seedlings only grow in comparatively open places near rivers, where
there is no shade directly over them, though there may be trees to one
side or the other. It is one of the typical trees of the evergreen and
mixed deciduous zone, growing always on damp and deep soil. Natural
reproduction by seed is good. Stool shoots grow, but do not persist
for a great length of time. It often forms small pure groups in the
secondary forest, and in suitable localities tends to be more
prevalent in the secondary than in the primeval forest.
In Nigeria it has been used as planks, but is not considered very
good. On the Gold Coast it has been used for shingles.
The natives occasionally use the tree for making canoes, also for
bowls, plates, and native doors in the Benin country, but owing to its
softness it is not considered of much account.
In figure No. 108 there is a picture of a very large specimen found in
the Ikrigon Forest Reserve.
_Terminalia Togoensis_. Dry-zone Terminalia. Idi, Idi Odan (Yoruba).
Found in the Oyo, Benin and Ogoja provinces of Nigeria. It is a very
common tree, with slight foliage and small stem, which is usually
forked about 10 feet from the ground. The slash is yellow and almost
dry, which is most typical of the tree.
The wood is soft, though harder than most of the other Terminalias. It
works easily, but does not split well. The sapwood is white and the
heartwood of a pale yellow colour. The bark is rough and widely
fissured. Natural regeneration by seed does not appear to be good,
though stump shoots appear when the tree is cut down. It stands a
considerable amount of fire, but it is a light-loving tree.
The local people find the stem useful for house-building posts, as it
is comparatively durable and forked in shape.
_Terminalia avicennioides_.
It was stated it was found in the Calabar province.
_Terminalia Brownii_. Inya joko (Yoruba).
Found in the Abeokuta province.
_Combretum racemosum_. Ogan pupa (Yoruba); Akoso, Orsorsor (Benin).
Found in Olokemeji and Benin. Climbing shrub with red flowers and
white bracts.
_Combretum Lawsonianum_. Ome (Benin).
It has red flowers and is found at Agege.
_Combretum mucronatum_. Okan pupa (Yoruba).
It is found in the Mamu Forest.
_Combretum Zenkeri_. Ogan (Yoruba).
It is found in the Yoruba country.
_Combretum micranthum_. Okan (Yoruba).
It is found in the Yoruba country.
_Combretum glutinosum_.
_Combretum paucinervium_.
_Combretum Hartmannium_.
These are climbing Combretums found in the Yoruba country.
_Anogeissus leiocarpus_ (G. and P.). Yoruba Chew-stick. Ayin (Yoruba).
_Distribution._—It is found in the Oyo and Abeokuta provinces of
Nigeria.
_Chief Characteristics._—This tree reaches a height of about 70 feet
in favourable localities and a girth of 9 feet. With its birch-like
foliage and the drooping and sweeping of the pendulous branches in old
age, it is certainly the “Lady” of the African “open woods.” The
little spherical fruits cover the ground in the early part of the dry
season. The comparatively smooth bole, giving way to small scales of
light-brown bark as the tree gets older, is a typical feature. It is
often forked, especially low down. The bole is thin and slender in
build, with upward tending branches, also very slender in build, but
dark in colour. A blackish gum exudes when it is cut. The slash is
yellow before the gum runs out.
_Timber._—The sapwood is yellowish-white and the heartwood dark-brown
to almost black in some specimens. It is hard, durable and termite-
proof. It does not plane nor split well, takes nails with difficulty,
but saws fairly easily.
_Silvicultural Qualities._—It is a light-loving species, though in its
youth it will stand a little shade. It is one of the first trees to
appear on disused land, so long as the soil is good. Its foliage is a
little acid, as it kills all grass, even Ekon, and for this purpose is
invaluable as a tree for admixture with more valuable species. It is
somewhat exacting as to soil.
Once it gets started after being planted, or as a self-sown seedling
on good soil, it is a rapid-growing tree, which is only hindered in
its growth by the annually recurring grass-fires. Wherever it is
protected it develops into a straight-boled, large tree. The branches
are very persistent, so that close planting is most necessary. Several
plantations have been made with this tree.
_Utility._—The tree is burnt for its ashes for fixing native dyes; the
roots are used for chewing-sticks, and the bark is used medicinally by
the natives.
It yields a good firewood which gives great heat. The smaller poles
make very useful hut-building timber, as it is so often forked.
It should find a place as an avenue tree, owing to the delicate green,
the drooping nature of its foliage, and the moderate amount of shade
cast on the road.
The timber has not been tried for export, but with its dark black and
sometimes streaky coloration it is worthy of a trial. Locally it has
occasionally been cut for planks and for house-building. It is not
liked because it is so hard. The sapwood is rather wide. The timber is
sometimes rather knotty, especially containing dry knots. It is
sometimes attacked by a large borer, making large holes in it.
_Laguncularia racemosa_. White Mangrove or White Button.
This species is found growing in the swamp regions, also on the coast.
It yields timber, tanning, dyeing materials and medicaments.
=Myrtaceæ.=
_Eugenia Owariensis_ (Beauv.). West African Allspice. Adere (Yoruba).
It is a common tree of the Olokemeji Reserve and the Abeokuta and Oyo
provinces.
With its comparatively short bole (about 8 feet) and wide, almost
spherically-shaped crown, it is one of the largest and most
conspicuous of the dry-zone trees. The tree attracts the pigeons, but
not so much as the wild fig. The flowers are very minute and
insignificant. The fruit is very small and poor.
Reaching only a girth of about 4 feet, it does not yield very large
timber. Although moderately hard and durable, it has not yet found a
place in the local market. It is doubtful if it is termite-proof. It
might be used for making boxes or for small articles of furniture in
localities where wood is scarce.
It is a comparatively slow-growing tree, almost soil-improving, and of
a light-loving nature.
Owing to its comparatively dense foliage partially shading the ground
and thus killing the grass, it is a distinctly helpful species in the
protection from fire of a dry-zone forest.
Natural reproduction by seed is only moderate, but stump shoots are
strong, and it appears that root suckers also come up in certain
places.
_Eugenia Owariensis_. Isinren (Yoruba).
This tree is found in the dry-zone forests—a spreading tree which
flowers in February.
It yields timber, edible fruits and medicaments.
=Melastomaceæ.=
_Memecylon sp._, nr. _Barterii_.
It is found in the Olokemeji Reserve in the Abeokuta province of
Nigeria.
=Araliaceæ.=
_Cussonia Nigerica_ (Hutch.). Elephant Sugar-cane. Sigo (Yoruba).
This is an evenly and rather deeply fissured small tree of the dry-
zone forest, which has in the main only a great tuft of large digitate
leaves at the top of the stem. It is occasionally branched, when it
gives an appearance of bearing all the leaves at the end of the stem.
It is fairly common in the Olokemeji Forest Reserve of the Abeokuta
province. This tree is one of the few digitate-leaved trees of the dry
zone, and is certainly one with the largest; it is a fire-resisting
tree. The natives occasionally use the stem for house and verandah
posts.
=Umbelliferæ.=
_Heptapleura Mannii_. Found in the Oban Reserve.
=Sapotaceæ.=
_Mimusops multinervis_. Emido or Sleeper Wood. Ako Emido (Yoruba);
Aganokwi (Benin).
This species is found in the Abeokuta and Oyo provinces of Nigeria; it
is most common, and, in fact, forms almost half the crop in the belt
of forest just on the south side of the railway four to six miles east
and west of Olokemeji Station. The most distinguishing feature of this
tree is the grey, thick, deeply-fissured bark. With its comparatively
short bole and stout, crooked branches, it is not unlike an oak. It
reaches a height of about 80 feet and a girth of about 15 feet. The
root spurns are practically non-existent. The trunk tapers off quite
abruptly after each series of branches. The crown is rather long and
sometimes almost pear-shaped. The foliage is dense, and, for the size
of the tree, the leaves are small. The flowers are small and white and
conspicuous. The fruit is a small round nut, about half an inch in
diameter. The leaves are a very dark green colour, but on the upper
surface are often shiny.
The sapwood is white and, for the size of the tree, comparatively
narrow. The heartwood is a deep red colour, which it retains even
after the wood is dry. In sections from older trees it exhibits
isolated white streaks, scattered here and there through the
heartwood. This is made of a small mineral deposit which is closely
allied to apatite. It is one of the hardest of the African woods and
also the most durable; it splits most satisfactorily; it saws very
cleanly, planes well, but owing to its extreme hardness takes nails
with difficulty. It is termite-proof. It is just as durable in, as out
of the ground. It burns with a fierce heat and, in fact, makes the
hottest fire of any of the West African woods. The grain is very
close, though sometimes it shows some figure. The knots in the wood
produce some pretty “curl” effects.
The tree is a shade-bearing, soil-improving species of the mixed
deciduous forest. It is very slow-growing, often not showing a greater
height-growth than 6 inches per year. In its youth the branches grow
more or less in whorls of three or four branches; these branches are
very persistent. Natural generation good; it demands a good soil, but
will stand a great deal of moisture, not to say flooding of the area
for several months of the year. It flowers in February; the roots are
comparatively deep-growing and there is a distinct tap-root. Some
plantations have been made with this tree. It has been tried as a
species to mix with ebony, and for this it seems suitable. In similar
localities this species and ebony are often found.
Locally it is used as a house-building wood and occasionally for
firewood. The timber has been cut up into sleepers and found to be
most durable. When it was used in an unseasoned state, and in very dry
territory, it was found to split—but this was scarcely a fair test of
the wood. It has also been used as joists and for the framework of
buildings, for which purposes it has proved very useful. Local
carpenters have complained about its hardness, but usually the tools
used have not been of such high quality necessary to give the best
results when working on this wood.
The timber has not been used for export, but it deserves a trial,
especially for railway sleepers.
[Illustration: FIG. 82.—=Benin Satinwood (Afrormosia laxiflora) standing
in the Ogba Plantation, Benin District.=]
[Illustration: FIG. 83.—=Mixed Mahogany Plantation, Khaya grandis on
left, Khaya Punchii in centre and Entandrophragma in the right
foreground, six years old, near Ogba, Benin Province.=]
[Illustration: FIG. 84.—=Ogea, Gum Copal (Daniellia caudata), standing
in the Ogba Plantation, Benin Province.=]
To face p. 376.
_Mimusops Djave_. African Pearwood, False Shea Butter Nut, Cross River
Nut. Aganokwi No. I. (Benin), Nyam (Efik).
It is found in the Benin, Owerri, Calabar and Ogoja provinces of
Nigeria. It is also known as Cherry Mahogany. It is a moderately
common tree in the evergreen forest zone, up to the end of the mixed
deciduous forest zone. It is one of the giant forest trees, attaining
a girth of over 30 feet and a height of over 200 feet; its bole is one
of the straightest of African trees, the trunk often reaching over 100
feet without a branch. The crown is flattish and almost symmetrical in
its roundness; it is formed with three or four main limbs spreading
out at almost right angles to the trunk. The foliage is heavy and the
sword-shaped leaves almost appear as though they were digitate,
looking at them from the base of the tree. From a short distance the
trunk looks almost black, but on closer inspection the bark is seen to
be deeply fissured in a comparatively even lattice-work fashion. The
slash is white and a thick white latex exudes. The root spurns are
only slight, except in old age; otherwise the bole is one of the most
cylindrical of African trees. (In illustration No. 100 a tree of about
8 feet in girth shows the very straight and even thickness of the
bole.) The fruit falls to the ground about the beginning of November,
and crushes on contact with the ground, showing the yellow floury pulp
inside. The pulp has an extremely dry, sweet, almost nauseating taste
and is inclined to stick in the throat. This huge fruit, the size of a
man’s fist, is almost like a huge plum, with rough opaque surface and
almost spherical in shape; inside, embedded in the pulp, are two,
three or four lobed nuts, smooth and shiny on the more rounded face
and rough on the other; in some respects they are roughly kidney-
shaped when looked at sideways. The flowers are white and small; the
tree loses its leaves for three or four days, when fresh ones come out
again.
