leaves. It is one of the few trees that are gregarious in habit,
groups from half an acre to an acre in extent being found. The tree is
used for house-building and withstands a certain amount of fire, as it
grows at the edge of the dry-zone forest.
_Berlinia acuminata_. Red Oak. Apado (Abeokuta), Ewon Pala (Ikale),
Adugbin (Ibadan) (Yoruba); Ekpagoi (Benin); Ajia (Ibo, Asaba); Obuba
(New Calabar); Hanabali (Oban, Ekoi).
This is a common tree in all the Southern Provinces of Nigeria.
Although it is found most frequently in the evergreen forest zone, a
small, bush-like variety is also found in the open deciduous forest.
The most conspicuous features of this tree are the large foot-shaped
unripe pods; these stick out, isolated, at right angles to the general
direction of the surface of the ground—this makes them appear all the
more prominent and most odd in appearance. When the pods burst, the
large flat beans are released, and each side of the pod curls up, but
appears speckled white with round dull spots along the middle. The
flowers are white, nearly 2 inches across, with one red streak in the
centre. In the evergreen forest zone these flowers do not seem so
conspicuous, but in the dry zone the tree is covered with blossom,
making it one of the most beautiful. In the heavy forest zone the bole
reaches the length of nearly 80 feet and the girth of over 20. With
its smooth, shiny grey bark, at the first glance it is not unlike a
beech-tree. The root spurns are usually quite small, and do not extend
beyond 2 feet up the stem. The slash is white and of a yellow colour
on the inner edge. The leaves are pinnate, with one odd leaf at the
end, being usually nearly 3 inches long; the total length of the leaf
is often over 1 foot. The freshly ripened beans are almost square in
shape, flat, and nearly a quarter of an inch thick. Each side of the
pod is usually the size of an average man’s foot, and sometimes
larger; it is also not unlike it in shape, but the curve where the
instep should be is very slight. The crown is spherical and very
large, often occupying one-third of the total height of the tree. The
foliage is comparatively dense, and it is not possible to see through
the top of it. The tree loses its leaves for a very short time each
year. In the dry zone it is often not much more than a shrub, or at
most a small tree 35 feet in height.
The sapwood is white and wide. The heartwood is of a deep-red colour,
especially when freshly cut; when dry it still retains a good red
colour, and from this feature it has been termed “red” oak. The timber
saws fairly well, but splits badly; it is somewhat hard to plane it up
to a smooth surface, as it is sometimes cross-grained. The heartwood
is termite-proof; it takes nails only moderately well. It is a
moderately hard and durable wood; it does not warp very much. When the
logs are dry they will float in water. The weight of the timber is 55
pounds per cubic foot.
Considering the prevalence of the tree, natural regeneration is
poor—rodents may account, of course, for many of the beans; it sprouts
well from the stump. In the dry-zone forest region root suckers appear
too. It is a shade-bearing and soil-improving tree; it does not grow
very fast. No plantations have yet been made with this tree, though it
deserves a place in experimental plantations. It demands a good soil,
and the roots go down to a greater depth than many of the other trees.
Locally it is used as a house-building timber, and occasionally the
dried pods are used as firewood.
In 1906 sample logs of this tree were sold in the Liverpool market as
red oak at 2s. per cubic foot. It was not considered as good as Aligna
or as Erumacie. Since that date no further shipments of this timber
have been made. A further testing of the market by small trial
shipments of logs would thoroughly reveal its value as an export
timber.
_Berlinia auriculata_ (Benth.). Red Oak. Ekpagoize (Benin).
Found near the Okwo River in the Siluko sub-district of the Benin
province. It is not quite such a large species as the _B. acuminata_.
_Parkia biglobosa_. African Locust. Aridan Abatta, Irugbo Abatta Iru
(Yoruba); Ubgori, Lakobemi, Enymi (Benin); Inya (New Calabar); Ekok
(Oban, Ekoi).
It is a very common tree in the Calabar, Owerri, Warri, Benin, Ondo
(?) and Abeokuta provinces of Nigeria.
It is a large tree, with wide spreading fruit flanges. It has darker
and heavier foliage and a wider crown than _Parkia filicoidea_. It
often shows up on river banks with its light-red young leaves. It
should be easily distinguished from other similar trees of this family
by its cluster of beans, similar to French beans, when ripe. These are
yellow, and the spice-like scent and the round balls of staminate
flowers of a crushed strawberry colour are not easily forgotten. Often
only the yellow pistil is found lying on the path. It likes a damp to
wet soil, and is usually found growing at the edge of, or actually in,
freshwater swamps.
_Timber._—The wood is hardish, but is said to rot easily, though it
appears to be rather doubtful, and probably only applies to unseasoned
wood.
Natural regeneration by seed is good. The tree stands a good deal of
shade in its younger stages of growth. No other trees will grow under
it, and few can stand any or much of its shade.
_European Use._—It has not so far been used by Europeans for export or
local use.
_Native Use._—The seeds are cooked and eaten to some extent by the
Yorubas and Benin people.
_Parkia filicoidea_. African Locust. Irugba (Yoruba name for fruit);
Igba the tree (Yoruba); Gumui (Mendi); Olibracha (Egba) (Yoruba).
This is a common tree in Abeokuta, Oyo, Benin, and Ogoja provinces of
Nigeria. It is found in the deciduous forests. It reaches a height of
over 60 feet, with a girth of 5 feet. One of the most distinguishing
features of this tree are the very feathery leaves, which appear after
the flowers. The large spherical balls of the red staminate flowers
enliven the tree in the early part of the year; later in the year
masses of pods, each about 9 inches long, hang down from the ends of
the twigs. The base of the bole is often gnarled, partly with the
slight root flanges and by the almost continual cutting of the bark by
the natives. Normally the bark is brown and comparatively smooth. The
bole is short, dividing about 20 feet from the ground into a large
number of small branches. On the whole, as the tree advances in age
the branches tend to become pendulous. The crown, spherical in shape,
is inclined to be irregularly broken up—partly by the different length
of the branches.
The sapwood is white and the heartwood a dull-brown colour; for the
size of the tree the sapwood is wide. It saws indifferently well,
splits badly; it is hard to plane; it is said to be termite-proof. The
wood is hard and tough.
The tree is a light-loving but not soil-improving species, except in
so far as the root globules take up nitrogen and free it for the use
of other plants. Naturally, generation is none too good. Root suckers
appear to some extent; it sprouts most readily from the stump. Perhaps
the lack of young self-sown seedlings is due to the fact that the
seeds are largely used by the natives. In a few places small
plantations have been made with this tree. It is very fire-resisting,
and apparently the fruit-bearing capacity of the tree is not reduced
to any extent by the prevalence of the annual grass-fires in the
localities where it is found. During the whole of its life it is a
slow-growing tree.
The yellow pulp in the pods is eaten by the natives. The bark at the
base of the tree is chipped off and used for making a tonic when
infused with water. The tree is occasionally used locally as a house-
building timber; for this purpose it is used chiefly as uprights in
the main buildings.
The timber has not been tried for export, and it is doubtful whether
its size warrants its use for this purpose.
_Tetrapleura Thonningii_. Angular Pod. Aridan (Yoruba); Igmikkia
(fruit), Ikhememi (tree) (Benin); Osshosha (Ibo, Asaba).
The dark-green feathery foliage on its oval crown is very typical of
this tree, especially when it is found near a roadside in the mixed
forests. It is also often found on river banks at the edge of the dry
zone or in other parts of the mixed forests. The indehiscent pods with
four edges, leaving practically no centre, are most typical of the
tree; they are shiny and have a peculiar medicinal smell. The fruit is
known as Igmikkia, by which name the tree is most usually called by
Europeans, in the Benin country.
The tree is prevalent in the Abeokuta, Ondo, Oyo, Benin, Onitsha,
Owerri, Calabar and Ogoja provinces of Nigeria.
It is a shade-bearer and thoroughly protects the ground all the year
round, except for about two weeks when the leaves fall. Natural
regeneration does not appear to be good, seedlings being rarely found,
and no plantations have been made with it, though if of more value it
might be mixed with teak. The seeds always command a ready sale at a
low price.
The wood is hard, brown, and splits badly. No use has yet been found
for it. It is sometimes cross-grained, the sapwood white.
The natives use the timber for making doors, window-frames and
benches. The seeds are sold in the Yoruba, Benin and Ibo markets; they
are cooked for soup, which acts as a slight aperient or is of other
medicinal value.
_Millettia Thonningii_ (Baker). Ito (Yoruba); Ebakwe (Benin).
It is found in the Benin and Abeokuta provinces of Nigeria. It is a
small tree really, reaching a girth of only 4 feet, with a short bole
and a few somewhat slender and drooping branches. The twigs and new
leaves are distinctly of weeping habit. In February, in the mixed
forest, the bare tree shows up with its beautiful clusters of lilac-
coloured, pea-shaped flowers, and later in delicate contrast to the
fresh, light-green leaves. The trunk is usually not quite straight,
being bent about 8 or 10 feet from the ground. The bark is smooth,
thin, and almost of a silvery-grey colour. The branches are very
whippy and difficult to break.
_Timber._—The wide sapwood is white and the narrow heartwood green-
brown when freshly cut. It is very hard, of fine grain and texture,
and planes with a smooth surface. It does not split; is very rough and
flexible.
It is a shade-bearer and grows slowly. The fruit is a small black and
pointed pod which opens when ripe, having about three or four beans
inside. It is easily killed by fire, but sprouts freely from the
stool. It does not crack nor warp.
It has not been exported nor cut for local use, but it should be a
good wood for turnery.
_Native Use._—It is used for knives and axe-handles.
[Illustration: FIG. 61.—=Base of Bilinga (Afzelia Africana), 14 feet in
girth, Dajopa Forest Reserve Olokemeji Reserve.=]
[Illustration: FIG. 62.—=Shea Butter (Butyrospermum Parkii), 7 feet in
girth, near Oniloku Road, Olokemeji Reserve.=]
[Illustration: FIG. 63.—=Afara (Terminalia superba), base of mature tree
over 12 feet in girth, Olokemeji Reserve.=]
[Illustration: FIG. 64.—=Afzelia Africana, 14 feet in girth, showing
bole and usual fork, Ijaiye Range, Dajopa, Olokemeji Forest Reserve.=]
To face p. 284.
_Cynometra Afzelii_. Waterside Cynometra. Akushunmajadin, Alade
(Ikale); Iku (seeds), Aka, Eggi (Yoruba); Ogabezzi, Ogikiomi Upakeka
(Benin).
It is a common tree in the Benin province of Nigeria. On the whole it
is smaller than _C. Mannii_, though it has a similar habit. It grows,
too, in similar localities, though for the most part it is confined to
the evergreen forest zone. It also grows more or less in gregarious
groups. The shade of this species is just as dense, if not denser than
that of the foregoing. The leaf of the Cynometra is distinguishable
from most other leaves because the mid-rib of it is placed towards the
inner or almost straight-sided edge of the leaf. In fact, if two
leaves are held closely together, they almost look as if they were one
which had been cut in half. Benin natives have no use for this tree
except as firewood.
_Cynometra Mannii_. Waterside Cynometra. Ekkun (Yoruba).
It is a common tree on the banks of streams in the Ibadan and Abeokuta
provinces of Nigeria. One of the most characteristic features of this
tree is the pinkish-red colour of the fresh leaves, hanging at the
ends of the drooping branches. In November each year the large,
corrugated, single bean in each almost indehiscent pod is another
curious feature of this tree. The trunk is usually short—in fact,
often divided into three or four separate stems, almost at the base.
Narrow fringes consisting almost entirely of this species are found on
river banks. The dense shade cast by this tree prevents any other
species from growing underneath. The timber is hard and difficult to
split, and apparently it is not attacked by white ants. The tree is a
shade-bearer. Natural reproduction from the seed is good, it being
distributed often by water. It also sprouts from the stump. A few root
shoots also appear. The tree has not been cut for local use nor has it
been used for export. The natives use the wood for making posts and
doors.
_Cylicodiscus Gabunensis_. African Greenheart. Osho, Aja, Iji (Il.),
Ajaigi (Yoruba); Okan (Benin).
_Distribution._—In the Abeokuta, Ondo, Benin, Warri, Owerri, Calabar
provinces of Nigeria.
_Chief Characteristics._—It is a very large tree of the evergreen
forest zone, attaining a height of 200 feet and a girth of 30 feet. It
is armed in its earlier growth up to the pole stage, when all the
brown thorns disappear. Its long, brown pods, up to 3 feet long and 1½
inches wide, opening from one side only, with their long, thin, papery
seeds, are most typical of the tree.
Compared to its size the bark is thin, and in old age it is inclined
to scale off in small pieces. In the distance it looks practically
smooth. This is one of the most gigantic and impressive trees of the
forest, with its enormous bole stretching cylindrically up amongst and
over the other trees, with a large, widespreading, somewhat flatly
shaped spherical crown. The leaves are pinnate, with three of four
pairs of little ovate pinnæ, with one odd one at the end. The flowers
are minute, forming little, thin, knitting-needle-thick spikes of
yellow bloom. These last only a few days, and only once in thirteen
years have I seen the flower. The tree and pod are unmistakable, even
when it is a large one. The numerous brown pods hang down amongst the
foliage and appear to be much longer than those of any other
Leguminous tree. This feature alone distinguishes it from any similar
species. The bole divides up into a few large limbs and many small
branches, making the foliage lighter and thinner than many other
Leguminous trees, but not so thin as that of _Piptadenia Africana_.
