capsule, which splits open with four sides and centre square in
section with only eight seeds, two placed on each face, is about the
size of a little finger. At its base the bole is not entirely circular
in shape, but tends to form four distinct narrow small buttresses,
giving it almost a quadrangular shape. The bark is a dark brown
colour, which gets rougher with old age and scales off to a small
extent. Compared to the size of the tree it is not very thick. In the
younger trees it is quite smooth and more of a yellow-brown colour.
The leaves are pinnate, with three or four pairs of pinnæ. The four-
sided capsule is a most typical feature of this tree, and
distinguishes it from Entandrophragma. The leaves are of a dark
colour.
The sapwood is white and the heartwood is a good walnut-brown,
sometimes with very striking dark-brown or black streaks in it. The
sapwood is comparatively narrow and the heartwood forms comparatively
early in the life of the tree. The wood is only moderately hard; it
planes well, and takes nails; it saws easily, and splits moderately
well. It is, however, attacked by termites, but not when used for
interior work. It shrinks but little and does not warp very much. The
grain is rather finer than that of the ordinary mahogany, but the
pores are often much longer. It has a pleasant lustre, but tends to
darken a little with age, especially when not exposed to the brightest
light. The tree is a moderately fast-growing, shade-bearing species,
with soil-protecting and soil-improving qualities. Natural
regeneration appears to be moderate. It sprouts slightly from the
stump. Seed years are none too frequent. The seeds themselves are soon
eaten by boring insects when they lie on the ground; even when picked
up they soon lose their germinative capacity, and should be planted
within a month of being gathered, as they are so liable to get dry.
The tree is a little exacting in regard to soil, apparently demanding
plenty of moisture, depth and a good deal of humus. No plantations
have been made with this tree, but a great number of isolated trees
have been planted by timber-lease holders in their areas.
In 1906 samples of this timber were sold in the Liverpool market as
African Walnut at 1d. per superficial foot. Since then, however, the
qualities of this timber have become better known, and it now finds a
ready sale at rates varying from 2d. to 5d. per superficial foot.
Although it is a mahogany by family, it is usual to sell it as African
Walnut, as the colour and texture of the wood are very similar to
walnut.
_Native Use._—In the Benin province it has been used for canoe-making.
_Guarea Thompsonii_. Cedar Mahogany, Cedar or Close-grained Mahogany.
Sidu (Yoruba); Obobonikwi (Benin); Akpaku (Ibo Asaba).
It is a large forest tree of the evergreen forest zone, attaining a
girth of 12 feet, which is most commonly found in the Benin district
of Nigeria.
_Chief Characteristics._—The trunk is dark-brown with smoothish bark,
which has a tendency to scale off a little. The pinnate leaves are
shiny and form very distinctive tufts at the ends of the branches,
though not quite so much as in Entandrophragma.
The fruit, which is quite soft, is a dehiscent capsule, of a dark
brown colour; when ripe, three black seeds covered with red pulp are
released. The seeds are ellipsoid in shape and smaller than those of
_G. sp._, Obobonufwa. The seed is nearly half an inch long and covered
with white streaks following round its narrowest circumference. The
crown is very thick and dense compared with _G. sp._, Obobonufwa. The
bole length is shorter, and the shape of it is not so regular nor so
round as that of _G. sp._, Obobonufwa. The crown is flatly spherical
in shape, reaching fully a third of the total height of the tree. The
flowers are yellow and borne in long spikes about 1 foot in length.
The sapwood is white and the heart of a mahogany-brown colour, with a
slightish red tinge when freshly cut, which rapidly goes a light brown
colour, though not such a light brown as in the case of _G. sp._,
Obobonufwa. It has a strong cedar scent when freshly cut, and even the
old wood retains this scent when planed up afresh. The grain is fine,
though a little fibrous. The pores are long and open. It has, however,
a nice sheen, giving a better appearance than that of _G. sp._,
Obobonufwa. It planes easily, but does not split very well. It takes
nails fairly easily and saws without difficulty. It is not termite-
proof. It has considerable tensile strength and elasticity. In
proportion the heartwood is very large and forms comparatively early
in the life of the tree. It has a closer grain than any of the
mahogany of the Benin district.
The tree is a fast-growing one, at first shade-bearing, and later a
more light-demanding species, with soil-improving and soil-protecting
qualities. Natural regeneration appears to be fair, though the seeds
are eaten by insects, and they do not appear to keep their generative
capacity for a great length of time. It appears to be rather exacting
as to soil, liking one with a fair degree of moisture, mineral content
and of considerable depth. No plantations have yet been made of this
tree, but isolated specimens have been planted by the timber-lease
holders. It bears good crops of seed every few years.
Owing to the comparative shortage of mahogany trees on some areas,
this tree is now felled as a timber for export, and is sold as Scented
Mahogany at 3d. to 6d. per superficial foot. Locally it has been cut
for planks.
_Guarea sp._ Cedar Mahogany, Scented Mahogany. Sida, Sendar, Odogbo,
Akokogbo (Yoruba); Obobonufwa (Benin); Akpaku (Ibo Asaba).
It is a large forest tree of the evergreen zone, attaining a girth of
over 12 feet, which is most commonly met with in the Benin district of
Nigeria.
_Chief Characteristics._—The bole is covered with smooth grey bark,
which peels off very gradually in large pieces more like a plane; it
is sometimes relieved by patches of yellow or red lichens. It has
tufts of pinnate leaves at the end of the branches.
The fruit is a greyish-brown coloured, dehiscent capsule, which
contains three large seeds covered with orange-coloured flesh. The
seed is black, and wider and thicker than the _G. Thompsonii_, though
the length is about the same; this makes it flatly ovate. The seed is
covered with white streaks in the same way as _Guarea Thompsonii_. The
root spurns are narrow and extend further up the stem than in the case
of _G. Thompsonii_, though in the younger trees the stem is very
cylindrical. The silvery-coloured bark is most typical of this tree,
thus distinguishing it most clearly from _G. Thompsonii_. It is very
similar in appearance to _Sideroxylon Aylmeri_ of Sierra Leone, so
that indeed it may be a species of Sideroxylon, or even the same.
It is found in the Ondo, Abeokuta and Benin provinces of Nigeria.
The sapwood is white and narrow and the heartwood light-brown, rapidly
darkening to a more mahogany brown. When freshly cut it has a strong
cedar scent, which goes off to a certain extent when it is dry, but on
planing the wood up again there is always a slight cedar scent. It is
closer grained than _G. Thompsonii_, but it has not so much sheen. On
the whole the colour is poorer. It is not considered quite so durable
as _G. Thompsonii_, nor is it termite-proof. It planes well and saws
easily, splits moderately well, and takes nails without difficulty. It
is of a very light colour for mahogany. It has a good, mellow texture.
It is at first slightly shade-bearing, but later a light-demanding
tree. It grows comparatively rapidly. It thoroughly protects the soil
and enriches it with its leaf fall. Natural regeneration appears to be
only moderate, perhaps owing to the fact that the seeds soon lose
their germinative capacity or are eaten by animals. It appears to be
somewhat exacting as to soil, liking one with considerable depth,
mineral content and a fair degree of moisture.
In 1906 sample logs of this timber were considered of a lower value
than mahogany, and were sold as Scented Mahogany at 3½d. to 3¾d. per
superficial foot. Since that date the timber has been regularly
shipped from the Benin district and sold as Scented Mahogany, and it
is usually worth from 2½d. to 6d. per superficial foot. Owing to the
comparative scarcity of large girth mahoganies (_Khaya sp._) in some
localities, it is being felled in increasingly large quantities.
_Trichilia Heudelottii_. Rere, Ako Irere, Asana (Yoruba); Ovallo
(Benin).
It is found in the Abeokuta and Benin provinces of Nigeria.
It has a smaller leaf than _Trichilia sp._, and is rather a smaller
tree than _T. Prieuriana_. The heartwood is brown-red and very hard;
the sapwood is white.
It is a slow-growing, shade-bearing, soil-protecting and soil-
improving tree of the mixed forest zone.
Occasionally it is used as a house-building timber, when there is
nothing else available.
_Trichilia sp._ Iseko (Yoruba); Ogiovalo (Benin).
It has a larger leaf than _T. Heudelotii_. It is found in the
Abeokuta, Ondo and Benin provinces of Nigeria. The heartwood is
brownish-red and the sapwood is white. It reaches rather a larger size
than _T. Heudelotii_, attaining a bole length of about 15 feet and a
girth of 5 feet. The seeds are very similar to those of _P.
Prieuriana_. It is termite-proof.
It is a somewhat slow-growing, shade-bearing, soil-protecting and
soil-improving tree. Natural regeneration appears to be slight. It
apparently demands a good soil, and is found in the mixed deciduous
forest.
It has not yet been tried as an export timber, but it might be useful
as a hard mahogany, both for export and for local use.
Amongst the natives it is occasionally used as a house-building
timber, the tree having a fork at a convenient distance from the
ground.
_Trichilia Prieuriana_. Awe, Eriagbo (Yoruba); Igogo (Benin); Somabari
(Oban, Ekoi).
_Chief Characteristics._—It is a dark-foliaged tree, usually found
dominated in the mixed forest, with thin, scaly bark and thin, long
leaves, with four or five pairs of pinnæ. The seeds are reminiscent of
Guarea.
_Distribution._—It is found in the mixed deciduous forests of the
Abeokuta, Ibadan and Benin provinces of Nigeria.
_Timber._—It has a hard, red heartwood of close grain and white
sapwood; it does not shrink nor warp to any extent.
It is a slow-growing, shade-bearing, soil-protecting and soil-
improving tree. Natural regeneration appears to be poor, perhaps owing
to the fact that the seeds decay very rapidly when lying in the
ground.
In the dry season the dew condenses very readily on this tree, and
thus makes the ground very moist underneath.
It does not reach really export timber size. It has not been used
either for export or locally. However, for smaller constructional work
it deserves a trial.
_Turræa Vogelii_. Asha omode (Yoruba); Ovioza (Benin).
It is rather an uncommon tree of the Benin province of Nigeria. It is
quite small, only attaining a girth of about 2 feet. It usually stands
in the shade as part of the undergrowth of the evergreen forest.
The natives have no particular use for it.
_Turræa heterophylla_.
This tree is found in the Abeokuta province of Nigeria. It is a small
tree which has been specially noticed in the Ilaro Forest Reserve. The
Yorubas do not have any special use for this species of Meliaceæ. It
is considerably harder than either mahogany or cedar mahogany.
_Ekebergia Senegalensis_ (Juss.).
It is a medium-sized tree found in the Abeokuta province of Nigeria.
It is distinguished by its white flowers, and is found growing in the
Olokemeji Arboretum. The leaves are large for Meliaceæ, but the
position of the flower-stalk and the bark are typical of this family.
The natives have not used the wood thus far. It would make rather an
ornamental shrub-like tree in a garden.
_Melia Azedarach_. Bead Tree or Persian Lilac. Eke Oyinbo (Yoruba).
A tree found growing plentifully. It is of medium size, bearing a very
ornamental flower. It yields timber, gum, oil and medicaments, and is
also used in the preparation of liquors. The fruit is poisonous.
_? Mahogany_. Onyemo (Benin).
This tree is somewhat uncommon in the Benin province of Nigeria. It is
closely allied to the African Walnut. It is apparently a mahogany, so
far as the texture of the timber is concerned, and the grain is very
similar too. It is a medium-sized tree with a bark less pitted than
that of the Entandrophragmas and with a more greenish tinge. The slash
is white, the sapwood whitish-yellow and the heartwood light-brown,
becoming darker on exposure to the air. It has occasionally been cut
in Benin and used as mahogany.
=Polygalaceæ.=
_Carpolobia lutea_ (Don). Oshunshun (Yoruba).
It is found in the Abeokuta and Benin provinces of Nigeria. A shrub-
like tree.
_Polygala arenaria_. Okuturupu (Yoruba).
It is found in the Olokemeji Reserve of the Abeokuta province of
Nigeria.
=Dichapetalaceæ.=
_Chailletia floribunda_ (Planch). Kukumarugbo (Yoruba).
This is a small tree of the mixed deciduous forest zone. It is a
shade-bearing and soil-protecting tree.
The timber is hard and durable. Locally it has not been used to any
extent, though it might find a place in temporary buildings as
verandah-posts or window-frames. The timber is said to be termite-
proof. The flowers are very conspicuous and quite enliven the forest
with their bright colours.
=Euphorbiaceæ.=
_Ricinodendron Africanus_. African Wood Oil Nut. Erimado, Ekku (Ib.);
Funfun Puttuputtu (Yoruba); Okkwen, Okwen-seva (Benin).
It is a large or more often medium-sized tree with smooth grey bark,
rather thin branches in more or less whorls, and open crown. The fruit
has two lobes, with one seed in each lobe. The leaf is digitate, with
a varying number of digits, from three to five. The leaves are rather
smaller and much thinner and finer in texture than those of _R.
