Chapter IX: The Nigerian Timber Trees (3)

_Native Use._—The bark is boiled in water and a beautiful red-coloured
liquid is produced. It is administered as an ordeal trial for
witchcraft, and is not poisonous if given in large doses.

_Brachystegia spicæformis_. Agberigeddi, Ako (Yoruba); Okkwan (Benin); Etare (Oban, Ekoi); Ungu (Ibo, Owerri); Mpanju, Akpanya, Ikpanya (Efik).

This tree is found in the Abeokuta, Ibadan (?), Ondo, Benin, Warri,
Owerri, Calabar and Ogoja provinces of Nigeria.

It is a rough, scaly-barked tree of huge size (see illustration),
reaching a girth of 30 feet and a height of 150 feet. The crown is
flattish, formed by a few wide-spreading limbs and numerous small
branches. The foliage is moderate for a Leguminous tree. The yellowish
flowers are almost unseen, being placed underneath the leaves. The
dark-brown woody pods burst with a bang not unlike a gunshot, and
release four or five flat black, shiny beans about ½ inch across. The
foliage goes almost black on reaching the ground, killing all the
small plants. A brownish gum exudes from the tree when cut, and this
hardens into a reddish, opaque mass similar to Almeidina, and in fact
is the source of this gutta percha-like substance.

_Timber._—It is a rather hard, light-brown wood with pretty, almost
evenly distributed streaks of darker brown shade in it. It is very
durable. The white sapwood soon rots on exposure to the weather. It is
suitable as a furniture wood.

_Silvicultural Characteristics._—It bears a good deal of shade. It
reproduces almost every year plentiful mature seed; grows fast, but
not so rapidly as the cotton-tree, Ricinodendron and others. It is
sometimes distinctly gregarious, as, for instance, south-west of Benin
City.

_European Use._—It has not been exported, but the P.W.D. have used it
for verandah-posts and planks. It has been much admired for the good
colour of the wood and the streaky grain.

_Native Use._—By the Benin people it is not considered a good wood,
but the gum is sometimes used.

_Daniellia ogea_. Gum Copal. Ogea (Yoruba); Ogea (Benin); Udeni (Ibo, Owerri); Mpanju, Ikpanya, Akpanya (Efik). Also known as _D. oblonga_ and _Cyanothyrsus ogea_, but now called _D. ogea_.

This tree is found growing in the heavy-rain intermediary forest of
Benin, Ondo country and Mamu Reserve. It is a very fine tree with
straight rounded bole, often reaching a height of 120 feet before the
first branch. The bark is light grey and slightly ringed. The flowers
blue and not very noticeable.

_Timber._—Of no commercial value, as it is soft and rots quickly.

_Uses._—A good gum copal is obtained from it, the best in the ground,
after the tree has rotted. It is used for varnish making; worth 30s.
to 60s. a hundredweight.

_Daniellia Fosteri_. Gum Copal. Oguja or Ogea (Yoruba).

Found near Olokemeji and Ijebu-Ode. It yields a third-quality resin
according to Holland in _The Useful Plants of Nigeria_.

_Daniellia Punchii_ (Kew). Gum Copal. Ajia (Yoruba).

_Daniellia caudata_. Benin Gum Copal. Mogbara, Ashuwole (Yoruba); Ogea (Benin); Agbara (Ikale.)

It is found in the Ondo, Benin and Ogoja provinces of Nigeria. The
bole is the straightest and most cylindrical of any of the African
forest trees. It often attains a height of over 100 feet before the
first branches are reached. The cylindrical shape is further enhanced
by the few quite concentric rings on the bark, horizontally arranged
round the trunk of the tree. The bark is otherwise quite smooth and of
a silvery-green or light-green colour; for the size of the tree it is
very thin, and the tree may reach a girth of 25 feet, and the bark
then is usually only ½ to ¾ inch thick. The slash is yellowish-white;
the sapwood is white and scarcely distinguishable from the heartwood,
which gradually takes a pinkish tinge when it is dry. The flowers are
blue and not unlike those of the fuchsia, and the tree is easily seen
at the end of the dry season by the bare crown with its blue flowers.
The path later on is covered with these. There are practically no root
spurns, the stem emerging straight away from the ground. The crown is
very flat, and does not usually occupy more than one-fifth of the
total height of the tree. The branches are few and of slight and
almost feathery build. The timber is soft, not durable nor termite-
proof. It saws easily, does not split very well, and considering its
softness it does not plane at all well nor with a very smooth surface.
Natural reproduction by seed appears to be poor, although plenty of
seeds seem to ripen; there is one seed in each pod. It is a light-
loving, deciduous tree, but for eleven months of the year it is
certainly a soil-protecting and soil-improving tree. It demands a
deep, moist and somewhat rich soil, though judging by the various
localities in which it is found it is doubtful if it is really
exacting as to soil.

