Chapter IX: The Nigerian Timber Trees (2)

In 1906 sample logs of this timber were sold in the Liverpool market
as Iroko at 5d. per superficial foot, sale measure. Since that date it
has been sold as African Oak and African Teak at a similar price, and
appears now to be fairly well established in the market. As there are
large supplies in many districts, such as the Yoruba country, Onitsha,
Ahoada and Ogoja districts, there should be no difficulty in keeping
the market supplied with moderate quantities year by year, at perhaps,
though, slightly increasing costs. Locally the tree has been felled
and sawn up for planks, scantlings, rafters, beams and general
constructional work. By the Railway Administration it has thus far
been considered the best wood for sleepers. Amongst the natives it is
often worth more than it is to the European, the price varying from
half a crown to 4s. 6d. per cubic foot for sawn boards 12 feet long,
12 inches wide and 1 inch thick.

_Native Use._—The most valued of all woods for wall-plates and door
lintels, treasure-boxes, washing-basins for chiefs. Doors, too, are
made of it in Benin. Women place little pieces of chalk, yams,
plantains, cowries, coco yams at the base of the tree, and it is said
they will be blessed with children. Chiefs sacrifice a goat with a mat
and a fine white cloth to propitiate the witches, who are supposed to
hold their court in the Iroko tree and try to catch one of the sons of
the chief.

_Treculia Africana_ (Decne). African Breadfruit. Afon (Yoruba); Ije (Benin); Ijeni (fruit).

This tree is usually found near the edge of the villages of the
Calabar, Benin, Ondo and Abeokuta provinces of Nigeria.

It grows to a large size, with a bole length of 20 feet and a girth of
9 feet, but it is usually a rather open-crowned, spreading tree. For
its size the foliage is not over-dense. The leaves are single and
roughly lanceolate, with a dark-green and rather shiny upper surface.
The most conspicuous feature of this tree is the huge green, perfectly
spherical-shaped fruit. Immature fruits of all sizes, from a cricket-
ball upwards to a size of 18 inches in diameter, are seen growing
close against the stem of the trunk and bigger branches of the tree.
Some years ago, one of these ripe fruits fell off a tree at the edge
of the Benin market and struck a woman on the shoulder with such force
that she died a few days later. The natives subsequently cut the tree
down.

The chief use of the tree is the fruit, which is placed in water to
rot so that the seeds can be more easily extracted from the
concentrically arranged fibres growing from the centre of the fruit
outwards to the periphery. These are subsequently cooked and eaten,
often being beaten up in a soup. From the outside the fruit looks as
if it were made up of thousands of little green fibres closely packed
together from the centre of the fruit, with the ends sticking out on
the surface, thus giving it a rough feeling to the touch and making it
appear as if it were full of holes.

The junction of a branch with the stem shows a large swelling all
round the base of the branch, which thins out to its regular size
about 6 to 9 inches away from the trunk.

The tree is comparatively slow-growing, but of a soil-protecting and
light-loving nature. In the dry season, great quantities of dew
condense on this tree, so that underneath the soil is kept moist.
Probably more dew falls on this tree than _Myrianthus arboreus_, which
shows a similar feature.

Thus far the wood has not been used for any purpose.

_Treculia sp._ Small-fruited African Breadfruit. Izenagan (Benin).

Found in the Benin province.

_Morus sp._ Aye (Yoruba).

It is found in the Olokemeji Reserve of the Abeokuta province in
Nigeria.

_Myrianthus arboreus_. Shapo Obibere (Yoruba); Ihege (Benin).

It is a small to medium-sized tree, with short stem rarely exceeding 8
feet in height, and a much-branched, heavy crown, with very large
leaf, cut up in the form of a large digit, much more pronounced than
the horse chestnut. The leaves, on falling, rot and form a heavy layer
of black humus. In the dry season the dew condenses to such an extent
on the leaves that the tree drips in the morning, and the
neighbourhood of such trees is always moist when the rest of the
forest is dry.

The large, rough, elongated, pear-shaped fruit, like an overgrown
sweetsop, is quite characteristic of this tree.

It is found in the Ondo, Benin, Owerri, Warri, Calabar and Ogoja
provinces of Nigeria.

It is scarcely big enough for timber, but would make a good
undergrowth for a light-loving species such as mahogany or teak, and
would kill all weeds on good soil. Usually found on good soil. The
timber is white and soft.

_No botanical name_. Iragbo-Amuje (Yoruba); Igogo (Benin).

It is a large tree with almost hard white wood, more the texture of
Triplochiton. The fruit is a drupe, with a small nut inside. Termites
do not attack the wood. It is a quick-growing tree, which comes up
very frequently in old farms.

It is a common tree in the Benin country.

It is a shade-bearer.

_Native Use._—In the Benin country it is used for door lintels and
cross-pieces in house-building.

=Urticaceæ.=

_Urera_. Ela (Yoruba); Akinrankiri (Benin).

Found in the Yoruba and Benin countries.

=Proteaceæ.=

_Faurea speciosa_. Red-brown timber.

Found in the Calabar province.

=Olacaceæ.=

_Heisteria parvifolia_. White Nut (?). Ikereoha (Benin).

It rarely exceeds the height of about 8 feet and a girth of about 1
foot.

This is a small shrub with red flowers of four petals at right angles
to each other, in the middle of which a white-coloured fruit forms. On
peeling off the white skin, a black nut is disclosed, which is edible.
It tastes more like a hazel-nut. The red flower is the most
distinguishing feature, and makes this plant show up amongst the
evergreen zone.

It is found in the Ondo, Benin, and Calabar provinces of Nigeria.

It is a shade-bearing and slow-growing shrub, with soil-protecting and
soil-improving qualities. It serves a very useful purpose amongst the
undergrowth in the forest. Natural regeneration appears to be fair,
but no plantations have been made with this species. The nuts have not
been tested in the export market. Amongst the natives the nuts are
very popular, and it is the only use which they have for this shrub.
This chiefly refers to the Benin district.

_Heisteria sp.?_. Benin Nut, Edible Nut. Evialegbi (Benin).