The sapwood is white and the heartwood of a rich red colour, often
showing figured rosy grain; it is very hard, heavy and very durable,
and is sometimes cross-grained, though usually the texture is fine and
planes up with a smooth surface; it saws well, but is too hard to take
nails, except in very thin wood. The sapwood is usually only two or
three inches wide; the heartwood forms comparatively early in the life
of the tree. On the whole, this tree has a more open grain than the
other Mimusops.
Although the tree can stand a little shade in its youth, it is really
a light-loving species: after the first year the height-growth rapidly
increases when trees standing in a plantation have plenty of light. In
illustration No. 93 some trees only twelve years old show how rapidly
they develop under suitable conditions. None of these trees have yet
come into the nut-bearing stage, but it appears that in favourable
localities the trees will bear fruit between the fifteenth and
twentieth year.
It is a soil protecting and improving tree—in fact, the thick leaves
form some of the finest soil found in the forest. Natural regeneration
is not usually very good, because the seedlings have little or no
light, growing as they do from seeds which have fallen under the
parent tree. Duika and various other animals spread the seeds in old
farms where the trees have a chance of growing up. The timber has
occasionally been shipped to Europe and has been sold at Hamburg as
pearwood at 6d. per superficial foot, but the more rosy and figured
wood has also found a sale in Liverpool, as it sometimes looks almost
like a pinkish mahogany; it is, however, by no means well known, and
further trials with the wood should certainly be made. Small
consignments of the nuts have been exported from the Cross River and
sold in Liverpool as a substitute for Shea nuts; they are found to be
of a similar nature and of similar value for making an edible oil. The
original cost was rather high, so that the nuts did not yield a profit
on the transaction; however, with greater quantities being brought the
cost should not be so high, and also, since this first experiment was
made, the price of all oil nuts has risen enormously, so that at the
present time there is an ample margin between the cost of production
and the selling price. In the Cameroons the Balong natives dry the
nuts, which they split open in two pieces, pick off the thin shell and
boil out the thick buttery-like substance, which is used for cooking.
On our tour through their country we also tried it in place of lard,
and found it quite suitable and quite pleasant to the taste and only
about half the cost. In Nigeria, only the Oban people apparently know
anything about making this butter from the nuts; in other parts it is
quite unknown. The tree is not felled, but, on account of its size and
all-inspiring form, is considered “Ju-ju”; pieces of the bark are
chipped off and used as medicine to increase a person’s strength.
By the way, the constant cutting away of the bark at the base of the
tree and the continual struggle of the tree to overgrow these wounds
causes the grain to grow quite unevenly and wavering, thus forming
figured wood.
_Mimusops lacera_. Benin Pearwood. Aganokwi (Benin).
In 1906 samples of this timber were sold in the Liverpool market as
mahogany of a good, rich colour. It is found in the swamps near the
Osse and Cross Rivers.
_Dumoria Heckeli_ (A. Chev.). Oban Mahogany.
It is found in Tropical West Africa. It yields a fair timber. An
immense tree of the Oban Reserve, similar to _Mimusops Djave_.
_Omphalocarpum procerum_. Ikassa (Benin), Apassa, Ukpassa (Efik).
It is found in the Calabar, Benin and Ondo provinces of Nigeria.
It is a common tree of the evergreen forest. It reaches a height of 60
feet with a girth of 28 feet. The bole is short and the crown long,
but narrow. The huge, flatly spherically-shaped fruits, quite 9 inches
in diameter and 6 inches thick, are most characteristic of the tree.
These protrude just from the trunk or heavy branches with little or no
stalk. The depression in them, top and bottom, is quite an inch deep.
There are about sixty seeds inside, more like nuts. The leaf is large.
The sapwood is white and heartwood is brown-red. It is very hard.
It grows slowly and stands the shade. The seeds germinate well. It
does not sprout from the stump nor do root shoots appear. Elephants
and other animals, porcupines especially, eat the fruit.
The seeds are used in playing Ikbo, a Benin game. The seeds also are
used, tied in front of Apata sticks, for making a musical instrument,
or tied to the ankles of small boys to make a noise like a rattle when
they start to walk.
_Butyrospermum Parkii_. Shea Butter Tree, Dry-zone Oak. Emi-emi or Emi-
gidi (Yoruba).
This is one of the most prevalent trees of the Oyo province of the
Southern Provinces of Nigeria and of the Borgu, Niger and Nassarawa
provinces of the Northern Provinces of Nigeria. In places it is almost
gregarious, but it is most commonly found in mixture with the Dwarf
Red Ironwood, _Lophira alata_. In appearance it is most like a gnarled
old oak, except that the base is often burnt and partially hollow. It
is a large tree, reaching a height of about 40 feet and a girth of
over 10 feet. The root spurns are comparatively short and rounded; the
bole is short, attaining a length of up to 25 feet; the crown is
almost spherical, but rather inclined to be broken up by three or four
main branches; these are very thick in comparison to the size of the
tree, but not so much in proportion as in the case of the Baobab. The
bark is grey and very deeply fissured, more or less in criss-cross
fashion, and even with deeper and wider fissures than that of the oak.
The slash is white, and a small amount of thick white latex exudes
very slowly from the cut. In the case of the Dwarf Ironwood scarcely
any ordinary sap exudes and no latex. The leaves are about 10 inches
long, a very dark green and shiny, and not unlike the hart’s-tongue
fern, but somewhat broader at the end; the greenness of the leaves,
their shininess, and the greater thickness distinguish them from those
of the Dwarf Red Ironwood. The under surface of the leaf is whitish,
sometimes almost grey; the flowers are white and come out in December;
the fruit is like a small green plum and ripens in May. The leaves
persist over one season. The green pericarp covering the nut can be
eaten and is not unpleasant to the taste. The nut itself is not unlike
a chestnut in its being brown and shiny; the shape, however, is more
oval, with one comparatively sharp ridge.
The sapwood is white and comparatively wide; the heartwood is a rich
dark-red colour; it is very hard and durable; it is termite-proof; it
splits very badly, does not take nails well; it is hard to plane and
is sawn none too easily. It does not warp or crack to any extent while
it is seasoning under proper conditions; it burns with great heat, but
rather less than in the case of Emido.
It is a rather slow-growing tree, with soil-protecting and soil-
improving qualities; as a light-loving species takes up a good deal of
space. Natural regeneration appears to be poor, and may be due to the
fact that the flowers appear, or before the young fruit has only just
set, as the annual grass-fires run through the open deciduous forests
where this tree is found. On the other hand, root suckers grow in
great profusion. It also sprouts well from the stump. It is one of the
most fire-resisting trees, and the thick bark no doubt protects it
from its worst ravages. It may be considered one of the most typical
trees of the drier parts of the open deciduous forests. A few sample
plots have been tried with this tree, but it does not stand
transplanting at all well. Rodents such as the cut-grass (ground pig)
are very fond of the nuts, and no doubt destroy a great number whilst
they are germinating. Fire-protecting root suckers and other young
trees have thus far proved the most effective method of increasing the
number of mature trees. It does not appear to be very exacting as to
soil, but no doubt the growth is best on moist alluvial flats so long
as they are well drained.
Locally the most valuable part of the tree is the nut, from which the
Shea butter is boiled out after three days; it is a general article of
diet instead of palm oil, in those districts where the latter is hard
to obtain. Locally, also, the largest trees are cut down and made into
mortars for beating food; these fetch a price of 2s. 6d. to 3s. 6d.
apiece; they are considered not only the most suitable, but also the
most durable, except those made of the wood of the Oil Bean
(_Pentaclethra macrophylla_). In other places it is used as a house-
building timber.
As far as Europeans are concerned, the chief value of the tree lies in
its nuts, which are either exported quite unprepared or in the form of
the butter as the natives make it, in large elliptical-shaped sausages
about 2 feet long and 9 inches in diameter. For these purposes it has
become a regular article of commerce, and only lack of suitable means
of transport prevents much greater quantities being collected and
exported to the European markets. In Europe its most suitable use is
said to be as a medium or inside substance of chocolate creams. The
butter itself has a most peculiar and rather nauseating flavour, which
is removed on its being refined and purified. The timber has not been
tried for export.
_Chrysophyllum sp.?_. Round Star Apple. A species of Star Apple. Agoma
(Benin).
The fruit is quite spherical and supposed to be larger than _C.
Africanum_. It is somewhat similar to _C. Kainato_. The natives
squeeze the fruit in order to eat it.
_Chrysophyllum Africanum_. African Star Apple or Edible Star Apple.
Osangbalumo (Yoruba); Otien (Benin).
It is found in the Abeokuta, Ondo, Benin, Warri, Owerri, and Calabar
provinces of Nigeria. It is a medium-sized tree, often found growing
at the roadside at the edge of the villages or as an avenue leading up
to them.
The most characteristic feature of this tree is the silvery underside
of the leaf, which is formed by minute white hairs. In the fruiting
season, another characteristic is the golden-coloured, pointedly pear-
shaped fruit, which bursts on falling to the ground. A white latex
exudes from the fruit; this latex is sucked out and is tartly sweet to
the taste. Inside the fruit are five thin, elliptic-shaped seeds;
these are brown and very shiny. Their position inside the fruit
probably gave rise to the English name.
The wood is white and soft; it cuts easily and planes well, but does
not split well. The grain of the timber is fine and the texture
smooth. It is a moderately fast growing tree and the wood is not
durable. The slash is white, and the tree exudes a white latex when
cut; the foliage is very dense, and the dark upper surface of the
leaves is a great contrast to the underside. It is a soil-protecting
and soil-improving tree. The timber has not been exported to Europe.
It is occasionally used by the natives for making “Ju-jus” such as the
devil.
_Chrysophyllum sp._ Monkey Star Apple or Monkey Otien. Osang Palambi,
Osang Edan (Yoruba); Ekuso (?), Ekpuro, Otiemmie (Benin).
This is a moderately prevalent tree in the Calabar, Ogoja, Benin, Ondo
and Abeokuta provinces of Nigeria.
It is a medium-sized tree with a small leaf. It attains a girth of
about 8 feet. The golden-brown of the underside of the leaves is most
typical of this tree and makes it easily distinguished from
_Chrysophyllum Africanum_; in fact, in passing through the forest this
is one of the few trees having brown tomentose hairs on the underside
of the leaf. The crown is broad and flat and heavy. The bole is not
too long and is covered with a smooth light-brown-coloured bark.
The Benin native name means that it is the Monkey Otien, that is to
say, not the one that men may eat. It is usually found in the
evergreen forest.
The timber is white, light and soft, and is attacked by termites. It
has not so far been cut for export or local use.
_Native Use._—The fruit is sometimes eaten by the Benins.
_Chrysophyllum albidum_ (Don.). White Star Apple. Osum Agbalumo
(Yoruba).
This is one of the Star Apples of the Yoruba Forest, where it is found
chiefly in the Abeokuta province. It is not very prevalent. The fruit
is not so esteemed by the natives as that of Osangbalumo. The bole is
somewhat straighter and less branched than that of _C. Africanum_. The
wood is white and soft; the stem is not absolutely round, being
somewhat fluted at the base, with narrow and thin spurs which extend 4
to 6 feet up the stem. The natives occasionally use the wood for
household utensils. It has not been cut for export.
_Chrysophyllum Welwitchii_.
This so-called Forcados Star Apple was found in the forest just behind
the station of Forcados. It is not a very common tree.
_Malacantha sp. nov._ Akala (Yoruba).
It is found in the Olokemeji Reserve and neighbouring parts of the
Abeokuta and Ibadan provinces. In many places it is very prevalent,
though it does not grow actually gregariously. It reaches up to a
medium size. The bole does not exceed a length of much over 15 feet
and a girth of 5 feet. With its four narrow, somewhat long (up to 4
feet) buttress root spurns, the base of the stem forms a rather
irregular shape. The bark is roughish and scales off to a slight
extent as the tree becomes older.