The root spurns are very slight and rounded, merging into the bole of
the tree 1 foot to 3 feet above the surface of the ground. At the base
of the bole the bark is sometimes cut off by the natives for “Ju-ju”
purposes, and then an additional swelling appears there.
The sapwood is white and narrow, the heartwood greenish-brown when
fresh, and yellowish-brown after it has lain in the forest for a few
years. It is very hard—in fact, one of the very hardest of African
timbers. Under cover it is very durable. In the open it does not last
so long. It is termite-proof. The sapwood, however, rots in the open,
and the heartwood softens very considerably. It is somewhat fibrous,
but it planes up well, with a smooth surface. It does not take nails,
saws well, and splits moderately well. It has considerable elasticity.
It makes a very hot-burning firewood, but is inclined to crackle and
make sparks.
It is a moderately fast-growing, shade-bearing, soil-protecting and
soil-improving tree. Natural regeneration appears to be fair, but the
seeds are often eaten by little boring insects, soon after they fall
to the ground. It appears to be rather exacting as to soil, liking a
deep, moist loam sand with good drainage. It is scarcely a fire-
resisting tree, but very storm firm—in fact, one of the safest trees.
In 1906 sample logs of this tree were sold in the Liverpool market as
African Greenheart at 1s. 8d. per cubic foot, and were stated to be
good greenheart. Since then none has been cut or shipped to England.
With the exception of its use for verandah-posts for a public building
in Benin city, it has not been cut or sawn up in planks for local use.
Considering the comparatively large quantity available, it deserves a
fair trial both for export and local use, more especially for heavy
constructional work, such as bridges, piles, uprights.
Amongst the Benis it is sometimes a “Ju-ju” tree, and is said to
impart strength.
_Leptoderris_.
Owerri province of Nigeria. It is a medium-sized tree found growing
near the Imo River, but not very common. It has a hard wood.
_Baphia nitida_ (Afz.). Awenu or Irosun. Borri Borri (Yoruba); Otwa
(Benin); Ubara (Efik).
Is a small tree, which is usually found near villages, being left by
the natives when land is cleared. The white flowers are almost of pea
shape. It has a small leaf, and does not usually get any larger than
about four inches in diameter.
It is found in the Ondo, Abeokuta, Benin and Calabar provinces of
Nigeria.
The real Camwood of commerce.
It is very slow-growing, and is not a hard wood, with dark-red
heartwood of small size in proportion to the size of tree. It forms
late, too. If the stem is wounded, even the sapwood becomes a rich red
colour like the heartwood.
The probable origin of the word “Camwood” is taken from the Timani
name, Cam, of the _Baphia nitida_ tree in Sierra Leone. From another
point of view this is all the more interesting, as the original
exports of Camwood were made from Sierra Leone in the early part of
the nineteenth century, and this name “Cam” brings together the tree
from which the Camwood is obtained and the tree botanically known as
_Baphia nitida_.
_Native Use._—A piece of the wood and a leaf are placed on the ground
where a woman has borne a child, whether it be on a road or in the
house. Not used in Benin as a dyewood.
_Baphia polygalacea_. Walking-stick Camwood. Asana, Ossusu (Yoruba);
Aswen (Benin); Mbomokuku (Efik).
It is found in the Abeokuta, Benin and Calabar provinces of Nigeria.
A small tree of typical Baphia habit, which is common in parts of the
Benin district of the same named province. It has considerable
elasticity, though it dries rather hard and does not give much in that
state. It is a rather slow-growing tree, which lights the shade of the
forest, and is also a soil-protecting and soil-improving tree. Natural
regeneration appears to be good in several places. It sprouts slightly
from the stump, when felled. No plantations have yet been made with
this tree. The walking-sticks have not been exported to England for
trial in the market.
The curiously shaped single root, sticking out almost at right angles
to the stem, makes a good walking-stick; it is curved as well
slightly, too. When the bark is peeled off and the stem partially
charred, it looks very effective.
_Baphia pubescens_. Benin Camwood. Awewi (Lagos) (Yoruba); Ositwa
(Benin).
It is a small tree, 30 feet high and 3 feet in girth, with usually
half the bole sapwood white, and dark-red heartwood, which is hard and
close-grained. The flowers are white, with yellow tips to the two
petals. It is often seen just outside villages, or where two paths
meet.
_Native Use._—It is not used for dye, though apparently the wood is
just as suitable as _B. nitida_.
_Baphia sp._ Camwood. Mogbara (Yoruba, Ikale); Owe, Aswen (Benin).
It has also been determined as _Carpolobia lutea_, and as one of the
Oleaceæ.
It is a shrub with a stem of about 4 feet in height. The fruit is a
small nut containing three small kernels. The wood is very hard.
_Native Use._—The seeds are eaten.
_Macrolobium palisoti_. Ogaba (Benin); Nya (Efik).
It is a common tree of the Abeokuta, Ibadan, Ondo, Warri, Benin,
Owarri and Calabar provinces of Nigeria. It only reaches a girth of
about 2 feet and a height of 20 feet. The leaf has two pairs of pinnæ,
with one end leaflet. The small pod containing two or three flat seeds
is most typical of this tree; the seeds are ¾ inch in diameter and of
a dark-brown colour; the flowers are white; the timber is cross-
grained and rather hard; the sapwood is white and the heartwood of a
dark brown. The tree is a shade-bearer, soil-protecting and improving.
It is usually found amongst the undergrowth in the thicker parts of
the evergreen forest zone. Natural regeneration is usually good. The
wood is used locally in the Yoruba and Benin country for posts; it has
not been sawn up for planks, nor has it been exported to England.
_Macrolobium stipulaceæ_.
It was stated it was found in the Calabar province.
_Nr. Macrolobium sp._ Ogabeszi (Benin).
It is found in the Benin province of Nigeria. It is a small tree of
the evergreen forest zone. The foliage is very dense. The tree has a
short bole of about 15 feet, and the crown is much branched; the pod
is rather larger than _Macrolobium palisoti_. According to the
natives, this is the “Ogaba” of the waterside. The timber has not been
exported to Europe, nor do the natives use this somewhat hard wood to
any extent.
_Dialium Guineense_. Pulley Wood, Velvet Tamarind. Awin (Ib.) (Yoruba);
Ohiorme (Benin); Amoyin (Egba).
It is found in the Ibadan, Abeokuta, Benin, Calabar and Ogoja
provinces of Nigeria. In the mixed deciduous forests it is very
prevalent in certain localities. Of medium size, it rarely exceeds a
girth of 5 feet. Where found, it often comprises over 10 per cent. of
the standing stock of the forest.
The wood is used for small boats in Senegal. It exudes a red-coloured
sap in small quantities.
The fruit, with its flat and round, velvety little pods, is most
typical of this tree. These are of a very dark chocolate colour, and
in the distance appear almost black. The bole is usually silver-grey.
The slash is light-red, and the reddish, latex-like substance exudes
when the bark is cut. The crown is dense and compressed, being mainly
made up of a number of small branches. In proportion the leaves are
small and make a very dense foliage. The rusty-red slashing marks, or
other marks caused by damage to the trunk of the tree, show up most
distinctively, especially against the grey surface of the cortex, are
one of the most distinguishing features of this tree.
The sapwood is white, the heartwood is dull-red, rather larger in
proportion than we should suspect, compared with the size of the tree.
It is hard and tough, and does not split well. It planes up, however,
with a smooth surface, is very durable and termite-proof. It does not
take nails well, but saws fairly easily.
It is a somewhat slow-growing, shade-bearing, soil-protecting and
soil-improving tree. Natural regeneration appears to be good. It
appears to be a little exacting in regard to soil. It is slightly
fire-resisting, chiefly, perhaps, owing to the fact that few weeds or
grass grow in its shade. No plantations have been made of this tree.
It bears a good crop of fruit almost every year.
It has not been felled for export, nor has the timber been sawn up for
local use. It was formerly used in the Congo for pulley-blocks, for
which purpose it is said to be admirably suited. Amongst the natives
it is sometimes used for house-building.
_Nr. Newtonia_. Boji Albizzia or Giant Pod.
It is rather an uncommon tree of the Boji Hills forest; the enormous
flat, papery pod makes it easily distinguishable from any other tree.
The pod is about 15 inches long and 9 inches wide, with a slight
depression in the middle of one side.
_Pithycolobium altissimum_. Bent Pod or Gambia Pod.
It is a medium-sized tree, found at the edge of swamps near the sea
coast in the evergreen forest zone. It appears to stand a waterlogged
soil.
The pods are used for tanning hides and making ink (Moloney). It has
curious semicircular pods, which are typical of the tree, containing
eight to ten seeds.
_Afzelia sp._ Waterside Ekpagoize. Ekpagoize (Benin).
It is found in the Benin province of Nigeria. It is a medium-sized
tree, reaching a girth of 7 feet and a bole length of 40 feet.
This tree has often been confused botanically with _Berlinia
acuminata_, but it is undoubtedly an Afzelia. The flowers are of a
reddish colour and very pretty; the foliage is not quite so heavy as
that of the other Afzelias; the pod is rather smaller than that of
either _Afzelia Africana_ or _Afzelia cuanzensis_. The wood is a
reddish-brown colour, a little cross-grained, but more durable than
the other Afzelias. It does not split well, and can only be planed
with difficulty; the grain is very coarse and fibrous. Samples of this
timber have been shipped to England and sold as red oak. The natives
scarcely ever use the wood, partly because the tree is not very
prevalent.
_Afzelia cuanzensis_. Bilinga, Red-arilled Afzelia. Aiyo (Yoruba);
Aligna (Benin); Igbin (Brass); Onuru, Oshoshi (Ibo, Owerri); Mbarakun
(Oban, Ekoi).
It is found in the Benin, Ondo, Abeokuta, Calabar, Owerri and Ogoja
provinces of Nigeria.
It is a medium-sized tree, with a pod, which is usually slightly
crumpled or bent, containing about six or eight black nuts, with a red
aril at the base, and each nut is pointed more, and less rounded, than
in _A. Africana_. On the whole it is found more in the deciduous mixed
forest than on the edge or in the dry-zone forest region, where _A.
Africana_ abounds. The bark does not scale oft so much as that of _A.
Africana_. It stands more shade than _A. Africana_. It does not reach
such large dimensions, though logs up to 18 inches square and 24 feet
in length could be obtained.
Up to the present the tree has not been cut to the same extent as _A.
Africana_, though the wood is very similar and apparently just as
durable.
No separate report has been made on the timber as to its value in the
European markets.
_Afzelia bella_. Calabar Afzelia. Aligna (Benin).
It is found in the Calabar province of Nigeria. It is more common in
the Cameroons.
It is a small tree, with large white flowers with a pretty, reddish
streak in each petal. The pod is of usual Afzelia size and appears
rather large for the size of the tree. The type specimen stands on the
Calabar Golf Course, between the seventh and eighth holes. It is
apparently uncommon, though more may be found on closer study of the
forests. The fruits appear to have the same qualities as those of
other Afzelias. In Nigeria it has so far not been utilized. The bark
is not so scaly as that of _A. Africana_.
_Afzelia pachyloba_ (_nov. sp._). Forest Afzelia or Yellow Aril. Apa
(Yoruba); Orodo (Benin).
It is a medium-sized tree, with long, pointed nuts with a bright
sulphur-coloured aril instead of the orange-colour of Africana or red
of Cuanzensis. It does not appear to be such a common tree as _A.
Africana_, but much the same number of trees as that of _A.
cuanzensis_.
It is found in the evergreen forests of Ondo, Benin and Abeokuta
provinces of Nigeria.
The sapwood is white and the heartwood is brown. It is very hard,
almost as hard as Lophira, according to the natives. Self-sown
seedlings do not appear in large numbers.
It is used for similar purposes as _A. Africana_. It is a shade-
bearing and soil-improving tree.
No separate report has been made on the timber, and so far it has not
been exported to the English markets.
This may be the tree which yielded the so-called teak in the Benin
forests some years ago, and fetched a price of 5d. per foot
superficial.
The bark scales off in a similar way to _Afzelia Africana_.
_Afzelia bracteata_ (T. Vogel). Benin Bilinga. Ekpagoize (Benin).
It has a red flower, is found in the Benin province, but is apparently
rather rare.
The Benin name indicates that it is the Ekpagoi or Berlinia of the
waterside. It is usually found near or on the bank of a stream. It is
a large tree, which is otherwise similar to the other Afzelias.
The natives have apparently not tried it for building purposes.
_Afzelia Africana_. Yoruba Bilinga. Apa (Yoruba); Olokokima, Aligna
(Benin); Ayibukpo (Efik); Adja, Arachi (Asaba Ibo).
_Trade Name._—Bilinga, similar wood from the French Congo, so named
for some years.
It is found in the Abeokuta, Ibadan, Ondo, Benin, Owerri, Onitsha and
Ogoja provinces of Nigeria.
The round, orange-coloured aril at the base of the black nut is
typical of this tree. It sometimes has a reddish tinge, but it is
always round and completely surrounds the base of the nut, in
contradistinction to _A. cuanzensis_, in which the aril is red and
pointed and much thinner in build.