Rautenii_. The root spurns are smaller, and do not appear much more
than 1 foot to 2 feet above the ground, nor do the roots themselves
usually extend above the ground. It reaches a girth of about 8 feet.
[Illustration: FIG. 72.—=Forest on banks of Oshun River, looking
downstream, Oshun Forest Reserve.=]
[Illustration: FIG. 73.—=Large Arere Tree (Triplochiton Nigericum),
already girdled and dead.=]
[Illustration: FIG. 74.—=Forest on banks of Oshun River, looking
upstream, Oshun Forest Reserve, Jebu Ode District.=]
[Illustration: FIG. 75.—=Ride between Compartments C and D, Mamu Forest
Reserve, Funtumia seedlings on either side, six to eight years old.=]
To face p. 332.
The timber is a little more closely grained than that of _R.
Rautenii_, but otherwise very similar. On the whole the bole has a
less good shape, tapering rather more in proportion to its height. The
timber length of the tree does not usually exceed 25 feet. Natural
regeneration is very good, though this tree does not bear seed so
heavily as the sister species. It sprouts well from the stump, but the
stump does not last. In its youth it will stand a little shade, but is
really a light-loving tree, with soil-protecting, soil-improving
qualities. It is not quite so rapid a growing tree as _R. Rautenii_,
even though it is one of the quickest growing trees. It appears to
like a moist, comparatively rich soil.
In 1906 samples of this timber were sold in the Liverpool market as a
species of mahogany. It is, however, probable that these were logs
from a different kind of tree, as the wood is too dull a brown colour
to be really like mahogany. Locally it has not been sawn up for
planks, but deserves a trial as a box-making and pattern-making wood.
_Native Use._—It is felled indiscriminately with _R. Rautenii_ and
used for a similar purpose.
_Ricinodendron Rautenii_. Yoruba Coffin Wood. Ekku, Puttuputtu
(Yoruba); Okwen-seva, Okkwen nebo (Benin).
A large tree, up to 12 feet in girth, with stout branches and roughly
fissured bark reminding one of oak. The fruit is slightly three-lobed,
containing three seeds. The leaf is digitate, with the number of
digits varying from five to seven. The leaves are larger and thicker
and with a rougher surface than those of _R. Africanus_. The crown is
thicker, more widespread, and roughly spherical in shape. The roots
usually come out of the ground near the base of the tree and form
rough root spurns, extending 3 or 4 feet up the bole of the tree. The
bole reaches a length of 30 feet.
It is one of the commonest trees in the moist secondary forests and at
the edge of the mixed deciduous forests in Benin, Abeokuta, Calabar.
The timber of this tree was described as a “species of mahogany” and
suitable for the Liverpool market in 1906.
_Native Use._—By the Yorubas it is cut down and sawn up into planks
for making coffins. Mostly medium-sized trees are used for this
purpose. None of the natives apparently know how to use the nuts.
_Ricinodendron sp._ Species of Mahogany. Okwen seni (Benin).
The African oil-nut, with four nuts in each fruit, appears to be the
same, but this larger number of nuts is the specially distinguishing
feature, and has been given a distinct name by the Benin people. It
is, however, rather doubtful if it is really a different species from
_R. Rautenii_.
_Native Use._—It is used in much the same way as the other two
species.
_Uapaca Heudelotii_. Mahogany. Yeye (Yoruba); Oyen (Benin); Ile (Bonny
and New Calabar).
It is found in the Owerri and Yoruba provinces of Nigeria. With its
slightly curved trunk and large mass of widespreading aerial roots,
extending almost to a quarter up the height of the tree, it is
distinguishable from other trees of this zone. Usually found growing
near water, or in regions that are flooded periodically. It sends out
fresh red-coloured aerial roots. The leaves are somewhat shiny and
give a greyish appearance in the distance. The bark is finely fissured
and dark brown. Often covered with moss at the base. It attains a
girth of about 10 feet and a bole length of about 25 feet.
It is a somewhat slow-growing, shade-bearing tree. It protects the
soil and enriches it with the fall of its leaves. Its mass of aerial
roots tends to moderate the speed of the flooded river and holds the
banks up, preventing corrosion, and in many cases tends to help the
formation of higher and more solid banks, owing to the deposit of sand
between and near the network of aerial roots.
The timber is very similar to mahogany in grain, though a little
harder. It has considerable elasticity. It is finely fibrous, and does
not plane up with such a smooth finish, nor does it split well. It is
termite-resisting and moderately tough. It saws with difficulty. The
sapwood is stained with reddish colouring matter, and the heartwood is
a dull red-brown. The pores in the timber are longer, and resemble
mahogany in this respect; though, being fibrous to the touch, the
difference is shown.
The timber has not been exported, nor has it been sawn up for local
use. Occasionally it is used by the natives for house-building, and
some of the crooked roots and branches are used as ribs for boats and
building up canoes.
_Uapaca Guineensis_ (Muell. Arg.). False Mahogany. Abo Emido, also
known as Yeye and Yere (Yoruba); Onye (Benin).
_Chief Characteristics._—Large aerial roots supporting the bole at a
height of 8 to 10 feet from the ground. When cut, the slash is red;
the sapwood is whitish, tinged with the red colouring matter of the
heartwood, which is a dull red.
_Distribution._—Banks of the Ogun, Olokemeji Forest Reserve.
In most respects the timber is similar to that of Heudelottii. On the
whole, however, this species is a little harder than the other.
This tree is somewhat slow-growing and stands less shade than the
Heudelotii. It is of the greatest value, with its aerial roots, in
protecting and increasing the height and stability of the river banks
at the edge of the dry forest zone. It is one of the few trees that
are not washed out of the banks in the flood season, and even when
they do fall over into the river they remain attached to the bank and
lessen the force of the current. Natural regeneration is none too
good.
The timber has not been exported, nor has it been felled locally for
conversion into planks. Occasionally the natives use the smaller trees
for house-building. They also consider the places in the rivers
immediately near or overhung by one of these trees as the best
localities for fishing.
_Bridelia micrantha_. Yoruba Ironwood. Ira Odan, Asa Gidi (Yoruba).
It is found in the Ibadan and Abeokuta provinces of Nigeria.
It is a small tree or shrub up to 8 feet high, with a large alternate
leaf. The bark tends to be fibrous and can be stripped off in a
similar way to the other Bridelias.
The timber is very hard, moderately durable, and said to be termite-
proof. Its small size and somewhat crooked nature hinders its more
extensive use.
It is occasionally of use for house-poles in temporary buildings, and
makes good firewood, giving intense heat. The leaves yield a rich
humus and improve the soil.
_Native Use._—The bark is mixed with Hausa salts and then drunk with
lime and water as an aperient.
_Bridelia Zenkeri_, syn. _atroviridis_. Yoruba Ironwood. Asha, Asha
ragha (Yoruba); Oviaruza, Assivi, Ogangan (Benin).
It is a comparatively common tree of the Abeokuta, Oyo, Benin and
Owerri provinces of Nigeria. The roughly fissured bark, scaling off in
criss-cross fashion, in papery or fibrous layers, is most typical of
the tree. The bole is short, seldom reaching a greater length than 15
feet. It is usually forked about this height and then spreads out,
rather reminiscently of the elm. It yields the hardest wood of all the
African trees, except perhaps Okuta (the stone).
It is occasionally used for house-building by the natives.
_Bridelia stenocarpa_. Benin Ironwood. Arasha, Asha, Aroro Ashasha
(Ondo), Aiveygbo (Eg.) (Yoruba); Assivi (Benin).
This tree is found in the Benin and Calabar provinces of Nigeria,
where it is somewhat prevalent, but found always singly in the forest.
In habit it is not at all unlike the wych elm. The leaf is of similar
size and shape, the bark peels off in fibrous layers, but is otherwise
fissured in lattice-work fashion. For the size of the tree the bark is
comparatively thin; the slash is light-brown, sometimes a whitish-
grey. The sapwood is white and the heartwood is dark-brown and very
hard. It saws well, but is almost impossible to split, and it will not
take nails. It has a short bole of about 20 feet, is deciduous for a
few days in the year, but is otherwise a soil-protecting and soil-
improving tree. Samples were at one time on the way to be exported,
but were sunk by accident, the wood, of course, being much heavier
than water.
The natives occasionally use it for house-building.
_Excœcaria sp._ Orupa (Yoruba).
It is a small tree, up to 18 inches in girth, with smooth, yellowish-
red bark, and has maple-like seeds in pairs joined at the base. The
stem gives a greyer impression than that of _Ormosia laxiflora_, and
it is also much smoother.
_Distribution._—It is found in the dry-zone forest of the Ibadan,
Abeokuta and Onitsha provinces of Nigeria.
_Timber._—Not very hard and of a yellowish colour.
_Native Use._—The bark and roots are used medicinally. It is sold in
the Lagos medicine market.
_Antidesma venosum_. Aroro (Yoruba).
It is a small tree, about 9 feet high. Found in the Olokemeji Reserve.
_Antidesma sp._ Ogbamaton (Benin).
Found in the Benin province.
_Tragia Manniana_. Esisi (Yoruba); Ogangan (Benin).
Found in the Ondo and Benin provinces.
_Microdesmis puberula_ (Hook.). The Benin Apata Wood. Apata (Yoruba);
Ehranpata, Esanpata, Omomeran (Benin).
It is found in the Abeokuta, Ibadan and Benin provinces of Nigeria.
It is a small tree with hard wood of a brown colour. It reaches about
15 feet high with a girth of about 12 inches.
On the whole this is a slow-growing, soil-protecting and soil-
improving shrub. It serves a useful purpose in the undergrowth and is
of local value as well.
_Native Use._—The wood is used for making the musical instrument known
to the Benin as Apata, a kind of harp-shaped frame made of wire, but
much smaller.
_Microdesmis sp._ Essunsun, Ubelluname, Ubellunowe (Benin); Njorgora
(Oban, Ekoi); Akiti (Ibo Owerri).
It is a common tree of the Benin, Ondo, Ogoja and Calabar provinces of
Nigeria. A medium-sized tree of about 6 feet in girth, attaining a
bole length of about 40 feet. Its small, pretty five-petalled flowers
fall off the tree and cover the path or neighbouring bushes; their
scent is very pleasant and is reminiscent of honey and flowers.
The sapwood is white and the heartwood light red brown, rather hard,
of close grain and close texture; it planes moderately well, but it is
rather hard to saw and does not split. It is durable under cover, but
does not last when exposed to the weather. It hardens very
considerably when exposed to the air. The timber was used for
verandah-posts in the Calabar district, but did not prove very
suitable, as a large borer often attacked it. The timber is not
absolutely termite-proof. The natives occasionally use the wood for
house-posts.
_Phyllanthus reticulatus_. Iranje (Yoruba).
Found in the Olokemeji Reserve.
_Phyllanthus sp._ Awe, Erigaba (Yoruba); Eghogho (Benin).
Found in the Olokemeji Reserve.
_Cyclostemon_. Oyen (Benin). This may be the same as _Uapaca
Heudelotii_.
It is a medium-sized tree of the Abeokuta and Benin provinces of
Nigeria. It has aerial roots and likes a damp, moist soil. It has red
flowers which come out in February. It yields a hard, reddish wood,
which is rather fibrous.
_Manniophyton Africanum_. Ebumen (Benin).
This is a small creeper similar to that known as Okwe by the Benis.
_Manniophyton sp._ Okwe (Benin).
This is a long creeper found in the Benin and Ogoja provinces of
Nigeria.
The nut of this creeper is most commonly seen in the cooked state in
the markets, when it appears like a dark-coloured marble. The soft
shell can be cracked between the fingers, and the hardish white nut is
seen inside, being about 1 inch in diameter and very meaty. A few of
these almost take the place of a meal. Thus far the plant has not been
cultivated, the natives only picking the fruit as they find it in the
forest. The fruit is four-cornered and contains one nut.
_Palissya cordata_. Ipa (Yoruba); Unwonwen (Benin); Abo Asha (Ibadan).
It is found in the Benin forest. A medium-sized tree, which might be
examined with a view to being a source of dyeing material.
_Macaranga Barteri_. Arasa (Yoruba).
A small tree or shrub found in Tropical West Africa.
_Claoxylon Barteri_ (Hook.). Itakun, Okare (Yoruba).
It has small flowers. Found near Ipetu.
=Anacardiaceæ.=
_Spondias lutea_. Non-indigenous Hog Plum or Yellow Plum. Iyeye, Akika
Aka (Yoruba); Ogikan or Ogege (Benin); Nsukakara (Efik).