The leaves are inclined to be placed at the terminals of the shoots
and twigs, and the main veins are very prominent, giving the
impression that the leaf has only comparatively recently opened. The
leaf is a little rough to the touch, and rather dry and thickish. It
is a distinctly yellowish-green colour. The foliage is very sparse.
With its none too straight stem and comparatively slight amount of
foliage it presents a poor appearance.
The wood is of a pleasant light-yellow colour and comparatively hard.
It planes up with a smooth surface and saws easily. It does not take
nails well, nor does it split easily. It is termite-proof.
Natural regeneration appears to be slight, but stool and root shoot
reproduction seem to be strong. The seeds are very small and appear
like little round, spherical nuts. Although it will bear a slight
amount of shade in its youth, it is a light-loving species later on.
Occurring as it does in the mixed deciduous forests, near the lower
edge of the dry-zone vegetation it should prove a useful tree,
especially as it is comparatively fire-resisting.
Although comparatively slow-growing it attains sufficient size to be
cut up into verandah-posts and banister rails and uprights.
On the whole, quite a respectable quantity of timber could be obtained
in the aggregate from the large number of trees found growing in the
forests.
_Pachystela cinereum_ (Pierre). Osan odo, Orban igba (Yoruba).
Found in the Abeokuta province.
=Ebenaceæ.=
_Diospyros Mombuttensis_, syn. _Sinensis_. Walking-stick Ebony or
Yoruba Ebony. Ogan pupa, Aggan Egbo (Egba) (Yoruba); Ungungmekkan
(Benin).
It is a small tree with reddish-coloured stem and very thin, scaly
bark, often branching near the base and usually forming several stems
up to 18 inches in girth instead of one main stem. It has a large,
alternate leaf, with large leaf scars, amounting to projections from
the twigs. The fruit is like an acorn, but of reddish colour, with a
very small, low-rimmed cup. The twigs are reddish colour too, which is
most typical of the tree.
It is common in the Benin, Abeokuta, Ibadan, Oyo and Ondo provinces of
Nigeria.
_Timber._—Very hard, whitish-brown wood.
_E. Use._—Walking-sticks, as it often grows forming a natural handle.
_Native Use._—Walking-sticks.
_Diospyros sp._ Benin Ebony. Owegbo (Benin).
A medium-sized tree, yielding a black ebony, which is prevalent in the
Benin forests. The bark scales off like _D. atropurpurea_. It is a
larger tree, though, than the last named. It likes the dense forest
with a deep, damp soil.
In proportion the sapwood is white and very wide.
The tree is slow-growing, shade-bearing, with soil-protecting and
soil-improving qualities. Natural regeneration is weak.
The timber has not been exported, nor has it been sawn up for local
use.
_Native Use._—Firewood.
_Diospyros mespiliformis_. Monkey Guava or Yoruba Ebony, Kanran, Etini
(Yoruba); Igedudu (Benin).
From the similarity of its fruit to a medlar it obtains its botanical
name.
It is found in the Abeokuta and Ibadan provinces of Nigeria, in the
mixed deciduous forest zone. In places such as the Olokemeji Forest
Reserve and neighbourhood it is very prevalent and almost gregarious
in habit. As regards height, and almost always as regards girth, it is
the largest of almost all the ebony-trees, with the exception of one
species found near the Niger, reaching a girth of over 14 feet and a
bole length of 70 feet. At the pole stage, and as it gets older, the
bark is evenly fissured, vertically and horizontally, breaking up into
small black-edged sections of about 2 inches long and ½ inch wide.
Until it is much over 2 feet in girth the cortex is smooth, dark-green
or black. After this it becomes rather rough, with small fissures.
Although often very cylindrical in shape, the bole sometimes has very
considerable taper—in fact, more so than many other trees. The
branches come out almost at right angles to the stem and are very
persistent, still remaining as short snags for many years after they
have been broken off by storms or other agencies. The leaves are
smallish and lanceolate in shape, and almost appear to be silvery on
the under surface and very dark green on the upper surface. The
thinner branches appear silvery-grey, though they are very similar,
but thinner in comparison to _M. multinervis_, which are found in the
same locality growing side by side. The leaf has a few fine veins. The
fruit is flatly spherical, and is like a little medlar with its
russet-brown rough surface and the dried-up sepals of the flower on
it. It is, however, larger than than of Multinervis.
The sapwood is white and narrow and the heartwood dark-brown to black,
sometimes even green-black. It is very hard—in fact, almost the
hardest of all African woods, with perhaps the exception of Yoruba
Ironwood, Red Ironwood, and African Greenheart. It splits fairly well.
It is inclined to be brittle, especially in timber from larger
specimens, planes well and saws well, but is difficult to nail. It is
termite-proof. Occasionally a large boring beetle burrows into the
wood when it is lying on the ground. However, the grubs which do this
damage are considered a delicacy by the natives, so that wherever
found they are soon collected and eaten. The younger tree grows with
branches more or less in whorls, but not so regular as those of _M.
multinervis_. When fresh it is liable to warp. It keeps its colour
better than most of the ebonies. It occasionally shows a little
figure. In proportion it has the largest heartwood of any of them, and
for this reason is a most valuable tree.
[Illustration: FIG. 85.—=Khaya anthoteca, 16 feet in girth, Obagie
Forest Reserve, Benin Province.=]
[Illustration: FIG. 86.—=Okan (Cylicodiscus Gabunensis), African
Greenheart, 24 feet in girth, standing in Obagie Forest Reserve, Benin
Province.=]
To face p. 384.
_Diospyros Kamerunensis_. Cameroon Ebony.
This tree has been found in the Boji Hills Forest as well as in the
Cameroons. Although not of great size, it yields a comparatively large
and black-hearted ebony. The fruit is much larger than that of most
other species. It is comparatively prevalent at an elevation of about
1,000 feet in the Boji Hills. Up to the present it is doubtful if it
has been worked at all. The natives have no use for the tree.
_Diospyros Barteri_. Ebony Nut or Yam Stick. Ivioha (Benin).
Small ebony-shrub of the Benin province of Nigeria, found near Okomo
in rather moist ground. The natives have no use for the wood.
_Diospyros bipendensis_. South Cameroon Ebony.
It is supposed to be found in the Oban Reserve.
_Diospyros crassiflora_. Benin Ebony. Aborkpor (Benin).
It yields the black ebony of the Benin country and is somewhat
prevalent. Found in the Benin, Abeokuta and Onitsha provinces of
Nigeria. A tree with a small leaf.
It forms almost pure groups or even small stands, of half a mile and
less in extent, near the banks of the Niger. It can stand swampy
ground. It used to be cut in the Onitsha district.
_Diospyros sp._ Benin Ebony. Isanhianme or Ehrenyegbo (Benin).
A common tree of the Benin province of Nigeria. It is supposed to
yield a good ebony. It does not reach a very large size. It is a soil
protecting and improving tree. Locally it is used for house-building.
In 1906 samples of this timber were sold in the Liverpool market as
mahogany at 1s. 6d. per cubic foot. Since that time it has not been
exported.
_Diospyros atropurpurea_ (Gurke). Brown Ebony. Igedudu (Yoruba);
Igedudu (Benin).
It is a small tree, attaining a girth of about 4 feet. The heartwood
is usually brown with black streaks, giving it a curious and diverse
streakiness, not unlike black marble or Indian Blackwood. The flower
is reddish-purple coloured and quite conspicuous, growing out of the
upper surface of the twig without a stalk of any kind. The bark is
almost black and peels off in very thin, oblong-shaped flakes; the
cortex underneath is green. In old age it is hollow at the first
branch joint.
It is found in the Benin and Abeokuta provinces of Nigeria. About one-
third of the diameter of a mature tree is heartwood. Apparently a
slow-growing tree, though none have been planted. It is a shade-bearer
in the evergreen and mixed forest; natural regeneration is not good. A
large cerambix or other borer makes finger-thick holes in the sap and
heartwood of old trees.
It should be an export timber of value, but it was only valued at £5
to £10 a ton in 1906. It has been used for mirror frames.
_Native Use._—For firewood in the Benin country, where it is
considered very good.
_Diospyros suaveolens_. Benin Ebony. Oohoo (Benin).
It is a small-sized tree, with very small heartwood and a small,
oblong, almost lanceolate leaf. The bark, which is quite black, has
slight fissures and is much harder than that of _D. atropurpurea_.
It is prevalent in the Benin country, Nigeria.
It likes to grow near water, but not in a swampy place. It is a slow-
grower and shade-bearer, being found as an undergrowth in the high
forest. It is not attacked by white ants. The wood is hard and
durable.
_Native Use._—It is used for house-building as rafters, as well as for
axe-handles of any kind. Small trees are used for making bows (long)
for shooting birds.
_Diospyros verrucosa_.
This tree, although named from the Cameroons, is found in the Abeokuta
and Benin provinces of Nigeria. The twigs are very rough compared to
the other species.
_Diospyros dendo?_. Cross River Ebony. Ebubri etu, Obiliteto (Efik);
Itiuyang (Oban, Ekoi).
It is a medium-sized tree with dark-green, smooth bark, with large
lanceolate leaves and strong upward-spreading branches, which makes
the bole shorter than it would otherwise be. The fruit is almost pear-
shaped, containing four long, thin, wedge-shaped seeds, brown outside
and white inside.
It is found in the Calabar and Ogoja provinces of Nigeria, in the
evergreen forest zone of the hill forests.
The crown is rather irregular in shape, being supported with two or
three main limbs from the bole. It reaches a girth of about 6 feet and
a bole length of 12 feet.
The sapwood is wide and white and the heartwood black. The tree is
occasionally attacked by a large borer, which makes large holes nearly
¾ inch in diameter. The timber is very hard, but if the tree is killed
by fire it becomes a little more brittle than is usually the case. In
old trees which may be left lying in the forest, the middle of the
heartwood often decays away with ground-rot. It planes well and saws
well. Nails often split it. It splits moderately well, especially when
free of knots.
It is a very slow-growing, shade-bearing, soil-protecting and soil-
improving tree. On the whole, it is more exacting as to soil than most
other trees, being usually found on a good loam rich in humus, which
is moist and with fair drainage. Natural regeneration is none too
good. Stump shoots are very weak, and often do not occur. It has not
yet been planted. It is very susceptible to fire—in fact, more so than
perhaps any other tree. The timber has been exported for many years
from Calabar, but of late in decreasing quantities, owing to the
exhaustion of the nearer sources of supply, and to the fact that only
small billets under 3 feet in length, not square, and only 3 or 4
inches in cross-section were cut. The usual native method of procedure
is very curious. On making a clearing for a farm, any ebony standing
there gets killed with the fire, and having comparatively few roots
and being very heavy, the tree falls down. Before abandoning the farm
the native may put a mark on this tree, or at any rate make a mental
note of its existence. After a year or two, if he is in need of money
to buy clothes, or wishes to purchase anything, he goes back to this
old farm, finds this tree, perhaps externally somewhat charred, and
perhaps the centre of the heartwood rotted away; he proceeds to cut it
into lengths of about 10 or 12 feet. These he then splits lengthways
into segments with a rounded side of about 5 inches, the two split
sides about 4 inches, and the inner surface about 3 inches. In order
to get these long pieces of suitable dimension to carry to the nearest
factory or trading station, he cuts them into three or four billets;
two or three of these, according to weight, are tied together and
carried to the factory. It is sold by weight, and sometimes 200
billets go to the ton, though a smaller quantity of a larger size
would be better and secure a better price. This method should be
compared with the superior one adopted by the natives of the
Cameroons. Compared to the usual price of £6 or £7 per ton for Calabar
ebony, Cameroon wood usually fetches £10 to £12.
_Diospyros xanthochlamys_. Okahimi (Benin).
This is one of the Benin ebonies and is not very prevalent. It is said
to yield a good ebony.