It is found chiefly in the Benin province of Nigeria, though probably
its area of distribution extends to the Ondo and Ogoja provinces as
well. It is a tall, comparatively thin-boled tree in proportion to its
height. Attaining a girth of about 8 feet, the bole is 40 feet in
length. The bark is dull green and not very thick, being more in the
nature of cortex than real bark. The most typical feature of the tree
is the fruit, which is a spherically-shaped nut with a pointed tip.
When dry, it is marked with shallow groves about half a millimetre
apart, all converging to the tip. When cracked, the kernel obtained is
rather pleasant to the taste, with plenty of oil. The timber is a
yellowish colour and moderately hard. It is fairly durable, though it
is attacked by a small wood-borer when it is left lying in the forest.
It is a moderately fast-growing tree, but is a shade-bearing, soil
protecting and improving tree. Natural regeneration appears to be
poor. No plantations have yet been made with it, but its yield of nuts
should be tested. The timber has not yet been exported, nor has it
been cut for local use. So far, the chief use of the tree is the nut,
but even here proper tests have not yet been made, and it is only the
natives who really know the tree. The exact oil content has yet to be
tested.

_Coula edulis_. Nkula in the Gaboon, Gaboon Nut. Omumu (Benin).

An edible nut containing oil. It is nearly round in shape, but
slightly depressed at the top, with a soft shell.

_Chief Characteristics._—The tree is of medium size, with narrow crown
and small leaves, the fruit being borne on the upper side of the
branches. It is moderately common near Ugo and also on the Siluko road
(both in Benin). This is apparently a rare tree in reality, and it may
be mistaken for Ivialegbi.

The timber is brown with a red tinge, almost hard.

_Native Use._—The nut decorticated is sold in the native markets and
eaten as a delicacy.

_Value._—According to report made some years ago, it was valued at £7
per ton in Liverpool. It was difficult to get sufficient for a sample.

=Loranthaceæ.=

_Loranthus leptolobus_. African Mistletoe, or Red-flowering Loranthus.

Found in the Yoruba and Benin country.

=Menispermaceæ.=

_Cissampelos Owariensis_. Ebewaki (Benin).

A medicinal plant.

_Cissampelos Pareira_ (L.). Jokoye (Yoruba).

It is found in the Olokemeji Reserve of the Abeokuta province of
Nigeria.

=Anonaceæ.=

_Enantia polycarpa_ (Kew). Abeokuta Bark, Kanda or Canta Bark. Ghido (Yoruba).

Found in the Egba province.

_Enantia chlorantha_. African Yellow Wood. Yaru (Yoruba); Ehranbabogo (Benin).

It is a common tree of the Ondo, Benin, Owerri, Ogoja and Calabar
provinces of Nigeria.

It is a medium-sized tree, attaining a girth of 5 feet and a bole
length of 25 feet. The most peculiar feature of the tree is the fruit,
a bundle of reddish clubs all coming out of the twig at one point. The
stem is dull green, with scattered lenticels here and there. The bole
is uneven near the base and almost divided by large spurns, which
makes it difficult to cut out a square log. Standing in dense shade
usually, and often with a piece of the bark removed, showing the
yellow cambium layer or wood, it is easily distinguished from other
trees.

The yellow wood is similar both in the sap and in the heartwood. It
splits well, even into tiny thin, lath-like pieces. It is soft, but
planes up into a smooth surface. The medullary rays are often
prominent, and make the wood look very pretty. The sheen of the wood
also adds to its appearance.

The tree is a shade-bearer and rather slow-growing; perhaps in more
open localities it would grow faster. Natural regeneration does not
appear to be good, though more extensive observations on this point
may reveal more. Small quantities of seed are borne each year. It
sprouts a little from the stump, but this method of reproduction
cannot be relied upon. Cuttings have not yet been tried. It likes a
good moist soil of the evergreen forest and lower parts of the mixed
deciduous forest. It has not yet received a place in the forest
plantations.

Samples of the timber have been tried in England and used with good
effect as a substitute for American “Whitewood,” to which it is
similar in texture. Its small size rather hinders its more extensive
use. In the Benin district it is used as cross-pieces and rafters in
building; wooden shovels are also made from it. It is occasionally
used to make a yellow dye, especially the bark. Native caps are made
from the bark, which is fibrous. It is also used for verandah-posts
and door-frames.

_Dennettia tripetala_. Igberi (Yoruba); Ako (Benin).

It is a common tree in the Benin, Ondo (?) and Abeokuta provinces of
Nigeria.

It is a medium-sized tree, reaching a maximum girth of 6 feet, with a
short bole and a much-branched crown. Most commonly seen as a shrub-
like tree in the mixed deciduous forest. The flower has three petals,
with red colour inside and brown outside. The flowers grow on the stem
or the twigs with little or no stalk, usually two or three in one
place.

The timber, which is white and soft, is eaten by termites. There is no
proper heartwood.

It is a shade-bearer, and rather slow-growing tree. It likes good
soil, and is rather an indication of a loose, good and deep soil.

It has not been exported or used locally.

_Native Use._—The fruit, which has a peppery taste, is eaten. The
chiefs only eat the fruit after it has become red and really ripe. The
small boys use the new young leaves uncooked to make the mouth warm
when the rain falls.

_Dennettia sp._ Agedegbo, Ako (Benin).

This tree was determined from specimens obtained in the early part of
1917 from Olokemeji, where it is somewhat common. Owing to the fact
that only immature and mature fruiting specimens were sent, it may be
identical with _Dennettia tripetala_. It is, however, a much smaller
tree, and the fruit is not nearly so large and is a more oblong shape
than _D. tripetala_. It is a small, much-branched tree and yields a
hard, whitish-yellow wood which might be used as substitute for
lancewood. The Benis eat the fruit, but the Yorubas have no use for
the tree.

_Xylopia Æthiopica_. Negro Pepper. Eru (Yoruba); Unie (Benin); Atta (Efik).

Is a medium-sized tree with silvery smooth, grey trunk, and found
growing near the banks of rivers in all the southernmost provinces of
Nigeria.

To face p. 260.