In 1906 sample logs of this timber were sent to the Liverpool market
and considered to be a species of mahogany, but of no value. Natives
have not used it to any extent for local purposes.

_Piptadenia Africana_. Light African Greenheart. Agboin (Yoruba); Sanga (New Calabar); Iteruku (Efik); Ebbome (Oban, Ekoi); Ekhimi (Benin).

This is a common tree in the Abeokuta, Ondo, Benin, Warri, Owerri,
Onitsha, Calabar and Ogoja provinces of Nigeria. It is one of the most
prevalent trees in the evergreen forests, but is also found in the
mixed deciduous forests, especially, in both cases, near the edges of
the waterways. It is a very large tree, attaining a height of over 120
feet and a girth of over 12 feet. The bole is often 80 or 90 feet in
length and perfectly straight. The crown is thin, ovally flat, but
wide-spreading. The thick, heavily foliaged and drooping appearance at
the ends of the branches makes the tree a most handsome ornament to a
station. At the root, flanges are comparatively long and
widespreading, reaching often over 6 feet up the stem, having root
spurns quite 12 or 15 feet away from the tree. The stem divides up
into a few large branches which form the crown; the bark is yellow-
brown and smooth, but when the tree is growing in the sunlight it
becomes a much lighter colour and sometimes almost grey. The slash is
yellow, with a light-brown tinge; the flowers are quite inconspicuous
when they appear in January or February, being formed of little narrow
spikes. One of the most conspicuous features of this tree is the thin,
flat pod, which may grow as much as 1 foot long and nearly 1 inch
broad. Six to eight seeds are contained in each pod, and these,
including the wing, are 2 inches in length. The flat seed, which is
found in the centre, is brown and shiny, and is only about one-
sixteenth to one-eighth of an inch in thickness. It has a tiny string-
like attachment to the centre, which distinguishes it from Newtonia on
the one hand and Cylicodiscus on the other. The young green foliage is
also most distinctive and attractive in its freshly salmon-pink
colour, also the greenish tips of the older leaves. The leaves
themselves are bipinnate; there are often twenty to twenty-four pairs
of pinnæ, each of which is about half an inch long.

The sapwood is white and comparatively wide; the heartwood is a pretty
light-brown colour, a little darker when fresh, but still retaining a
good light-brown colour when it is dry. Although at first rather heavy
and hard, it seasons as a comparatively light and scarcely hard wood;
it planes well and saws fairly easily; takes nails moderately well,
but does not split at all easily, especially when fresh; has an open
grain and the pores are comparatively long. It is a durable wood and
is almost termite-proof, especially when it is quite dry. When
moderately dry the logs float in water. It weighs 53 pounds per cubic
foot.

It is a light-loving species which does not protect or improve the
soil, except in so far as it is a leguminous tree and its roots thus
improve the ground. It is a moderately rapidly growing tree which
stands a little shade in its youth. Natural regeneration appears to be
only moderate. It sprouts well from the stump, and stump shoots appear
to be very persistent. It is rather sensitive to fire and is easily
killed by placing rubbish near its roots and then burning the heap. No
plantations have yet been formed for this tree. In the forest the
seeds fall to the ground and are soon eaten by a small boring insect.
It likes a comparatively good soil, but is found on sandy soil which
has great moisture; it does not like flooding, but will stand a
little.

Locally, it is occasionally used as a house-building timber. The bark
is occasionally chipped off for use medicinally. Europeans have cut it
up and used it as verandah-posts, joists and verandah handrails.
However, in an unseasoned state the sapwood was attacked by termites,
and thus it was not entirely satisfactory. The heartwood when quite
dry does not warp and appears to be very durable.