_Maba Mannii_. Benin Maba.
It is a common tree in the Benin and Ondo provinces of Nigeria. It
only reaches a girth of 4 feet and a short bole of about 10 feet. It
is much branched, even low down, the branches being persistent and
crooked. The leaves are small, rather less than ebony itself. The leaf
is really a long, pinnate one, with thirty pairs of pinnæ. The fruit
is white, soft and oblong, with small seeds.
The tree has a white sapwood with a black heartwood, rather small in
proportion to the size of the stem. It does not split well. Termites
do not attack it, but occasionally the gigas borers make holes in it.
It grows slowly and stands a good deal of shade. It sprouts well from
the stool and the seed also grows fairly well. It grows in the damp,
deep soil and does not stand fire at all. It belongs to the evergreen
forest zone.
This tree has not been cut for local use or exported to Europe. It is
used as firewood, and is considered better than most other woods, even
_Ohia_, _Celtis sp._
=Oleaceæ.=
_Schrebera Golungensis_. Hard Yellow Wood. Opele (Yoruba); Udegwoga (?)
(Benin).
It is found in the Abeokuta province of Nigeria, Olokemeji and Ilaro
Reserves.
It is a large tree, reaching a girth of about 10 feet. The smooth,
light-green bark with yellow patches differs from the Celtis species,
which is rougher, and the Afrormosia species, which is orange-red and
peels off. The leaves are small for the size of the tree. The crown is
narrow and long and the branches forming it slender. The curious small
pear-shaped dehiscent fruit, showing four oblong niches for seeds, is
most typical of the tree. In other respects the habit and build of the
tree is similar to the Celtis species, especially with the root spurns
slightly corrugating the base of the bole. It is not a common tree,
but usually a fair number of specimens are seen in any locality where
it has been found. The bole is very straight and free from branches
for quite a height of the tree.
The timber is a dull-yellow colour, fine grain, of smooth texture and
moderately hard. It planes to a smooth, almost shining surface. It
scarcely shrinks or warps when drying.
It sprouts slightly from the stump, though the shoots do not seem to
have much strength.
The timber has not yet been exported, though its valuable quality
should assure it of a market. Sample planks used at Olokemeji proved
most durable.
_Native Use._—The fruit is used by the Yorubas for divining the
future.
=Loganiaceæ.=
_Strychnos densiflora_ (Baill.). African Strychnos Tree. Attako
(Yoruba); Egbeda (Benin).
It is found in the dry-zone forest of the Ibadan and Benin provinces
of Nigeria, where it seems to be very prevalent.
_Chief Characteristics._—It is a small tree or shrub, up to 12 feet
high, with small leaves and very hard wood.
It is of slow growth, but on the whole is a shade-bearer and soil-
protecting and soil-improving tree. Natural regeneration appears to be
poor.
It has not been planted.
Apparently the seeds have not yet been examined as to their value. The
timber is too small for export or local use, except for hut-building.
_Use._—The Benin natives use the stem for making snares for Duika and
the branches for making brooms, as they are very tough.
_Anthocleista nobilis_. Ogugu, Sapho, Apa Oro (Yoruba); Orrimogungun,
Oriweni (Benin).
It is found in the Ibadan, Abeokuta, Benin and Ogoja provinces of
Nigeria.
It has huge soft leaves, and is one of the first plants to appear on a
clearing in the dry-zone or mixed forests. In old age the leaf is much
smaller, and the mass of white flowers along the uppermost branches is
most typical of the tree. It is often almost gregarious, and in most
places more than one tree is found in the immediate neighbourhood.
Reaching a girth of about 3 feet, its stem does not exceed 20 feet in
height. There are usually two or three main branches into which it
divides. The wood is soft and white.
It is a light-loving, rapid-growing tree, which is soil-protecting and
soil-improving in youth, but is too open in crown after a few years.
It should, however, prove a useful nurse for superior species in the
dry zone.
_Native Use._—Firewood in places where wood is scarce.
=Apocynaceæ.=
_Alstonia Congensis_ (Eng.). Pattern Wood, Stool Wood. Ahun, Awun,
Ogudugbu (Yoruba); Ukhu (Benin); Ekuri Ebu (Ibo Owerri); Abo, Idu
(Efik); Ofemm (Bembi); Etiap, Oguk (Oban, Ekoi).
It is a large tree, growing up to a height of 100 feet and 10 feet
girth. The white lenticels on the bark are very typical of the tree,
and give it the appearance of having a rust disease. The crown is
formed of two or three whorls of branches and is very flat in old age.
The tree grows always in whorls, though it may have more than one
stem. In the distance the leaves appear to be digitate, but in reality
three to seven are found to be growing out of the end of one stalk,
all being much the same size. The crown is flatly umbrella-shaped. It
has comparatively few branches. The root flanges are slight, soon
merging into the trunk. At the base of the bole, however, they are not
absolutely round in shape, but have two or three large ridges,
sometimes almost subdividing it. The slash is white, with yellow
spots. A chalky white latex exudes when it is cut, rapidly running
down the stem like a streak of whitewash.
It is found in the Abeokuta, Ibadan, Ondo, Benin, Owerri, Calabar and
Ogoja provinces of Nigeria in the evergreen and mixed deciduous forest
zone. It is a very common tree throughout this region and is usually
found growing singly.
The timber is white, there being little or no difference between
sapwood and heartwood. When dry, it is very light and soft. It splits
and planes easily, saws well, and takes nails easily. The grain is
close and fine and very even in texture. Although dull, it works up to
a smooth finish. It is attacked by termites. It is not durable in the
open, but under cover it lasts quite well. In drying it is liable to
shrink and warp a little, but with care this can be avoided. It
seasons comparatively quickly. It cuts easily with a knife or chisel
and might take the place of lime as a carving-wood. From its texture
it should take stains very well.
It is a very fast-growing, at first slightly shade-bearing and
latterly a light-loving tree, which thoroughly protects the soil and
enriches it with its leaf fall. Natural regeneration appears to be
good, as it sprouts well from the stump. It seems to like a good soil
with plenty of moisture, and will even withstand floods. It is not
fire-resisting. The crown and branches are liable to be broken with a
high wind.
In 1906 samples of this timber were sold in the Liverpool market as a
whitewood, but it was considered to be of no value. It deserves a
further trial as a pattern-wood, comparatively large quantities being
available. Locally it has not been sawn up for planks.
In Calabar the timber is used for stools, which are carved out of
large solid blocks of this wood in one piece, without a joint.
_Native Use._—In the Benin country the timber is used for doors and
the roots for medicine.
The box of the musical instrument Asologun, a kind of zither, is made
of this wood in the Yoruba country. The latex is used for mixing with
real rubber latex of the Anyo or _Funtumia elastica_ tree.
_Voacanga Africana_ (Stapf.). Cloth Shrub. Dodo, Giwini (Yoruba); Igbo
(Benin).
It is a common shrub-like tree in the Ogoja, Onitsha, Benin, Warri,
Ondo, Ibadan and Abeokuta provinces of Nigeria. The tree is usually
noticeable from its white wax-like, trumpet-shaped flowers, which have
a very fragrant scent, and which very rapidly wither when cut. The
bark is thin and extremely fibrous and hard to break, so much so that
the natives of the Asaba district make grass-like fibre out of it and
mix it with a silk fibre to make a very durable kind of cloth, which
the natives wear. It grows in waste places and requires light. It
sprouts well from the stump.
_Conopharyngia durissima_.
This tree is found in the Western Provinces. It is of a similar size
to _C. pachysiphon_, and the timber is just as durable.
_Conopharyngia pachysiphon_. False Boxwood. Dodo? (Yoruba); Ibbu
(Benin).
It is a common tree in the Calabar, Warri, Benin and Ondo provinces of
Nigeria. A small tree, attaining a girth of only 4 feet, with a large
leaf, bearing large spherical-shaped fruits in pairs. The large
creamy-white, strongly scented flowers are conspicuous to both sight
and scent. The bark, even in its younger stages, is covered with small
yellow lenticels. The wood is hard and yellow in colour, and there is
no difference between sapwood and heartwood. The latex has sometimes
been used as an adulterant for rubber. It is a shade-bearer, and is
found at the border of the evergreen and mixed deciduous forests.
The natives of the Benin country use the roots for medicinal purposes.
_Farquharia elliptica_. Onanisankianmon (Benin).
This is a member of the new genus of Farquharia found by Mr. Farquhar
in the Benin province of Nigeria, near Ugumu. It is not stated whether
the natives use this as a source of rubber or not.
_Landolphia florida_ (Benth.). Rubber Vine. Ibugidi, Ibo-akitipa
(Yoruba).
A vine found throughout Southern Nigeria, though most abundant in the
dry-zone fringing forests and in the intermediate forests, and at
Ottoa, Benin province. It bears white flowers having yellow centres.
_Uses._—Milky juice is obtained from this vine, but it is not good
rubber, and has no market value.
_Landolphia scandens_. Ibo (Yoruba); Ubamiogon (Benin); Otopoi, Otanta
(Ibo Asaba).
Ilaro.
_Landolphia Owariensis_, var. _rubiginosa_.
Found Anwai River, Asaba district.
_Landolphia Owariensis_. White Vine Rubber. Ibo tabong (Yoruba);
Ubamiogon, Ubgo (Benin); Otta farfridi (Ibo Asaba).
Found Benin City and Mamu.
_Landolphia Senegalense_. Ibo akitipa (Yoruba).
It is found in the Oyo province of Nigeria, and it is supposed to be
one of the sources of vine rubber.
_Landolphia Thompsonii_ (Chev.). Corrugated-fruited Rubber. Ibogidi
(Yoruba); Ugbamiogun (Benin).
Abeokuta, Benin and Calabar provinces of Nigeria.
A vine growing abundantly throughout the rain and fringing forests. It
has white flowers with yellow centres and a bright-yellow edible
fruit. No rubber is obtained from it, but only a pasty mass from the
latex.
_Landolphia Petersiana_. Large-fruited Landolphia.
Found in the Oban Reserve and Benin province.
_Landolphia bracteata_. Autopoi (Ibo Asaba).
Found at Idanre, Anwai, Asaba district.
_Carpodinus hirsuta_ (Stapf.), var. _djenge_. Flake or Paste Rubber,
Root Rubber, Brown Cluster, or Brown Medium. Ibo Ilecki (Yoruba);
Uboto, Obo, Ubanakwi, Ake, Abache (Benin).
It is found in the Onitsha, Benin and Warri provinces of Nigeria. It
has a mauve-coloured flower with a musk-like scent.
The rubber was bought near the Niger until the vines from which it was
taken were destroyed.
_Carpodinus Barteri_, syn. _Clitandra Barteri_. Mauve-flowered Vine
Rubber. Ibo (Yoruba); Akhe (Benin); Akwarri, Offonkwari (Ibo Asaba).
Anwai River.
_Carpodinus fulva_. Pear-shape-fruited Rubber. Ikwian (Benin).
Found in the Asaba district, Benin province.
_Clitandra elastica_. Brown Medium Rubber. Ubabikpan (Benin);
Beckindanko (Hausa).
Benin province.
A vine of the dry zone, found in the Okwoga district and at Adani in
Awka district. It also yields root rubber.
It yields a good rubber, sold on the Niger for 1s. 3d. to 1s. 6d. per
pound (1911). Extracted by tapping and coagulated by boiling, also
with salt.
_Clitandra visciflua_ (Hall. Fil.). Ubake (Benin).
Found in the Benin province.
_Clitandra Togolana_ (Hall). Ibo, Agba (Benin).
It is a large tree, up to 60 feet high (?). Olokemeji.
_Clitandra cirrhosa_. Oban Rubber.
This is one of the commoner vines of the Oban Forest Reserve. In
recent years, owing to the low price of rubber, it has not been tapped
to any extent. The cost of collection to the natives is rather high,
with the extended preparations and amount of food they must take with
them in this forest. Added to this there is the cost of the licence
and the cost of taking it over the long distance to the market, so
that they do not think it pays to collect this rubber.