It is stated to be useful for oars and masts for small boats,
according to the report on the Exhibition of 1867. Since that date,
however, it has not been used for this purpose. The bole reaches a
girth of about 5 feet and a length of about 45 feet. The crown is
narrow and comparatively long, but rather compressed and compact. The
foliage is dense and comparatively close together. The root spurns are
slight and narrow, not extending very far up the bole. In proportion
to its height the trunk is thin and very cylindrical in shape, though
occasionally near the base it may not be absolutely round and tends to
bulge out rather more on one surface than the other. The fruit, when
ripe, is like a bunch of black keys, or little short, round-ended
pieces of wood, all projecting out of one central stalk or fork, which
is the most typical feature of the tree. The cortex is comparatively
thin, and remains smooth even in the mature trees. The bole tapers
only very slightly, and does not divide or send out any branches until
the crown is reached.

The sapwood is white, as also the heartwood, except that the latter
tends to have a very light yellowish-brown tinge, especially as it
seasons. It is moderately hard, showing great elasticity, planing with
a smooth surface, splitting moderately well, taking nails and not
warping or shrinking to any great extent. Even fresh it is
comparatively a dry wood. It saws well and shows considerable textile
strength, as also strength in compression, is moderately heavy and
termite-proof. The texture of the grain is very fine and even, and the
grain is very straight.

This tree is somewhat slow-growing, shade-bearing, soil-protecting,
and soil-improving. Natural regeneration is moderate. It does not
sprout from the stump. It stands a certain amount of flooding, but it
seems to demand a good soil with plenty of moisture, including a very
moist atmosphere. No plantations have been made of this tree.

The timber has not been felled for export, nor has it been cut for
local use, but it appears to deserve a trial as a substitute for
lancewood, or other woods which show considerable elasticity. It
should be noted that it belongs to the same family as that of the
lancewood. Owing to the straightness and comparative evenness of the
bole for a very considerable length, it might be suitable for shafts
or even telegraph poles.

The fruit is used as a kind of comestible amongst most of the natives,
as it has a peppery taste which is not unpleasant.

It is usually dried and sold in the native markets, several bunches
for a penny. By some it is almost looked upon as a medicine.

_Xylopia parviflora_ (Eng. and Diels). Small-flowering Negro Pepper. Sesedo, Issa oku (Yoruba); Aghako or Oziza (?) (Benin).

This tree is found in the Abeokuta and Benin provinces of Nigeria,
where it is none too prevalent. It is a medium-sized tree with a very
straight, thin and tall bole. Except for its size it is very much like
_X. Æthiopica_; the fruit is much smaller and scarcely to be seen from
the ground. The timber is grey-white, and the heartwood, though
occasionally a light brown, is scarcely to be distinguished from the
sapwood. It is hard, durable, and said to be termite-proof. It does
not take nails easily, nor does it split well, but it saws
comparatively easily. Natural reproduction by seeds appears to be
poor. It scarcely sprouts from the stump. It is a shade-bearing, soil-
protecting and soil-improving tree.

The timber has not been exported. The bark and roots are used
medicinally.

It is used locally for house-building, as verandah-posts or supports
for the roof. It has considerable tensile strength and stands
compression better still.

_Anona Senegalensis_ (Pers.). Wild Custard Apple. Abo (Yoruba).

This is found in the Oyo and Ogoja provinces of Nigeria. It is a
small, shrub-like tree, with a short stem of about 4 or 5 feet, and
has a very oval leaf, almost ovate in shape. It bears a yellow fruit
which divides up into the typical segments common to this family. It
resembles the Sugar Apple, has a delicious taste, and the fruit is
most refreshing on a hot day at the end of the dry season. The tree is
fire-resisting. Being deciduous, it is not a soil-improving tree. It
is soil-exacting, but is also found in rocky localities. The tree is
not very prolific, but sprouts very strongly from the stump and to a
less extent with root suckers. The small timber is occasionally used
for house-building.

_Anona palustris_ (Foster). Alligator Apple. Afe (Yoruba).

The wood is supposed to be soft, and to have been introduced into the
country some years ago.

It is found in the Abeokuta province of Nigeria. The fruit is edible,
the foliage dense and heavy. In the dry season the dew condenses on
the leaves and towards morning drips off on to the ground, thus
keeping the immediate vicinity of the tree quite moist. The leaves,
when decayed, make a rich humus. It is one of the most valuable soil-
improving trees.

_Anona Mannii_.

It grows in the forest region of the Central and South Provinces of
Nigeria. It is a medium-sized tree bearing large green fruit close to
the stem.

_Popowia Mannii_.

A specimen of this Popowia has been found in Alasko, near the Oha
River in the Ibadan province of Nigeria.

_Anona Afzelii_. Probably the same as _Dennettia sp._ Ako, Aggedegbo (Benin).

It is found in the Abeokuta, Benin and Warri provinces of Nigeria.

It is a medium-sized tree of the more swampy parts or moister regions
of the evergreen forest zone. The leaves are a very large size, often
reaching a length of 1 foot. The wood is yellowish-white and soft and
not very durable. Owing to the very dense foliage, quite a thick layer
of humus is formed in the shade of the tree, so that its soil-
improving properties are very great. It would be a valuable tree for
underplanting mahogany or any deciduous tree, both with a view to
providing soil cover and improving the soil.

The natives do not use this wood.

_Hexalobus grandiflorus_ (Benth.) Afara (Yoruba).

Found in the Abeokuta province.

_Uvaria Afzelii_. Gbogbonshe (Yoruba).

It is found in the Abeokuta province of Nigeria. A small tree with
hard wood.

_Uvaria Busgenii_. Paddlewood. Umaja or Umazza (Benin); Uruiju Arogu (Yoruba).

It is found in the Calabar, Ogoja (?), Benin, Ondo and Abeokuta
provinces of Nigeria.

It is a large tree, and reaches a girth of about 10 feet with a good
bole and limbs. The crown is narrowish, being formed by many small
branches. The bark is light green, scaling off and leaving yellow
patches with a red edge to each; otherwise it is smooth and almost
shining. It is a common tree of the evergreen forest. With the
exception of slight hollows near the base of the stem the bole is
quite round.

