Identifier: africaitsinhabit02recl (find matches)
Title: Africa and its inhabitants
Year: 1899 (1890s)
Authors: Reclus, Elisée, 1830-1905 Keane, A. H. (Augustus Henry), 1833-1912
Subjects: Ethnology
Publisher: London : J.S. Virtue
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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borescent malvaeoie, the gigantic baobab, and the bombax. In Senegid thebaobab was first studied by Adanson, whence its botanical name of Ailamonin(Iklilata. But so early as the beginning of the sixteenth century Cadamostoalready spoke with amazement of these stui)end(ms growths, which yield the so-called monkey-bread, eaten also by man. Still largt>r and of more synmietricalform than the weird-like headless baobab is the bombax, whoso enormous aerialroots form large recesses, in which travellers take refuge for the night and wherepalavers are sometimes held. Although usually regarded as the fetish tree ina pre-eminent sense, some of the natives convert the stem into canoes of 18 or 20tons burden. The down of its fruit, too short and fragile for weaving puqwses,supplies a substitute for touchwood. The cocoa-nut, now abundant in Lower Senegal, is of comparatively recent 136 WEST AFRICA. importation, and the date-palm occurs chiefly in tlic nciglibourhood of Balcol r.ml PQ lit t o bo
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about the Falem^ confluence, which is its southern limit. The wild forest plantsyield scarcely any edible berries or nuts beyond the small red fruit of the iidcni, FAUNA OP SENEG.VL. 137 a thorny zizypTius, which flourishes on the Upper .Senegal and Falum^. InKaarta and other regions of tho interioi tho A-ino grows spoutaneousl), evenyielding a savoury grape, which, however, none but the children ever think ofgathering. The attempts to introduce! (his vine into France have failed, and evenin tho country it has l)ctn found iuipossihlc^ to graft it. )5eside.s the sjiccies already known in connncrcc, botanists mention hundreds ofwoody or grassy plants, whose seeds, roots, bark, sap, gum, foliage, or fruit mightbe turned to profitable account. One of the most remarkable is tho liarile (BmsiaFar/,ii) of tho Bakhoy, Faleme, and neighbouring districts, which has acquiredthe name of the butter-tree, from the tatty substance of its fruit, the c^ of thenatives and shea of English writers. The g

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