_Rauwolfia vomitoria_ (Afzel). Swizzle-stick. Iraigbo, Asofeyeje
(Yoruba); Akata (Benin).
It is found in the Abeokuta, Ibadan, Ondo, Benin, Warri, Owerri and
Calabar provinces of Nigeria, in the evergreen and mixed deciduous
zone, where it is very prevalent.
It is a small tree of 12 feet in height and 18 inches in girth, with
almost always four branchlets to each branch, forming regular whorls
in this manner. It has a soft, thin leaf and a round, small green
fruit. The stem is usually forked near the ground, and each side
branch is forked again and the uppermost branches divided into four
separate twigs, making thus a most convenient shape for a swizzle-
stick. The stem is more or less dotted with a few white lenticels. The
bark peels off very readily and cleanly with a knife, leaving the bare
white stem, especially in the smaller branches.
The wood of the smaller branches is soft, showing a small pith in the
centre, but that of the stem in the larger specimens is comparatively
hard, and more like an inferior type of boxwood. The sapwood is
usually a little softer than the heartwood.
It is a moderately fast-growing, shade-bearing, soil-protecting and
soil-improving tree. Natural regeneration is good. It sprouts well
from the stump, and a certain number of root suckers appear. It stands
pruning well.
The tree does not really reach a large enough size to yield export
timber, or to be of much value for local use. It is, however, commonly
used as a swizzle-stick.
In places where building timber is scarce, it is occasionally used in
house-building. It could be, and sometimes is, used as a live fence.
_Polyadoa umbellata_ (Stapf.). Oak or Boxwood. Aini (Egba); Erm
(Yoruba); Osu (Benin).
It is a medium-sized tree which grows to a girth of 4 feet. The young
stem is easily recognized by the longitudinal strips of lenticels,
joined together with the dark-green cortex, showing between each
strip. When older, lenticels appear on the stem and it may be quite
grey or white.
The wood is a dirty yellow colour and very hard, resembling box in the
fineness and the hardness of its grain. It is used by the natives for
making combs for the hair; these combs have six prongs about 6 inches
long and are sold at 6d. to 1s. apiece. It is used for house-building,
and is considered the most durable timber for this purpose; it is
forked about 15 to 20 feet from the ground. The bark is used
medicinally by the natives (Yorubas).
The leaves are a yellowish-green, gradually turning a rich dark-green.
The small greengage-sized fruits appear in pairs at the ends of the
shoots, and occasionally in threes, but this is rare.
It likes moist ground, though it will stand a long dry season, so long
as it has the shade of other trees. It is a distinct shade-bearer,
though it grows a fair height when it has a chance. The flowers are
white and have a very pleasant smell.
Only a very small quantity of latex exudes when the tree is cut, and
so does not give the impression of belonging to the rubber family of
Apocynaceæ.
The sapwood is a similar colour to the heartwood. It is not always
straight, but this is owing to its slow growth causing it to be
amongst the dominated trees. In older trees the stem is usually quite
white, except where the bark has been removed.
A sample was sent to England in 1914 and was said to be valueless as a
substitute for boxwood. In 1906 samples were shipped to Liverpool,
where it was sold as a species of oak at 1s. 9d. per cubic foot, but
it was not considered as good as that obtained from Awaw, Eba,
_Lophira procera_ or _Ostryoderris impressa_.
_Native Use._—The chief tree for all tool-handles and house-posts. The
most durable kinds are in Egba, and they are not attacked by white
ants.
_Alafia Landolphioides_. Ubamiagon (Benin); Ata frifridi (Ibo Asaba).
Found at Illushi, Asaba district, Oke Igbo, Ilesha district.
_Carissa edulis_.
It is found in the Olokemeji Reserve of the Abeokuta province of
Nigeria. The fruit is edible.
_Motandra Guineensis_ (A. D.C.). Bodekadun (Yoruba).
It is found in the Olokemeji Reserve of the Abeokuta province of
Nigeria.
It has not been used for making rubber.
_Strophanthus Preussii_. Elephant Poison. Isha gere, Isha kekere
(Yoruba).
Found in the Shagamu, Lagos and Calabar districts.
A climbing shrub, attaining the height of 12 feet. The flowers are
creamy in colour, deepening to orange, with purple spots and streaks.
_Strophanthus hispidus_ (A. D.C.). Isha fere (Yoruba).
Found in the Ilesha district, Oyo province.
_Holarrhena Wulfsbergii_ (Stapf.). The Male Rubber Tree or False Rubber
Tree, according to the Yorubas, or sometimes known as the False Ireh
Tree. Ireh-ibeji, Ireh-ako, Ako-ireh (Yoruba).
This tree being found in the Abeokuta and Oyo provinces of Nigeria, it
is not very prevalent, nor does it grow in large numbers in any one
place. With its smooth, dark-green bark, speckled irregularly all over
with white spots and lenticels, it is easily distinguishable from the
almost silver-white or grey beech-like stem of the true West African
Rubber Tree.
At a height varying from 10 to 15 feet the bole sometimes divides and
forms two very straight stems, one much smaller than the other. In the
African Rubber Tree (_Funtumia elastica_) usually only one stem is
formed.
Again, in its sparse and rather drooping foliage it is very different
from the real rubber-tree. The leaves are much longer, more sharply
pointed, and in fact more lanceolate than those of _F. elastica_. The
foliage often gives the appearance of being withered or that the tree
is drying up.
Large raceme-like masses of small flowers appear in February or March,
which are much more prominent than those of _F. elastica_, these being
more hidden among the leaves, although individually having larger
blossoms. Later on, a thin round pod, nearly 2 feet in length, forms
in pairs, which hang down and make the tree look most grotesque. On
the other hand, _F. elastica_ pods are stout and short and almost
hidden by the foliage.
The tree reaches a girth of 36 inches and a total height of about 50
feet.
The slash is greenish-white, and a very little white, rather watery
latex exudes from the cut. The wood is white, soft, planes easily, and
splits comparatively easily. It saws fairly well and takes nails with
comparative ease. It is not termite-proof.
It is a moderately fast-growing tree of a light-loving nature. Natural
reproduction by seed appears to be fair. It sprouts slightly from the
stump.
Being found in odd and poor places in the mixed deciduous forests at
the edge of dry-zone vegetation, it should prove useful for temporary
house-building purposes and for cutting up as cratewood for bananas,
etc.
_Pleiocerus Barteri_ (Baill.). Irena, kekere (Yoruba).
The fruit is very much like a Cola and fairly common in the forest. It
is very sticky to the taste.
It is a medium-sized tree, in habit similar to the Cola-tree, and most
people would classify it from its external appearance as a species of
Cola.
It is found in the Benin and Abeokuta provinces of Nigeria.
_Picralima Klaineana?_. Agege (Yoruba).
Found at Agege, Yoruba country.
_Oncinotis gracilis_. Ornamental Rubber Vine. Allerle (Benin).
Found in Ogodo Dry-zone Forest.
_Name unknown_. Ikwian (Benin).
An uncommon tree of the Benin province of Nigeria. It attains a
medium-size and bears large fruits. The wood is used as firewood.
=Borraginaceæ.=
_Ehretia cymosa_ (S. and H.). Ija oke (Yoruba).
Found in the Olokemeji.
_Cordia sp._, _? Platythyrsa_. Drum-wood Cordia. Ako Ledo (Yoruba).
It is found in the Olokemeji Reserve of the Abeokuta province of
Nigeria.
_Cordia Irvingii_. Acorn-like-fruited Cordia.
It is a medium-sized tree, similar to _Cordia Millenii_. It is found
in the Abeokuta province of Nigeria.
_Cordia Millenii_. Omon or Omo (Yoruba); Omah (Benin).
This tree is found in the Abeokuta, Ibadan, Ondo, Benin, Owerri,
Calabar and Ogoja provinces of Nigeria.
It is an irregularly shaped tree, often with more than one stem. The
light-coloured bark, especially when it is scaly, often gives the
impression that the tree is luminous at night. The leaf is large. It
is a common tree in the Benin district, of medium-size.
It yields a softwood, which has a certain amount of resonance. The
sapwood is white and the heartwood a mid-brown colour. It is not very
durable, except under cover.
It stands a good deal of shade. It sprouts well from the stump. It
bears fruit irregularly, and seedlings are scarce in the forest. The
wood has not been exported, and none of its qualities so far assure it
of finding a good market in Europe.
_Native Use._—The natives use the wood for making drums.
[Illustration: FIG. 87.—=Koko Town, with raft of mahogany logs moored
near the bank.=]
[Illustration: FIG. 88.—=Mahogany logs floating in the river above Koko
Town.=]
To face p. 396.
=Verbenaceæ.=
_Avicennia Africana_. White Mangrove. Ogbun (Lagos); Ede, Eyhrodo
(Benin); Odonumon (Efik).
It is found in the Colony, Ondo, Warri, Owerri and Calabar provinces
of Nigeria. It is seen partly in pure groups, and also mixed more or
less in groups with the other areas of Red Mangrove and _Laguncularia
sp._
It is a small tree, growing up to 2 feet girth and about 40 feet high.
The bole appears silvery grey and the branches very slender. The
leaves are of a lighter green than those of the Red Mangrove. The
aerial roots are smaller and not so extended as in the case of
Racemosa. On the whole, it occurs in the quieter and less exposed
localities, away from the sea, and it seems to appear only secondary
to _R. racemosa_, which is the first tree to appear in the mangrove
formation. The slash is white; the cortex is thin.
The sapwood is white and the heartwood a light brown when freshly cut.
Is moderately hard, and durable when dry and used away from water. It
is termite-proof. In structure it is similar to teak, being a member
of the same family, but the grain is more open and the pores are
considerably larger and longer, giving the wood a more open texture.
It planes up with a smooth surface, splits well, takes nails
moderately well and saws easily.
It is a somewhat slow-growing, at first shade-bearing, and later on a
light-demanding tree. Natural regeneration is good, but it does not
appear to be extending as fast as _R. racemosa_. It sprouts from the
stump; root suckers and aerial root shoots grow in considerable
numbers. On the whole, it tends to die out sooner when the ground
becomes dryer than _R. racemosa_, and its area of distribution from
the coast inland is much less wide.
The timber has not been exported, nor has it been sawn up for local
use. For the natives this tree forms what is considered the best “salt
bush” in the Jekri country. It is still used for the manufacture of
salt, which is considered much stronger than and superior to imported
salt. It is also used for poles, house-building, boat and canoe houses
and wharves.
_Vitex grandifolia_. Ori (Yoruba); Owenkundignon, Oriri Ogikiomi (?)
(Benin).
It is found in the Benin, Onitsha, Owerri and Ogoja provinces, in the
open deciduous forest zone.
The digitate leaf is much larger than that of _V. Cienkowski_, and on
the whole the tree is larger too, reaching a girth of 10 feet and a
bole length of 30 feet. The fruit is rather larger, but similar in
shape and taste to the former. The branches are very persistent, and
coming out more or less in whorls from the bole, give the tree a most
distinct appearance.
The sapwood is white and the heartwood at first light-brown, and then
darker brown. It is rather more open-grained than the teak. It does
not split very well, but can take nails; neither does it plane easily,
but can be worked up to a smooth finish. It is very durable and
termite-proof.
At first fast growing and later rather slower, it is on the whole a
little faster growing than _V. Cienkowski_. It withstands the fires in
an extraordinary manner, and only occasionally does the bole get so
deeply burnt that the tree becomes hollow. It bears a large crop of
fruit almost every year.
The timber has not been exported, nor has it been sawn up for local
use. It deserves further attention than it has received up to the
present, more especially as it is of the same family as the teak.
_Native Use._—The fruit is eaten, and occasionally the smaller trees
are used for house-building.
_Vitex Cienkowskii_. Ori, nla (Yoruba).