Although indigenous to India, it has become very widespread in its
area of distribution in Africa, where it is found, partly planted or
as a “garden escape,” in all the Southern Provinces of Nigeria. It is
a medium-sized tree, reaching a girth of about 5 feet and a height of
about 50 feet. The very evenly and comparatively deeply fissured bark,
in comparison to the size of the tree, is the most typical feature of
it. A very open crown, and few straight upward- and outward-tending
branches, with very slight side branches and twigs also distinguish
this tree from many of the forest trees. The little yellow fruit,
about 1 inch long and ¾ inch in diameter, is very much like an
elongated Mirabel plum. It is between an eighth and a quarter of an
inch of yellow flesh when the nut or stone is reached inside. The
leaves are thin and pinnate, with ten to twelve pairs of pinnæ on each
leaf. Sometimes the bark is rough and almost prickly. The branches and
cortex in smaller trees are more or less covered with little nodules
which sometimes develop into small thorns. The fruit is sweet, but
rather sharp to the taste, almost tart. It is, however, refreshing in
the hot weather whilst on the march.
The timber is whitish-yellow, not very hard, although it is scarcely
attacked by white ants, chiefly perhaps owing to the fact that any
green piece of wood with some bark on it will grow when lying on the
ground. It planes well, splits easily, and takes nails.
It is a rapid-growing, light-loving tree which does not thoroughly
protect the soil nor enrich it very much with its foliage. Natural
regeneration is poor. It is most readily propagated by means of
cuttings, which may even be about 6 inches in diameter and quite as
long as posts. With the spread of farms and other buildings it tends
to become more widely distributed over the country. It demands a moist
soil with a fair amount of depth.
The timber does not show such qualities as to justify its export, but
occasionally the larger trees might be sawn up for planks for local
use. It is very useful for making live fences, which grow fast and do
not cast much shade. In fruit the tree also looks very pretty.
_Native Use._—The tree is used for live fences for gardens and farms.
The fruit is eaten, but not to an enormous extent, as it is said to
form tartar on the teeth. Amongst the Yorubas, parts of the roots and
branches are used for axe and hoe handles.
_Spondias sp._ Ekika Aja (Yoruba).
This tree may be the same as _Pseudospondias microcarpa_, but it has
only been determined from a specimen obtained from the Oshun Reserve.
This is somewhat further south and in a moister region than the
_Pseudospondias microcarpa_.
_Pseudospondias microcarpa_. Okika (Yoruba).
It is a somewhat rare tree in the Abeokuta and Ibadan provinces of
Nigeria. Apparently there is a small-fruited tree of this species in
the Olokemeji Reserve. The tree itself attains a larger size than _S.
lutea_, reaching a girth of 8 feet and a bole of 20 feet. The growth
is less free and the bark is much darker and more fissured than _S.
lutea_. It has not been felled for export; the natives have no
particular use either for the wood or the fruit.
_Anacardium Occidentale_. Non-indigenous Cashew Nut. Kaju (Yoruba).
This tree has become a garden escape on the Ekoi plains near Lagos,
where it forms dense thickets. It is not indigenous to West Africa.
The tree bears well, and the Brazilians resident in Lagos make a jam
out of the fruit. The nuts are roasted and regularly sold in the
market, to Europeans chiefly. The branches of the tree are sometimes
lopped off and cut into short pieces for firewood. It is usually of
very sprawling habit, with a short bole only 3 or 4 feet long. It is
not found in the forest proper.
_Botanical name unknown_. Blacksmith’s Charcoal Wood. Akkun (Yoruba);
Azimommon, Onyenu (Benin).
It is found in the Benin and Abeokuta provinces of Nigeria, Obagie
Reserve and Oyon River.
It is a large tree, with large leaves and compact crown. It has a very
small, berry-like fruit; found growing on moist soil in the evergreen
forest, sometimes found in the fringing forest of river banks of a dry
zone.
_Timber._—The timber is very hard, grey in colour and perhaps
flexible. The bark is rough and finely fissured. It is inclined to
peel off. The slash is pink. The wood is very fibrous, and in the
cross-cut section the pieces between the fibres look like very small
pinholes. The wood when freshly cut has a sweet, rather pleasant
smell.
_European Use._—It has not, so far, been sold for export or local use.
_Native Use._—The stems of the small trees are used for axe-handles,
and this tree is esteemed by the blacksmith for making charcoal. It is
also cut into planks.
_Anacardia sp._ Rat Poison Mango. Akkum (Yoruba); Pweku Pweku, Azemome
(Benin).
The Benin native name means literally “Rat-kill, rat-kill,” but I have
never been able to discover exactly how the poison is used. It is
rather a rare tree of the Benin forest of the Benin province. It
reaches a height of about 80 feet and a girth of 9 feet. It bears a
large fruit about the size and shape of a good mango. This is
certainly one of the best fruits of the native trees. It has a much
sweeter scent than that of the mango, and the taste is also much
sweeter. From experiments made it is not poisonous to chickens, goats
nor sheep, but none of them, except the chickens, took it at all
willingly. The fruit is said to be very poisonous to man, but its
delicious flavour tempts the tasting of it. Certainly, in very small
quantities it is not poisonous, and it would be interesting to know in
what quantities it is so. The slash is yellowish-white. The sapwood is
white and the heartwood of a dull brown colour. It is a hard and heavy
wood. It saws with difficulty. It is a shade-bearing and soil-
protecting tree. The natural reproduction appears to be poor.
The timber has not been used locally, nor has it been sampled for
export.
=Celastraceæ.=
_Gymnosporia Senegalensis_. Shepolo-hun (Yoruba).
It is found in the Olokemeji Reserve of the Abeokuta province of
Nigeria.
=Icacinaceæ.=
_Pyrenacantha sp. nov._ Abara (Yoruba).
It is found in the Epe Colony of Lagos, Nigeria.
=Sapindaceæ.=
_Lecaniodiscus cupanoides_. Akika. Aka-Ishin (Yoruba); Utan-tan
(Benin).
It is found in the Abeokuta, Ibadan, Ondo, Warri, Ogoja and Calabar
provinces of Nigeria. It is a small, shrub-like tree, reaching a girth
of about 1 foot and a height of 15 feet. The leaves are very small,
the timber extremely hard and cross-grained. The wood is used by the
natives for rafters, hoe-handles and sometimes mortar-pestles; the
root is said to have medicinal properties.
_Blighia sapida_. Akee or Akee Apple. Ishin Ishin-oka (Yoruba); Ukpi
nufwa (Benin).
It is found in the Southern Provinces of Nigeria. It has an edible
aril, which is yellow in colour. It is cooked before being consumed.
It is a very ornamental tree, and bears fruit when quite young, which,
being orange-coloured, looks very pretty amongst the green foliage.
The fruit is more or less triangular in shape, and when ripe splits
open up to the base, releasing three black nuts with a yellow aril.
The fruit is orange-coloured with a pink flush. It is a medium-sized
tree, reaching a girth of about 6 feet and a height of about 60 feet.
The bark is smooth and grey in colour and comparatively thin. The
crown is oval in shape and much more open than is the case with
_Phialodiscus sp._ It has a moderately large pinnate leaf with two
pairs of pinnæ. The flowers are small and comparatively inconspicuous.
It is found chiefly in the mixed deciduous forest zone. It is most
frequently seen in the neighbourhood of villages, where it has
probably been planted.
The sapwood is white and the heartwood brown, moderately hard, durable
and termite-proof. It planes well, though occasionally it is cross-
grained. The wood is of fine texture and has a certain amount of
sheen. It saws well, but does not split easily. It takes nails only
moderately well. It tends to darken a little on exposure to the air.
This tree is moderately fast-growing, at first shade-bearing and
subsequently light-demanding. It is also a soil-protecting and soil-
improving tree. It appears to like comparatively rich soil, though it
may also be seen on poor ground, where it does not thrive. Natural
regeneration is not good, chiefly owing to the fact that many animals
eat the seeds, besides human beings. It will bear fruit in the fifth
year, more especially from stump shoots. It sprouts well from the
stump and stands a great deal of pruning.
The timber has not been cut for export, and only occasionally has it
been sawn up for local use. It is, however, worthy of further
attention as a local building timber. As an ornamental tree it is
worthy of a place in a large garden. With its open crown it is a
comparatively clean tree, and does not harbour flies and insects.
_Native Use._—In places of timber scarcity it is occasionally used for
house-poles. The aril of the fruit is eaten after being cooked, but
apparently this custom is much more prevalent in the West Indies
amongst the descendants of the African slaves. In many parts of
Nigeria it is quite unknown as an edible fruit.
_Phialodiscus sp.?_. Bush Akee. Awewe, Ishin Oko, Isinko (Yoruba); Ukpi
nikwi (Benin).
Identified from a specimen in the Forestry Arboretum, Calabar.
_Chief Characteristics._—The capsule splits into three and allows
three black seeds to escape, with small yellow aril round the base.
The whole fruit and the individual seeds are much smaller than
_Blighia sapida_, though, as the Benin name indicates, this is so
similar that it is called the black variety of Ukpi. The fruit is
triangular in shape, otherwise very much the same size as African Oak,
_Oldfieldia Africana_.
Found in the Calabar, Owerri, Benin, Ondo and Abeokuta provinces of
Nigeria.
_Blighia sp._ Ishin Oko, Oko Ishin (Yoruba); Ukpi nikwi (Benin).
_Distribution._—Ibadan, Abeokuta, Jebu Ode, Benin, Owerri and Calabar
provinces of Nigeria. Probably same as _Phialodiscus sp._
_Chief Characteristics._—The very insignificant white flower-spikes,
hidden away amongst the leaves, but attracting numerous bees in
February and March, characterize this variety. It is a medium-sized
tree, with light-green foliage, thin, lanceolate leaves, a thin grey
bark, smooth and close and oval-shaped crown, through which one cannot
see. The capsule is dehiscent, with three black seeds with yellow
arils, smaller than _Blighia sapida_, but otherwise quite similar in
shape, except that the capsule is more triangular than that of _B.
sapida_, and shorter also and of a dark brown colour. It is not unlike
the fruit of the real African Oak, _Oldfieldia Africana_, except that
this is quite spherical in shape.
_Timber._—White sapwood and light-brown heartwood, which is moderately
hard. It does not plane well, and is sometimes cross-grained; the
texture of the wood is fine, but is a little fibrous. It saws easily,
but does not split well. The bole being very cylindrical in shape,
comparatively long, even-widthed planks can be cut out of it.
It is a somewhat slow-growing, shade-bearing, soil-protecting and
soil-improving tree. Natural regeneration does not appear to be good.
It is somewhat exacting as to soil, and does not thrive in a moist
sand. It is somewhat fire-resisting. In the dry season a good deal of
dew is condensed on the leaves, but not so much as in other genera,
such as Anona.
The timber has not been cut for export, nor has it been sawn up for
local use. It deserves, however, further trial as a local building
timber. A specimen, from which the tree was determined, stands in the
forest region of Calabar.
_Use._—Native implements of various kinds.
[Illustration: FIG. 76.—=Path in Iwoye Forest, Western Circle, showing
parts of four Mahogany Trees in the picture.=]
[Illustration: FIG. 77.—=Mature Cocoanut Grove near stream in the middle
of Idanre Town, 1910.=]
To face p. 342.
_Deinbollia pinnata_. Oju Agbigbo (Yoruba); Ebegogogbo (Benin).
It is a small, shrub-like tree found in the Abeokuta and Benin
provinces. The small orange-brown-coloured seeds are of similar shape
to, though smaller than, _Blighia sapida_; they are, however, more
elliptical. The stem of the tree, if found with the proper crook in
it, is used for making hoe-handles. The leaf is pinnate. This tree
only attains a small size, and is found as undergrowth in the mixed
deciduous forest zone.
_Cupania akeesia_. Small Ukpi nufwa. Ishin-jeje, Ishin-gege (Yoruba);
Ukpi nufwa (Benin).
This is a small, shrub-like tree, common in the Abeokuta and Benin
provinces of Nigeria.
=Rhamnaceæ.=
_Zizyphus mucronata_ (Willd.). Walking-stick Wood. Ekanesie adie
(Yoruba).
This is a shrub-like tree of the dry-zone forest, but does not bear
such a nice fruit as that of _Z. jujuba_.
=Tiliaceæ.=
_Glyphea Grewioides_ (Hook.). Atori (Yoruba); Uwenyriotan, Uwemriotan
(Benin).
It is a small tree, not much more than a large shrub, with small
leaves, and very common in the undergrowth of the evergreen forest. It
is not a hard wood.
It is found in the Benin, Calabar, Abeokuta, Ondo and Ibadan provinces
of Nigeria. It is usually found as one of the smaller trees forming
the undergrowth in the evergreen forest. It yields a strong, hard wood
near the junction of the roots with the stem, though otherwise it is
soft.
It is a shade-bearer, and usually grows in a moist place. Reproduction
by seed, judging by the amount of self-grown seedlings found, must be
good. It thoroughly protects the soil and enriches it. It thus serves
a useful purpose in the undergrowth of evergreen forests.
_Native Use._—It is used as a “Ju-ju” whip in Benin and for walking-
sticks. Small stump shoots can also be used for yam supports and for
making hoe-handles.