In 1906 sample logs of this timber were sold in the Liverpool market
as “Greenheart” at 2s. 9d. per cubic foot. Since that date no regular
supplies have been sent to the market, so that it has not been
thoroughly tested as to its value as an export timber.

_Isoberlinia Doka_ (Kew).

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

It is a medium-sized tree with rather large, widespreading pinnate
leaves. It is one of the few trees that are gregarious in habit,
groups from half an acre to an acre in extent being found. The tree is
used for house-building and withstands a certain amount of fire, as it
grows at the edge of the dry-zone forest.

_Berlinia acuminata_. Red Oak. Apado (Abeokuta), Ewon Pala (Ikale), Adugbin (Ibadan) (Yoruba); Ekpagoi (Benin); Ajia (Ibo, Asaba); Obuba (New Calabar); Hanabali (Oban, Ekoi).

This is a common tree in all the Southern Provinces of Nigeria.
Although it is found most frequently in the evergreen forest zone, a
small, bush-like variety is also found in the open deciduous forest.
The most conspicuous features of this tree are the large foot-shaped
unripe pods; these stick out, isolated, at right angles to the general
direction of the surface of the ground—this makes them appear all the
more prominent and most odd in appearance. When the pods burst, the
large flat beans are released, and each side of the pod curls up, but
appears speckled white with round dull spots along the middle. The
flowers are white, nearly 2 inches across, with one red streak in the
centre. In the evergreen forest zone these flowers do not seem so
conspicuous, but in the dry zone the tree is covered with blossom,
making it one of the most beautiful. In the heavy forest zone the bole
reaches the length of nearly 80 feet and the girth of over 20. With
its smooth, shiny grey bark, at the first glance it is not unlike a
beech-tree. The root spurns are usually quite small, and do not extend
beyond 2 feet up the stem. The slash is white and of a yellow colour
on the inner edge. The leaves are pinnate, with one odd leaf at the
end, being usually nearly 3 inches long; the total length of the leaf
is often over 1 foot. The freshly ripened beans are almost square in
shape, flat, and nearly a quarter of an inch thick. Each side of the
pod is usually the size of an average man’s foot, and sometimes
larger; it is also not unlike it in shape, but the curve where the
instep should be is very slight. The crown is spherical and very
large, often occupying one-third of the total height of the tree. The
foliage is comparatively dense, and it is not possible to see through
the top of it. The tree loses its leaves for a very short time each
year. In the dry zone it is often not much more than a shrub, or at
most a small tree 35 feet in height.

The sapwood is white and wide. The heartwood is of a deep-red colour,
especially when freshly cut; when dry it still retains a good red
colour, and from this feature it has been termed “red” oak. The timber
saws fairly well, but splits badly; it is somewhat hard to plane it up
to a smooth surface, as it is sometimes cross-grained. The heartwood
is termite-proof; it takes nails only moderately well. It is a
moderately hard and durable wood; it does not warp very much. When the
logs are dry they will float in water. The weight of the timber is 55
pounds per cubic foot.

Considering the prevalence of the tree, natural regeneration is
poor—rodents may account, of course, for many of the beans; it sprouts
well from the stump. In the dry-zone forest region root suckers appear
too. It is a shade-bearing and soil-improving tree; it does not grow
very fast. No plantations have yet been made with this tree, though it
deserves a place in experimental plantations. It demands a good soil,
and the roots go down to a greater depth than many of the other trees.

Locally it is used as a house-building timber, and occasionally the
dried pods are used as firewood.

In 1906 sample logs of this tree were sold in the Liverpool market as
red oak at 2s. per cubic foot. It was not considered as good as Aligna
or as Erumacie. Since that date no further shipments of this timber
have been made. A further testing of the market by small trial
shipments of logs would thoroughly reveal its value as an export
timber.

_Berlinia auriculata_ (Benth.). Red Oak. Ekpagoize (Benin).

Found near the Okwo River in the Siluko sub-district of the Benin
province. It is not quite such a large species as the _B. acuminata_.

_Parkia biglobosa_. African Locust. Aridan Abatta, Irugbo Abatta Iru (Yoruba); Ubgori, Lakobemi, Enymi (Benin); Inya (New Calabar); Ekok (Oban, Ekoi).