It is a medium-sized tree, attaining a girth of about 8 feet and a
bole length of about 25 feet. The bark is rough, divided up with long,
narrow vertical fissures, which are more or less regular in their
distribution. The crown is spherical, somewhat widespreading, and
usually occupies about half the height of the tree. The large, shiny,
dark-green digitate leaf is most characteristic of the tree. The
fruit, not unlike a large acorn without the cup, is edible and has a
slight honey taste. It attracts the bees from far and near.
This tree is found in the Oyo and Abeokuta provinces of Nigeria.
_Timber._—Hard, brown wood, very similar to teak. It is often rather
knotty and sometimes cross-grained.
At first fairly fast-growing, later on it is rather slow. It is very
fire-resisting, but does not thoroughly protect the soil. It has not
been felled for export, nor has it been sawn up for local use. It
serves a useful purpose amongst the dry-zone vegetation, and is one of
the larger trees of that zone.
_Vitex Fosteri_. Ori-eta (Yoruba); Obuban, Ibang (Benin); Ogi
(Calabar).
_Chief Characteristics._—It is a medium-sized tree with thin, white
bark and voluted stem, which is not overstraight beyond 15 or 20 feet,
soft and fibrous; one of the common trees in the mixed forest, though
also found in the evergreen forest. It has a thin, digitate leaf. It
usually stands as one of the dominated trees in either forest. The
leaves often look silvery, but this is an optical illusion, owing to
their being so thin and white on the underside.
_Distribution._—It is found in the Abeokuta, Ibadan, Jebu, Ode, Benin
and Calabar provinces of Nigeria.
_Timber._—It is a hard, white wood of even texture and smooth grain,
which is apparently durable for interior work. It is somewhat like
hornbeam, though not quite so hard. It works up with a smooth surface.
_Silvicultural Qualities._—It is a shade-bearer, though, if planted
pure, it is doubtful whether its foliage would thoroughly protect the
ground, owing to its being so thin. Natural regeneration by seed is
apparently good.
_Use._—It would probably make good verandah-posts, door-frames and
window-frames, but so far has not been tried. As there is plenty of
it, proper supplies could be obtained in the provinces named.
_Value._—At present doubtful, as it is an untried wood; however,
belonging to the same family as teak, it should find a place amongst
the valuable small timbers for local use.
_Vitex diversifolia_.
It has been noted from the Oban Reserve.
_Clerodendron Thonningii_. Egwa, Oriakuku (Benin).
It is an ornamental shrub of the Benin province of Nigeria, found near
the Osse River.
_Clerodendron Thompsonii_. Egwa oviakuku (Benin).
A medium-sized shrub with woody stem found in the Benin province.
_Clerodendron scandens_ (Beauv.).
It is a large shrub with hard wood of the Benin province of Nigeria.
_Clerodendron volubile_. Ebenote (Benin).
Found in the Benin province.
_Clerodendron splendens_ (Kew). Adabi (Yoruba).
A medium-sized shrub found in the Abeokuta province. The stem yields
small wood for farm implements.
=Labiatæ.=
_Ocimum viride_ (Willd.). Efinrin (Yoruba); Aramoho (Benin).
Found in the Yoruba and Benin country.
=Scrophulariaceæ.=
_Cycinium camporum_ (Engl.). Arojoku (Yoruba).
Flowers white. Found at Obba on the Hill, Ondo province.
=Bignoniaceæ.=
_Spathoidea campanulata_. Red Tulip Tree. Oruru (Yoruba); Okokwi
Okwekwe (Benin); Essenim (Efik); Osukaregigi (Bembi).
This tree grows in the fringing and intermediate forests. It is of
medium size and has large trumpet-shaped flowers, not unlike those of
the tulip.
_Uses._—This tree is often used for ornamental purposes. Timber,
edible seeds and medicaments are obtained from it.
_Stereospermum acuminatissimum_. Osualong (seed), Okwekwe, Aguana
(Benin).
This is a somewhat common tree of the Benin province of Nigeria, and
certainly with its red flowers it is one of the most handsome. It is
not unlike the so-called African Tulip Tree, _Spathoidea campanulata_.
On the whole, it is a smaller tree, with a round, almost spherical
crown; the wood is soft and white and not durable. It bears a large
number of seeds, but few appear to germinate. It sprouts feebly from
the stump, is a light-loving tree, and also a soil-protecting and
soil-improving species. It deserves greater attention for planting in
gardens and at the edges of recreation grounds of all sorts.
_Stereospermum Kunthianum_ (Cham.). Ayagdo (Yoruba).
This tree is found in the Abeokuta province and Erin, Ilesha. It is
very similar to the tulip-tree, but has a more orange-coloured flower.
_Kigelia Africana_. Sausage Tree. Orora, Pandoro (Yoruba); Ogiahimi,
Esiskwi (Benin).
It is a common tree of the Ogoja, Owerri, Onitsha, Benin, Ondu, Ibadan
and Abeokuta provinces of Nigeria. The most typical feature of this
tree is the long sausage-shaped fruit, which hangs by a stalk about 10
inches long; the flowers are red, the leaves large and open. It is a
small tree, often very much branched. It is usually found in old
clearings at the edge of the mixed deciduous forest. The wood is not
durable. The natives use it for fences, and the roots are mashed and
used by Benis for cuts in the fingers. The bark and fruit are also
used medicinally by the Yorubas.
_Markhamia tomentosa_. Iru, Aya, Iwe (Yoruba).
It is found in the Abeokuta province of Nigeria, in the mixed
deciduous forest zone.
It is a tree 4 to 6 feet in girth, with a large leaf having five pairs
of pinnæ, the lowest being very small, like stipules. A deciduous tree
bearing small fruit. A very common tree.
The timber is a soft, white wood, which is not used. It is attacked by
white ants, and is not durable except under cover.
The tree is a light-lover, quick-growing, and non-soil-improving.
Natural regeneration is moderate, so that it does not spread too much.
The tree has not been felled for export timber, nor has it been cut
for local use.
_Newbouldia lævis_. Benin Ju-ju Tree. Akkoko (Yoruba); Ikhimi (Benin).
It is found in the Calabar, Ogoja, Owerri, Warri, Onitsha, Ondo,
Benin, Ibadan and Abeokuta provinces of Nigeria.
It is a small tree, scarcely exceeding 4 feet in girth. It has a
large, oblong, dark leaf. It is most commonly seen in the middle of a
compound with a pot at the base of it. The flowers are trumpet-shaped,
white-coloured at the base and rose-red at the mouth. The fruit is a
long, thin black pod, which opens releasing many flat, winged seeds.
The seed is yellow and in the middle of the wing.
The timber is white and soft.
It has not been exported or cut for local use.
_Native Use._—The tree is used to mark boundaries. It is a “Ju-ju”
tree, both in and outside the compound. It is sometimes used for
fences. It is used by the Yorubas for rafters.
=Acanthaceæ.=
_Thunbergia Vogeliana_ (Benth.). Blue Benin Thunbergia. Ohwohiro
(Benin).
This is a shrub with handsome blue flowers; it is moderately common in
the Central Circle.
=Rubiaceæ.=
_Sarcocephalus eu-esculentus_. Sierra Leone Peach. Egbesi (Yoruba);
Aragbaihi (Benin); Amellaky or Egbessye of Sierra Leone.
It is found in the Abeokuta, Ibadan, Benin, Onitsha, Owerri and Ogoja
provinces of Nigeria, where it is common in the open deciduous forest.
In habit it usually takes more of the shape and form of a shrub rather
than a tree, though where it is protected a longish main leader grows
up, but even this droops. It rarely attains a height of more than 15
feet and a girth at the base of about 18 inches. The leaf is large and
oval, opposite, and rather leathery to the touch. The fruit is not
unlike a peach, except that its surface is not smooth, but is pitted
in small depressions, giving it a more special peach colour. The flesh
is very woody and tough, interspersed with small seeds not unlike
those of the strawberry. When ripe the birds eat them. The roots are
of a yellowish-brown, especially when the cortex is rubbed. The slash
is yellow. The leaf is very shiny.
It does not really reach timber size, but the sapwood is a light
yellow and the heartwood a darker yellow.
It is a moderately quick growing, light-demanding, soil-protecting and
soil-improving tree. Natural regeneration is poor, but reproduction by
root suckers and stool shoots is very strong. It is very fire-
resisting, and recovers easily from any effects of fire.
_Native Use._—In cases of scarcity of building-timber, occasionally
short sections are obtained from it for hut-building. It is, however,
usually too short. The roots are used medicinally in the following
way: roots about a ¼ inch in diameter and upwards to ¾ inch are
thoroughly washed in water and cut up into sections of about 4 inches
long and boiled in water. The solution thus made is strained off, and
is drunk either hot or cold in fairly large doses for the relief of
venereal disease (G.) in its earlier stages. Most of the natives
affirm that it gives great relief, though they acknowledge that it
does not prove a cure for it.
_Sarcocephalus esculentus_. Weatherboard Wood. Opepe (Yoruba); Obiache
(Benin); Awessu (Jekri).
It is found in the Abeokuta, Ondo, Benin and Calabar provinces of
Nigeria, where in certain localities it is very prevalent.
It is a large tree of the evergreen forest zone, which attains a girth
of 12 feet and a corresponding bole length. The bark is slightly rough
and scaly, but in an even manner. It bears a large edible fruit 2
inches in diameter. The fruit is not unlike a peach in shape and
colour, but with a rougher and softer skin. It is very closely and
finely pitted with tiny holes in its surface. Inside, the flesh is
pinkish-white. It is commonly seen at the edge of freshwater swamps in
the Benin, Ifon and Ondo districts. It likes soil with good drainage,
but it may be very moist.
The bole is very straight, and not unlike that of real African Oak in
appearance. The leaves are rounded and moderately large, and inclined
to be leathery in texture, with two stipules at the base. In the young
seedlings the stem is more quadrangular in shape than round, and there
are a few almost straighter furrows running vertically up it.
It tends to spread with the opening up of the evergreen forest. The
root spurns are very slight and round, merging into the stem a foot or
so above the ground. The slash is yellowish-white, and a rather dirty
colour. Mucilage-like latex gradually exudes from the cut.
_Timber._—The wood is very durable indeed, both for exposed places and
for interior work. It is moderately hard, a little open and fibrous in
grain, of a yellow to orange colour, with slight variations in its
distribution through the wood. It planes well and saws easily; splits
fairly well, takes nails, and does not warp or shrink very much. There
is only a slight difference in colour between the sapwood and
heartwood, but the sapwood is not quite so durable. It is termite-
proof. It is usually very straight-grained, free of knots and other
internal defects—in fact, it is one of the cleanest of all the African
timbers.
It is a very fast-growing, at first slightly shade-bearing and later
light-loving tree, which thoroughly protects and enriches the soil
with its leaf fall. In fact, after the first two years it is very
impatient of shade, and grows very slowly, if it is at all under large
trees. In suitable places natural regeneration is very good. Fair
crops of seeds are borne almost every year. In some places, notably
north of the Ikoha in the Benin province, it is almost gregarious in
habit. It sprouts well from the stump. Here again, unless there is
sufficient light, it does not grow rapidly, and even tends to die
down. In the nursery, seeds generate readily, but often fall a prey to
the Duika, which eat the young seedlings. The tree does not stand
transplanting very well, as it throws back its development very
considerably. Small plantations have been made in one or two places.
Close planting appears to be the correct method, as the branches are
rather persistent and liable to form knots or places of decay in the
stem, if they do not drop off when they are quite small.
In 1906 samples of this timber were sold as a hardwood in Liverpool
market, where it was considered to show little or no merit. However,
since that date there have been increased demands for all good
timbers, so that it seems worthy of a further trial. Locally it has
been used for making canoes, or has been cut up for planks. It has
also been used for bridge-building and other constructional work, and
being one of the most durable, ever wider use is being found for it,
quite apart from any likely demands for export.