_Cistanthera sp._ False Hill Mahogany. Oro, Apata (?) (Yoruba); Abolo
(?) (Benin).
It is found in the Abeokuta and Benin (?) provinces of Nigeria. It is
a very common tree on the hill-sides of the Olokemeji Reserve, and to
a lesser extent in the Ilaro Reserve. It is a medium-sized tree,
reaching a growth of 8 feet and the bole length of about 40 feet. The
bark is very curious, with occasional very small, long and narrow
fissures and tiny pits scattered more or less a foot apart up and down
the stem. It is almost gregarious in habit.
The timber is a red-brown colour with a white sapwood. It is very
similar to mahogany and could probably be sold as such. It is
moderately durable. A tree which fell down in the Olokemeji Reserve
during 1910 was not absolutely unsound in 1915.
It is apparently a slight shade-bearer and rather slow grower.
Reproduction by seed is evidently rather doubtful, as few or no self-
sown seedlings are found in the neighbouring forest. It has not been
cut for local use, nor for export, though sample logs should be tried
on the Liverpool market to test its value.
The natives use the roots for medicinal purposes, but they do not use
the timber.
_Grewia carpinifolia_. Itakum Okere (Yoruba).
Olokemeji.
_Grewia tetragastris_. Ora-Igho (Yoruba).
It is a shrub, reaching a height of about 5 feet, of the mixed
deciduous forest in the Abeokuta province of Nigeria (Olokemeji
Reserve).
_Triumfetta rhomboidea_. Boko pupa, Akobolobolo, Ilasa omodo (Yoruba);
Nesuwa (Benin).
_Triumfetta cordifolia_. Esura (Yoruba).
_Triumfetta sp._ Apiko (Yoruba).
_Corchorus acutangulus_. Abo-jaga (Yoruba).
_Corchorus olitorius_. Eyo, Ganbe (Yoruba).
These are common plants in the Ogoja and Abeokuta provinces of
Nigeria.
They yield long-stapled fibre worth about £27 a ton. Owing to the fact
that they grow wild and are not cultivated by the natives, the
difficulty is to be able to collect sufficient quantities in one
locality to pay for the cost of retting, baling, etc., to make the
fibre production a paying proposition.
=Malvaceæ.=
_Hibiscus esculentus_ (F.). Okra or Achro (fruit).
In most provinces of Nigeria.
_Hibiscus Grewioides_.
Yoruba country (?).
_Hibiscus quinquilobus_ (G. Don). Onegozi (Benin).
Benin.
_Sida carpinifolia_ (Linn.). Oshopotu Dudu (Yoruba).
It is found in Abeokuta province of Nigeria, and is used by the local
people for making fibre.
_Urena lobata_. Bolobolo Fibre. Bolobolo (Yoruba).
It is found in the Olokemeji Reserve of the Abeokuta province of
Nigeria.
It is a comparatively well-known fibre-plant, but has not, however,
been cultivated, the natives having many other profitable crops to
grow.
=Bombacaceæ.=
_Eriodendron Orientale_. White Silk-Cotton Tree, Blind Wood or Kapok,
Cotton Tree. Araba, Eggun (Yoruba); Okha (Benin); Ukum (Efik); Akbo
(Ibo, Asaba); Shakka (Brass).
It is a common tree in all the Southern Provinces of Nigeria, though
it is not found in the most northerly part of the drier ones. With the
exception of a few scented mahoganies, this is the largest African
forest tree. Its huge root buttresses reach up over 20 feet from the
ground. Its giant limbs, as thick as an ordinary tree-trunk, stretch
out almost 100 feet from, and are supported on, the great column of
the bole, often itself over 100 feet high. Large muscular-like
protrusions join up the limbs with the trunk and the latter with the
root buttresses, giving the tree a peculiar look. The flowers are
white, with yellow stamens. The fruit is a soft, oblong, dehiscent
capsule, opening when ripe and releasing black seeds about twice the
size of B.B. shot. Attached to this seed is a ball of white fluff.
This last is known commercially as Kapok. At the time of the bursting
of the capsule of this tree the whole air near by appears filled with
white flakes, and the ground later is white as if after a fall of
snow. It is almost the quickest growing of all the African forest
trees. It grows in the evergreen forest as well as in the mixed
deciduous forest.
The timber is white and soft and inclined to have little yellow
streaks. When dry it is brittle, though very fibrous to cut when fresh
by either axe or saw. It soon rots when exposed to the weather.
Natural regeneration by seed is good, especially on the banks of
rivers. It tends to extend its area of distribution with the clearing
of the heavy forest area in making farms. It is a light-demanding
tree.
In Germany, before the war, African Kapok found a ready sale at about
9d. per pound. Samples of Kapok were sent to England and were valued
at less than those of the East Indian variety.
The timber has been used as a “blind” wood for furniture, and had a
regular market at Hamburg before the war. It has been tested in
England for pulp-making, but the fibre is stated to be too short, and
so it is of no use for this purpose.
_Native Use._—The Kapok is used for stuffing pillows, for which 1s.
apiece is charged. Large oblong pieces of the root buttresses are used
as native doors and as drying slabs for fresh dyed clothes. Whenever
timber fails it is used for fishing canoes (the cheapest kind).
_Eriodendron anfractuosum_. Cotton Tree, similar to Orientale. Araba
Eggun (Yoruba); Okha (Benin); Shakka (Brass).
Was determined from Western Province material, but it is doubtful
whether it is a different species from that found in other parts of
Nigeria.
_Bombax reflexum_. Red-flowering Cotton Tree. Ponpola, Lauro (Ibadan,
Yoruba); Obokha (Benin); Onihokha, Benin (when in flower); Titiro
(Egbado).
It is found in the Abeokuta, Ondo, Benin, Owerri and Ogoja provinces
of Nigeria, where it is often seen in the mixed forests and in
clearings in the evergreen forest zone.
_Chief Characteristics._—It has a larger leaf and thorns than the
other Buonopozense (?) (Onikokha of Benin). The most typical feature
is the very thick, tulip-like red flower of this tree. This falls to
the ground, and is seen on roadways and pathways, indicating the
presence of this tree. In February or March, when the flowers appear,
the tree is bare, so that the bright-red flowers make it all the more
striking. The tree is smaller than the _Eriodendron Orientale_,
attaining a girth of about 12 feet and a bole length of 50 feet. The
root spurns are much slighter, in most cases scarcely amounting to
small buttresses. The cortex is more soft and spongy than _E.
Orientale_.
The timber is white, very soft, not quite so tough nor fibrous as _E.
Orientale_, but rather more porous. It planes more easily, dries
rather better, splits with less difficulty than _E. Orientale_, and
saws with less trouble.
It is a very fast-growing, light-loving tree, which does not protect
or enrich the soil very much with its leaf fall. Natural regeneration
appears to be fair, though, considering the enormous number of flowers
almost each year, it is surprising that the tree does not spread more
rapidly in new clearings in the forest.
The timber has not been tried for export nor for local use.
The bark, roots and leaves are used amongst the Yorubas for medicinal
purposes. The bush deer eat the flowers, when they fall: the Benin
native says if he does not call the tree Onihokha, the deer will not
come and eat it.
_Bombax sp.?_, _Bombax buonopozense?_. Ponponla (Ibadan, Yoruba);
Obokha, Onihokha (Benin).
It is found in the Abeokuta, Ibadan, Ogoja and Benin provinces of
Nigeria, in the mixed forests, where it is not very common.
_Chief Characteristics._—Compared to _Bombax reflexum_ it has a
smaller leaf, smaller thorns, but not so many on the stem. It has a
similar red flower, opening, however, much more widely. It reaches
about the same size as the Bombax.
The timber appears to be very similar in most ways to _B. reflexum_.
It has not been felled for export, nor has it been used for planks for
local use. Occasionally the leaves are used for medicinal purposes.
There appears to be some doubt as to whether this is really a separate
species from that of _B. reflexum_. It is, however, sufficiently
different to be considered quite a distinct variety, though perhaps
not actually a different species.
_Adansonia digitata_. Monkey Bread, Baobab. Ose (Yoruba); Usi (Benin).
It is a moderately common tree in the Onitsha and Abeokuta provinces
of Nigeria. Isolated specimens are also found elsewhere. The most
typical feature of this tree is the huge thick trunk, tapering up into
the branches, out of all proportion to the length of these and the
twigs. These are much thicker than the branches and twigs of other
trees. The green, elongated spherical-shaped fruits hang by a stalk,
giving the tree the appearance of one decorated for a Christmas
festival. The leaves are truly digitate and not unlike those of the
cotton-tree, though they are thicker and darker in colour. The bark is
very thick, spongy and fibrous, and of a light-grey colour. The bark,
seeds and roots are used medicinally. The fruit is eaten in time of
scarcity.
The fibre is used in England for paper-making.
=Sterculiaceæ.=
_Sterculia Rhinopetala_. False Chestnut. Ekko Okpon, Orodu or Orodo
(Yoruba); Enwiwan (Benin); Otutu (Jebu); Awraw (Egbado).
It has a smooth, light-green bark, which remains soft, but is whitish
with age. The wood is white and soft, and apparently there is no
difference in the heartwood. It has a small seed with a wing on each
side of it. For external work it is not durable, but when seasoned for
internal fittings, such as doors or ceilings, it is more useful.
It is common in the Oyo, Benin, Calabar and Abeokuta provinces. It is
found in the mixed deciduous forests, especially in the Mamu and Ilaro
Forest Reserves. Also, wherever it is found there is a comparatively
large number, though it is not gregarious in habit.
It was stated to be of no commercial value in the Liverpool market in
1906, but in a subsequent report it was said to be worth 1s. to 1s.
6d. a cubic foot, as walnut, though there must have been some mistake
in the name.
_Native Use._—The mushrooms which grow on its stem after it is cut
down are used for soup. These are known as Epweperu.
_Sterculia tomentosa_. Okagbo (Yoruba); Ukpiwenwan (Benin).
This tree is found in the Abeokuta and Benin provinces. It reaches a
height of from 40 to 50 feet. The fruit is ripe in December and
January; it is kidney-shaped and covered with a dense collection of
very fine reddish hairs. It grows in clusters.
_Sterculia sp._ Iwu (Yoruba).
It is found in the Abeokuta province of Nigeria and is a medium-sized
tree which yields a white wood which is none too hard nor soft.
_Sterculia tragacantha_. African Tragacanth. Owun, Omunu, Omar, Ogidu
(?) (Yoruba); Oporipor, Iporipor, Okoko (Benin).
_Chief Characteristics._—It shows a brown slash when cut. The bark is
very fibrous and the white sapwood is full of large open pits, which
gives the wood the appearance of being entirely fibrous. It yields a
pink-coloured gum, which hardens after a few days. It bears large
oval-shaped leaves, which tend to be bunched at the end of the twigs.
The pods are less than half the size of _Sterculia cordifolia_ and are
covered with light-brown velvety hairs on the outside. These pods
open, making each appear coracle-shaped, with eight to ten small brown
seeds attached to the bottom rib of the pod. The foliage looks almost
grey-white from underneath. The bole of the younger trees is greyish-
white and usually for 30 to 40 feet free of branches. It reaches a
girth of about 8 feet. The wood is white and softish, planes easily
and works up to a neat finish. Silviculturally, the tree stands
between the light-lovers on one hand and the shade-bearers on the
other, although it is usually seen growing comparatively free from
other than natural shade. It does, in fact, stand a considerable
amount of shade in the younger stages of growth as well as later, when
it may be overgrown by larger growing trees. It is usually found in
groups at the edge of the forest.
It sprouts again from the stump, but almost each year large crops of
seeds are borne on the tree, and this would seem to be the chief
method of reproduction.
The tree has not been cut for local use, nor has it been exported. The
Yorubas and Benis use the smaller trees as poles for house-building,
but it is not considered a good wood.
_Sterculia cordifolia_. Heart-shaped-leaved Sterculia. Okporoporo,
(Akure); Ogugu, Ogungun or Ogrugru, Oburuburu (Yoruba); Idogoho, Okoko,
Okokwo (Benin); Dikir (Efik); Ibitoto (Bembi).
_Distribution._—It is found in the Jebu Ode, Abeokuta, Ibadan, Benin,
Onitsha, Owerri, and Calabar provinces of Nigeria. It is one of the
most common trees in the mixed deciduous forests.
_Chief Characteristics._—The large heart-shaped leaves and the curious
twist to the lower part of the stem, which makes the root
protuberances quite angular. It is never quite straight and forms a
heavy oval crown.