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

It is a large tree, with wide spreading fruit flanges. It has darker
and heavier foliage and a wider crown than _Parkia filicoidea_. It
often shows up on river banks with its light-red young leaves. It
should be easily distinguished from other similar trees of this family
by its cluster of beans, similar to French beans, when ripe. These are
yellow, and the spice-like scent and the round balls of staminate
flowers of a crushed strawberry colour are not easily forgotten. Often
only the yellow pistil is found lying on the path. It likes a damp to
wet soil, and is usually found growing at the edge of, or actually in,
freshwater swamps.

_Timber._—The wood is hardish, but is said to rot easily, though it
appears to be rather doubtful, and probably only applies to unseasoned
wood.

Natural regeneration by seed is good. The tree stands a good deal of
shade in its younger stages of growth. No other trees will grow under
it, and few can stand any or much of its shade.

_European Use._—It has not so far been used by Europeans for export or
local use.

_Native Use._—The seeds are cooked and eaten to some extent by the
Yorubas and Benin people.

_Parkia filicoidea_. African Locust. Irugba (Yoruba name for fruit); Igba the tree (Yoruba); Gumui (Mendi); Olibracha (Egba) (Yoruba).

This is a common tree in Abeokuta, Oyo, Benin, and Ogoja provinces of
Nigeria. It is found in the deciduous forests. It reaches a height of
over 60 feet, with a girth of 5 feet. One of the most distinguishing
features of this tree are the very feathery leaves, which appear after
the flowers. The large spherical balls of the red staminate flowers
enliven the tree in the early part of the year; later in the year
masses of pods, each about 9 inches long, hang down from the ends of
the twigs. The base of the bole is often gnarled, partly with the
slight root flanges and by the almost continual cutting of the bark by
the natives. Normally the bark is brown and comparatively smooth. The
bole is short, dividing about 20 feet from the ground into a large
number of small branches. On the whole, as the tree advances in age
the branches tend to become pendulous. The crown, spherical in shape,
is inclined to be irregularly broken up—partly by the different length
of the branches.

The sapwood is white and the heartwood a dull-brown colour; for the
size of the tree the sapwood is wide. It saws indifferently well,
splits badly; it is hard to plane; it is said to be termite-proof. The
wood is hard and tough.

The tree is a light-loving but not soil-improving species, except in
so far as the root globules take up nitrogen and free it for the use
of other plants. Naturally, generation is none too good. Root suckers
appear to some extent; it sprouts most readily from the stump. Perhaps
the lack of young self-sown seedlings is due to the fact that the
seeds are largely used by the natives. In a few places small
plantations have been made with this tree. It is very fire-resisting,
and apparently the fruit-bearing capacity of the tree is not reduced
to any extent by the prevalence of the annual grass-fires in the
localities where it is found. During the whole of its life it is a
slow-growing tree.

The yellow pulp in the pods is eaten by the natives. The bark at the
base of the tree is chipped off and used for making a tonic when
infused with water. The tree is occasionally used locally as a house-
building timber; for this purpose it is used chiefly as uprights in
the main buildings.

The timber has not been tried for export, and it is doubtful whether
its size warrants its use for this purpose.

_Tetrapleura Thonningii_. Angular Pod. Aridan (Yoruba); Igmikkia (fruit), Ikhememi (tree) (Benin); Osshosha (Ibo, Asaba).

The dark-green feathery foliage on its oval crown is very typical of
this tree, especially when it is found near a roadside in the mixed
forests. It is also often found on river banks at the edge of the dry
zone or in other parts of the mixed forests. The indehiscent pods with
four edges, leaving practically no centre, are most typical of the
tree; they are shiny and have a peculiar medicinal smell. The fruit is
known as Igmikkia, by which name the tree is most usually called by
Europeans, in the Benin country.

The tree is prevalent in the Abeokuta, Ondo, Oyo, Benin, Onitsha,
Owerri, Calabar and Ogoja provinces of Nigeria.

It is a shade-bearer and thoroughly protects the ground all the year
round, except for about two weeks when the leaves fall. Natural
regeneration does not appear to be good, seedlings being rarely found,
and no plantations have been made with it, though if of more value it
might be mixed with teak. The seeds always command a ready sale at a
low price.

The wood is hard, brown, and splits badly. No use has yet been found
for it. It is sometimes cross-grained, the sapwood white.