_Native Use._—It is felled for sawing up into planks and making
canoes, and is considered one of the best of all local timbers, except
Iroko.
_Sarcocephalus sambucinus_ (?). Yellow Wood. Opepe (Yoruba); Ebengiku,
Obiache (Benin); Eben (Jekri).
It is found in the Ondo, Benin and Warri provinces of Nigeria.
It is a medium-sized tree of the swamps, both near rivers and near the
sea coast—in fact, it will grow in waterlogged places—whereas the
_Sarcocephalus esculentus_, to attain large dimensions, likes drained
soil.
The fruit is only an inch in diameter, but of the same colour as the
former. The pitting of the surface is more widely distributed and the
pits are shallower. The bark is less scaly, with a very slight
roughness or fissured surface. The wood is not so durable as the
former, especially in exposed places. On the whole, the leaves are
larger than _S. esculentus_ and a little thinner.
The sapwood is whitish-yellow and the heartwood of a deep yellow
colour. It is more fibrous and rather more open-grained than that of
_S. esculentus_. The pores, too, are longer. On the whole, it is
easier to work, a little softer, planes well, takes nails, splits well
and saws easily. It is doubtful if it is termite-proof.
Although really a light-loving tree, it can stand more lateral shade
than _S. esculentus_. It is a thoroughly soil-protecting and soil-
improving tree, the foliage making a very rich humus. It is much more
slow-growing than _S. esculentus_, though on the whole it will stand
closer together, and yet grow well. It sprouts well from the stump.
Natural regeneration appears to be good. It is sometimes almost
gregarious in habit, and in some places one of the few valuable trees
in the swamp region. It is also often one of the few of merchantable
size. No plantations have been made with this tree.
In 1906 samples of this timber were sold in the Liverpool market as
cedar, but it was only considered of poor quality. It deserves,
however, further trial now. Locally it is occasionally sawn up for
planks.
_Native Use._—It is sometimes used for making canoes, but it is not
liked by the natives, because they say it is not so durable as _S.
esculentus_.
_Sarcocephalus sp._ Swamp Opepe. Oppepera (Yoruba); Eben Obiache
(Benin). Perhaps the same as the foregoing species.
_Morinda sp._ Brimstone Wood.
Ekiti district, Ondo province.
_Morinda lucida_. Brimstone Wood. Oruwo (Yoruba); Obiache (Benin).
Found in the Yoruba and Benin country.
_Morinda longiflora_. Ekiti Morinda.
Found in the Ekiti district, Mamu Reserve.
_Pausinystalia sp._
It is found in the Eastern Calabar province of Nigeria. It is a
medium-sized tree found growing in old farms. It has globular-shaped
flowers with yellowish-red anthers, making it very pretty and
conspicuous. It has a hard, yellowish-white wood.
_Saccoglottis Gabunensis_. Mahogany, Tala. Ugu (Benin); Attalla
(Jekri); Edat (Efik); Tala (Brass); Tala (New Calabar); Edat (Oban,
Ekoi).
It is a large tree, attaining a girth of 15 feet and a height of 150
feet. Nearly always found on swampy ground, or anyhow where the
rainfall is high, as, for instance, in the Oban district. One of the
first trees to be seen in the forest immediately behind the mangrove
swamps. The bark is roughly fissured like elm, but more regularly, and
the slash is red. The fruit is an indehiscent nut with small nodules
on it, about the size of a walnut, which exudes a liquid not unlike
honey. Bees often frequent the tree for that reason. A reddish sap
exudes when the tree is cut.
It is found in the Benin, Warri, Owerri and Calabar provinces of
Nigeria.
The wood is hard and dark-red, with a fairly close grain, though easy
to work. The sapwood is usually very narrow and yellowish-red.
It is evidently a shade-bearer, and stands a good deal of shade in its
youth. Natural regeneration is fairly good where the rainfall is high.
It seems a moderately fast grower, though no actual measurements have
yet been taken. It is almost gregarious, especially in Oban. In 1906
it was valued in the Liverpool market at 3d. to 6d. a superficial foot
as a mahogany of mild texture and fairly good colour. It has, however,
not been used by the Public Works Department.
_Native Use._—In the Benin, Warri and Calabar provinces the bark is
stripped off in rolls about 3 feet long and sold for making gin
bitter, by placing it in the liquid. A bundle of bark is sold for 5s.
at Calabar. In the Degema and Brass districts it is one of the common
canoe trees.
_Mitragyne macrophyllum_. False Opepe. Burokossa, Bulokossa,
Ugbodokossa (Benin); Ebar (Brass); Ebar (New Calabar); Ubuen (Efik).
It is found in the Abeokuta, Ondo, Benin, Warri, Owerri and Calabar
provinces of Nigeria.
It is a large tree, attaining a girth of over 12 feet and a height of
over 100 feet. It has a very large leaf. The tree is often more or
less gregarious, more especially in the moister or almost swampy parts
of the evergreen forest zone. The bark is of a dull-green colour,
comparatively thin, and only slightly fissured in a large tree.
The sapwood is yellowish-white and the heartwood of a pale yellow
colour. It is almost a hardwood, does not split well, planes up
smoothly and saws comparatively easily. It hardens considerably on
seasoning and is very durable under cover, but not so much on exposure
to the air. The dense foliage makes a thick layer of humus under the
trees, as a few of the leaves fall off each year. It is thus a soil-
improving and soil-protecting tree. It would probably be found to make
a good mixture, in groups of about half an acre in extent, with
mahogany in the evergreen forest zone. In the Brass district it is one
of the commonest trees which is used for making canoes; it has also
occasionally been sawn up for planks. It has not yet been exported to
England, but at any rate locally it should command a wider use in
house-building of all kinds.
_Mitragyne Africanum_. Akpakossa (Benin).
It is found in the Benin, Ondo, Warri and Calabar provinces of
Nigeria.
It is a somewhat common tree on the borderland of the mixed deciduous
forest and the dry-zone vegetation. The tree is of small size,
attaining a girth of about 6 feet and a bole length of 25 feet; the
leaf is very large, but does not reach the size of _M. macrophyllum_.
It is most frequently found in the swampy places at the edge of the
deciduous forest; like the sister tree, it is more or less gregarious,
though the groups are usually not very large.
The timber is of a dull yellowish-white colour, and planes well; it
does not split very easily and is very durable.
This species is a shade-bearing tree of soil-protecting and soil-
improving qualities, owing to the dense bed of leaves, which in turn
makes a bed of humus at the base of the tree, and thus grass-fires are
very much hindered in spreading. The timber has not been exported to
Europe and the natives scarcely ever use this wood.
_Randia malleifera_. Buje nla (Yoruba).
Found in the Olokemeji Reserve.
_Randia octomera_ (Hook.). Buje (Yoruba); Assun (Benin).
It is found in the Benin province. It is a shrub with spherical-shaped
fruit like an apple, with the sepals projecting from the top. The
fruits yield a black dye which is used by the natives.
_Randia cladantha_ (K. Sch.).
It is found in the Benin province of Nigeria. It is a woody shrub
having a hard wood, and rather pretty red flowers in the autumn, which
brighten the evergreen forest very much.
_Randia maculata_ (Kew). Buje, Buji dudu (Yoruba).
A shrub having large, trumpet-shaped flowers. It is very ornamental.
_Randia caudata_. Blue Dye. Buje (Yoruba).
It is a small tree, 15 to 20 feet high. Found in the Olokemeji
Reserve.
_Randia macrantha_. Kan Kan (Yoruba).
Found in the Ondo province.
_Nr. Randia_. Ukape (Benin).
Found in the Benin province.
_Mussænda erythrophylla_ (Sch. and Thonn.). Kamatete (Ibo, Owerri).
Found in Obudu, Ogoja province.
_Mussænda tenuiflora_ (Benth.). Mamu (Yoruba).
Found in the Mamu Reserve.
_Mussænda Isertiana_. Igi Ira (Lagos) (Benin).
Lagos.
_Pavetta Baconia_ (Hiern). Idofun, Igbo (Yoruba); Akapano Iyokheze
(Benin).
It is a common tree in the Calabar, Warri, Benin, Ondo and Abeokuta
provinces of Nigeria. A small, shrub-like tree, reaching about 3
inches in diameter, most common as an undergrowth plant in the
evergreen forest zone. Many specimens are found in the Obagie Forest
Reserve. It stands the shade well, is moderately hard, and sprouts
well from the stump. The natives of the Benin country cut young
specimens very largely for use as yam-sticks.
_Hymenodictyon bracteatum_. Obadon (Benin).
Found in the Benin province of Nigeria.
_Corynanthe paniculata_ (Welw.). Olikiba Anikiba (Benin).
So far it has been found in the Benin province of Nigeria, but either
this species or Johimbe should be found in the Calabar and Ogoja
provinces.
It is a medium-sized tree of the mixed forest zone, which is
moderately prevalent in certain localities.
The timber is brown, hard and durable. It planes well and splits
moderately well. It takes nails and saws moderately easily for hard
wood. It is considered termite-proof by the natives.
It is a somewhat slow-growing tree, a shade-bearer, a soil-protecting
and soil-improving tree. Natural regeneration only appears to be
slight. It does not sprout very prolifically from the stump. No
experimental plantations have yet been made.
This is a sister species to _C. Johimbe_, which yields the bark
containing the very useful alkaloid Johimbin, but as yet the bark of
this tree has not been tested for a similar substance.
In the timber report of 1906 it is valued at 2½d. to 3½d. a foot as a
species of gummy mahogany, and in another case as fancy wood at 1d.
per superficial foot or 1s. 6d. to 1s. 9d. a cubic foot.
Amongst the Benin natives it is used for wall-plates, for which
purpose it is highly esteemed.
_Crossopteryx Kotschyana_. Ayeye (Yoruba).
A small tree found in the dry-zone forests, of no special value. The
fruit is leathery; the flowers grow in panicles.
_Native Use._—Parts of the tree are used in medicine by the natives.
_Sabicea calycina_ (Benth.). Agan Aparo (Yoruba).
Found in Iro.
_Canthium glabriflorum_ (Hiern). Attan (Benin).
It is a common tree in the Calabar, Ogoja, Warri, Benin and Ondo
provinces of Nigeria, also in the Cameroons.
It is a medium-sized tree, reaching a girth of 9 feet, but with a bole
length of about 60 feet, rather longer in proportion to the girth. The
flat, wide crown is typical of this tree, as are also the large
tripinnate leaves and the brown, stringy bark with slight fissures.
The branches spread out almost in two or three whorls near the top of
the tree. The light can be seen through the crown. The flower is
white, in large, umbel-like masses of small flowers, borne on the
upper side of the branches. It flowers in November.
The sapwood is white and fairly broad and the heartwood is brown, like
cedar. Termites attack in the open.
It is a light-lover and grows quickly, in old farms especially. It
sprouts well from the stump, but there are no root shoots. Seed
production is good, and seedlings appear in near open spaces.
It has not been cut for local use or exported to Europe.
The branch is used. It has to be placed on a boy’s head and is said to
make him grow. The boys do it themselves in the Benin country. The
wood is also a firewood in Benin.
[Illustration: FIG. 89.—=Funtumia Rubber Plantation on both sides of the
road, Igwoshudi, Benin.=]
[Illustration: FIG. 90.—=Mahogany Plantation (Khaya Punchii), twelve
years old, near Noami, on the banks of the Osse River, Benin Province.=]
[Illustration: FIG. 91.—=Entandrophragma log with three sides already
squared and fourth partially cut ready for squaring.=]
[Illustration: FIG. 92.—=Stump of Khaya Punchii with log at base, left
in the Benin Forest.=]
To face p. 408.
=Compositæ.=
_Vernonia conferta_. Big-leaf African Cabbage Tree. Onimagugun, Shapo
(Yoruba); Orimagugu, Oriweni, Onamagungun (Benin).