The spherically-shaped crown with its flattish top is most typical of
this tree. The largish leaves and the paucity of their number make the
foliage open, so that daylight can be seen through it. In the distance
it appears dense.
The sapwood is white, and the heartwood a rich oak-brown colour. It is
one of the most durable West African timbers. It planes well and can
be worked up with a good finish. It does not split well. It is
obtainable in logs up to 30 inches square and 30 feet in length.
Though slow in growth it would average that of many European trees. It
stands a good deal of shade in its youth, but it is really more of a
light lover than a shade-bearer. Self-sown seedlings are few;
apparently rodents eat them. In a similar way it is difficult to make
a plantation, many being eaten or dying in the transplanting. One of
the most successful methods evolved is that of sowing seeds in lines
about 4 feet apart; a large number then come up and provide ample for
a crop on the same land. They are not transplanted. When of middle age
it will stand fire and the shade of the tree keeps the ground moist.
It is a soil-protecting and soil-improving tree; good crops of seeds
are borne almost every year. The flowers are reddish, with white edges
to the petals. The reddish tinge is quite distinctive in this genus,
the white being that of Berlinia.
The bark drops off in large scales in places on the trunk towards
middle and old age, in a similar fashion to the European plane.
However, they do not leave the stem as smooth, though the lighter
patches where the bark falls off brighten the bole up and make it
quite distinctive amongst the other trees.
The timber has been constantly used by the P.W.D. at Onitsha. In the
Liverpool market it was stated that it might be marketable as oak, at
a low figure, in 1906. A similar species was being shipped from Gaboon
in 1914 and fetched a fair price.
_Albizzia fastigiata_ (Oliv.). East Indian Walnut. Ayinre langara,
Ayinre ogo (Eg.) (Yoruba); Uwowe Lugu, Uwowelabafun (Benin); Uyat
(Efik).
It is a large tree, up to 7 feet in girth and of corresponding height.
Fruit narrower than _A. sp._; only half an inch, with four or five
seeds in each. This species has the most durable wood of all the
Albizzias, but is not termite-proof, and has heartwood of a brown
colour and white sapwood. The smallest leaf of all the Albizzias is
met with in this tree, having very fine pinnæ.
Although not indigenous to Africa, it is now found almost everywhere
in all the mixed deciduous forests of the Southern Provinces of
Nigeria. The bark is rather rougher than that of _A. Brownii_. The
basal root spurns are narrower, though they do not project more than 2
feet up the stem. On the whole the foliage is thicker, and the crown
gives the appearance of being a little denser and not so feathery as
that of _A. Brownii_.
The wood planes well, splits fairly easily, takes nails and saws well.
It is what the carpenters would call a wood easy to work. The grain is
of fine texture and has a certain amount of lustre.
It is a fast-growing, light-loving tree, which does not protect the
soil. The leaves, however, form a rich humus, which enriches the soil.
Natural regeneration appears to be good, and with the spread of farms
this tree tends to increase its area of distribution. It will stand a
little shade in its youth. A few plantations have been made with this
tree.
Up to the present the timber has not been exported, but deserves a
trial as an African Walnut, though it is difficult to obtain large-
sized logs. It has occasionally been cut for local use. It is used by
the natives for firewood, and occasionally, when split, for temporary
house-building in the farms.
_Albizzia Brownii_. African Walnut. Ayinre, Ayinre Bona Bona (Yoruba);
Owewe nolemare, Ikpawudu (Benin).
It is a large tree, up to 7 feet in girth, with wide fruit 2 inches
across, containing four or five seeds. There are three or four pairs
of pinnæ to each leaf, which is the largest of all the Albizzia
leaves. The heartwood is more like walnut in colour, though of course
softer and with more open grain. It could no doubt, however, be used
as a substitute for walnut.
It is a common tree in the mixed deciduous forests of the Abeokuta,
Ibadan, Benin, Owerri, and Ogoja provinces, where it is tending to
widen its area of distribution with the spread of cultivation.
The fruit is very papery and almost transparent. It is rather larger
than _Albizzia sp._, Shemusholoshi, but of about the same length. Its
smooth, almost orange-coloured bark in the earlier stages is almost
typical of the tree. As it gets older, a somewhat more corky bark
forms in large scales which can be stripped off. The lop-sided shape
of the pinnæ is very typical of the tree, making the leaves look
almost like those of a true Gum Copal. The main vein is near the
straighter side of the leaf.
The sapwood is white and the heartwood a mahogany brown. It has rather
an open grain, but a good deal of lustre, and is easily worked. It
planes well and takes nails easily. It splits fairly well and saws
quite easily. It is not quite so durable as _A. fastigiata_, but it is
more durable than the other Albizzias, except _A. sp._, Shemusholoshi.
It is not termite-proof. It has considerable tensile strength compared
to the other species, and a certain amount of elasticity.
It is the fastest growing of all the Albizzias and a light-loving
tree. It scarcely protects the soil, but the leaf fall makes a good
humus. It stands a little shade in its youth. Natural regeneration is
very prolific. No plantations have been made with this tree. It
appears to be a little more exacting as to soil than the other
Albizzias, but will grow on almost any soil.
The timber has not been exported, but deserves a trial as a substitute
for walnut. Owing to the fact that there are considerable supplies,
and that it reaches a size to produce logs of the requisite
dimensions, it appears to offer some possibilities as an export wood.
Locally it has often been used for cutting up into planks, and is
liked among the Yorubas for this purpose. In other places it has been
used as a house-building wood, as well as for firewood. It has also
been used for making beams, planks and doors. The roots, leaves and
bark have been used amongst the Yorubas for medicinal purposes.
[Illustration: FIG. 65.—=Khaya Ivoriensis, 14 feet 8 inches in girth,
Ilaro Forest Reserve.=]
[Illustration: FIG. 66.—=Iroko (Chlorophora excelsa), 8 feet in girth,
standing in Ilaro Forest Reserve after forest was cleared.=]
To face p. 294.
_Albizzia sp._ Walnut. Owewe nolemare (Benin); Ayinre (Yoruba);
Semusholoshi (Jebu); Akkihien, also Owewe lagebon (Benin).
According to Mr. H. N. Thompson, Chief Conservator of Forests in
Nigeria, who has seen the fruit of this tree, it is most certainly an
Albizzia.
_Chief Characteristics._—It has been described by a German as not
unlike a solitary-standing pine, with its dark foliage of small
pinnate leaves, which are larger than _Piptadenia Africana_ and yet
smaller than _Cylicodiscus Gabunensis_. In the above description it is
very similar in habit to _Piptadenia Kerstingii_. The dark brown bark,
which is roughish, is light-brown on the upper part of the stem. The
crown is flat, consisting of two or three wide, outspreading branches.
It has the usual flat, papery pod. The leaves are used by the Benin
people for soup.
_Distribution._—It is found in the Abeokuta province of Nigeria.
_Timber._—It is fairly close-grained, though not nearly so hard as
either _Piptadenia Africana_ or _Cylicodiscus Gabunensis_.
_Use._—The Yorubas use the bark medicinally as a stomachic, and the
trunk is usually swollen at the base owing to the cortex being removed
so often.
_Albizzia rhombifolia_. Walnut. Ayinre, Ayinre langara, Ayinre ogo
(Yoruba); Owowe (Benin).
It is found in the Ibadan and Benin provinces of Nigeria, in the mixed
deciduous forests, where it is quite prevalent. It is a medium-sized
tree, attaining a girth of about 6 feet and a bole length of 30 feet.
It is commonly seen in old farms, and usually more than one is found
in the same locality. The thin, yellow, spiky flowers are rather
pretty. The fruit is rather smaller than that of the other species.
The sapwood is white, and the heartwood is a light yellow-green. It is
soft and not very durable; it is attacked by white ants (termites).
However, it saws well, planes well, takes nails easily and splits
moderately well. It can be cut into good-sized planks.
Timber, yellowish-green, and yields large planks.
It is a fast-growing, light-loving tree, which scarcely protects the
soil, and only slightly improves it with its leaf fall. Natural
regeneration is good, the seedlings growing up rapidly in any open
place in the mixed deciduous forests.
The timber has not been tried for export, nor has it been used to any
extent for local use. It deserves a further trial both as an export
wood and as a wood for local floor-boards. Its qualities are far from
properly known.
Among the natives it is used as firewood.
_Albizzia sp._ Walnut. Ayinre Ayinre, Ayinretta (Yoruba); Ikpawudu,
Owawelugu (Benin).
It is a large tree, up to 6 feet in girth. It has rather narrower
pinnæ, but of similar round shape to _A. Brownii_.
It is a common tree of the mixed deciduous forests in the Abeokuta,
Ibadan, Ondo, Benin, Onitsha, Owerri and Ogoja provinces of Nigeria.
The root spurns are very small. The bark gets rougher than that of _A.
Brownii_ in old age, the crown is longer and more feathery, and the
leaves appear to be more of a silvery green.
The sapwood is white and the heartwood is of a yellowish-brown colour,
tending to become a light brown when exposed to the air. It is
comparatively soft; is not termite-proof. It is easy to work, planing
and sawing well, and taking nails easily and splitting fairly well. It
is, however, less durable than _A. Brownii_ or _fastigiata_. When
split and dried it is more durable than when cut up in the ordinary
way. The wood hardens very considerably on exposure to the sun.
It is a light-loving, fast-growing tree. It scarcely protects the
soil, but the leaf fall enriches it. Natural regeneration appears to
be good. It tends to spread with the increase of farms, more
especially on the poorer laterite soils. A few plantations have been
made with this tree. The volume of produce per acre is less than in
the case of _A. Brownii_, but apparently greater than any of the
others. It is less rapidly growing than _A. Brownii_, but faster than
the others.
The timber has not been used for export, and it is doubtful if it
would repay the cost. Locally it has been used for planks, but it is
not liked so much as that of _A. Brownii_ or _fastigiata_. By the
local people it is used for firewood, and occasionally for building
temporary houses.
_Anglocalyx ramiflorus_ (Taub). Ekiyawa (Benin).
It is a large tree, attaining a girth of 8 feet, but the trunk is not
over-long in proportion. It is a shade-bearing, soil-protecting and
soil-improving tree. The bark is a dark olive-green and smooth. It is
found in the Benin province of Nigeria. Natural regeneration appears
to be poor. The wood is yellowish-brown and floats when quite dry. The
timber was valued at nothing in 1906 and stated to be a whitewood in
the Liverpool market.
_Native Use._—None.
_Ostryoderris impressa_. White Oak. Awaw or Erumacie (Yoruba); Ori,
Ehrurumesi, Erurunuesi, Awaw, (Usshin) (Benin).
It is a common tree in the Calabar, Ogoja, Benin, Owerri and Abeokuta
provinces of Nigeria. To be seen along the Benin-Siluku Road, as also
in the Badagry district on the Ayobo-Osuke Road.
It is a straight-boled, tall tree, with flattish crown made up of few
straight branches with large pinnate leaves, making it appear flatter
than it really is. The bark is slightly scaly with fine fissures. The
slash is red, exuding a red latex. It reaches a height of 150 feet
with a girth of 12 feet. The white, papery, pointed, flat, lozenge-
shaped fruit, with a small kidney-shaped seed attached to the centre
of the surface of one side, is most typical of the tree. The spurns
are almost non-existent, so that the tree can be felled near the
ground without trouble.
The timber is white in the sap and brown-white in the heartwood, but
not over-hard, very tough and not splitting easily. It is hard to
fell, being very flexible. It planes moderately well. The colour
darkens with age.
It is a light-loving tree after the first few years. It grows
moderately rapidly. It is a soil-improving and covering tree. Natural
regeneration appears poor, though many seeds are usually seen on the
ground. Insects appear to eat them rapidly. No plantations have been
made with this tree, but experiments would show whether it grows well
from seed.
In 1906 a sample log was exported and sold in the Liverpool market as
white oak at 2s. per cubic foot, and it was recommended for shipment
by the brokers.
_Native Use._—It is used as posts for frames on which yams are tied in
the Benin farms. In temporary houses, small trees are trimmed and
squared for the forming of the walls, instead of dried mud.
_Dalbergia saxatilis_. West African Blackwood (?). Awow (Benin).
It is a small tree of the mixed deciduous forest of Benin; it is
occasionally used by the natives for hoe and axe handles.
_Dalbergia sp._ West African Blackwood. Emosobegan, Paran (Yoruba).
Found in the Olokemeji Reserve.
_Dalbergia sp._ North Benin Blackwood.
This is found near Aroko, in the Onitsha province, and near Ishoka, in
the Benin province. It is a small tree with very hard wood. In habit
very similar to _Ormosia laxiflora_, with its orange-coloured bark,
which is rougher than _O. laxiflora_ and not so scaly. The wood is
used for axe and hoe handles by the natives.
_Dalbergia hostilis_ (Benth.). Yoruba Blackwood. Ogan Oga (Yoruba).
This Dalbergia is fairly common in the Olokemeji Reserve, in the
Abeokuta province of Nigeria.
_Copaifera sp._ True Benin Gum Copal.