The very large, oval, soft, almost fleshy, dehiscent pod, with its
large winged seeds, is most typical of this tree. The crown is
supported by three or four large limbs with comparatively few side
branches. The foliage is very dense, though even in a tall tree the
individual heart-shaped leaves show up quite distinctly. It is almost
gregarious in habit, usually groups of four or five being found in one
place. It is nearly always found on the banks of small streams which
may dry up in the dry season. It is a shade-bearer, though moderately
quick in growth. The wood is cross-grained, and emits rather an
unpleasant smell when cut. The sapwood and the heartwood are both
white, with a reddish tinge through it. It is soft, but becomes much
harder when dry. It sprouts from the stump when cut down. Reproduction
by seed is moderate. It has not been used locally, nor has it been
exported. The natives in the Benin and Yoruba countries use the butt
of medium-sized trees, especially those with a fork, for house-
building. It is not attacked by white ants.
_Sterculia_ nr. _oblonga_. Opepe (?) (Yoruba); Orodo (Benin).
It is a common tree of the Benin province of Nigeria, found in the
evergreen forest.
It is a question whether this species is the one with a very hard,
leathery, half-dehiscent pod, showing about ten orange-coloured oblong
seeds inside it. These seeds have sometimes been termed Okoko by the
Benis, but they are, no doubt, not obtained from the fruit of
_Sterculia cordifolia_. These seeds also are not winged, and are
comparatively fleshy and soft compared to the dry, rather hard, large
winged seeds of _Sterculia cordifolia_.
_Sterculia cinerea_. Tartar Tree. Lakole (Yoruba); Ururata (Benin).
It is rather an uncommon tree of the Benin province of Nigeria. It is
found at the edge of the mixed deciduous forest with the dry-zone area
of vegetation.
_Firmania Barteri_. Rope Tree. Eso or Esho (Yoruba); Akoko, Nihau (?)
(Benin).
It is a large tree with duck-egg-green bark and an uneven buttressed
base, with a bole length of 30 or 40 feet and a girth up to 12 feet.
_Distribution._—It is one of the most prevalent trees in the Olokemeji
Reserve in the Abeokuta province of Nigeria, and found all through the
mixed forests of the Western Circle and also in the Obubra division of
the Calabar province, but it has so far not been found in the Benin
province.
_Use._—A fibre, worth £14 to £20 a ton, is made from the bark of young
trees attaining 3 inches in diameter.
A most conspicuous tree in October and November, as it is covered with
small red flowers and is leafless at the time. It has a papery fruit
with a small round seed attached to the base. These fruits are also
most conspicuous in February and March, making the tree look as it
were covered with red flowers for a second time. The large, poplar-
shaped leaves with comparatively long stalks often tremble in the
slightest breeze in a similar way to the aspen. The wood is soft,
white and fibrous, with no distinguishing colour between sapwood and
heartwood. It splits comparatively easily, though, once it is dry,
with difficulty. It is easy to plane, though difficult to obtain a
smooth surface owing to the grain often being twisted. The light seeds
almost float in the air, the result being that they are spread
everywhere, and thus come up chiefly in the open spaces and at the
edges of rides and roads, almost to the detriment of any other
species. It is one of the fastest growing of all the African trees,
and being a light-lover as well, rapidly covers all the available
ground. In fact, in the mixed deciduous forests it tends to gain in
its area of distribution year by year. In an enumeration in the
Olokemeji Reserve, instead of finding a few thousand trees, as in the
case of most species, hundreds of thousands of this one were found.
The branches of the young tree grow more or less in whorls at right
angles to the trunk, and, combined with the comparatively large
leaves, thoroughly cover the ground near by. Stump sprouts grow after
a tree has been felled, though natural reproduction by seed is by far
the most prevalent method. It has not been felled for local use nor
has it been exported. The Hausas living in Nigeria cut down the small
trees (saplings 1 to 2 inches in diameter), peel off the bark, dry it,
and spin it into rope, which is used for tying loads of Cola or other
produce. When freshly made it is soft and pliable, but when it is dry
the fibre becomes very harsh and rather difficult to tie.
The wood is used for floats for fishing on the Niger.
_Heritiera sp?_. Oviegikwe (Benin).
It is found in the Benin and Ondo (?) provinces of Nigeria.
The tree is large, reaching a girth of about 12 feet. The seed is
papery and full of air, so that when trodden upon it collapses. The
leaf is of medium size, more or less pinnate. The timber is white and
soft; termites attack it. It has not been exported or used for local
buildings.
_Native Use._—The leaf is used medicinally, and the timber is used for
making drums (the frame) by hollowing out the trunk of a tree. It is
also used as walls for a temporary house (when dried or not); for this
purpose it is split in pieces.
_Heritiera sp.?_. Igoso (Benin).
It is an uncommon tree of the Benin province of Nigeria. It is found
in the evergreen and mixed deciduous forests. The fruit is
considerably smaller than Oviegikwe.
The natives apparently have no use for this tree. However, timber
obtained from trees of this genus has proved so useful and durable
that a trial of the wood of this species seems advisable.
_Triplochiton Johnsonii_ (Ch. Wright). African Maple, Bush Maple. Arere
(Yoruba); Obechi (Benin).
This is one of the common trees of the Abeokuta, Ondo and Benin
provinces of Nigeria; it is found in the mixed deciduous forest zone,
more especially in the moister regions of these forests. Like _T.
Nigericum_, it is one of the largest of all the forest trees, reaching
a height of over 120 feet and a girth of 25 feet. The leaf has five
lobes, and is thus distinguishable from _T. Nigericum_, which has
seven. The bole is long and clean and most cylindrical in shape; the
buttresses, as a rule, do not reach such a great height as in the case
of _T. Nigericum_. On the whole the bark is smoother and, especially
in the younger specimens, almost shiny. The flowers and fruit are very
similar to _T. Nigericum_.
The timber is white, both heartwood and sapwood, and shows a
considerable amount of elasticity; rather liable to warp when
seasoned. It works up well and takes a satiny sheen. The grain is
comparatively fine—in fact, a little finer than that of _T.
Nigericum_; the pores are long and very narrow; it works up well with
a plane, takes nails easily, does not split well; it saws with great
ease; it is not termite-proof. If freshly cut and placed under cover,
it suffers most severely from the attacks of a very small weevil which
reduces the wood to a fine powder; it is noticeable that when the
timber is entirely dry the surface hardens very considerably and it is
less liable and almost immune from attack. When thoroughly dry the
wood weighs 35 pounds per cubic foot.
It is a very rapid-growing, at first slightly shade-bearing and of
recent years an eminently light-loving tree. It has soil-protecting
and soil-improving qualities. Natural regeneration appears to be very
good. Self-sown seedlings show a height-growth of over 6 feet per
year. It likes a moist soil, which need not be very rich, but it must
have considerable depth. It is rather liable to be blown by the wind
or sometimes broken, if in an exposed locality.
Locally it has been used for boxes and other articles, which have
proved quite durable; it has been used as inside planking and other
interior work, and so long as it is carefully seasoned it does not
warp very badly; it is probable that it is one of those timbers that
would yield better results by kiln drying. In the Central Circle it
has been sawn up as planks for a considerable time, but they have been
attacked to a great extent by a small weevil. The local people use the
bark for making roofs and the wood for doors for their houses.
In 1906 sample logs of this timber were sold in the Liverpool market
as Satinwood, but were not considered equal to Anyeran (_Afrormosia
elata_). Since that date no more trial shipments have been made, so it
remains to be seen whether under the altered conditions and the
pressing demands for timber in Europe a market cannot now be found for
the vast quantities of this timber from Nigeria and other West African
countries.
_Triplochiton Nigericum_. Soft Satinwood. Arere (Yoruba); Kpa (Efik).
It is found in the Abeokuta, Ondo, Owerri and Calabar provinces of
Nigeria; it is a common tree of the mixed deciduous forests. One of
the distinguishing features of this tree are the maple-like leaves.
This species has seven lobes to the leaf; the leaf itself is softer
and almost velvety compared to the true maple leaf. The lobes
themselves are not quite so sharply pointed and the leaf stalk is
considerably thicker. The fruit also is very much like that of the
maple, but is a quadruple samara instead of being only a double one.
The tree is one of the largest of the whole forest, reaching a height
under favourable conditions of nearly 150 feet; the bole alone may
reach a height of 90 feet with a girth of over 20 feet. The trunk is
very cylindrical in shape, showing a well formed figure, but not so
good as either that of Agba or Gum Copal. It is only broken up by the
root buttresses, which often reach 10 to 12 feet from the ground
before they merge into the stem; the bark is grey, sometimes almost
white and almost smooth; in old age, shallow fissures sometimes form.
The slash is greenish-white, and a little watery sap moistens the cut
after a short interval. The crown is ovally spherical and occupies
over one-third of the height of the tree. The flowers are mottled pink
and white.
The sapwood is white and the heartwood is the same colour, with no
great distinction between them except the greater dryness of the
heartwood. The timber is soft and not durable, and is not termite-
proof; it does not split very well, saws easily, and planes fairly
well and takes nails comparatively well; does not plane up to a very
smooth surface.
It is a very rapid-growing, at first shade-bearing, and during the
last few years a light-loving tree; it has soil-protecting and soil-
improving qualities. It is deciduous for a short time each year;
flowers in February or March, and the seeds are borne towards the end
of the rainy season. Natural regeneration is very good; it sprouts
very strongly from the stump. It is really somewhat exacting as to
soil, liking a moist soil of good depth and with plenty of drainage;
it will not stand in waterlogged ground, though an occasional flood
does not hurt it. Plantations have been made with this tree, and the
growth thus far has been very rapid; self-sown seedlings, however,
show greater development in the same period of time.
Locally, the root flanges are used for making doors and occasionally
the tree has been cut for planks; it is said that the timber is not
supposed to be quite so durable as that of _T. Johnsonii_, but in
reality there is very little difference between them.
_Triplochiton n. sp._ Bush Maple. Obechi (Benin).
This tree was found in 1906 in the forest near the Anwai, not far from
Onitsha Olona, in the Asaba district of the Benin province, and is
very similar in habit and growth to the other two species.
_Buettneria_. Obechi (Benin).
Benin.
_Pterygota_. Poroporo (Yoruba).
It is found in the Abeokuta province of Nigeria. It is not very
prevalent in the mixed forests of the Olokemeji Reserve, and is a
large tree, 8 to 10 feet in girth. The wood is said by the natives to
be durable.
_Cola cauliflora_ (F.). Cola Mahogany. Isienwe (Benin).
It is common in the Benin province of Nigeria, in the mixed deciduous
forest zone, where it is not very prevalent. It is a medium-sized
tree, reaching a girth of 6 feet.
The seed is a small nut. The leaves are very dark and are
comparatively large. The bole reaches a length of about 20 feet.
The sapwood is whitish and the heartwood of a red-brown, similar to
mahogany. The texture is, however, not quite so fine and a little more
fibrous. It planes fairly well and takes nails fairly easily, but it
does not split well. It is durable and is said to be termite-proof. It
is a somewhat slow-growing, shade-bearing, soil-protecting and soil-
improving tree. Natural regeneration is only moderate, and it sprouts
slightly from the stump. It is somewhat exacting as to soil, and is
usually found in a loamy sand, with plenty of moisture and depth.
It was valued at 2d. to 2½d. a superficial foot as mahogany of fair
character in the Liverpool market in 1906. But since then no more has
been felled or exported.
The natives use it as firewood in the Benin country. It has not been
felled for local use.
_Cola laurifolia_. Laurel-leaved Cola. Foma (Yoruba).
It is an uncommon tree, found in the Olokemeji Reserve of the Abeokuta
province of Nigeria. A small tree with small flowers.
_Cola acuminata_ (Beauv.). Common Cola. Obi Abata (Yoruba); Eve
(Benin).
It is a common tree of the Calabar, Ogoge, Owerri, Warri, Benin, Ondo,
Ibadan and Abeokuta provinces of Nigeria.
It is the ordinary Cola of the Benin villages, but it is also found in
the forest. In other parts of the country it has been planted along
the sides of the roads leading into Egbado, Jebu, Ode, Ondo, Ikale and
Ilesha villages.
Always standing in the shade and with a heavy evergreen foliage, the
cream-coloured flowers with a pink streak on each petal show up very
clearly when the tree comes into bloom in February or March. According
to the native ideas, the tree must never be pruned, nor, in fact,
should it be cut either partially or wholly under any circumstances.
However, in passing to and from their farms, boys and young men often
chip the trunk of the tree with a matchet. This, they say, has the
effect of making it produce more fruit; otherwise the tree always
looks very dirty, and often the trunk and the branches are covered
with epiphytic ferns or orchids. Occasionally, once a year or once in
two or three years, the branches of the trees standing nearest to a
Cola are cut away and the ground immediately surrounding a Cola tree
is cleared of undergrowth. The crop of fruit borne varies very much
from year to year. One year a native may make a pound or so from his
Cola tree, whereas in another he perhaps makes very little.
[Illustration: FIG. 78.—=Osse River, looking downstream, edge of the
Pool, Ifon District.=]
[Illustration: FIG. 79.—=Mixed Forest near Osse, looking upstream, Ifon
District.=]
To face p. 354.