It is found in the Abeokuta, Ibadan, Benin, Onitsha and Ogoja
provinces of Nigeria, in clearings at the edge of the mixed deciduous
and dry-zone forests. It is a very common small tree or large shrub,
springing up in all old farms. The very large bright-green leaves, set
opposite to each other on a small, comparatively, stout, green,
succulent stem, are most typical of this plant. The fresh leaf,
especially on the smaller plants, is not unlike a very open cabbage
leaf, but of a lighter green hue. As the plant gets older the leaves
do not attain such a size. The flowers are small, but grow on large,
open and much-branched spikes. The stem is comparatively soft and
pithy, scarcely forming a real woody tissue. When dried they can be
used for firewood and kindle easily. Occasionally it is used for
making live fences.
_Vernonia Nigritana_ (O. and H.). Bitter Leaf. Ewuru or Oko (Yoruba);
Ihagobo (Benin).
This is found in the upper part of the Benin province of Nigeria, near
Sabongida, in the deciduous zone. A small shrub-like tree, the leaves
of which are used for soup. The dried stem is used for kindling wood.
The roots are sometimes used as chew-sticks.
_Vernonia amygdalina_. (Del.). The Bitter Leaf. Ewuru (Yoruba), Oriwu
(Benin).
Yoruba Chew-stick, also known as the Chew-stick of Ewuro, thereby
clearly showing the Yoruba origin of some of the inhabitants of Sierra
Leone, as Ewuro is also the name of it in the Sierra Leone country.
It is found in the Abeokuta, Ibadan and Benin provinces, where it
grows in openings in the mixed forests.
It is a small shrub, reaching a height of about 5 feet, having soft
leaves, with rather a greyish tint, which are covered with very fine
silvery hairs. It is commonly found in old farms and by the side of
the roads, usually in small bushes or clumps.
It sprouts up when cut down, and thoroughly shades the ground.
However, it is sometimes so thick that it rather hinders plantation
operations, though once the other plants are established it acts as a
useful little “nurse.” The leaves are picked off by the natives and
cooked in water for making soup. They have a distinctly bitter
flavour, but make a very healthy vegetable soup. The leaves are often
sold in the local markets. This shrub is occasionally left more or
less in line as a small living fence.
_Vernonia cinerea_ (Les.). Ash-coloured Fleabane. Elegbe Oju (Yoruba).
It is found in the Olokemeji Reserve of the Abeokuta province of
Nigeria. A large, woody shrub, one of the chewstick family, the leaves
of which are sometimes used for making soup.
=Lycopodaceæ.=
_Lycopodium phlegmaria_ (Linn.).
This is a small Lycopodium found in the Benin province of Nigeria. It
was obtained from the uppermost branches of a very tall tree, growing
at the edge of a deep valley about 8 miles north of Benin City.
NON-INDIGENOUS TREES OF NIGERIA
=Myrtaceæ.=
_Eucalyptus amygdalina_.
A specimen of this tree stands on the old beach at Akassa, Warri
province.
_Eucalyptus tereticornis_.
Lagos Island.
_Eucalyptus rudis_.
Lagos Island.
_Eucalyptus tesselaris_.
Lagos Island.
_Eucalyptus citriodora_.
A specimen of this tree stands in the Botanical Gardens at Calabar.
NOTES ON NIGERIAN TREES OF WHICH THE BOTANICAL NAMES ARE NOT KNOWN
_Itufiak_ or _Etufiak_ (Efik). Essunwoi (Yoruba); Ilako (Benin).
It is a medium-sized tree of the freshwater swamps, with heavy dark-
green foliage; it grows quite gregariously in stands of one to ten
acres in extent. The trunk reaches a girth of about 7 feet and a bole
length of about 30 feet. The roots spurns are comparatively slight,
and do not extend much over a foot up the bole. The foliage is very
heavy and it casts a most dense shade, making patches of this forest
the darkest of almost any in Africa.
It is common on the banks of the Itunkpe Creek, a tributary of the Kwa
River, near Calabar, in the same named province, and also in the
Owerri province of Nigeria. It belongs to the evergreen forest zone.
The timber is a reddish-brown hardwood of close grain, which would saw
into sizeable planks. It is a somewhat slow-growing, shade-bearing,
soil-protecting and soil-improving tree. The leaves yield a thick bed
of humus. It appears to be one of the most valuable trees in this
respect. It is moderately hard, with even, close-textured grain. It
planes well, saws fairly easily, takes nails, but does not split well.
Natural regeneration appears to be good. It also sprouts from the
stump.
The timber has not been exported, nor has it been cut for planks for
local use. It appears to deserve a trial as a local timber for floor-
boards or for the making of boxes. Considering that so often many
trees are found in the same place, it should not be difficult to
obtain adequate supplies.
_Native Use._—Building, but it is attacked by the insect called Efiak.
_Musk Tree_. Owi (Benin).
It is found in the Benin province of Nigeria, in the evergreen
forests. It is a medium-sized tree, reaching a girth of about 8 feet
with a short bole of about 10 feet. The crown is large but rather
elongated, and reaches down two-thirds of the height of the tree. The
fruit is large and more like an avocado pear in shape and colour. The
leaf is very large and wide, more like a teak leaf, but of stronger
texture, the midrib especially being very thick.
The timber is hard, with white sapwood and green heartwood. It splits
well and takes nails fairly well. It is a little fibrous in texture,
but can be planed; it saws fairly easily.
It is a somewhat slow-growing, shade-bearing, soil-protecting and
soil-improving tree. The leaves make a rich humus. Natural
regeneration is none too good. Stump sprouts do not appear to be very
strong.
It has not been exported or cut for local use, but would be worth
trying for house-building.
_Native Use._—The fruit is kept for four days and then the inside
large kernel is eaten. The young leaves are used for curing boils, as
an external plaster to draw the poison.
_Ekkiowa_ (Benin).
It is a small shrub which is found in the Benin district of the same
named province. It is not very common.
_Native Use._—The seed is used medicinally for the hands in case of
sores which are red or raw.
_Satinwood_. Okwaba (Benin).
This tree is found in the mixed forests of the Benin province of
Nigeria.
In 1906 sample logs of this timber were sold in the Liverpool market
as satinwood, but were not considered worth shipping. Since then,
however, none has been cut for export or for local use. Perhaps owing
to the increased demands for all kinds of timber a further trial
should be made with this one for satinwood. Natural regeneration is
poor. It is a somewhat slow-growing, shade-bearing, soil-protecting
and soil-improving tree. It reaches a large size.
_Ubellu_, genus? Annamamilla (Benin).
It is found in the Benin province, Nigeria.
It is a small tree, the name often confused with the mahogany-walnut,
_Lovoa Klaineana_, which is also sometimes known as Annamamilla in the
Benin country. The leaves are imparipinnate. It is a softwood with
light-brown heartwood and little black, spherically-shaped fruit,
unarmed.
_Native Use._—Firewood of good quality. Not used otherwise.
_Big Hardwood_. Arugbo (Yoruba); Eto (Benin).
It is a very large tree with a wide crown. The timber is of a brown
colour, but the sapwood is white. It is extremely hard and durable;
even when felled in the farms it will be six years before it has
rotted away. The bark is a dark-green with white lenticels scattered
over it.
It is rather a rare tree in the Benin province of Nigeria. Standing a
good deal of shade, it is a soil improver and protector. Natural
regeneration does not appear to be very plentiful.
It does not sprout up when coppiced.
_Native Use._—None.
_Ifon_ (Yoruba). Owehe (Benin).
Is a small tree which has scented wood. It reaches a girth of 20
inches only. Before going to market, according to the natives, the
feet, hands and body should be washed with a solution prepared from
the bark of this tree mixed with soap. The object of this operation is
to effect quick sales at the market.
_Ewayron_ (Yoruba).
A leaf for wrapping up food, found in the Yoruba country, also used in
Benin for roofing houses.
_Mahogany_. Alode (Benin).
This tree is found in the mixed deciduous forests of the Benin
province of Nigeria.
In 1906 samples of this timber were sold in the Liverpool market as a
species of mahogany of a soft nature. Since that date none has been
felled. Perhaps with the changed conditions with regard to the demand
for all timbers similar to mahogany a further trial with the timber of
this tree should be made. Natural regeneration is not very good. It is
a rather slow-growing, soil-protecting and soil-improving tree.
_Spiny Tree_. Oaha (Benin).
It is a small tree found in the Benin, Ondo and Abeokuta provinces of
Nigeria. The small, rather thin and longish spines on the stem are the
most typical feature of this tree. It usually grows with aerial roots.
It reaches about 3 feet in girth, and on the whole is more common in
the secondary forest than in the primeval. The wood is moderately
durable, especially when used for inside work, such as verandah-posts.
_Native Use._—It is sometimes used for small poles for hut-building.
_House Post_. Ewai (Benin).
A common tree in the Benin and Abeokuta provinces of Nigeria. It is a
slow-growing tree which has a very hard brown wood; it is a shade-
bearer. The seed is a small nut. The wood is used by the natives of
Benin for building-posts, rafters and small planks.
It is found in the moist evergreen forest zone and is somewhat common
in the Obagie Reserve of the Benin district.
_Ussehin Chew-stick_. Okuta (Yoruba); Okuta, Opahan (Benin).
It is rather a rare tree of the Benin, Ondo and Abeokuta provinces of
Nigeria. The name means “a stone,” and has apparently been given
because of the hardness of the wood. It is a medium-sized tree,
reaching a girth of about 5 feet. The wood is almost white, and there
is little difference between sapwood and heartwood. In the Ussehin
country of Benin it is used as a chew-stick. The Yoruba states that it
is the hardest of all native woods.
_Akpo_ (Benin). Hardwood.
It is rather an uncommon tree of the Benin province of Nigeria, also a
very hard wood, a medium-sized tree. The brown heartwood is used by
the natives for planks. It is thought rather highly of by the Benin
natives, especially for wall-plates and joists. In the past it has
been only hewn by them, but not sawn.
_Ukpaigwi, Okpaigwi_ (Benin).
Rather an uncommon tree of the Benin province of Nigeria. It grows to
10 feet in girth and yields a soft wood which is attacked by white
ants. It is a shade-bearer and soil-protecting tree. The roots are
used by the natives for medicinal purposes.
_Oruru_ (Benin).
It is a tree found in the Benin province of Nigeria.
It is a small tree, reaching a girth of 2 feet. After three years it
comes up in an old farm. The slash is red and a little red sap exudes
slowly. It is usual to find thirty small ones in one place, from root
suckers, but also from stool shoots if a tree has been cut down
before. It is similar to Eranpata in this respect. The fruit is round
and small and like peas, only a little larger. The flower, which is
white and quite small, grows in small clusters.
The wood is not hard and white all through. It is attacked by
termites, except when placed in the house, where it is more or less
protected.
Reproduction by stool shoot is the best method.
It is a shade-bearer and grows slowly. It grows in good soil of some
depth and also in the evergreen forests. When it appears in old farms,
it stands the fires well.
It is a soil-improving and soil-protecting tree, and tends to spread
with the extension of cultivation, especially in the evergreen and
mixed deciduous forest zone.
As it does not reach timber size, it is not worth trying as a building
timber.
The fruit is edible; after eating it the tongue becomes almost of a
blue colour. The root is used medicinally. The branches are used as
pegs in the top of the walls of the houses in Benin, partly for fixing
the roof.
[Illustration: FIG. 93.—=Mimusops Djave, about twelve years old,
standing near Prison, Degema Station, Eastern Circle.=]
[Illustration: FIG. 94.—=Mature Light African Greenheart (Piptadenia
Africana) standing in the middle of Degema Station.=]
[Illustration: FIG. 95.—=Young Oil Bean Tree in bearing (Pentaclethra
macrophylla), Degema Station.=]
[Illustration: FIG. 96.—=Red Oak (Berlinia acuminata), 20 feet in Girth,
standing near the Sombreiro River, Degema Station.=]
To face p. 414.