The timber is a faint orange-colour with a reddish tint. There is very
little difference between the heart and sap wood, except that the
former is a lighter colour. It splits well and planes into a smooth
surface. At the corner of a square block pieces are liable to split
off. The grain is a little open and the pores are rather long.

Termites (white ants) make no impression on it. The timber is hard,
with a certain amount of rigidity, and yet has no resilience.

It is a slow-growing tree and shade-bearer. Judging by the number of
small trees found, reproduction from seed must be good. It does not
sprout from the stool, and root suckers are thrown up after the trees
have been felled. It likes moist and deep soil, which must be
moderately good, e.g. the red soil of Benin and sandy loam of Badagry
district.

In 1906 samples of the wood were sold in the Liverpool market as
Sabicu and realized 1s. to 2s. per superficial foot. It has also been
used for European house-building in the Calabar province.

_Native Use._—It is chiefly used for making paddles. It is also used
for joists and posts by the Benin people.

_Uvaria Chamæ_ (Kew). Eruju (Yoruba).

It is a large shrub with sweet-scented flowers. Lagos Island.

_Artabotrys sp._ Ako gbogbonshe (Yoruba).

It is found in the Olokemeji Reserve of the Abeokuta province of
Nigeria.

_Monodora tenuifolia_. African Nutmeg. Lakosin (?) (Yoruba); Unyenghen (Benin).

In younger trees there are a few narrow white streaks in the dull
green bark, which gives it quite a distinctive appearance.

_Chief Characteristics._—It is a medium-sized tree with yellow flowers
tinged with white, most conspicuous after they have fallen to the
ground. The flower has three petals with wavy edges, and reminds most
people of an orchid. In fact, many have asked whether it is not an
orchid. The leaves are light green, especially on the under-side,
though darker as the rainy season advances. The fruit is a spherical
drupe, containing several small nuts or seeds. The tree flowers before
the leaves come fully out, so that it looks very handsome indeed. It
is, in fact, one of the prettiest of all the flowering trees. It
flowers at the end of February or at the beginning of March. It
reaches a girth of about 2 feet and a bole length of about 10 feet,
though it is often much branched from about 4 feet from the ground.

It is quite common in the Abeokuta province of Nigeria, especially in
the Olokemeji Reserve and on the road between that place and Mamu, in
the Benin province, as well as being found in the mixed deciduous
forest zone.

The timber is hard and white and fairly durable. It is tough and does
not split well.

Although it stands a little shade it is a somewhat slow-growing,
light-loving tree, but does not protect the soil. Natural regeneration
appears to be fair. It sprouts well from the stump, often in this way
forming quite a clump. On these stool shoots it bears flowers and
fruit early. It transplants badly, more especially when placed in the
open. It is somewhat exacting as to soil, demanding a certain amount
of moisture as well as depth. It is somewhat fire-resisting, sprouting
out again after such injury.

As it does not really reach timber size, it is not of much use for
local constructional purposes.

_Native Use._—The smaller trees are used as walking-sticks and the
larger ones are sometimes used for hoe and axe handles. In clearing
the land for farms, stool shoots are left standing, to act as supports
for the tendrils of the yams after they have been planted.

_Monodora myristica_, var. _grandifolia_. Calabash Nutmeg. Lakoshe or Abo Lakoshe, Ilakosin, Igbo (Yoruba); Ukposa, Eddo Binoyoba (Benin).

It is found in the mixed deciduous forests of the Ibadan, Ondo, Benin,
Owerri, and Ogoja provinces of Nigeria, where it is somewhat
prevalent.

_Chief Characteristics._—It is a large tree, up to 7 feet in girth,
with open crown and thin foliage. The flowers are very conspicuous
when they fall, having three very large pointed red petals streaked
with white, almost reminiscent of an orchid. The edge of the petal is
wavy, too. On the tree, the flowers hang from the under-side of twigs
with very short petioles. It is the most handsome and largest
flowering tree amongst the Monodoras. It is, however, never quite so
much covered with flowers as the _M. tenuifolia_. The flowers are
considerably larger, being quite half to one inch longer. The bole
reaches a length of about 15 feet, but is often branched lower down.
The fruit is a large drupe, containing a number of small nuts.

The timber is whitish, hard and somewhat tough, and does not split
well.

It is a moderately fast-growing, light-demanding tree. With the
exception of the period when it loses leaves, it is a soil-protecting
and soil-improving tree.

Although it scarcely reaches timber size, it might be tried for
smaller constructional purposes, such as handles, posts, or rails. The
quantities, however, are not very large.

_Native Use._—The nut is ground up and used in soup.

_Monodora brevipes_. Yellow-flowering Nutmeg. Ause, Lakosin (Yoruba); Iyoha (Benin).

Grows abundantly throughout the Tropics. The seeds are useful as
condiments or as medicine.

=Myristicaceæ sp.=

_Pycnanthus Kombo_. White Cedar. Akomu (Yoruba); Omocham (Benin).

It is found in the Calabar, Ogoja, Owerri, Benin, Ondo and Abeokuta
provinces of Nigeria.

It is a very common tree, especially at the edges of roads and in old
farms. It is not so common in the original forest. It grows up to 15
feet in girth. It has a very cylindrical bole, with long, straight,
outstanding branches growing close together, more or less forming a
flat crown. The leaves are large and pinnate, and the small fruit,
which grows in clusters, half opens, disclosing a bright red interior
with one round seed covered with pink, mace-like fibre. The slash is
pinkish-white, and heavy, sticky white latex streaked with red exudes
very freely after it has been cut.

The timber is soft and white and not durable. It has not so far been
used either for export or locally.

=Lauraceæ.=

_Ocotea_ cf. Egg-shaped fruit tree. Agkwokhau (Benin).

Found in the Benin province.

=Capparidaceæ.=

_Cratæva Adansonii_ (Guill. et Perr.). Egun oran (Yoruba).

Tree 30 feet high with yellow flowers. Found growing at Fiditi, Oyo
province.