This tree is found near the Uhi, close to the source of the Ossiomo
River, Benin province. This apparently is rather an uncommon tree. The
Benin natives do not know how to tap the tree for gum, nor how to use
the gum.
_Cf. Copaifera_. Enyenewu. Enyenewu (Yoruba).
Found in the Yoruba country.
_Copaifera sp._ Boji Hills Copaifera.
So far it has not been tapped for the gum, the local people apparently
not knowing its value.
_Bauhinia rufescens_ (Kew).
Found in the Oyo province.
_Bauhinia reticulata_ (D.C.). Dry-zone Bauhinia. Abafe (Yoruba).
This Bauhinia grows in dry, open country. It is a small, spreading
tree bearing white flowers.
_Uses._—The fibrous bark is used for tying, and an infusion from the
leaves is used in coagulating rubber latex. The stem is occasionally
used for making house-posts. It is a fire-resisting tree and shades
the soil.
_Bauhinia Thonningii_ (Schum.).
This is a small shrub-like tree of the upper part of the Benin
province of Nigeria. It is found near Agbede. It has red flowers. The
sap of this tree has sometimes been used for coagulating rubber.
_Physostigma venosum_. Calabar Bean or Ordeal Bean. Eseri (Efik).
It is found growing in the Calabar district. The seed is poisonous;
used in ordeals and medicinally.
The most noticeable feature is the furrow (about ⅛ inch wide and deep)
in the upper side of the bean. None of the closely allied Mimosa
species show this peculiarity.
_Entada scandens_. Sword Bean, Match-box Bean, Mackay Bean. Kakoba,
Akhuro (seed) (Benin).
This large creeper is found in the Benin and Calabar provinces of
Nigeria. It is not very prevalent. The most remarkable features about
it are the stoutness of the stem, which attains a diameter of nearly 1
foot and the total length of over 100 feet, and its immense pod, which
is often over 3 feet in length. The pod is divided into segments, each
nearly 2 inches square, and each containing one large bean, almost a
square in shape, 1½ inches and nearly ¾ inch thick. These beans have
occasionally been used for making match-boxes, for which they are
admirably suited. The outer part of the stem of the creeper is very
rough and almost corrugated, especially near its base; the leaves are
very small, considering the size of the whole creeper. It is
comparatively slow-growing. It grows in the dense evergreen forest,
and when drawn taut over the first branches of one of the large trees
it is not unlike the bole of a small tree itself. When cut, the two
ends part with a bang, like the breaking of a ship’s hawser. The
natives use the smaller parts of the stem for fly-switches, for which
they are very good and durable. The creeper is, however, not
cultivated.
_Entada Soudanica_. Ogurohe (Yoruba).
Found in the Ibadan province.
_Entada Abyssinica_. Unwanwanis (Benin).
It is found in the upper part of the Benin province near Ishoka. It is
a large creeper with rather smaller bean than _E. scandens_. The beans
have been used for making small match-boxes in Europe. The natives
consider the bean a “Ju-ju.”
_Dioclea reflexa_. Ishe, Agbarin (Yoruba).
A climber, found in the Ibadan province.
_Mucuna urens_. Ox-eye Bean. Awipu (Benin).
Found in the Benin and Abeokuta provinces.
_Mucuna sp. Preussii_. Yerepe (Yoruba).
Found in the Olokemeji Reserve and Benin province.
_Acacia pennata_ (Willd.). Acacia. Okwekwe (Benin).
It is found in the upper part of the Benin, Ibadan, Ogoja and Abeokuta
provinces. It is a small, scandent shrub with very sharp thorns, but
which yields one of the strongest fibres for making fishing lines or
native rope. It forms almost impenetrable masses which are very
unpleasant to go through without a matchet.
_Acacia Sieberiana_. African Rosewood. Sie (Yoruba).
This is a somewhat uncommon Acacia of the Oyo province of Nigeria.
Being of medium size, its very handsome racemes of yellow flowers show
up to great advantage. The bark is rough, the bole short, and usually
divided 8 or 10 feet from the ground. The sapwood is white and the
heartwood a rose-pink colour, which makes it not unlike the typical
rosewood of commerce. The heartwood is comparatively wide, and it is
very hard, durable and termite-proof. It saws well and splits
moderately easily, but does not take nails at all well. Reproduction
by seed is apparently poor; it sprouts fairly well from the stump. It
is a light-loving species, but being of the leguminous family it is a
soil-improving tree. The wood has not yet been exported, but locally
it has occasionally been used for house-building, the forked stem
being much appreciated by the natives.
_Acacia Farnesiana_ (Willd.). Farnesian Acacia. Bonni (Yoruba).
It is found in the Abeokuta province of Nigeria. It is a small tree
growing up to 6 feet in girth. It has a small pod containing eight
seeds inside. The inside of the pod is white and the seed is brown.
The flower is yellow, and is used by girls in decorating their ears.
Usually found in towns, where it is planted. The seeds are sold in the
market.
The timber is dark-red, surrounded by a narrow white sapwood. It is
hard, like ebony. The bark is very much fissured and peels off in
large scales.
The seeds of this tree and Jagiri are used with water for scraping the
leather for making the fells smooth. Sold at Itaku and Shapon markets.
_Acacia campylacantha_. Confectioner’s Gum or African Catechu. Ede
(Yoruba).
It is found in the Abeokuta, Oyo, Borgu, Niger, and Nassarawa
provinces of Nigeria.
It is a very common tree, growing almost everywhere in groups. The
stem is of a whitish to slight yellow colour, almost reminding one of
the larch, but the whole tree is armed with short, sharp thorns. It
reaches a girth of nearly 4 feet and a height of over 50 feet. The
slash is light-brown, and a pale, yellowish-pink gum exudes from it.
The tree usually forks about 20 or 30 feet from the ground, the other
branches being rather crooked in shape. In February or March a mass of
small yellow flowers appear, and in the autumn small pods cover the
tree. The sapwood is white, and the heartwood varies from a dull red-
brown to a rich, almost rosy red. In the latter case it is exceedingly
pretty wood. The wood is moderately hard; it splits and planes badly,
saws fairly well, and only takes nails indifferently. The wood dries
rather harder and is more durable than when freshly cut and than would
be expected. It is said to be termite-proof. A reddish colouring
matter exudes from the heartwood, but this feature is typical of the
cutch which is obtained from a similar tree in India.
Natural regeneration by seed appears to be good, hosts of young trees
being found near the older ones. In fact, in localities of low
rainfall it is tending to spread and fill up all vacant spaces after
the annual grass-fires have burnt all the vegetation. It is a light-
loving tree which does not protect the soil. The leaves are not unlike
conifer needles, and enrich the soil to a certain extent, more
especially as the tree is deciduous.
As a timber it has not been cut for export, but certainly the better-
coloured wood, and that which has been more slowly grown, deserve a
trial.
So far, the greatest use of this tree has been the production of the
pink-coloured transparent gum which is one of the best of the
confectioner’s gums in Great Britain. Very large quantities are
exported every year from the Northern Provinces. Large round tears or
lumps form on the stem of the tree when it is cut. Locally the tree is
used for house-building, but it is not considered a durable wood.
=Leguminosæ (Mimoseæ).=
_Acacia ataxacantha_. Benin Rope Acacia. Ewon (Yoruba); Okwenkwen
(Benin).
A common creeper of the mixed deciduous zone. It is found in the
Abeokuta, Oyo, Ibadan, Ondo, Benin, Warri, Onitsha, Owerri, Calabar
and Ogoja provinces of Nigeria.
It is usually found growing in large impenetrable masses 3 to 4 feet
high. It is armed throughout with short but very sharp, bent prickles.
It often grows up in waste places where the bush has been cleared in
the mixed deciduous forest zone.
Both the Yorubas and Benis use the inside fibres of this creeper for
making a very strong kind of rope—in fact, it is the strongest of all
native-made ropes. It does not get so stiff or harsh as that made of
Eso from the _Firmania Barteri_.
_Distemonanthus Benthamianus_ (?) (Baill.). Alinyan (Benin).
Found in the Benin province.
_Erythrina suberifera_ (Kew). Attagbo (Yoruba).
It is a moderately common tree of the Abeokuta province of Nigeria.
Its most distinguishing feature is the size of the leaf, which is
similar to the tulip-tree. It reaches a much larger size than _E.
Senegalensis_ and has a girth of over 6 feet. The bark is a dark duck-
egg-green colour, with a few white, shallow longitudinal fissures. The
prickles on the stem are more scattered and much larger than those of
_E. Senegalensis_. The slash is white and the bark thin when compared
to the size of the tree. The wood is white and soft, and not durable.
It cuts and saws easily, but does not plane well. It is a light-loving
tree which does not protect the soil. It has not been cut for local
use, nor for export. As a soft whitewood for interior use it ought to
find a local market.
=Leguminosæ (Papilionaceæ).=
_Erythrina Senegalensis_ (D.C.). Coral-flower. Ologun she-she (Yoruba);
Esanigbakhehe, Ohehe (Benin).
It is a common tree in the upper part of the Onitsha, Benin, Ondo,
Ibadan and Abeokuta provinces of Nigeria. One of the most typical
features of this small tree are the small, pink, coral-like flowers
which appear in February. The tree is armed with a few thin but very
sharp thorns; the foliage is slight and open. On suckers or stool-
shoots the leaf is much larger and almost lyre-shaped. It is usually
found in waste places or in open clearings in the mixed deciduous
forest. It yields a soft wood which is not durable. It is sometimes
used for making fences.
_Tephrosia Ansellii_ (Hook). Boro (Yoruba).
It is found in the Olokemeji Reserve of the Abeokuta province of
Nigeria.
_Tephrosia Vogelii_ (H. K. F.). Fish-poison. Were, Igun, Laye Igu
(Yoruba).
This small shrub is apparently indigenous to Africa, but is usually
seen planted in the fields of the Abeokuta, Oyo, Benin, Owerri and
Ogoja provinces of Nigeria. It is not unlike a large upright vetch,
but with a strong, green stem, almost woody in growth. It reaches a
height of about 3 feet and flowers very profusely, and bears a large
number of pods, not unlike those of the runner bean. The plant is cut
down and placed in the water where it is desired to catch all the
fish, chiefly in stagnant pools of rivers or ponds. The effect of the
poison from it blinds and stupefies the fish so that they are easily
caught. Under the Game Preservation Ordinance, its use has been
prohibited, but with its widespread cultivation and general utility it
has been found very difficult to eradicate the custom or the plant.
Incidentally it is a very good green manuring crop for agricultural
land. However, most natives are unaware of this fact, and it is
usually only planted for the purpose of using it as a fish-poison.
_Burkea_.
A species of Burkea was found near the Oyan River in the Oyo province
of Nigeria.
_Lonchocarpus sericeus_. African Wisteria. Ipapo, Apapo (Yoruba).
This tree is found in the Olokemeji, Ibadan, Ilesha and Calabar
districts. It is a medium-sized tree, which bears lilac-coloured
flowers. As the flowers appear before the leaves in the dry season, it
is then very ornamental, and is in fact one of the prettiest flowering
trees. The wood is very hard and the heartwood green when freshly cut.
_Timber._—This is not of much service.
_Uses._—Hoe-handles are made from the branches, and the bark is used
in medicine.
_Lonchocarpus sp._ Mamu Lonchocarpus.
Found in the Mamu Forest.
_Lonchocarpus cyanescens_. Yoruba Indigo. Elu or Ela (Yoruba).
This is one of the intermediate forest climbing shrubs, but has been
cultivated throughout the country.
_Uses._—The well-known Yoruba blue dye is made from the leaves. The
stem is sometimes used for house-building posts. It is a shade-
bearing, soil-improving tree. Natural regeneration appears to be poor.
_Cæsalpina Bonducella_. Shayo (Yoruba).
The bean of this creeper is used in games amongst the Yoruba boys.
_Mundulia suberosa_ (Benth.). Lakuta (Yoruba); Ugbehen (Benin).
It is rather an uncommon tree, found in the Olokemeji Reserve of the
Abeokuta province of Nigeria. It is a small tree, a part of which is
used for killing fish.
_Indigofera hirsuta_. Indigo. Epa ile (Yoruba).
It is found in the Mamu Reserve of the Ibadan province of Nigeria.
_Indigofera stenophylla_. Indigo. Aro Boro (Yoruba).
It is found in the Olokemeji Reserve of the Abeokuta province of
Nigeria.
_Pentaclethra macrophylla_. The Oil Bean. Apara (Yoruba); Opagga,
Ukpagga (Benin); Ataka (Ibo, Asaba); Opochala (Ibo, Niger).
It is a large-sized tree, reaching a girth of about 12 feet and a bole
length of 40 feet. The root spurns are very extensive and often reach
4 or 5 feet up the stem, thus quite breaking up the base of the bole.
The bark at first is a light yellow-brown, darkening in old age to a
deep brown, and scaling off somewhat.
_Chief Characteristics._—It has dense foliage and a heavy, branched
crown, and very flat pods about 1 foot long and up to 2½ inches broad,
containing seven or eight large, flat brown beans about 1 inch in
diameter and ¼ inch thick. The pods open with a loud report not unlike
the sound of a 12-bore gun.
_Distribution._—It is found in the Lower Province of Nigeria, near the
watercourses outside Abeokuta, Jebu, Ode, Benin, Onitsha, Owerri,
Calabar and Ogoja.