The sapwood is white and the heartwood a dull whitish-yellow. It is
moderately hard, very close grained and of fine texture, with a dull
lustre; is moderately durable, but is liable to be attacked by a very
small furniture borer. It is termite-proof. It planes well, does not
split easily, takes nails and saws well. It is apparently an excellent
wood for carving. It does not shrink nor warp very much. It is more
durable for interior work than for outside, where it is liable to get
soft and to crumble away. It is sometimes brittle; it does not burn
well.
_Native Use._—The fruit is eaten and is used as an article of export
both to the Northern Provinces and also to the Continent. The wood is
used for making “Ju-jus” (Esu—the Devil) (Images of the King);
otherwise it is not cut in the Benin country.
_Cola Afzelii_. Monkey Cola Tree. Obidu, Obiedun, Ebidun (Yoruba);
Awohebitan (Benin).
The brilliant red fruits, about twelve joined together in a spherical
bunch, are usually quite a feature of the small tree. The leaves are
digitate, but joined at the base, so in reality only a single leaf. It
is a much-branched tree with yellowish-grey bark. The crown is much
divided, and sometimes the branches almost appear as if in large
whorls.
It is found in the Oyo, Abeokuta, Ondo, Benin, Owerri, Calabar and
Ogoja provinces of Nigeria.
The wood is white and softish and not durable. It is most common at
the edge of the evergreen forest. It attains a girth of about 6 feet
and a bole length of about 15 feet. It is a light-lover, though it
stands a considerable amount of shade in its youth.
_Native Use._—The wood is used for the stock of a cross-bow in the
Benin country, and the seeds are eaten at any time.
_Cola sp._ Obiedum (Yoruba); Ewoha (Benin).
This is a comparatively common tree of the Benin, Abeokuta and Ondo
provinces of Nigeria. It is the original Cola of the forest; a medium-
sized tree with the typical Cola foliage, found growing singly. It
does not appear to bear very heavily, and apparently in some places
the local people utilize the fruit, while in others they say it is of
no value. It appears to be a whiter and softer Cola than that of the
other species, and it does not seem to have such a strong flavour.
The timber is hard and white; it is a shade-bearing and soil-
protecting tree. Natural regeneration appears to be poor.
The wood is occasionally used by the local fetish-maker for certain
types of fetish in the Benin country. It is considered the most
suitable and, in fact, the only wood for this purpose. Although the
ordinary Cola which is planted may not be cut, this species is not
immune, but it is certainly considered most proper if only the image-
maker cuts it.
_Dombeya Buettneri_. Ewe ofo (Yoruba).
It is found in the Abeokuta province of Nigeria, especially in the
Olokemeji Forest Reserve. It is a small, shrub-like tree, varying from
7 to 15 feet in height. The bark is fibrous. In 1908 samples of the
fibre were submitted to the Imperial Institute for valuation. Owing to
its being rather harsh, woody and weak, it was stated to be worth from
£7 to £8 a ton.
=Ochnaceæ.=
_Ochna multiflora_. Canoe Tree. Uruk (Efik); Tei tei (Ijor); Tei tei
(Brass); Elili (Ibo Owerri).
It is found in the Owerri, Warri and Ondo (?) provinces of Nigeria. It
is one of the prevalent trees in the evergreen and brackish swamp
forest zone. The tree reaches a girth of 15 feet and a bole length of
about 60 feet. It has a large digitate leaf, making the foliage of the
tree very heavy and dense. The bark is thick and fissured
longitudinally. The crown is long and egg-shaped. The fruit is large,
roughly spherical in shape, but ribbed in five places on the surface.
It is a shade-bearer, and reproduction is chiefly by seed. The wood is
reddish-brown and moderately hard. This is one of the most favourite
trees for canoe-making amongst the Brass people. Having a straight
grain, the log opens out well into a canoe once it has been hollowed
out in the centre.
_Ochna sp._ Sama (?), Duma name.
It is found near Obudu, in the Ogoja province of Nigeria. It is a
small tree of the open deciduous forest, growing at an altitude of
about 1,500 feet. The flowers are umbellate and of a pretty red
colour. It is a light-lover and grows at the edge of the forest.
The natives apparently have no use for either the wood or other parts
of the tree.
_Lophira procera_. Red Ironwood, African Oak, Red Oak. Ela, Ekki
(Yoruba); Eba, Ebba (Benin); Eleba (Jekri); Kuru (Brass); Okikopom
(Ibibio); Enwan, Umpenek (Efik); Okut Okot (Oban, Ekoi); Kuru (Ibo
Owerri); Okut (Kwa).
_Chief Characteristics._—It is a very large tree, up to 6 feet in
diameter, with orange-coloured bark, when in the shade of the
evergreen forest where it is found, but this soon becomes quite grey
when exposed to the sun. The flowers are white, with five petals, and
are very fragrant, smelling like musk, covering the ground and
scenting the forest in November and December. In October and November
the tree is very conspicuous with its brilliant new red foliage, which
almost appears like flowers in the distance. On the banks of the
Calabar River, above the town of the same name, this is seen to
advantage. The fruit is winged, but with one wing twice as long as the
other and also broader; the seed is sharply pointed and almost conical
in section, and not so meaty as that of _L. alata_. The crown is
spherical, but open; the branches are very twisted and reminiscent of
oak. The trunk reaches a length of 90 feet and is almost perfectly
cylindrical in shape, with only the slightest indication of spurns at
the base.
_Distribution._—It is found in the Abeokuta, Jebu, Ode, Benin, Owerri,
Ogoja (?) and Calabar provinces of Nigeria. It is one of the commonest
trees in the very moist parts of the evergreen forest zone.
_Timber._—The sapwood is whitish red, but the heartwood is of a dull
red colour with large, long, open pores, partially filled with
siliceous salts. This often gives the wood an almost speckled
appearance. In a tree of 12 feet girth, the sapwood is usually only 3
or 4 inches thick, making it a very full-wooded tree and thus reducing
the amount of wood wasted in squaring the logs. It planes well, with a
smooth, shiny surface. Strong shoots often come up from the stump,
though owing to the natural seed distribution being good, this latter
is the chief means of reproduction. It is a light-lover, with a
natural tendency to grow straight up. It is a slow-growing tree, and
the leaves, nearly a foot long and almost tongue-shaped, are very
large for such a hard-wooded tree. Even when planted 16 feet apart it
grows up straight, with only three or four perpendicular branches or
even only a fork in the stem. It resists white ants, and the teredo
worm does not bore into logs when lying in the water. It is almost
gregarious in habit, usually groups being found in one locality, or,
as in the moister regions, it is next to mahogany the commonest tree
found in the forest. It will withstand floods—in fact, there is an
island several square miles in extent in the Oshun River covered with
only this species of tree. It is also found again on the upper edge of
the mangrove forest where the first solid land begins.
The seeds have not been tested as to the proportion of oil contained
in them, but no doubt they contain a similar quantity, in proportion
to the size, as those of _L. alata_.
In 1906 samples of this timber in the round were sent to the Liverpool
market, where it was valued as red oak at 2s. to 3s. per cubic foot.
It was also stated to be worth shipping in good lengths. Owing to its
weight and the hardness of the wood, and thus the extra cost of
squaring logs, little or none has been shipped to Liverpool since this
report was made. Locally it has been used for piles for wharves and
bridges, decking for bridges, wall-plates for bungalows, and
occasionally as verandah-posts. It can be floated with Musanga logs or
those of _Hannoa undulata_. Canoes made of this wood are of the most
durable kind, so that perhaps it might be tried for boat-building.
The people of Benin use the wood for making pestles for their Fufu
mortars, and occasionally it is used as wall-plates. Amongst the Brass
people it is sometimes used for making canoes, and amongst many tribes
for making food-mortars. Near Lagos it is used for house-building.
_Lophira alata_. Niam Fat, Small Red Ironwood, Meni Oil, African Oak.
Ipawhaw, Ponhon, Ipahan (Yoruba); Awigbi, Ugbeberi, Ishan (Benin).
Small or dry-zone Red Ironwood.
It is found in the Ogoja, Owerri, Onitsha, Benin, Ibadan and Abeokuta
provinces of Nigeria.
It is a very common tree in the open deciduous forest of the dry-zone
form of vegetation. Often found in groups, but it anyhow is the most
prevalent tree wherever found. It does not usually grow straight, but
the stem is gnarled and crooked, reaching a girth of about 5 feet. The
tree itself only grows to a height of about 30 feet. In appearance it
looks like a small oak, but the Shea Butter Tree, _Butyrospermum
Parkii_, is still more like it. However, with its reddish-green
tongue-like leaves with wavy edges, it is in reality quite different.
The branches spring out of the stem in a more upward direction than
_B. Parkii_, and are more irregular in growth. The bark is orange-
coloured and almost scaly on the younger trees, though it goes a grey
or black colour when exposed to the light or the annual grass-fires.
The flowers are white, sweet-smelling and much more conspicuous than
on _L. procera_. The seed is placed between two wings, one nearly
three times the width of the other. The smaller wing is more pointed
than the larger; the seed, while being pointed, is stoutly cone-shaped
and rather more than a quarter of an inch in diameter at the base, and
of a light brown colour.
_Timber._—The sapwood is narrow and white in colour and the heartwood
is a dull red. It is very hard and tough, but not so heavy as _L.
procera_. It planes only with a rough surface.
_Silvicultural Characteristics._—This is one of the few trees which
successfully resist the annual grass-fires. Its otherwise prolific
seed-bearing capacity is, however, often very much diminished, if not
completely spoilt, by the flowers being burnt in January and February,
the usual time of the grass-fires. It is a light-lover, but for the
reasons already given is a very slow-growing tree. On the whole,
although the seeds germinate well, stool and root shoots are probably
the chief means of reproduction. The soil under these trees is only
partially protected during the growing, and quite exposed to sun and
wind during the dry season.
_Commercial Value._—Samples of these seeds were sent in 1909 to the
Imperial Institute for valuation, when they were found to be worth
about £10 a ton; 43 per cent. of oil can be obtained from the kernels,
and this is said to be suitable for soap-making and to be worth £25
per ton. Commercial quantities, however, have not yet been exported.
Meni oil was formerly obtained from the seed.
_Native Use._—Amongst the Yorubas the tree is used for house-posts,
especially when the stem is forked about 10 feet above the ground. The
leaves, bark and roots are all sold in the native markets for
medicinal purposes. An infusion of the bark of the roots is supposed
to be a cure for jaundice (yellow fever, according to the natives).
Strangely enough, the seeds are not used as a source of oil.
_Gomphia insculpta_.
Found at Olokemeji.
_Gomphia glaberrima_.
It is a shrub found at Olokemeji.
_Gomphia_ nr. _affinis_.
Found at Ilugbro.
=Guttiferæ.=
_Garcinia conrauana_. False Cola, Bitter Cola. Orugbo (Yoruba); Edun
(Benin); Odji (?) (Brass); Efiori Efrie (Efik); Efrie (Kwa).
It is found in the Calabar, Benin, Ogoja and Abeokuta provinces of
Nigeria.
It is a medium-sized tree with close, spherical-shaped crown. The
branches and leaves are comparatively small. The bole is short and the
branches very persistent. The most typical feature of the tree is the
large apricot-like fruit, of an orange-yellow colour. The bark is
smooth and brown in colour. It is found in the evergreen forest. The
nut is oblong, of a very dark brown colour with small white streaks
all over it. It grows in moist soil.
The timber is very hard and close-grained, with yellow-sapwood and
light-brown heartwood. It is said to be durable and planes with a
smooth surface. It is often found at a considerable elevation—up to
3,000 feet towards the northern part of Calabar province.
It is a shade-bearer, though it is often found growing alone, having
been left isolated when the original forest was cleared to make a
farm. The tree grows very slowly but bears comparatively early, and
trees are often seen quite laden with the yellow fruit.
The timber has not been exported, but has been cut for local use. It
was used by the Public Works Department, Calabar, and proved useful
for wall-plates. The nuts have occasionally been exported, but they
are comparatively valueless compared to the real Cola.
_Native Use._—The nuts are sold in the Yoruba and Calabar markets and
100 to 200 for 3d. in the Benin market. The fruit is also eaten. The
roots are used for chewing-sticks (the best in Benin), and taste like
quinine. The nuts are ground and used medicinally for headache.
_Garcinia Kola_.
A little known species, found in the Eastern Provinces, Uwet. It was
subsequently determined as _Garcinia conrauana_.
_Garcinia Mannii_.
This tree is found in the Western Provinces.
_Uses._—Chew-stick is made from the root.
_Garcinia_, var. nov. _brevipedicellata_.
This tree grows in the Eastern Circle.
_Pentadesma sp.?_. Hardwood, Duika’s Chop Fruit. Ogbia (Yoruba); Ekuso
or Ikujo, Efiari (Benin).