_Capparis Thonningii_. Ekkana, Awoa (Yoruba).

It is found in the Olokemeji Reserve of the Abeokuta province of
Nigeria.

=Rosaceæ.=

_Parinarium sp._ Babu (Yoruba); Oria (Benin); Oko (Ibo, Owerri); Oguru (Brass); Edat (Efik); Ukpoi, Edat, Mpuri (Oban, Ekoi).

It is found in the Olokemeji Reserve of the Abeokuta province of
Nigeria, and Asaba district, Benin province.

It is a large tree with irregular surface to the bole, muscular-like
protrusions being seen here and there, as well as similar shaped
depressions. The crown is wide and flattish, and of light foliage. The
fruit is a large, nasty-smelling, apple-shaped drupe.

The timber is white, with apparently little difference between sap and
heart wood, and it is hard and tough, not splitting at all easily.

It is a somewhat slow-growing, shade-bearing, soil-protecting and
soil-improving tree, said to be termite-proof. It has considerable
resiliency, and stands a certain amount of bending strain.

The timber has not been used for export, nor has it been sawn up for
planks for local use.

_Native Use._—The Yorubas use the timber for making mortars for food.

_Parinarium sp._ Red Mahogany. Abue (Egbado, Yoruba); Dabadogun (Benin).

It is plentiful in the Benin and the Abeokuta provinces of Nigeria.

_Chief Characteristics._—It grows into a large tree, but is often seen
as a small tree, suppressed by other quicker-growing trees. The dense,
somewhat spreading crown is a typical feature of the tree. Its large
leaves attract attention, especially compared to the size of the tree.
The bole is often crooked and covered with dark green cortex, with
only a limited amount of fine bark.

It has a hard, red wood, not unlike mahogany, but with a more fibrous
grain. It is durable, especially when left in a wet place. It works up
with a good surface and very pleasing colour, making it thoroughly
worthy of being a substitute for mahogany. Being a shade-bearer, soil-
protecting and soil-improving tree, it should eventually find a place
in the forest plantations. Despite its slow growth, its other
silvicultural qualities are worthy of attention.

It has not yet been exported, not has it been felled for local use.
For the former it appears to deserve a trial.

_Native Use._—It is used for firewood.

_Parinarium robustum_. Sometimes called Mahogany Nuts, Nikko Nuts; Benin Mahogany. Ugibisaro (Benin); Aiyeni (Egbado); Aiye, Aghaghe, Aiyeni (Yoruba).

It is found in the Abeokuta and Benin provinces of Nigeria, in the
evergreen forest zone, where it is not very prevalent. It is a large
forest tree, reaching a girth of over 12 feet and a bole length of
about 70 feet. In the dry season, in the distance, the leaves show the
typical dried-up yellow appearance of the Parinariums, especially
being somewhat shiny in appearance. The fruit is not unlike a very
large, very dark green plum, but rather more flattened and not so
round. The inside nut is compressedly spherical, showing five large
eyes or holes out of which seeds germinate.

The sapwood is yellowish-white and somewhat broad in proportion to the
size of the tree, and the hard wood is mahogany-red coloured, but with
more fibrous grain. It planes up with a smooth surface and splits
fairly easily, especially when nailed. It is moderately hard and quite
durable, and is not supposed to be attacked by white ants (termites).
Like most of the Parinariums, the fresh wood smells something like
honey, and the timber tends to darken on exposure to the air, thus
improving in colour.

On the whole it is a shade-bearing tree and not very fast-growing. It
has soil-protecting and soil-improving qualities. Natural regeneration
only appears to be very moderate. Like most of the Parinariums, the
kernels of the fruit are pecked out by various birds. No plantations
have been made of this tree.

Quite by accident, in 1906 some logs obtained from this tree were cut
and exported, and sold in the Liverpool market as Benin mahogany at
4d. per superficial foot. Since then, however, none has been cut.

Amongst the Benin natives the timber is occasionally used for house-
building.

_Parinarium excelsum_. Essago (Benin).

It is found in the Ondo, Benin, Owerri and Calabar provinces of
Nigeria, in the evergreen forest zone, where in certain localities it
is very prevalent.

In appearance it is like the rough-skin plum of Sierra Leone, but a
larger and taller tree. The leaf usually looks dry and grey,
especially underneath. The crown is oval and very dense, with a mass
of large limbs. The bark is covered with white lenticels, which make
it look grey. It usually bears a large crop of fruit each year.

It reaches a girth of over 12 feet and a bole length of about 50. In
proportion to the height, the bole is not so long as in the cases of
many other forest trees. The fruit is more uneven in surface than that
of _P. robustum_, and the surface is also more or less speckled with
little white raised lumps, giving it a roughness to the touch. The
fruit inside is yellowish-white, rather hard and not unpleasant to
taste. Where it is found, especially in the more swampy parts, it is
often almost gregarious in habit. It is an evergreen tree.

The wood when freshly cut smells like honey. The sapwood is yellowish-
white and the heartwood is brown. On the whole it is much harder than
_P. robustum_. Occasionally it appears cross-grained, and does not
plane up with such a smooth finish. It saws less easily, and it is
hard to drive nails into it. It does not split well. It is rather a
heavy wood and does not float.

It is a somewhat slow-growing, shade-bearing tree, which thoroughly
protects the soil and improves it with its leaf fall. Natural
regeneration appears to be none too good. No plantations have been
made of this tree.

It has not been felled for local use, but occasionally it has been
used for firewood, which is of somewhat high calorific power. The
fruit is occasionally useful to temporarily assuage hunger in the
forest.

It was sold as African greenheart at 1s. 6d. to 1s. 9d. a cubic foot
in the Liverpool market in 1906.

_Native Use._—None, and the fruit is not eaten. Elephants eat the
fruit.

_Parinarium polyandrum_ (Benth.) (?). Plum. Ako Idofun (Yoruba).

Smaller fruit than _P. curatellæfolium_ and very hard; similar
flowers, the leaves rough and only slightly grey-green on the under-
surface. Stem reddish-brown with long lenticels, leaves larger and
longer.

It is found in the Abeokuta province of Nigeria.