_Silvicultural Qualities._—The tree grows readily from self-sown or
artificially sown beans, as is seen in the Avenue at Benin City, which
was sown at stake in 1904. It bears pods in the twelfth year in the
open, but later in the forest. It is usually very prolific, bearing at
least some pods every year. The bole is not always very straight, and
it has a distinct tendency to form strong side branches, and the crown
is therefore a large oval one. The flowers are little yellow spike,
which are very inconspicuous; they are borne on the old wood rather on
the underside of the twig, in November or December and later. The tree
stands dense shade, and it thoroughly covers the ground and prevents
the growth of weeds.
It has a tendency to branch comparatively low down, when growing as an
avenue tree, and thus does not grow so tall. This, however, has an
advantage that the large pods have not so far to fall to the ground,
and thus are not so dangerous to passers-by. The oil-beans have been
collected and sold in England in small quantities.
The sapwood is of a dirty white colour and the heartwood of a dark
brown, forming comparatively early in the life of a tree. The wood is
very hard, but sometimes rather soft-grained, rather fibrous in
texture, and the pores are somewhat wide and deep. It does not plane
well, splits with difficulty; holes have to be made before nails can
be put into it, and it saws none too easily. It is very durable and
termite-proof. Considering its hard wood and comparatively early
production of seed, and the huge pods, it is by no means a slow-
growing tree. It reaches a height of 9 to 12 feet in twelve years. The
pod is the stoutest and largest, but not the longest, of all African
timber trees. The beans are collected in boxes and sold to the
factories at 6d. to 9d. each. To be made quite safe for eating they
have to be boiled nearly twelve hours, the outer husk of the bean
being rather hard, though not very thick. The future will alone show
whether this tree will prove of greater value for timber or oil
production.
_Uses._—The timber has been shipped to Europe and sold as greenheart
at 1s. 6d. to 1s. 9d. per cubic foot. Locally, in the Benin City
district and elsewhere, it is used for making mortars for beating yams
and other food. The beans are eaten by the natives in most parts,
though they are not considered a delicacy. The empty pods are used
where firewood is scarce, as they burn well. It is, and has been, very
extensively used as a shade-tree for public roads in the Owerri
district, as well as in Afikpo and Benin. Some people object to the
falling pods, but it is an excellent shade-tree, especially in the dry
season, as it is an evergreen tree. It is a soil-protector, and would
do for underplanting or interplanting teak.
_Pterogopodium_. Agba, Pink Mahogany. Asokale, Asu Kole (Ikale); Asre
(Yoruba) (Egbado); Agba (Benin).
The scattering of the white flowers on the path or roadway is an
indication of the presence of the tree, quite apart from the wonderful
bole, exceeding nearly all others in cylindrical shape.
_Chief Characteristics._—It is a very large forest tree, with clear
bole of 90 feet and open crown formed with two or three large,
upspreading limbs, flatly oval on the top. It is quite reminiscent of
an old elm in the shape of the crown. The single-seeded winged fruit
is most typical, no other species of Leguminoseæ having a similar seed
except the nearly related _Pterolobium_ (?). The bark is comparatively
thin, silvery-grey in colour, with a few more or less well-defined
ridges running horizontally round the trunk here and there. These are
most typical, and it is the only tree which shows them. In some places
they amount to small nodules of bark.
This tree is found commonly in the Benin and Ondo provinces of
Nigeria, where it is prevalent, and in the northern part of the Benin
province, and seen in almost gregarious patches in the secondary
forest. The slash is yellowish-white, and in the younger trees a dirty
pinkish sap exudes, but later on, especially from deep cuts, the gum
copal forms and gradually hardens into solid lumps of various size.
_Silvicultural Peculiarities._—It loves a deep soil with plenty of
moisture, which may even be flooded or partially waterlogged during
the rainy season. A chalky or limy soil seems to suit it best. It is a
fast-growing, light-loving tree, though it stands a little shade in
its youth. The light, feathery foliage does not shade the ground,
though when in falls it enriches it. The root spurns are most slight,
extending only from a few inches to 1 foot above the surface of the
ground; in fact, sometimes the trunk appears to come straight out of
the ground, like a round log on end. Natural regeneration is none too
good, but this is chiefly due to lack of light in the mixed forests.
No plantations have yet been made with this tree.
It has not been exported, but it deserves a trial as a furniture-wood
for drawing tables and office equipment generally. It is sawn up into
planks and boards at Koko Town, and contains a gum which makes the
saws stick a little. It makes a good, soft wood for table tops, of a
pinkish colour and clear, close grain. The gum is sold.
_Native Use._—It has been used for canoe making in the Ondo province.
The gum is used for an illuminant, and was at one time used entirely
for this purpose. In 1906 logs of this timber were sold in Liverpool
market as a kind of mahogany of light colour.
_Prosopis oblonga_. Yoruba Charcoal Wood.
It is found in the Ibadan and Ogoja provinces of Nigeria, and may yet
be found in the Onitsha and northern part of the Benin provinces. On
the whole, it is not common, and is seen singly. Two typical specimens
of this tree stand in the Olokemeji Reserve Arboretum. It has small,
pinnate leaves, very much like tamarind, but they are almost silvery-
grey and hang down, instead of being green and rigid, as the tamarind.
The twigs and branches are very slight, compared to the thick ones of
the tamarind. The bark of the trunk is grey, too, with thin cortex,
which becomes slightly fissured in old age. The trunk is straight and
tall, compared to tamarind. The crown is longish and thin, with a few
small branches. It is somewhat feathery in habit and is delicate in
build compared to most dry-zone trees. It is one of the most typical
of dry-zone trees. The seed is small, about the size of apple-pips,
contained in a papery pod, from 1 inch to 1½ inches long. It stands
the annual grass-fires comparatively well, despite the fact that the
bark is none too thick.
_Timber._—Hard, white wood, termite-proof and very durable. The bark
is thin but rough, and small pieces can be pulled off with the
fingers. It is a deciduous tree, though it does not lose its leaves
for a long period. It is a light-loving tree, which does not protect
the soil, though the leaves (few as they are) make a good leaf-mould.
It is slow-growing, and does not reach a girth exceeding 5 feet.
Natural regeneration appears to be poor, but further observations on
this point may disclose more. No plantations have been made with this
tree, though, with its desirable qualities, some experiments seem to
be indicated. It does not sprout well from the stump, nor do any root
shoots appear before or after it is cut down.
It has not been exported, and has only been used occasionally locally.
_Use._—The timber has been used for sleepers in Togo, where it has
proved the most durable of all timbers for that purpose. In the Yoruba
country it has been used for making charcoal of the best kind for
iron-smelting.
_Detarium Senegalense_. Hard Mahogany. Ogwega (Benin).
This is none too prevalent a tree of the Benin and Ogoja provinces,
where it is found in the mixed forests. It reaches a girth of over 12
feet and a bole length of over 40 feet, but in proportion to its
height, the crown usually occupies more than half of it. The crown is
usually widespreading and spherical in shape. The fruit is like a
mango in form, but after the surface begins to decay, the fibres,
instead of being fine and all coming out from the central nut, as in
the mango, spread out vein-shaped all round the nut, starting more or
less as thick veins at the base, and then subdividing into thinner
ones, spreading round the nut in an irregular manner. The decaying
fruit has a most unpleasant, not to say distinguishing, smell.
However, this is more than compensated for by the pleasant taste of it
when served as stewed fruit.
The sapwood is whitish-yellow, and the heartwood brown-red. It is
hard, with somewhat fibrous grain, yet planes up with a good surface.
Takes nails, but does not split well. It is durable, and supposed to
be termite-proof, except for the sapwood, which the white ants often
destroy. It saws moderately easily. In older trees the wood sometimes
shows a little figure.
It is a somewhat slow-growing tree and a shade-bearer, with soil-
protecting and soil-improving qualities. In fact, in most cases it is
only found on comparatively rich soil, and in this respect appears to
be more exacting than many other trees. Natural regeneration does not
appear to be very good, but this may be due to the fact that animals
eat the seeds. No plantations have been made of this tree.
In 1906 samples of this timber were sold in the Liverpool market as
mahogany at 2¾d. per superficial foot, 3s. per cubic foot. It was
reported to be of very hard texture, a dirty brown colour, and only
one log sold. Since that date, however, none has been exported. It has
not been felled for local use. The fruit can be stewed, and makes a
nice addition to the other African fruits.
_Native Use._—The shell of the nut is used for making prayer-beads and
strung on a wire.
_Ormosia laxiflora_. Shedun (Yoruba).
Found in the Olokemeji Reserve and Ibadan province.
_Paradaniellia Oliveri_. Ilorin Balsam, African Balsam of Copaivi,
Balsam. Iya (Yoruba); Osia (Benin); Ozia (Ishan); Ozaba (Ibo Asaba).
Found in the dry zone of the Southern Provinces of Nigeria. A common
tree, growing to a height of 40 or 50 feet.
_Use._—Balsam of Copaiba.
_Xylia Evansii_. Bentpod.
It is found in the Ogoja province of Nigeria in the mixed deciduous
forest zone, but it is by no means a very common tree.
A medium-sized tree, with the curious bent-shaped pod typical of the
Xylia, found in the Obubra and Ikom districts of Nigeria, on the left
bank of the Cross River. It has a hard, red wood, which splits well.
The sapwood is white, but not very wide in an average-sized tree.
It is a slow-growing, shade-bearing tree, which thoroughly protects
the soil and improves it with its leaves decaying year after year.
The natives have not used the tree, nor has it been felled for local
use by Europeans. It has also not been tried for export.
=Pandanaceæ.=
_Pandanus candelabrum_. Screw Pine. Ebbo (Benin).
In some rivers of the Abeokuta, Ondo, Benin, Warri, Onitsha, Owerri
and Calabar provinces of Nigeria it is a common watershrub or small
tree. Often it is seen only a tangled mass of long prickly leaves,
armed with spikes all down each side and half floating in and above
the surface of the water. Sometimes, again, it is seen as a tree with
two or three more or less complete whorls of branches on the uppermost
part of the stem and a mass of drooping leaves from the crown. The
white stem is supported by several soft, corky-looking aerial roots.
It seldom exceeds 2 feet in girth and 30 feet in height. The white
flower is very conspicuous, with its cone-like shape, which becomes
more pronounced as the fruit begins to ripen and turns green. The
scent is very pungent and overpowering. The trees form almost
impenetrable thickets at the edge of the more sluggishly flowing
rivers. These often impede navigation and have to be cut away.
The stem is very porous when dry, and cannot be said to yield timber,
though the cork-like material might serve for a light substitute for
it.
Natural regeneration appears to be very good.
The fibre has not been exported in any quantity, but it is very tough,
and apparently very durable and of moderate length (average 3 feet).
_Native Use._—When dried the leaves are used for making mats for
wrapping goods as well as for sleeping-mats. In the Benin and Jekri
country, long (2 feet) thin receptacles are made which are used for
salt, which is sold in these bags in the market. The bag keeps the
salt dry. It is sometimes planted near villages in damp places for the
purpose of obtaining the mat material locally, where it is not found
naturally in the swamps.
=Humeriaceæ.=
_Aubrya Gabunensis_. Brass Mahogany-bark Tree.
This is a very large forest tree of the Brass district, with a bark
very similar to that of mahogany, but to which it bears no
relationship.
[Illustration: FIG. 67.—=Khaya Senegalensis, 1910, on bank of Ogun
River, near Iporin, Oyo Province.=]
[Illustration: FIG. 68.—=Locust Tree (Parkia filicoidea), in bearing,
Oyo District, 1910.=]
To face p. 308.
The trees are sometimes cut down by the natives and used for large
dug-out canoes. The timber is termite-proof, and the natives say that
canoes made from this timber are very durable, though rather heavy,
and liable to become waterlogged when filled with water. It is of a
dull reddish-brown colour and has rather a coarse grain.
=Rutaceæ.=
_Zanthoxylum Senegalense_. Dry-zone African Satinwood. Ata, Odan
(Yoruba); Ughahan (Benin).
It is found in the Ibadan, Abeokuta, Benin, Onitsha and Ogoja
provinces of Nigeria, at the edge of the mixed deciduous zone and the
lower part of the dry-zone forest region. It is only a medium-sized
tree, attaining a girth of about 4 feet and a height of about 50 feet.
The bole always remains armed with short, woody protrusions, each
having a black thorn at the apex. In the upper part of the bole and
the branches there are only thorns. The pinnate leaf has usually three
pairs of pinnæ and one end-leaf. All the leaves are broader and about
only half as long as those of _Z. macrophyllum_. On the whole, this
makes the foliage appear thicker, and, in fact, gives greater shade
than _Z. macrophyllum_. In proportion the bole is shorter and the
crown larger and more spread out than in the case of _Z.
macrophyllum_. The bole has a greater tendency to divide lower down
into three subsidiary stems, thus spoiling the length of it for
timber. The bunches of small, black seeds are smaller than those of
_Z. macrophyllum_, and if anything the seeds are also smaller too.
