 
thickness,  resistance  and  dimensions,  contribute  not  a  little  to  the  preser- 
vation of  the  seeds  by  keeping  them  from  contact  with  dry  air.  Packed  in 
this  manner  the  seeds  can  be  transported  considerable  distances,  remaining 
free  from  mould  for  about  a  month,  during  which  time  it  is  not  necessary 
to  submit  them  to  any  treatment  in  order  to  preserve  them  fresh  bej'ond 