_Native Use._—The tree is used by the natives for building farmhouses.

_Parinarium curatellæfolium_ (Planch.). Abo-Idofun (Yoruba).

A small tree 10 feet in height and 1 foot in diameter, with large
umbelliferous flowers of a white colour. The leaves are rough and
shiny on the upper surface, and with more white underneath than the
_P. polyandrum_.

_Native Use._—The fruit is edible, though not usually eaten. No use as
firewood. The wood is used for building farm-sheds.

_Parinarium Gabunense_. Mahogany Nut. Abere (Yoruba).

Found in the Ondo province.

_Chrysobalanus sp._ Niko Nut. Igata (Yoruba).

Found at Ebuttemetta.

=Leguminosæ (Cæsalpineæ).=

_Cassia Sieberiana_. Cassia. Aridan-toro (Yoruba); Ezzi, Apagban (Benin).

It is commonly found in Benin, Ibadan and Abeokuta provinces of
Nigeria, more especially in the latter. It is a small tree bearing
large and long racemes of yellow flowers in February, making it very
reminiscent of the laburnum. The tree is leafless at the time, so that
the flowers are all the more conspicuous. The almost rectangular
branching habit of this tree, combined with the rather thin twigs, is
very typical. It yields a hard, red wood, but the sapwood is
yellowish-white. The natives use the fruit medicinally and the timber
for house-building. The pods are usually about a foot long and half an
inch in diameter.

_Cassia tora_. Cassia. Ako Kere (Yoruba).

It is found at Olokemeji, in the Abeokuta province of Nigeria. Its
medicinal use as a remedy for ringworm is not known to the natives of
that locality.

_Cassia fistula_. Cassia. Bembedo (Yoruba).

It is rather an uncommon tree of the Benin province of Nigeria, one
specimen being found in the Idah district; the longer (1 to 2 feet)
and stouter (¾ to 1 inch) pod is most typical of this tree. It is
otherwise much the same size as _Cassia Sieberiana_. The natives use
the fruit medicinally, but look upon the tree as a “great medicine.”

_Cassia podocarpa_ (G. and P.). Cassia. Asunwon (Yoruba).

It is found in the Olokemeji Reserve.

Shrub with yellow flowers.

_Cassia occidentalis_. Blackwater Plant. Rere (Yoruba).

It is a small shrub-like herb with large upright flowers, which is
usually found growing in waste places at the edge of villages in the
Yoruba country, in the mixed deciduous forest zone. A medicine to cure
blackwater fever is made from this plant, though doctors now say it is
not an infallible cure.

_Ormosia laxiflora_ (Benth.). False Dalbergia. Shedun (Yoruba).

It is found in the Ibadan, Abeokuta, Onitsha and Ogoja provinces of
Nigeria, chiefly at the edge of the dry-zone forest.

It is a small tree, 12 feet high and 18 inches in girth, with almost
brick-red or orange-coloured bark, which is thin and often scarred by
natives. It has a long, thin pod with thin, flat seeds. It reminds one
very much of a small Dalbergia. It stands the annual fires well,
though it gets singed each year. The base of the bole is often
somewhat enlarged with the constant cutting of the bark both of the
stem and the uppermost roots.

The timber is yellowish-red and not very hard, but rough to work up,
being more in the nature of a turner’s than a joiner’s wood. The grain
is often by no means straight, and the wood shows a little figure.

Withstanding the fires so well, it serves, or should serve, as a nurse
for the introduction of more valuable species amongst the dry-zone
trees, especially on the laterite soils. Natural regeneration is good
and it sprouts well from the stump. Root suckers do not appear to be
so prevalent as in many dry-zone species. It is a light-loving
species, which does not protect the soil properly, though the foliage
is comparatively dense for that type of tree. It is slow-growing. No
plantations have been made.

It does not attain sufficient size for export, but it might be tried
for local turnery work. It is useful for local hut-building.

_Native Use._—House-building, and the roots when boiled are used in
medicine as a tonic.

_Afrormosia elata_. African Satinwood, Yellow Satinwood. Ayin (Yoruba); Anyeran, Anyesan, Ehranobapotineddo (Benin); Egbi (Ibadan); Elo Uta (Ibo, Owerri).

A very conspicuous tree, with its orange-red trunk near the base,
gradually shading off to yellow higher up, and towards the branches a
light-green colour. Large, irregular-shaped pieces of bark fall off
from time to time, in a similar way to the plane-tree of Europe,
though with its reddish trunk it is not so much like the plane as
_Afzelia Africana_. The root flanges or spurns are very thin and do
not extend beyond about three feet up the stem of the tree. In plate
No. 82 one of these trees, growing near Benin, shows the open, rather
narrow crown with its few main limbs supporting it.

It is commonest in the Benin, but also found in the Ondo, Owerri and
Calabar provinces in the moist evergreen forests. It is also seen in
secondary forests of the same zone.

The timber planes well, but does not split. It saws easily, but takes
nails with difficulty. It is sometimes figured, especially logs from
the base of the tree.

It is pretty easily killed by fire at the roots, though otherwise it
tends to spread with cultivation. The sapwood is almost white and the
heartwood a yellowish-green, when fresh, but a dull yellow when dry.
It is very hard and withstands the attacks of white ants (termites).
Even the sapwood of a young tree had not rotted after six years near
the bank of the Ogba, Benin province. It grows moderately quickly.

The flower is inconspicuous and small, and the pod is also small,
being about 2½ inches long and ½ inch broad, containing two or three
flat seeds. The tree does not bear very heavily, and in consequence
natural regeneration is not very good, though such seeds as actually
form properly seem to germinate well. In youth it bears some shade,
but in middle age seems to be almost a light-demander.

Although when freshly cut the wood does not float, when thoroughly dry
it would not be difficult to float it with a lighter species.

The timber was reported as satinwood and worth 3d. to 1s. per
superficial foot in the Liverpool market in 1906, and that moderate
quantities (of fair length and squares) would be taken.

_Pterocarpus esculentus_ (Schum. and Thon.). Edible-fruited Padouk. Gbingbindo (Yoruba); Akpanagya, Uruhe (Benin); Nja (Efik).