The timber is very similar to that of _Z. macrophyllum_, the sapwood
and heartwood being the same colour, except that the heartwood is
often of a little darker shade, and bears a greater proportion to the
diameter of the tree than in the case of _Z. macrophyllum_. On the
whole it is harder, and more often shows a little figure. Although it
does not reach such a large size, in many ways it is superior, the
grain being rather finer, and showing more sheen, and if anything it
works up to a finer texture when planed. It is just as durable and
termite-proof. It is a light-loving tree, but will stand a certain
amount of lateral shade. Owing to the prevalence of grass-fires, it is
slower-growing than _Z. macrophyllum_, but if anything it shades the
ground better, and considering where it usually stands, it is a slight
soil-improving tree. Natural regeneration is fair. No plantations have
been made with this tree. Samples of this timber have not yet been
exported, though, as it is a sister tree to the West Indian Satinwood,
it ought to command a similar price. It has not been felled for local
use. The natives occasionally cut it for house-building timber, but it
is not at all popular, owing to its being armed with spikes.
_Zanthoxylum macrophyllum_ (Oliver). True Benin Satinwood. Atagbo
(Yoruba); Ughahan, Okor (Benin).
It is found in the Abeokuta, Ondo, Benin and Calabar provinces of
Nigeria, in the mixed deciduous forest zone, where it is very
prevalent, especially in old farms.
_Chief Characteristics._—It has a very large leaf, up to 6 feet long,
with forty pairs of leaflets, each rather smaller than those of _Z.
Senegalense_. There are no thorns on the branches, but many on the
stem, which is thoroughly armed until old age, when most of the woody
spikes drop off. It bears a large bunch of small, black, spherical-
shaped seeds. It is a common tree in abandoned farms of the mixed
deciduous forest zone. The thorns are more sharply pointed than _Z.
Senegalense_ and not so woody at first, but later form a thorn at the
top of each wooden protrusion. One specimen found in the Olokemeji
Reserve had very few wooden protrusions, each armed with a thorn, but
there were larger leaves than _Z. macrophyllum_, though in all not
quite so long. In old age the stem is almost smooth, and may reach a
girth of nearly 6 feet and a length of over 30 feet. The crown is
slender and broken up with three or four main branches. The base of
the bole in old age is spotted with yellow lenticels.
It is a light-loving, quick-growing tree, which does not protect the
ground, and only to a certain extent acts with its leaves as a soil-
improving tree. Natural regeneration is very good, and on the whole,
at the edge of the evergreen and mixed deciduous forest zone, with the
increase of farms it is tending to spread in greater numbers than
before, and in some places groups of them are found, whereas in the
original forest only isolated specimens are obtained. No plantations
have been made with this tree.
The sapwood is light-yellow and the heartwood of a darker yellow
shade. In quickly grown trees it is not very large, but in the older
trees comprises more than two-thirds of the diameter of the tree. The
timber is hard, fine-grained, planing up smooth in texture. It does
not take nails well, nor split well, saws, however, cleanly, and
occasionally shows a little figure.
In 1906 samples of this timber were sold in the Liverpool market as
Sabicu at 2s. to 2s. 6d. per foot, and reported of a very hard nature.
Since then, however, none has been cut or exported. Locally it has not
been used in any form. It should be noted, however, that this is a
sister tree of the West Indian Satinwood, and considering that it
grows to a larger size than that one, the timber should demand a still
higher price.
_Use._—In the Benin country the timber is used for making door-plates
before putting dried clay on the top, and also used for doors.
_Zanthoxylum sp. n._ Dwarf Satinwood. Boji.
_Chief Characteristics._—The fruit is a mass of red berries very
similar to the Mountain Ash of Europe, but a small tree armed with a
few scattered spines of short length, but not very woody, more in the
nature of thorns. It attains a girth of 10 inches and a height of 15
to 20 feet.
_Distribution._—It was only found on the summit of the Boji Hills from
an elevation of 4,500 to 5,000 feet, where other vegetation gave out
and only grass grew otherwise.
It has a very hard, yellow wood of the usual satiny nature. It made
very good firewood on the mountain top.
_Zanthoxylum sp._ (Kew). _Pterocarpus sp._ African Satinwood. Urueben
(Benin).
It is found in the Benin and Ondo provinces of Nigeria.
It is a common tree near the banks of rivers in the evergreen forest.
It is of medium-size, reaching a girth of about 7 feet; the bole is
long (40 feet); the root buttresses reach up the bole about 3 feet.
The stalk has a few prickles, especially when it is small, but they
disappear in old age. The leaf is smaller than _P. osun_, but much the
same as Akume, _Pterocarpus sp._ The habit is typical of a Pterocarpus
and not of Zanthoxylum. The bark is quite smooth and always unarmed.
The fruit is ovoid and flat, with the seed at one end, rather
different in this respect to Pterocarpus, and without the prickles on
it. The slash is white, and soon red drops of latex-like fluid exude
from the tree. The branches are upspreading and the crown is large,
though narrow, the bole being about two-thirds of the total height.
The sapwood is white and the heartwood is yellow when young and dark-
red, like _P. osun_, when old. It is hard, but splits well. Termites
attack it. It is cross-grained and stands a little bending; otherwise
it is brittle, when bent far.
It is slow-growing and a light-lover. It likes a good soil which is
moist and has depth. It does not sprout from the stool. Seed
reproduction is good, and the seedlings are found in the neighbourhood
of old trees. It is a deciduous tree for three months in the year (dry
season).
It has not been cut for local use or exported to Europe. It is used
for making shovels for mud-puddling in the building of Benin houses;
also for pegs in the walls of a chief’s house.
_Toddalia sp._ Oie (Yoruba).
A climbing shrub common in Tropical West Africa. The fertile stamens
are equal in number to the petals. Leaves digitate.
_Uses._—Condiments and medicine.
_Ægle Barteri_. Calabash Orange. Shange, Bale (Yoruba).
This is a small tree growing near the villages, cultivated for its
shade and for medicinal purposes. The fruit looks like an orange, but
the shell is hard and it is not edible.
_Clausena Anisata_ (Oliv.). Alapari, Obuko (Yoruba).
It is found in the Olokemeji Reserve of the Abeokuta province of
Nigeria.
=Simarubaceæ.=
_Irvingia Barteri_. Dika Nut, Wild Mango. Oro, Auro (Yoruba); Ogwi
(tree), Okherli (seed) (Benin).
It is found in the Abeokuta, Ondo, Benin, Warri, Onitsha, Owerri,
Calabar and Ogoja provinces of Nigeria.
With its smooth, shining, small dark-green leaves it is quite
distinguishable from other forest trees. The very spherical shape of
the crown and the short bole are also most typical of the tree. It is
often found near river banks or in damp localities. Wherever found, it
is usually preserved by the natives, though not actually cultivated or
tended.
The flower is inconspicuous, but the fruit is like a small mango,
becoming quite yellow when ripe, though much harder and of a much
sharper flavour.
The wood is hard and durable; the sapwood is yellowish-white and the
heartwood yellow. It is impervious to white ants.
The tree is a shade-bearer, especially in youth, but grows very
slowly. Those planted near Leopardstown, Calabar, were only 6 to 8
feet high after ten years’ growth. It is true they received little or
no attention and occasionally the grass was burnt near them.
No regular plantations have been made, though one plot was planted in
the Mamu Reserve in 1910. Further experiments in cultivation, and
especially pruning and tending to see how early the tree will bear
fruit, are worth undertaking. A method to increase the size of the
fruit, and with it the size of the kernel, might be discovered and
thus make it a profitable tree to grow in plantations.
Reported on by the Imperial Institute in 1904, and kernels worth £14 a
ton then in London.
_Native Use._—House-building. The fruit is eaten, and then the nut is
cracked and the kernel beaten up and served as soup. Fruit or nuts or
both are sold in the markets of Benin and Yorubaland.
_Irvingia Smithii_. Benin Dika Nut (?). Akwekwe (Benin).
It is found occasionally in the Benin province of Nigeria. It is a
tree with similar growth to _Irvingia Barteri_, but reaches a larger
size, up to 12 feet. The bole length is also greater, 40 feet. The
fruit is larger than _Irvingia Barteri_, but of the same shape. It is
rather uncommon in the evergreen forest. The crown is smaller and
occupies only the upper third of the stem. The branches are larger,
too, and of lesser number in proportion than _Irvingia Barteri_.
The wood is yellow in the sapwood and brown in the heartwood, and
hard. It is hard to split. The heartwood is very small, being only
about 1 foot out of a diameter of 4 feet. Termites do not attack the
wood.
It is a shade-bearer and grows slowly. It does not sprout from the
stool, but reproduction by seed is good. The duikas eat the fruit.
It has not been cut for local use nor exported to Europe.
It is used, by tying four seeds together like Ogwega, for a game. The
fruit is not eaten because it is not sweet.
_Irvingia sp._ Pwekupweku (Benin).
It is a common tree in the Benin province of Nigeria. It is a large
tree, reaching a girth of 15 feet and very tall. The fruit is yellow,
and large as an African mango, but with a very much sweeter smell and
sweet taste. The branches are flattish, and so the crown is wide, with
a long bole and shallow crown. It has a long, lanceolate leaf with
insignificant veins. The wood is hard, with white sapwood and brown
heartwood. It grows on good soil, which is moist and deep in the
evergreen forests. It is a shade-bearer and grows moderately fast.
_Native Use._—The fruit is used for killing rats after it has been
cooked and mixed with palm oil chop. It is then given to them, and
they at once fall down dead.
=Simarubaceæ= (Planch).
_Hannoa undulata_. Whitewood. Igigun (Egba); Igbo (Lagos); Orisi
(Igbado, Yoruba).
It is found in the Calabar, Owerri, Benin, Warri, Ondo, Ibadan and
Abeokuta provinces of Nigeria.
It is a very large tree, reaching a girth of 12 feet and a bole length
of about 50 feet, which grows up very readily in old farms or
clearings in the evergreen forest and lower parts of the mixed
forests. It has a large, broad leaf, which is deciduous for about a
month in the year. The flower, which is white in colour, is in the
form of racemes (?). The bark is green, with grey streaks up and down,
and the slash is white with yellow markings; it smells sweet, too. The
fruit is oblong and black, more like a plum. The spurns are very
slight.
The wood is very soft and white all through. It dries without warping,
but if not cut properly is liable to be attacked by small borers of
the furniture kind. It planes with a smooth surface. It is very light,
more so even than Musanga wood. The grain is fine, though such pores
as there are, are long. It splits well and adzes well too. It shrinks
considerably in drying, but this might be obviated by girdling and
drying very gradually in shade when cut green.
It is a very quick-growing tree, almost as fast as Ricinodendron. It
is a light-lover, and is rather intolerant of shade, except in its
youth. It grows best from seed reproduction, as the power from the
stool is very slight and soon dies back.
It was sampled in 1912 at Degema, but has not been exported to Europe.
A trial as a wood for making pulpwood seems indicated. It is split up
into flat pieces for doors and mantelpieces, also for making the walls
of temporary houses, each piece being set upright to the other, with
any round edge on the outside.
=Burseraceæ.=
_Pachylobus edulis_. Native Pear (Ohan), Incense Tree, Elemi Gum.
Ibagho (Yoruba); Onumu (Benin); Eben (Efik).
It is found in all the Southern Provinces of Nigeria, chiefly as a
planted tree in the neighbourhood of villages, and on the sides of the
roads leading to them, being more prevalent in the Benin and Oban than
the other districts. It is a medium-sized tree, reaching a girth of
about 7 feet and a height of about 70 feet.
The gum, which exudes when the tree is cut with a matchet, smells very
much like incense when burnt, and is of a white colour. It is always
planted in the villages, partly for shade, chiefly for food,
especially in the Oban country.
The fruit is first of all a grey, and then a purple colour, and a very
cylindrical plum shape, in all about 2½ inches long and rather more
than 1 inch in diameter. It is very much like turpentine to taste,
especially when not quite ripe, and in the centre of the fruit there
is an oblong nut rather more than 1 inch in length, more or less
round, with four ribbed edges, all culminating at the apex. The leaves
are large, consisting of four to six pairs of pinnæ, which are shiny
and dark-green on the upper surface, and almost silver-grey
underneath. The trunk is often very much cut about and chipped, and
little pieces of the white gum are often seen in the old scars. It
usually bears fruit heavily every year.
The sapwood is white and the heartwood is of a faint pink colour. It
is not very hard, but more like mahogany in texture and character.
Owing to its irregular growth and branching habit, it is often rather
knotty and cross-grained.
It is a shade-bearing, somewhat slow-growing tree, which only
partially protects the soil, but on the whole improves it with its
fall of leaves. Natural regeneration appears to be rare, chiefly
perhaps owing to the fact that the natives pick the fruit even before
it is quite ripe, and take it away to eat in their houses. It is
usually planted by the natives as a transplanted seedling, about 3
feet high. Considering the poor flavour of the fruit, it is rather
surprising that it is so widely planted and comparatively speaking so
much tended by the natives in certain districts. It is moderately
fire-resisting and dew-collecting, especially in the dry seasons, the
ground in the vicinity of the trees often being quite damp with the
condensed dew falling off the leaves.
It has not been felled for export or for local use. The tree, however,
provides grateful shade in the more open parts of the country, in the
neighbourhood of villages.
The gum has not been collected for export, but is considered of value.
However, no tapping experiments have been tried.
_Native Use._—The fruit is called a pear, and is liked by most
natives, who eat it raw. It is sometimes sold in the markets at five
for one penny.