This tree is found in the mixed forests of the Benin province of
Nigeria. One of its chief characteristics is that it has little or no
bark, but the cortex is comparatively thin, and remains of a duck-egg-
green colour even in trees of comparatively large size. It reaches a
girth of about 6 feet and a bole length of about 20 feet. However, it
is usually very much forked comparatively low down, and often the stem
is by no means straight. The root spurns are not very large, but spoil
the shape of the bole at the base.
It is a slow-growing, shade-bearing, soil-protecting and soil-
improving tree. Natural regeneration is poor, chiefly perhaps because
the Duika eat the fruit; in fact, the Benin name means the chop or
food of Uso or Duika.
In 1906 samples of this timber were sold in the Liverpool market as a
hardwood, which was considered hard and heavy. Since then none has
been shipped, nor has it been felled for local use. Perhaps with the
changed conditions in the demand for timber, both hard and soft, a
further trial would now show whether it was of any value as an export
timber.
_Pentadesma grandifolia_.
_Distribution._—It is found in the Oban Reserve of the Calabar
province of Nigeria.
_Characteristics._—It is a medium-sized tree, with large oblong leaves
having numerous glands and lateral nerves which are about a tenth of
an inch apart. The leaves are larger and the exterior sepal shorter
than in _P. butyraceæ_.
_Silvicultural Qualities._—It grows in the evergreen forest, is a
shade-bearer, and comparatively slow-growing tree.
_Utility._—Although the fruit has not yet been collected, it is
probable that the nuts would contain a similar oil to those of _P.
butyraceæ_.
_Pentadesma butyraceæ_. Butter or Tallow Tree. Okarora, Ossa (Ondo);
Ekuso (Yoruba) (Ikale); Ijeni Udegbu, Agba (west side), Udegbi (Benin);
Orugbo erin (Ondo); Amu Ne (New Calabar); Ikakama Udia Ebian (Efik);
Ikakama Udia Ebian, Igbofia (Ibibio); Ntini Nyok (Kwa).
_Distribution._—It is found in the evergreen forests of the Jebu, Ode,
Benin, Warri, Owerri and Calabar provinces of Nigeria. It is quite
prevalent in its typical locality and very damp, almost swampy,
regions of the forest near small waterways, even comparatively near
the sea.
_Chief Characteristics._—It is a thin, tall tree, with dark bark and
flatly compressed crown consisting of four or five tiers of branches,
very close together in almost true whorls. The foliage is very thick
and the leaves thick and leathery. It exudes a mass of gamboge-like
latex as soon as slashed, and the slash is orange-red. The latex
solidifies on exposure to the air. The large pear-shaped fruit has a
soft rind, which usually is pierced by the fall to the ground, and the
Cola-shaped seeds are embedded in a soft, yellowish-white pulp. The
large sepals at the base of the flower are quite typical, in their
persistency often being found at the base of unripe fruit.
_Timber._—It has yellowish-white sapwood and light-red heartwood of
firm texture, with a certain amount of waviness in it, especially if
the tree has been barked in its earlier years. It is not hard, and is
easy to work; it does not appear to warp or shrink.
_Silvicultural Qualities._—It is a shade-bearer with very persistent
evergreen leaves. It will stand in waterlogged land and grow almost to
perfection. The branches are also very persistent, and it is only when
growing in close proximity to other heavy foliaged trees that the bole
clears itself of branches for two-thirds of its length. The stump
shoots sprout up when the tree is cut down. The more prevalent form of
reproduction is by seed. The mature tree bears quite prolifically
almost every year. The timber has not been felled for export, but the
seeds are worth £8 a ton on account of the oil that they contain,
which is considered suitable for soap-making.
_Pentadesma Nigritana_. Odgebu (west side) (Benin).
_Distribution._—It is found in the Oban Reserve of the Calabar
province of Nigeria.
_Characteristics._—It is a medium-sized tree with black bark on the
branches. The leaves are glabrous coriaceous, 3½ to 4½ inches long and
1 to 1½ inches broad.
_Silvicultural Qualities._—It grows in the evergreen forests, is a
shade-bearer and comparatively slow-growing tree.
_Utility._—The fruit has not yet been collected, but, judging by the
locality in which this tree is found, the seeds would contain similar
quantities of oil to those of _P. butyraceæ_.
_Haronga Madagascariensis_ (Kew). Benin Roof-pole. Itue (Benin).
It is a non-indigenous tree (exotic) which is now found in the
Abeokuta, Ibadan, Ondo, Benin, Warri, Owerri, Ogoja and Calabar
provinces of Nigeria.
It is commonly seen growing up in old farms in the heavier soils of
the evergreen and mixed deciduous forest zones. The slash, which is
brick-red and exudes a yellowish-red latex, is most typical of this
tree. The tree is almost gregarious, forming groups nearly half an
acre in extent; the bark peels very easily, leaving a clean white stem
which hardens very much on exposure to the air. It is a small tree,
attaining a girth of about 2 feet and a height of about 40 feet. The
wood is quite white, with a small pink pith about a quarter of an inch
in diameter; it is a very light wood and most durable when under
cover.
The leaves are of a medium size and rough to the touch. When 2 to 4
inches in diameter the natives cut the trees, clean and strip off the
bark, and use them for rafters in house-building, especially in the
Benin and Yoruba countries.
_Symphonia globulifera_ (Kew). Hog Gum.
It was reported from the Calabar province.
_Allanblackia floribunda_. Orogbo erin (Yoruba); Izeni or Iyockan
(Benin); Atta (Efik); Egba (Ibo, Owerri).
_Distribution._—It is found in the evergreen forests of the Jebu Ode,
Benin, Owerri (?) and Calabar (?) provinces of Nigeria. This tree
usually grows on less moist soil and further away from water than _P.
butyraceæ_, though it likes a moist and deep soil.
_Chief Characteristics._—The long, hard, brown, enlarged sausage-
shaped fruit hanging on a stalk shows, when cut, large seeds scattered
in white pulp, and is thus different in this respect to Pentadesma,
which has dark-brown seeds embedded in a soft, yellowish pulp. The
slash is yellow, but only exudes a little yellow latex at first. The
branches are not so verticillate in form as Pentadesma, but are more
pendulous, especially when the tree is in fruit. They also are further
apart and give the crown a more open appearance. The fruit is three
times the length and the diameter rather more than that of _P.
butyraceæ_.
_Timber._—The sapwood is whitish-yellow and the heartwood yellowish-
red and moderately hard. It is not attacked by white ants; it does not
split easily, but planes with a smooth surface. It is a medium-sized
tree, reaching a height of about 80 feet, with a bole length of 20
feet and a girth of 8 feet.
_Silvicultural Qualities._—It is a shade-bearer and grows
comparatively slowly. Natural reproduction is chiefly by seed, though
fine and succulent stump shoots appear when a tree is cut down.
The timber has not been exported nor has it been used locally; the
natives occasionally cut the bark for medicinal purposes, but
otherwise apparently have no use for the tree.
_Ochrocarpus Africanus?_ sp. of Allanblackia. African Mammee Apple,
Mahogany (Calabar). Igoda (Benin); Ereruku, Edeng Edem (Calabar);
Baulan Bolo (Degema, New Calabar); Okut and Otun (Oban, Ekoi).
_Distribution._—It is found in the Calabar, Owerri and Ogoja provinces
of Nigeria, occurring sparsely in the evergreen forests in several
localities, where it takes the place of Khaya, which is not prevalent
in such places.
_Chief Characteristics._—It is a large tree, with orange-coloured
bark, especially in young specimens, and a little scaly. In habit
otherwise rather like Mahogany, after which the timber has been named.
It is much harder and has little resin canals typical of the order. It
is not attacked by white ants. It reaches a height of 100 feet, with a
bole length of about 40 feet and a girth of 12 feet. The root spurns
are only slight. The large, elongated, spherical-shaped fruit, with
rough, pale orange-coloured rind, speckled brown in several places, is
most typical of this tree. Generally speaking, it could easily be
mistaken for Mahogany Entandrophragma by anyone not very familiar with
both species.
_Timber._—The sapwood is white, with a pinkish tint, and the heartwood
a dark red, with small medullary rays as well as very prominent resin-
like canals which, when dry, are filled with a yellow substance.
_Silvicultural Qualities._—It is a shade-bearer, but likes a certain
amount of overhead light in middle age. On the whole it is slow-
growing, except for a short period when the chief height-growth is put
on. A few stump shoots sprout when the tree is cut down, but the more
common form of reproduction is by seed.
_Utility._—It has not been felled for export, but the Public Works
Department felled and converted a good deal at the Etehetem sawmill,
and it was favourably reported on as a hard mahogany. It has
occasionally been used by the natives for making canoes.
_No botanical name_. Oshusi (Ibo, Owerri).
_Distribution._—It is found in the Owerri province of Nigeria. It is a
comparatively common tree in the evergreen swamp forest.
_Characteristics._—The timber is not over hard, but it reaches a
height of 100 feet and a girth of 8 feet. The bark is smooth.
_Silvicultural Qualities._—It is a shade-bearer and a comparatively
slow-growing tree. The most prevalent form of reproduction is by seed.
_Utility._—It has not been felled for export, but was used in the
construction of the Imo railway bridge as piles.
_Buronona_ (New Calabar).
This is a medium-sized tree of the Owerri province, and is found near
the Imo, not far from the railway bridge. Several piles of the
temporary bridge were made from the timber of this tree.
_Ochrocarpus sp.?_. Ebattan, Ehranezi (Benin); Buronona (New Calabar).
_Distribution._—It is found in the Owerri, Benin (?) and Ondo (?)
provinces of Nigeria.
_Chief Characteristics._—It is a very straight, thin-stemmed tree,
with several whorls of branches near the top of the tree, very much
compressed together. The flowers are red sprays, which look very
pretty at the beginning of the dry season. It occurs near the
freshwater swamps, comparatively close to the sea. In many places it
is almost gregarious in habit, more especially near Degema. It reaches
a height of 100 feet, and a girth of 6 feet, often with a bole length
of 50 feet.
_Timber._—The sapwood is white and the heartwood is light brown; both
appear to be equally durable. It is termite-resisting. It planes with
a smooth surface; the grain is very fine. A red latex exudes when it
is cut.
_Utility._—It is chiefly used for door and window frames, and does not
warp nor crack, even when put in green. It attains a large enough size
to be used as piles, some of which were used in the construction of
the temporary railway bridge at Imo. The natives do not use the wood,
and it has not been felled for export.
_Silvicultural Qualities._—It is a shade-bearer and a comparatively
slow-growing tree, though on less wet soils it seems to grow faster.
The more prevalent form of reproduction is by seed. Weak stool shoots
also come up after the tree is cut down. The foliage is dense and
persists for several years.
[Illustration: FIG. 80.—=Heavy Sapeli Mahogany (Entandrophragma utilis)
standing near the road between Uyeri and Benin City, Benin Province.=]
[Illustration: FIG. 81.—=Agba (Benin), (Pterogopodium), standing near
Ifon Road, South of Uyeri, Benin Province.=]
To face p. 364.
=Bixaceæ.=
_Bixa orellana_.
This tree grows well in the Olokemeji Arboretum. It is found up to a
height of 10 feet, and is cultivated for the sake of its seeds, which
yield the orange dye called “annatto.” The tree bears pods very
freely. Samples were sent to the Imperial Institute in 1906 and were
valued at about 5d. a pound.
=Flacourtiaceæ.=
_Smeathmannia pubescens_. Moyida (Yoruba).
It is a medium-sized shrub found in the Western Provinces.
_Soyauxia sp._ Ogohomeh, Oyohomeh (Benin).
This tree was found on the mountain slope above Ogabi in the Obudu
district. The fruit is edible.
_Soyauxia sp._ Aye (Yoruba); Owowe, Owawe (Benin).
It is found in the Ondo, Benin and Ogoja provinces of Nigeria, growing
at the edge of the evergreen forest. It is a medium-sized tree, with a
bole length of about 30 feet and a girth of 6 feet; on the whole, it
is of more slender build and habit than the Terminalia, to which it is
apparently closely allied. The flower is very small, white and
spherical, being only a quarter of an inch in size; it is most
frequently seen lying scattered about in patches on the path or
roadway, giving out a very sweet scent. The seeds are double winged,
like Bougainvillea. The leaf is smaller than that of the Terminalia
and the foliage generally less dense; the sapwood is white and
somewhat wide, the heartwood of a light-brown colour, and on the
border-line of being a hardwood. The wood is not very durable unless
under cover; it is not very common, though where it is found there are
a fair number of trees which would form a good supply of timber for
local purposes. The natives do not use this wood, as they say it is
liable to attacks by white ants.
_Oncoba dentata_ (Oliv.). Parisha (Yoruba).
It is found in the Abeokuta province of Nigeria. It is a small, shrub-
like tree, armed with moderately long thorns. It belongs to the
evergreen forest zone. The flowers are large, white and conspicuous.