It is one of the most common waterside trees of all the Southern
Provinces of Nigeria; some of the rivers on the banks of which it is
found are the Ovia, Ogun and Cross River. Belonging to the mixed
deciduous forest zone, it is in the middle reaches of these rivers
where it is most prevalent.

A typical feature of this small tree is the bright, yellow-coloured
flower, which quite brightens up the banks of the rivers at the end of
February or March. Another most peculiar feature is the odd, somewhat
kidney-shaped fruit with its rough surface corrugations, containing
inside a hardish nut about 1 inch in diameter. Either the nuts or the
fruit are often seen floating down the rivers, especially where they
are tidal. The leaves are more typical of the Pterocarps, otherwise
the fruit is most unlike either those of the genus or even of the
family. The bole of the tree is short, smooth and almost silver-grey
in colour, though it is often discoloured with the mud from the
perennial floods of the river. It is usually seen with more than one
stem.

The timber is white and not over-hard. It is not very durable.

The tree is not very fast-growing, but is an evergreen, with a short
period in which nearly all the leaves fall. It serves a most useful
purpose in holding the banks of the streams wherever it is found, and
it is noticeable that its roots appear to extend a long way back and
that it is one of the last trees to be washed out by floods. It
sprouts fairly well from the stump when cut, unless it is almost at
once submerged by the floods, which points to the fact that it should
be cut only at the beginning or towards the end of the dry season.
Natural regeneration appears to be fair, but no plantations have been
tried with this tree.

The nuts have not been examined to see what they contain, though they
are of nutritive value.

For export it does not yield large timber, and for local use it is
rather small, but for local huts it might occasionally be used where
other timber is scarce, as in the dry zone. It makes a fair firewood
in those places. Although the fruit is supposed to be edible, very few
natives have tried it, and apparently it is only used in times of
great scarcity.

To face p. 272.

_Pterocarpus Osun_. African Padouk or Barwood. Osun, Osun dudu (Yoruba); Ume, Ureben (Benin); Opepe (Ikala, Ijor).

It is found in the Ogoja and Calabar provinces of Nigeria, in the
mixed deciduous forest zone, where it is none too prevalent. A
specimen was found near Ibami, in the Obubra district. It is a small
tree with small yellow flowers and rather small leaves. The branches
are placed close together and the crown is very dark and thick. The
bole is short, rarely exceeding 15 feet in length, and the bark a dark
brown colour. The bole reaches a girth of about 5 feet.

The sapwood is white and the heartwood of a dull-red colour, but in
proportion the sapwood is rather wide. It is moderately hard, fairly
durable, but not termite-proof. It planes well, saws easily, takes
nails; it does not split very well.

It is a somewhat slow-growing, shade-bearing, soil-protecting and
soil-improving tree. Natural regeneration does not appear to be very
good. It is doubtful if it sprouts from the stump. It has not been cut
for export, nor has it been felled for local use.

On the Cross River the Camwood was sold to the European merchants, at
the rate of 409 billets per ton, for £4 10s., so that with the added
cost of river and ocean freight and sale charges, there was no profit
when it was being sold at £6 10s. per ton in the Liverpool market.
Better prices are always secured if it is shipped in squared logs, 24
inches square and 24 to 30 feet in length.

Apparently it is not the Camwood used by the natives, because plenty
of trees are seen scattered about in the neighbourhood of Obubra
untouched.

_Pterocarpus erinaceus_. African Rosewood. Apepe, Ara (Yoruba); Oyo, Upeka (Benin).

This tree grows in the dry-zone savannah forests of the Ogoja province
of Nigeria. It is of small size; the flowers, which are yellow, appear
in March. The timber is of little value, the tree not being large
enough to yield a useful timber, but it has been sold as African
Rosewood. It has a beautiful rose-red colour.

_Pterocarpus sp._ So-called Camwood. Osun pupa (Yoruba); Akume (Benin); also spineless fruited Camwood.

It is found in the Calabar, Ogoja, Benin and Ondo provinces of
Nigeria. On the bank of the Cross River, near the Ossizza factory,
there is a large specimen, standing about 20 feet away from the
water’s edge.

It is not very common, and chiefly found near river banks in the
evergreen forest towards their northern limit. It is a medium-sized
tree, reaching a girth of 9 feet at the most and a height of 70 feet.
The bole length does not exceed 40 feet. The bark is light-brown,
almost yellow-brown, with rough fissures and fibrous surface, more
like an elm, though thinner. The branches are thin and light-coloured.
In flower the tree is a mass of little yellow peaflowers, and numerous
bees swarm round the crown of the tree, indicating its presence.
Again, when the fruit ripens the crown is a mass of yellow-brown
winged fruits all fluttering in the wind. They are always in bunches
near the ends of the twigs. The fruit is round and flat, with no hairs
on it, with a thin papery wing completely surrounding and joined to
it, which makes it rather thicker and stiffer than the other species.
It is not at all typical of the Pterocarpus genus. The seed in the
centre has a rough surface. The trunk usually is not quite straight,
having a slight bend or two in its length. In habit, more like a
Combretum or young elm to look at. The crown is round, almost
spherical, and does not usually occupy more than one-third of the
height of the tree.

The sapwood is white; the heartwood is of a dull purply colour, which
is inclined to stain into the sapwood after the tree is cut down and
exposed to rain. On the whole the colour of the wood is deeper than
that of the other Pterocarpus, but it is said to yield a less fast and
poorer coloured red dye than that of the other species, _P. Osun_. It
is moderately hard. It planes well, and is sometimes cross-grained. It
takes nails easily, but does not split very well, though it saws with
comparative ease.

Although it stands a good deal of shade in its youth, it is apparently
a light-demanding tree with soil-protecting and soil-improving
qualities. It is not very fast-growing. Natural regeneration appears
to be poor, chiefly, perhaps, owing to the fact that the seeds are
quickly eaten by small boring insects soon after they fall to the
ground. It is rather exacting as to soil, and prefers the deep, moist,
sandy loam. Only isolated specimens are seen.