_Canarium Schweinfurthii_. Pink Mahogany, Bastard Mahogany. (Sometimes
sold as Gaboon Mahogany or African Elemi. Anikantuhu, Ako, Ibagbo
(Yoruba); Onumukyukyu (Benin); also known as Ikwapbo. (The Benin name
means Kyukyu or bird, Onumu or Incense-tree.)
_Chief Characteristics._—Evenly striated bark of orange to light-
yellow colour, turning grey on exposure to full rays of the sun. The
seed is small and similar to that of _Pachylobus edulis_, but much
smaller.
_Distribution._—A few in the Western, more in the Central west and
south of Benin, and most common in the Eastern Circle, especially
north of Calabar, in the mixed deciduous forest zone, and to lesser
extent in the evergreen forest zone.
It is a large forest tree, with a girth of over 12 feet and a bole
length of about 90 feet. Being more or less preserved by the natives
when found in the forests, in clearing for their farms, it is often
now seen on the roadsides. The slash is white, and as the roots beside
the road are often cut by the natives, the yellowish-white gum exudes,
forming a small white layer on the surface of the root. This has a
most pleasant smell, and is not unpleasant to taste. It is closely
allied to, if not much the same character as, the “Balsam of Tolu.”
The leaf is comparatively small, with three or four pairs of pinnæ,
and growing more or less in tufts, this being reminiscent of the
Mahogany family. The root spurns are very slight, and in this respect
it is more like the European Ash, and usually there are one or two
main roots which spread out, down the slightly enlarged bole at the
base. Otherwise the tree is one of the most cylindrical in shape,
falling away with the increasing height less than almost any other. It
is a deciduous tree. The pores are very fine and rather longer than in
the ordinary mahogany, and the wood is not so sheeny.
The sapwood is white, and in fast-grown trees often 6 inches through.
The heartwood is of a delicately pink mahogany colour, darkening to a
light-brown mahogany on exposure to the air and sunlight. It is not
very hard, and splits fairly well. It planes up with a smooth surface.
It saws well and also takes nails fairly well. It has very
considerable elasticity. It is lighter than most kinds of mahogany.
The logs will float as soon as at all dry.
In youth it stands a good deal of shade, but later on it is on the
whole a light-demanding tree. It is a fairly quick-growing tree, but
tends to become very slow when left alone in the open. It needs a rich
soil, but is also found on poorer land. It needs more moisture than
many others. Although not a soil-protecting tree, the leaves yield a
fair amount of humus in their annual fall. Natural regeneration is
fair, but it is rather susceptible to fire, and much of it is thus
killed. No plantations have been made of this tree.
In 1906 a sample was sold in the Liverpool market as Gaboon Mahogany
at 1s. 6d. per cubic foot full measure, and in 1907 sample logs of
this tree were exported to the Liverpool market, where they were sold
as light Benin Mahogany at 2d. per superficial foot. Since then none
has been felled.
The natives occasionally cut the tree for planks, and use the wood for
making canoes, chiefly owing to its lightness and elasticity.
_Canarium sp._ Rough-barked Canarium. Ekugbi, Ekugbo (Yoruba);
Onumukyukyu (Benin).
_Chief Characteristics._—A large tree, with larger fissures than _C.
Schweinfurthii_, about 6 inches apart; the bark is inclined to scale
off in between. The leaves are a little larger, but the gum is very
similar and used for similar purposes.
_Distribution._—It was found in the Olokemeji Forest Reserve.
It is deciduous for about three weeks in the year, chiefly November,
but otherwise it is a soil-protecting and soil-improving tree.
The tree has not been felled for export or for local use. Nor do the
natives appear to have used it for any purpose.
_Canarium Mansfeldii_. Gaboon Mahogany.
This species is found on the banks of the Upper Cross River.
_Canarium sp._ Oyife (Yoruba).
Found in the Yoruba country.
_Canarium sp._, syn. _Schweinfurthii_. Incense Tree. Anikantuku
(Yoruba); Onumukyukyu (Benin).
Found in the Ilaro district and Benin.
=Meliaceæ.=
_Carapa procera_. Scented Mahogany Cedar, Crab Wood, Touloucouna Oil.
Efu Iya, Abo-oganwo (Yoruba); Ibbegogo (Benin).
It is a common tree, found in the Calabar, Ogoja, Owerri, Warri,
Benin, Ondo and Abeokuta provinces of Nigeria.
It is a small tree, growing to a girth of about 6 feet. The pinnæ and
the whole leaf are both much larger than the mahogany leaf, even
including that of _grandifolia_. It often grows with a divided bole,
two small stems shooting upwards from about 3 feet from the ground.
The leaves grow in very distinct tufts on the edge of the branches.
The bark is smooth and a light-green colour, with a few vertical
uprights when the tree is old. The fruit is a large, roughly round,
woody drupe. The covering shell dehisces into eight parts, releasing
about twenty hard, brown, round-cornered, almost square nuts. The
seeds are eaten by porcupines. It is found in the freshwater swamps in
the evergreen forest and in damp places of the mixed deciduous forest.
The timber is pink when freshly cut, and the heartwood has the red-
brown typical of the Mahogany family. The small size of the timber
rather militates against its reaching the high value of mahogany.
The tree is a shade-bearer in its younger stages of growth, and even
when older it still stands a considerable amount of shade. Self-sown
seedlings are not often seen. Perhaps this is due to so many of the
seeds being eaten by animals. The stump scarcely sprouts after it has
been freshly cut. Considering the size of the tree, a very fair number
of nuts ripen each year.
No use has been made of the seeds, though they yield a similar oil to
that of the Crab Oil Tree of South America.
In 1906 a sample of the timber was sold in the Liverpool market as
Mahogany Cedar, scented, at 2½d. and 3½d. per superficial foot.
_Native Use._—The bark is used by pregnant Yoruba women and for sores
and as a cough mixture. It is used underneath palm leaves as a roofing
material in the Benin country.
_Khaya grandifolia_, later _grandis_ (Stapf.). Big-leaf Mahogany, Benin
Mahogany. Akor, Oganwo (Yoruba); Gadeau, Ogwangu (Benin); Odala (Ibo
Asaba); Digiten (Brass); Dirinshi, Diki (Ibo Owerri); Asamogo (Ibibio);
Upono (Efik); Obon (?) (Oban, Ekoi).
It is found in the Ondo, Benin and Ogoja provinces of Nigeria, at the
edge of the mixed deciduous forest zone, where it is very prevalent in
some places, such as at the edge of the Ifon Owo-Akure Road.
_Chief Characteristics._—It is a large tree of the mixed forests. It
attains a girth of 14 feet and a corresponding height. It is, however,
taller in proportion than _K. Punchii_. It has long, upward-tending
root flanges, though not so large as those of _K. Ivoriensis_ or the
Coast Mahogany. The crown is open compared to the other Khayas, except
_K. Senegalensis_. It has conspicuously large pinnate leaves, with
three or four pairs of leaflets quite 10 inches in length, each
leaflet being 4 inches long. The stem is smoother than _K. Punchii_,
and in that respect more like _K. anthoteka_. The leaves of this
species are the most shiny of all; in fact, the others appear dull
beside them. The bole, on the whole, is cleaner than _K. Punchii_ and
longer, though it forks or divides into a head in the characteristic
Mahogany way. The shininess of the leaves is one of the greatest
characteristics of this tree. The capsule is somewhat larger than _K.
Punchii_. It is also a little thicker, and the tip is not so long or
sharp. It opens out into five segments, as a rule, but sometimes there
may be only four. The seeds themselves are a little oblong in shape
and not quite so square as in _K. Punchii_, although they are just as
thin and flat.
The timber is the typical Benin Mahogany, with somewhat long pores,
first of all rather pink, then a rich mahogany-brown colour.
Occasionally the sapwood is very wide in proportion to the size of the
tree, but this is more in the case of very quickly grown trees. It
sometimes shows very rich figure of a “roey” nature as well as
“fiddleback,” more especially in the root buttresses. Here, owing to
the storms to which the tree is exposed, the fibres of these
buttresses become fractured and compressed, thus giving a broken and
mottled appearance to the grain after it has been cut up lengthways.
In this species the wood of the “curls” often shows a rather bolder
roe than in the case of those obtained from _K. Punchii_ or
_Ivoriensis_.
On the whole this is the most quickly growing of all the Khayas. In
its youth it stands a certain amount of shade, and, in fact, always,
but it would appear to demand a good deal of light for its full and
quick development. It is a thoroughly soil-protecting and soil-
improving tree. The leaves make a rich humus. Natural regeneration is
good, and, in fact, appears to be much better than in the case of the
other Khayas. It sprouts from the stump a little. It appears to be
somewhat exacting as to soil, preferring somewhat deep, rich and moist
sites. In plantations it has already found a place. It has also been
planted, mixed with other species of Khaya, in the small nurseries,
plantations and lines of trees made by the timber-lease holders. It
does not seem to be attacked so severely by the leading-shoot borer as
in the case of _K. Punchii_. Owing to the fact that the seeds usually
fall on more open ground, it is not eaten so quickly by the little
boring insects.
The timber is being constantly exported and mixed up with the other
species of Khaya. Being lighter, it floats higher on the water than
the other species, more especially Entandrophragma. It has
occasionally been used by the natives for making canoes, as also for
sawing up into planks.
_Khaya Punchii_. Uhi Mahogany, Benin Mahogany. Oganwo (Yoruba); Ogwangu
(Benin); Eggi (Ibo Asaba).
This tree does not attain such a large size as either _K. grandis_ or
_K. Ivoriensis_, but it often exceeds a girth of 12 feet and a bole
length of 70 feet. The bottom log of a tree is often found to show
figured wood. This is perhaps owing to the bark being constantly
removed, and to the succeeding occlusion of the wounds following at
different times, according to when the bark is removed.
_Chief Characteristics._—It has a comparatively small leaf, with five
or six pairs of leaflets. It has slight root spurns, or protuberances,
or even in some cases none at all. It is generally particularly rough
at the base, owing to the bark having been continually removed by the
local people. Higher up, the stem is covered with brown-coloured bark,
which is slightly pitted. The leaves are in tufts, though to a lesser
extent than either _K. grandis_ or _Ivoriensis_. The large masses of
small white flowers remind one of lilac. It is of the same white
colour. It flowers in February, when it is also in new leaf. Compared
with _K. grandis_ it usually has a shorter and somewhat more curved
bole.
_Distribution._—It is found in the Abeokuta, Ibadan and Benin
provinces of Nigeria.
The capsule is of medium size, splitting open into five segments which
remain attached at the base. On the whole it is rather thinner than
_K. grandis_ or _Ivoriensis_, but does not come to such a sharp point
as either of those two.
The timber is very similar in grain and texture to the other Khayas,
but if anything it is a little heavier and a little closer texture
then either _grandis_ or _Ivoriensis_, especially in those districts
where it grows in the mixed deciduous forests, and where the base of
the trunk is burnt with an occasional grass-fire.
Although not quite so fast-growing as the other Khayas, it is a fast-
growing tree with soil-protecting and soil-improving qualities.
Natural regeneration is fair, though the little thin, flat seeds are
very soon attacked by a little boring insect when they fall to the
ground. However, when rapidly gathered after having fallen, they
retain their germinative capacity for a greater length of time than in
the case of the Entandrophragmas. On the whole, if the locality is not
too dry or fires too prevalent, this tree tends to widen its area of
distribution with the spread of farms. The leading-shoot borer attacks
this tree in its younger stages perhaps even more than the other
Khayas, more especially when it is planted pure. In this connection it
should be noted that this Khaya, as well as the others, is not
gregarious in habit, being always found singly, though varying much in
number per square mile. This factor rather indicates that pure
plantations should not be made, or at any rate that it should only be
planted in small groups mixed with other species, also in small
groups, from a quarter to one acre in extent. In leased timber areas
it has been planted mixed with other species. On the whole, it has not
been exported so much as the other Khayas. It has been sold as Niger
Mahogany.
_Value._—3d. to 6d. per superficial foot from Sapoba, in the Benin
province. The natives occasionally cut it for sawing into planks.
[Illustration: FIG. 69.—=Mature Iroko (Chlorophora excelsa) and Teak,
one year old, Mamu Forest Reserve, Ibadan Forest, in 1915.=]
[Illustration: FIG. 70.—=Large full-grown Iroko Tree (Chlorophora
excelsa) standing near Ibadan, Jebu Ode Road, Mamu Forest Reserve, in
May 1910. Same tree as Fig. 69.=]
[Illustration: FIG. 71.—=Untouched Forest on Summit of Ado Rock, Oyo
Province, 1910.=]
To face p. 320.
_Khaya anthotheca?_. White-barked Mahogany or White Mahogany, King of
the Timber. Funfun (Yoruba); Ogwangu Nufwa, Ogigedu (Benin).
Many specimens of this tree are found in the mixed forests on the
banks of the Ovia River in the Ifon district of the Benin province,
and also isolated trees near the banks of the Owena River in the Ondo
province.
The chief characteristic of this tree is the speckled white bark,
which gives the stem generally a light, almost white or grey colour.