_Oncoba glauca_ (Foster). Kakandika (Yoruba).
Found in the Olokemeji and Abeokuta provinces.
_Oncoba spinosa_ (Rich). Kakandika (Yoruba).
This is a small, shrub-like tree found in the Abeokuta province of
Nigeria. It is moderately common, and several hedges have been made
with it in the Olokemeji Arboretum. The most distinguishing feature of
this plant is the large, spherical-shaped white flowers. The petals
are large and conspicuous, with a mass of yellow stamens in the
centre. In habit it is not unlike the thorn; the ends of the twigs are
armed with a short spike.
It stands trimming pretty well. Each year it flowers fairly regularly,
so that it makes quite an ornamental plant. It bears green fruits with
a conspicuous bunch of the old sepals at the top. This fruit is rather
smaller than a tangerine orange, but quite spherical in shape, with a
hard, woody rind.
_Flacourtia Ramontchii_. Abeokuta Plum. Oshere (Yoruba).
It is found in the Olokemeji Reserve of the Abeokuta province of
Nigeria.
_Flacourtia flavescens_ (Kew). Niger Plum.
Found in the Western Provinces.
_Uses._—Edible plums, medicine and hedge plants.
_Homalium_, cf. _H. Africanum_ (Benth.). Atu or Abo Ako (Yoruba).
This is a hard-wooded tree of the Yoruba country, which is used to
some extent locally. It is also found in Benin.
Being a shade-bearing and soil-protecting tree, it is of value in the
forest, apart from the production of timber. It is a slow-growing tree
apparently.
=Lecythidaceæ.=
_Napoleona Whitfieldii_. Ito (? Yoruba); Uruhe (Benin).
It is doubtful if these are the correct native names for this species.
_Napoleona imperialis_. Speckle-fruited Napoleona. Boi Boi (Yoruba).
It is found near Ode district, Oban and Igbeshe, in the Ibadan and
Abeokuta provinces of Nigeria.
It is a deciduous shrub with pretty white flowers, very shiny leaves,
which are alternate, and bears a spherical, orange-coloured fruit
(with a russet-like surface having white lenticels scattered nearly
all over it), which ripens in March at the Olokemeji Reserve.
This shrub protects and enriches the soil with its fall of leaves.
Considering the attractiveness of the flower and the fruit, it is
surprising that it has not more frequently been planted in gardens,
where it should be placed in a shady corner. It is slow-growing, and
does not need much light. It likes a moist, fairly deep good soil,
especially near a river bank.
_Native Use._—The stem is occasionally used for making hoe or axe
handles, for which it is suitable, as the wood is comparatively tough,
close-grained and hard. The knottiness of it is an advantage either
for the handle or for fixing the hoe or axe head.
_Napoleona Vogelii_ (Hook). Orokwa, Ogemme (Benin).
It is a common tree in the Calabar, Benin, Ibadan and Abeokuta
provinces of Nigeria.
_Chief Characteristics._—It is a medium-sized shrub-like tree, with
orange-shaped fruit, though not quite spherical, having small white
lenticels on the surface and roughness like a russet apple. It does
not attain a girth of more than 3 or 4 feet. It is usually found in
the mixed deciduous forests, though more often in clearings in the
forests; however, it stands a good deal of shade. The wood is
comparatively hard, but it does not reach much size. The tree protects
and enriches the soil with its fall of leaves, and serves a very
useful purpose as a shrub amongst the undergrowth of the forest. It
might be planted in gardens, where both the flower, which is large and
white, and the fruit would be admired. It usually bears a large number
of both. It is rather a slow-growing tree. The natives use the wood
for making matchet handles.
_Napoleona Owariensis_. Adere, Isiurem (Lagos).
Found in the Olokemeji Reserve.
=Rhizophoraceæ.=
_Weihea sp._ (Spreng). Odu (Yoruba).
This tree is found in tropical West Africa.
The flowers have an involucre of two bracteoles. The fruit is fleshy;
seeds with an aril.
_Weihea sp._, cf. _Africana_. Odu (Yoruba); Itobo (Ibibio); Munon
(Efik).
This tree grows near Lagos.
_Rhizophora racemosa_. Red Mangrove or Salt Mangrove. Egba Ibadudu
(Jeb. Yoruba); Ehrodo, Ibadudu (Benin); Odo (Jekri).
_Poga oleosa_. Inoi Nut, African Brazil Nut. Iku (Yoruba); Inoi
(Benin); Inoye (Efik); Ikoi (Oban); Inoi (Ekoi); Ekom (Ibo Owerri);
Imonon (New Calabar).
It is found in the Benin (?), Owerri, Calabar and Ogoja (?) provinces
of Nigeria, in the evergreen zone, both of the level and hill country.
On the whole, it is more prevalent as the eastward side of the country
is approached. In the forest its presence is usually indicated by the
heaps of broken shells left lying near the roots of neighbouring
trees, on the path or roadside. The reddish-brown interior and cross-
section of the inner covering of the shell is a most typical feature.
The nut itself is roughly spherical in shape, with a surface almost
evenly covered with little nodules, giving the nut very considerable
resiliency against cracking. It is nearly half an inch thick, and
inside there are two or three kernels. Each of these is a chocolate-
brown colour with thick (almost three thirty-seconds to one-eighth of
an inch) red-brown shell. Each is about ½ inch long and rather more
than ¼ inch thick. This thick shell quite spoils the flavour of the
nut, which is sweeter and contains more oil than the Brazil nut. It
can, however, be removed with a pen-knife. The trunk of the tree is
light-grey, with comparatively thin cortex. It reaches a girth of
about 12 feet and a bole length of about 60 feet. It usually forks at
about 50 or 60 feet from the ground, and this is one of the typical
features of the tree. The crown is rather open, with several main
limbs and comparatively few branches. Another place where it is
commonly seen, both in the Degema and Calabar districts, is in the old
farms, standing as isolated specimens, or standards overshadowing all
the secondary growth. It is one of the few trees that are preserved
when a fresh clearing is made for a farm. The fruit is the shape of a
large greengage, the fleshy part of which soon breaks away, leaving
the hard nut inside. The fleshy pericarp is about a quarter of an inch
in thickness.
The sapwood is white, tinged with pinkish stripes, and the heartwood
pinkish-red, with very wide and numerous medullary rays, which are
most numerous, and in fact more so than in any other tree, and are
very typical of this timber. The wood is soft, splits well, is of
somewhat open texture and rather fibrous grain. It planes up well with
a smooth surface, takes nails well, and saws well. It is liable to be
attacked by white ants. The sapwood is fairly narrow.
It is a moderately fast-growing, shade-bearing, soil-protecting and
soil-improving tree. Natural regeneration only appears to be slight,
chiefly owing to the fact, perhaps, that most of the nuts are gathered
and eaten by the natives. It is somewhat exacting with regard to soil.
It appears to like one that is somewhat rich, deep, moist and with
good drainage. In waterlogged areas it becomes stag-headed. No
plantations have been made of this tree.
The timber has not been exported, not has it been cut for local use.
It appears, however, to be worthy of a trial as a substitute for light
cedar or mahogany, especially from wind falls, which are not
infrequent owing to the way it is left standing in the forests.
_Native Use._—The nuts are used by the natives, and are considered
very valuable, in the most out-of-the-way parts of the forest, as a
source of food. They used to be sold in the Calabar market 250 for 3d.
Further notes as to the oil-bearing properties of this nut will be
found in the section dealing with the oil seeds and nuts.
=Combretaceæ.=
_Terminalia sp._ Yellow Terminalia, Black-bark Terminalia. Idigbo,
Opepe, Epepe (Yoruba); Egoyn nebbi, Egoyn nikwi, Egoyn lukan (Benin).
According to the Yorubas this is the Idi of the forest.
_Distribution._—It is found in the Ondo and Benin provinces of
Nigeria.
_Chief Characteristics._—It has a slightly fissured bark, increasing
in age, light-brown in colour in youth, but darkening with age, almost
appearing black in the distance, rather forming a criss-cross pattern.
It flowers in May with small spikes or thin, stiff racemes, each with
little yellow balls of staminate flowers. It has a compressed crown of
two or three whorls of branches, but not so typical as that of _T.
scutifera_. It is, however, much more widespreading, chiefly due to
the fact that the tree on the whole is shorter and stouter than _T.
scutifera_. The trunk is much more cylindrical, and the root spurns
are very slight, and not buttress-shaped as in _T. scutifera_. The
contrast between the light-green foliage and the dark-coloured bole is
so great that the tree is quite unmistakable in this respect. The only
one at all similar in this is False Shea Butter, _Mimusops Djave_, but
even the trunk of this one appears lighter than the former. The slash
is dark-brown, almost black, on the outer edge and yellow on the
inside. The fruit is not unlike a large hazelnut, but the shuck is of
looser build, and the interior seed can be more easily seen than in
the case of the nut.
The sapwood is a faint yellow colour and the heartwood a good yellow.
It is of the hardness of an ordinary softwood, with a straight, even
grain and somewhat open pores. It planes well, takes nails, splits
very easily and saws well. For outside work it is not durable unless
very thoroughly dried. For interior fittings it is very durable. It is
liable to attacks by termites outside. It seasons well, with only a
small amount of shrinkage and slight liability to warping.
It is a fast-growing, slightly shade-bearing tree, with strong soil-
protecting and soil-improving qualities. Natural regeneration appears
to be fair. It sprouts from the stump, but is not very strong. It
likes a good soil, with fair drainage but a good deal of moisture. It
will stand a certain amount of flooding. It is occasionally almost
gregarious. No plantations have been made with this tree. It reaches a
girth of over 14 feet and a bole length of about 70 feet.
The timber has not been cut for export, but occasionally it has been
sawn up for planks for local use. It deserves, however, a further
trial for export as a floor-board and for local use for a similar
purpose. There are comparatively large supplies, and the dimensions of
the tree are such that large planks and boards could be cut out of it.
_Native Use._—The tree is occasionally felled for making canoes, but
it is not taken unless there is a shortage of other harder kinds.
_Terminalia sp._ Orange-barked Terminalia. Ayo, Aiyo (Yoruba); Ayo,
Ulazo (Benin).
_Distribution._—Ibadan and Abeokuta provinces of Nigeria. It is one of
the typical trees of the mixed deciduous forest zone, though it
appears to be confined to certain localities, such as the Olokemeji
Forest Reserve and other places.
_Chief Characteristics._—Moderately thick bark, rather reminding one
of Triplochiton, but with a certain amount of roughness and slight
fissures. The crown is very pointedly oval and long, the leaves
appearing only slightly terminal and not typically so. The branches
tend to flatten out in old age, though they are slightly pendulous at
the tips. The bole reaches a girth of about 10 feet and a height of 50
feet. The light patchy, orange-coloured bark is a most typical feature
of this tree. Satinwood is the only one at all similar in this
respect, but it is much smoother.
_Timber._—White, with a faint yellow tint; the pores are much shorter
than those of the other Terminalias, such as _T. scutifera_ and
_Togoensis_. The grain on the whole is finer and of closer texture.
The timber is somewhat harder than either _T. scutifera_ or _T. sp._,
but not so hard as that of _T. Togoensis_. It planes well, takes
nails, saws easily, but does not split so well. It is attacked by
termites, but is durable for interior work. It is somewhat more
brittle than _T. sp._
It is a moderately rapid growing, light-demanding tree, with soil-
protecting and soil-improving qualities. Natural regeneration does not
appear to be good. It sprouts, but poorly from the stump, and if at
all shaded dies away. It likes a moderately good soil, with a fair
amount of moisture and depth.
The timber has not been cut for export, and only occasionally has it
been felled for cutting into planks for local use. It deserves,
however, a trial as a local flooring board. The available quantities
so far discovered are not large enough to justify its trial as an
export wood.
_Utility._—The wood is used for planks and for canoes. It is likely to
furnish timber for the home markets.
_Local Use._—It has been used for making canoes, and also for sawing
up into planks for house-building.
_Terminalia scutifera_. Shingle Wood. Afara (Yoruba); Oaha Egoyn, Egoyn
nufwa (Benin).
It is a common tree in the Calabar, Ogoja, Owerri, Warri, Benin, Ondo
and Abeokuta provinces of Nigeria.
The chief characteristics of this tree are the thin and far up-
reaching root flanges and its thin, grey-coloured bark. It attains a
height of about 200 feet and a girth of about 16 feet. The bole length
often exceeds 100 feet. The crown is compressed and flat, with few
main branches. It is usually found near water.
The timber is light-brown to almost yellowish-white, with darker
streaks. The sapwood is almost white, but when dry is barely
distinguishable from the heartwood, though when freshly cut the
heartwood appears drier, and thus shows up against the damper sapwood.
The wood is soft and planes easily, though not always giving a smooth
surface. It is also easy to saw or cut with a chisel and splits well.
It is attacked by termites.