The timber has not been exported yet, and despite the fact that it
does not reach such a large size as _P. Osun_, it deserves a trial.
For local use it should find a place for house construction in a
similar position to which the Osun and others are used by the natives.

It has not been cut or used as a dye root, chiefly owing to its poorer
colour. It is, however, used in house-building.

_Pterocarpus_. Cross River Camwood.

It is found in the Obubra district of the Calabar province of Nigeria.
In habit it is very similar to the other Camwoods.

_Pterocarpus Soyauxii_. Large Fruited Camwood. Arakpa, Ume (Benin); Ukpa (Efik).

It is found in the Ogoja, Benin, Warri (?), Ondo, Ibadan (?) and
Abeokuta (?) provinces of Nigeria.

It is a common tree in the mixed deciduous forests, reaching a height
of 80 to 100 feet, with a bole length of 50 feet and a girth of 10
feet. The bark is a darker colour than _P. Osun_, but a little
rougher. The leaf is smaller than _P. Osun_, but is unarmed. The most
typical difference in this tree is the fruit, which is the largest of
all, 2½ to 3 inches in diameter, with plenty of prickly thorns in the
centre of each surface. The wood is a much darker red, quite a dull,
almost purple red. The root spurns on the whole extend higher up the
trunk than _P. Osun_ (up to 4 feet). The slash is white, but thin red
latex soon exudes out of it.

The wood is hardish, but the sapwood is very white and soft. The wood
does not make the same kind of stain as _P. Osun_, though apparently
it keeps its colour much better than _P. Osun_. When exposed to light,
_P. Osun_ loses it very quickly and becomes a dull-brown colour. The
grain is open and varies a little in colour, giving it a pleasing
effect. Termites do not attack it. It splits well.

It sprouts from the stump slightly, but such shoots do not attain any
size. Seedlings come up readily from fallen seeds. The seeds are
liable to be eaten by the “ground pig” almost at once. It grows
moderately quickly, but is a light-lover. It has an undivided stem.

Samples were sent to Liverpool in 1916 and sold as African Padauk, and
it was reported that “small quantities sell” satisfactorily. It has
been cut for local use for buildings.

_Native Use._—It is used for making wooden shovels, all out of one
piece. Also in house-building as wall-plates at the top of the mud
walls, also in the Oba’s house for uprights.

_Erythrophlœum sp._ Sasswood. Inyi (Benin).

This tree was determined from material from the Central Circle.

_Erythrophlœum Guineense_. Sasswood, or Sassy Bark, or Ordeal Bark. Erun obo (Yoruba); Oginyi (Benin); Akpa Etuidiwi (Efik); Arachi (Ibo, Asaba); Inyi, Ibo (Onitsha, Ibo, Owerri).

It is found in the Ibadan, Abeokuta, Ondo, Benin, Onitsha and Ogoja
provinces of Nigeria in the mixed deciduous forest zone, where it is
often very prevalent, more especially north of Ifon and Alabeta in the
Benin province.

It is a large tree, reaching a girth of over 10 feet and a bole length
of over 30 feet. The crown, however, is large and wide-spreading, but
generally spherical in shape. Comparatively low down, the bole divides
up into three or four main limbs. The trunk is seldom very straight,
usually having a twist in one direction or another. The root spurns
are moderately large, but are rounded in shape. The bark is dark-brown
and thick, scaling off to a slight extent in old age. The fruit is a
pod about 3 inches long and an inch wide, containing six or eight
flattish black beans, black to brown. These burst when ripe, but the
seeds only gradually fall to the ground. The fine pinnate leaves are
close together and open out into dense foliage most typical of the
Leguminoseæ. The upper part of the limbs and trunk is light-brown. The
flowers are minute and not often seen.

The sapwood is dull yellow and the heartwood a dull red-brown. It is
very heavy and hard, but not as hard as red ironwood or the Yoruba
ironwood. It is very durable and quite termite-proof; although
sometimes a little cross-grained, with good tools it can be worked up
to a smooth finish by planing. Holes have to be made in it for nails.
It saws well, but splits only moderately easily. In the saw mill it
was found that the hardness of the wood blunted the saws, which needed
constantly sharpening.

It is a slow-growing, shade-bearing, soil-protecting, soil-improving
tree. Natural regeneration appears to be good, and it is moderately
resistant to fire. Tends to condense dew in the dry season. It
suppresses most other trees by shade. Amongst the dry-zone vegetation
it clings to the banks of rivers, and is common on the upper banks of
the upper reaches of the Ogun. No plantations have been made with this
tree.

In 1906 sample logs of the sister tree, _E. micranthum_, were exported
and sold in the Liverpool market as a species of oak, so that this
timber deserves a trial as a substitute for teak or oak.

It was cut for the Public Works Department at Onitsha and found very
suitable for decking of bridges. The small bridge over the Nkissi,
near Onitsha, was built entirely with this timber.

_Erythrophlœum micranthum_. Sasswood or Ordeal Bark. Ovinni (Benin); Erinji (Ijor); Ihi (Ibo, Owerri).

It is found in the Warri, Benin and Calabar provinces of Nigeria.

As a small tree, one of the first to appear when the mangrove swamp
gives way to the evergreen rain forest near the coast. On solid land
it attains a large size, even larger than that of _E. Guineense_. The
pod is a little larger than that of _E. Guineense_, and the bark
smoother. The crown is dense and very large, almost spherical in
shape, and reaching more than one-third down the length of the tree.

The timber is very similar in its qualities to _E. Guineense_, but has
a straighter grain in the larger specimens. It is very durable.

It is a slow-growing, shade-bearing tree, with soil-protecting and
soil-improving qualities. Natural regeneration does not appear to be
very good, though numerous pods are borne on the tree almost every
year. No plantations have yet been made with it.

For local use, it has not been cut in a similar way to _E. Guineense_.
The natives occasionally use this tree for making canoes. In the 1906
timber report from the Liverpool market it was valued as a species of
oak at 1s. 9d. per cubic foot, and was not considered so good as
either red oak, _Lophira procera_, or white oak, _Ostryoderris
impressa_.