The white patches in the bark occur irregularly scattered all round
the bole, being chiefly confined to the lower half of it. In young
trees the four very strong lateral roots show up prominently above the
ground, leading away from the tree more or less at right angles and
remaining above the surface of the ground for two or three feet. This
feature to some extent persists even in old age, but then it is not so
pronounced, as these roots tend to form more or less stout buttresses
similar to the others, but coming out more abruptly and forming a more
shelf-like protuberance from the stem.
The timber is supposed to be lighter, and of a lighter colour than
that of the other Khayas. However, it appears to be only rather more
of a pinkish-brown when freshly cut, taking on the typical mahogany-
brown once it is exposed to the air. So far, it has always been sold
mixed up with the other species cut in the same area, and realizes
similar prices. It may perhaps have even helped towards the scoring of
the higher average price of 6d. per superficial foot which was
obtained from one area where this species is found.
_Khaya n. sp._ Mahogany. Ogwangu (Benin).
This was found in the Benin province of Nigeria. In the wood, it shows
a considerable difference to the other Khayas, being a much lighter
red-brown colour and of more open texture.
_Khaya Ivoriensis_. Coast Mahogany. Obi, Oganwo, Akpakor (Yoruba).
This species is supposed to be that from which most of the coastal
mahogany is obtained, more especially in the more low-lying regions.
The wood is of a richer and darker colour and somewhat heavier than
that of the other species. The most typical feature, though, is the
very sheeny nature of the wood and the very considerable size of the
medullary rays, which, however, are not conspicuous, as in the wood
from Nigeria.
_Khaya Senegalensis_. Dry-zone Mahogany. Oganwo (Yoruba); Ogwangu
(Benin).
_Chief Characteristics._—The tree has an open crown with a few
upspreading branches, and apparently much less foliage than its
“confrères.” The leaves are small, very grey, specially on the under-
surface, giving them almost the character of Eucalyptus leaves. The
bole is shorter than the other Khayas, with a slightly scaly bark and
only a small thickening of the base and no root buttresses at all. The
bark is darker than _Khaya Punchii_, though the scales are often grey.
The capsule is almost frequently four-sectioned, though this is not an
absolute rule, as other Khayas have been found bearing capsules
dividing into three, four and five sections. It does not exude gum so
readily as _Khaya Punchii_, and the gum is of a redder colour.
Illustration No. 67 shows the lower part of the bole of a tree 10 feet
in girth.
_Distribution._—It grows on the banks of the Ogun River above the
Iseyin-Oyo Road, Ibadan province, Akure, Benin and Ogoja provinces of
Nigeria. It is found as one of the most prevalent trees near Obudu and
in the Onitsha province north of Ogrugu.
_Timber._—It is of redder brown colour than either _Khaya Punchii_ or
grandis, and has a greater sheen. The texture of wood is a little
closer, and, owing to the annual grass-fires burning the stem, is
slightly figured. Logs could not be cut much more than 20 feet in
length, owing to the bole not always being straight, though the large
branches would make small ones and curls.
_Silvicultural Qualities._—It stands a great deal of drought, though
in its drier area of distribution it is usually to be found near river
banks. The seed keeps a high percentage of germination for some months
after being picked. It demands more light than either of the other
Khayas, and grows freely from the beginning. It has also a greater
tendency to branch than the other Khayas, but this may be due to its
being attacked more by the leading-shoot borer than the other species,
as more of these insects are found in the open than in the mixed
forests. It is almost gregarious, as groups of trees are usually found
together.
_Khaya sp._ Orro (Yoruba); Geduloha (Benin).
This tree is found in the Ilaro district of the Abeokuta province.
There appears to be some doubt as to whether this is really a distinct
species, but the fact remains that the wood is very much darker and of
rather a duller colour than most of the other Khayas. It shows also a
very rich, wide roe, and in this respect the wood is more valuable
than that of many other species. It is somewhat similar to the best
counter-top wood obtained from the Entandrophragmas. It does not
appear to be a very common tree, but it attains a girth of over 12
feet, and the bole is straighter and considerably taller than most of
the Khayas.
_Pseudocedrela Kotschyii_. Dry-zone Cedar. Hard Cedar Mahogany. Emi
gbegeri (Yoruba, Ibadan).
It is found in groups and isolated specimens in the Ibadan province of
Nigeria, in the dry-zone forest and at the edge of the mixed deciduous
areas, more especially in the Olokemeji Forest. With its somewhat
regularly fissured bark, showing a criss-cross pattern, it is
distinguishable from the other dry-zone trees. The silvery pinnate
leaves in tufts and the charred base of the stem, combined with the
grey trunk, all help to identify it. The little mahogany-like capsule,
covered with silvery hairs when unripe, is another feature. When these
burst open, leaving the empty capsule on the tree for a time, there is
no doubt about its being of the Mahogany family. In the distance the
grey, almost silvery-coloured bark makes it stand out as compared to
others such as Dwarf Ironwood or the Shea Butter Tree. Reaching a
girth of about 6 feet and a bole length of 25 feet, it is one of the
largest dry-zone trees.
The sapwood is pinkish-red, when fresh, and the heartwood a rich red-
brown, darkening slightly on exposure to the light. It is harder than
mahogany and heavier. The grain is closer and on the whole finer, but
with a similar sheen. It often shows a little figure. It saws well,
planes smoothly, takes nails, and has a good appearance in the plank.
It is said to be termite-proof. It is considerably stronger than
mahogany.
Somewhat slow-growing, even from naturally growing root suckers, it is
a light-loving tree, giving scarcely enough shade to protect the soil.
In its youth it is a soil-improving tree. Natural regeneration is
poor, root suckers being the strongest form of reproduction. It
sprouts slightly from the stump, but not sufficiently for reproduction
of a crop. A fair crop of seeds is found each year, but usually, owing
to grass-fires, much of this is destroyed. Plantations are being made,
but natural growth has been encouraged in places, and gives further
promise of better growth.
It has not been exported, but it is occasionally felled for local use.
It is one of the most valuable trees of the dry zone.
_Entandrophragma utilis_. Short-capsuled Mahogany, Sapeli or Heavy
Mahogany. Ijebbo, Jebu, Ashuwole, Papala (Yoruba); Ogipogo, Ubilesan
Onamakyuku, Plekkogo (Benin); Eplekgo (Jekri); Edem (Efik); Atori
(Oban, Ekoi).
This tree is found in the evergreen and mixed forests of the Ondo,
Benin, Calabar and Ogoja provinces of Nigeria. It is one of the most
common mahoganies of the forest, and reaches the largest girth of any
of the African trees. The biggest of all showed a girth of 56 feet,
measured above the top of the buttresses, and one which showed 437
rings of growth had a girth of 52 feet, measured at 20 feet above the
ground. This one, too, yielded 15 logs of various sizes.
The leaves are rather smaller and show the ribs rather more
prominently than in _E. cylindrica_, but the growth, which is in
tufts, is similar. It is deciduous for about three weeks in the year,
in November, when inconspicuous flowers first appear and then the
leaves. The capsule is about 3 inches long and nearly 1 inch in
diameter. It is of the usual pentagonal shape, and there are five
seeds, placed one over the other on each side of the central
pentagonal core. The seeds are nearly square in shape, with a rounded
back about an eighth of an inch thick. The wings are four times the
length of the seed, making each about 2½ inches long. The seeds lose
their germinative power in about three weeks, and are always attacked
by a small boring insect.
The bole has comparatively slight root spurns, which terminate at
about a maximum height of 20 feet from the ground. It is very
straight, and may attain a height of 90 feet. The stem is, however,
much more pitted than that of _E. cylindrica_. The bark is of a green
to grey colour, very reminiscent at times of a beech-tree, especially
at a distance. The crown is flatly spherical, being composed of a few
very large limbs. The slash is white and brown; the sapwood is white
and the heartwood of a red-brown colour, with a very strong cedar-wood
scent when freshly cut. Even when the wood is seasoned and freshly
planed, this scent is very noticeable. It saws and splits easily,
planes up moderately, and takes nails fairly easily. It is not
termite-proof, but the most common attack is by a lymexylon, if the
logs are left lying unsquared in the forests. Many figured logs have
been obtained from this species of tree. In the younger stages, the
sapwood is comparatively wide. Natural regeneration is very good in
some places. The tree grows very rapidly indeed. In its youth it
stands a certain amount of shade, but later on it is a light-loving
tree. It is a soil-protecting and soil-improving tree. Isolated trees
have been planted and small plantations made in various parts of the
country. Planted under proper conditions and with favourable seasons,
an average growth of 6 feet in height may be expected. The young trees
are occasionally attacked by the leading-shoot borer, but this is not
very serious, particularly if a suitable mixture with other trees has
been formed.
This timber has been one of the main export products of the Sapeli and
South Benin forests. The chief market for this wood was, previous to
the war, in Hamburg. However, from Hamburg, the markets of Copenhagen,
Sweden, Finland, Russia and Austria were also supplied. Being almost
half as heavy again as Khaya Mahogany, it costs more in proportion to
bring over to Europe. Owing to the better and larger size of the logs
which can be obtained from these huge trees, there was in these
markets a greater demand for this timber for counter-tops than for
Khaya timber. This to some extent counterbalanced the disadvantage of
the extra weight. This timber was also considered of a duller colour
and more liable to split than the Khaya wood. However, as many of the
trees from which the largest logs have been obtained are mature, and
over-mature, it is natural that the wood cannot be in a prime
condition.
The timber is very popular amongst the local people for the making of
canoes and for house-building.
_Entandrophragma cylindrica_. Heavy Mahogany or Cedar Mahogany. Jebu,
Oro, Issisi, Alepo, Alopa (Yoruba); Ikwabobo, Agiekpogo (Benin); Atore
(Efik).
It is found in the Abeokuta, Oyo, Ondo, Benin, Calabar and Ogoja
provinces of Nigeria. It is one of the common mahogany-trees of the
evergreen and mixed deciduous forest zone. It is the tallest of all
African trees, the bole alone often attaining a height exceeding 100
feet. It is also one of the straightest and most cylindrical trees in
Africa. The root spurns are very slight compared to the size of the
tree, and do not extend usually more than 10 feet up the stem. The
bark is smooth and not unlike the beech; in old age, however, it
becomes slightly pitted and the bark scales off in places. The crown
is deeper and more spherical than in the case of _Entandrophragma
utilis_. The ends of the branches are most conspicuous, with their
most pronounced tufts of leaves. The leaf is often about 4 inches
long, but in young shoots may attain a length of nearly 3 feet, with
over thirty pairs of pinnæ. The slash is white, with small, yellow,
stone-like granules in it. The bark is thick.
The capsule is nearly 6 inches long and an inch in diameter. It is
similar in shape to that of _Entandrophragma utilis_, and opens in a
similar way. The seeds are rather larger and the wings considerably
longer. It is deciduous for about a week in November, when the
flowers, which are of a light-greenish colour, appear, and then the
leaves.
The sapwood is white and comparatively wide, except in very old trees.
The wood, when freshly cut, smells slightly like a red herring, and in
colour is not unlike the flesh of kippered herring.
The heartwood is of a red-brown colour, rather dulling on exposure to
the air and becoming a dark-brown colour. The pores are very long,
much more so than either in the _E. utilis_ or the Khaya genus. The
timber splits well, saws easily, and takes nails moderately well. It
is not always easy to plane it down to a smooth surface. It has a
distinct tendency to warp unless properly seasoned. It is not termite-
proof, but the attacks of the white ants are slow. The sapwood is more
commonly attacked by a lymexylon. For interior work it is very
durable; sometimes it has a very pretty, dull-brown wavy sheen.
Natural regeneration is good in many places. Isolated trees have been
planted and small plantations made in different parts of the country.
The growth on the whole is even more rapid than in the case of _E.
utilis_. In favourable localities it will exceed an annual height
growth of 7 feet. Although it will stand a considerable amount of
shade in its youth, it is more of a light-loving tree in old age. It
is a soil-protecting and soil-improving tree.
This is one of the chief mahoganies exported from the Benin and Sapeli
forests, but it does not attain such an average high price as that of
the Khaya genus. However, from all accounts it appears that the
majority of figured logs have been obtained from this species; this
compensates to some extent the disadvantage of this being the heaviest
wood of all the mahoganies. It often floats just level with the water,
and has sometimes been known to sink. In pre-war days it used to fetch
4d. per superficial foot, and the best market for it was in Hamburg;
but, as also in the case of _E. utilis_, the wood was supplied to the
markets in Austria, Russia, etc. It is common to make three logs each
30 feet long from the bole. Both this tree and _E. utilis_ yield some
of the best curls which are obtained from the mahogany.
The local people used to be very fond of using this tree for making
canoes, and I have seen a canoe over 80 feet long and having a draught
of over 6 feet. It has also been largely used in house-building.
_Lovoa Klaineana_. African Walnut. Abuwe (Yoruba); Ikwahobo, or usually
known amongst the timber men and forest officers as Anamomilla in
Benin, Apobo (Jekri, Ijor).
It is one of the most prevalent trees on the banks of the Ogba stream
in the Benin province, and it is also found in the Ondo, Abeokuta,
Owerri and Calabar provinces of Nigeria.
This tree grows to a large size, reaching a girth of over 12 feet and
a bole length of over 60 feet. The root spurns are slight compared to
Mahogany, extending only from 4 to 6 feet up the stem.