The natives use the timber for making doors, window-frames and
benches. The seeds are sold in the Yoruba, Benin and Ibo markets; they
are cooked for soup, which acts as a slight aperient or is of other
medicinal value.

_Millettia Thonningii_ (Baker). Ito (Yoruba); Ebakwe (Benin).

It is found in the Benin and Abeokuta provinces of Nigeria. It is a
small tree really, reaching a girth of only 4 feet, with a short bole
and a few somewhat slender and drooping branches. The twigs and new
leaves are distinctly of weeping habit. In February, in the mixed
forest, the bare tree shows up with its beautiful clusters of lilac-
coloured, pea-shaped flowers, and later in delicate contrast to the
fresh, light-green leaves. The trunk is usually not quite straight,
being bent about 8 or 10 feet from the ground. The bark is smooth,
thin, and almost of a silvery-grey colour. The branches are very
whippy and difficult to break.

_Timber._—The wide sapwood is white and the narrow heartwood green-
brown when freshly cut. It is very hard, of fine grain and texture,
and planes with a smooth surface. It does not split; is very rough and
flexible.

It is a shade-bearer and grows slowly. The fruit is a small black and
pointed pod which opens when ripe, having about three or four beans
inside. It is easily killed by fire, but sprouts freely from the
stool. It does not crack nor warp.

It has not been exported nor cut for local use, but it should be a
good wood for turnery.

_Native Use._—It is used for knives and axe-handles.

To face p. 284.

_Cynometra Afzelii_. Waterside Cynometra. Akushunmajadin, Alade (Ikale); Iku (seeds), Aka, Eggi (Yoruba); Ogabezzi, Ogikiomi Upakeka (Benin).

It is a common tree in the Benin province of Nigeria. On the whole it
is smaller than _C. Mannii_, though it has a similar habit. It grows,
too, in similar localities, though for the most part it is confined to
the evergreen forest zone. It also grows more or less in gregarious
groups. The shade of this species is just as dense, if not denser than
that of the foregoing. The leaf of the Cynometra is distinguishable
from most other leaves because the mid-rib of it is placed towards the
inner or almost straight-sided edge of the leaf. In fact, if two
leaves are held closely together, they almost look as if they were one
which had been cut in half. Benin natives have no use for this tree
except as firewood.

_Cynometra Mannii_. Waterside Cynometra. Ekkun (Yoruba).

It is a common tree on the banks of streams in the Ibadan and Abeokuta
provinces of Nigeria. One of the most characteristic features of this
tree is the pinkish-red colour of the fresh leaves, hanging at the
ends of the drooping branches. In November each year the large,
corrugated, single bean in each almost indehiscent pod is another
curious feature of this tree. The trunk is usually short—in fact,
often divided into three or four separate stems, almost at the base.
Narrow fringes consisting almost entirely of this species are found on
river banks. The dense shade cast by this tree prevents any other
species from growing underneath. The timber is hard and difficult to
split, and apparently it is not attacked by white ants. The tree is a
shade-bearer. Natural reproduction from the seed is good, it being
distributed often by water. It also sprouts from the stump. A few root
shoots also appear. The tree has not been cut for local use nor has it
been used for export. The natives use the wood for making posts and
doors.

_Cylicodiscus Gabunensis_. African Greenheart. Osho, Aja, Iji (Il.), Ajaigi (Yoruba); Okan (Benin).

_Distribution._—In the Abeokuta, Ondo, Benin, Warri, Owerri, Calabar
provinces of Nigeria.

_Chief Characteristics._—It is a very large tree of the evergreen
forest zone, attaining a height of 200 feet and a girth of 30 feet. It
is armed in its earlier growth up to the pole stage, when all the
brown thorns disappear. Its long, brown pods, up to 3 feet long and 1½
inches wide, opening from one side only, with their long, thin, papery
seeds, are most typical of the tree.

Compared to its size the bark is thin, and in old age it is inclined
to scale off in small pieces. In the distance it looks practically
smooth. This is one of the most gigantic and impressive trees of the
forest, with its enormous bole stretching cylindrically up amongst and
over the other trees, with a large, widespreading, somewhat flatly
shaped spherical crown. The leaves are pinnate, with three of four
pairs of little ovate pinnæ, with one odd one at the end. The flowers
are minute, forming little, thin, knitting-needle-thick spikes of
yellow bloom. These last only a few days, and only once in thirteen
years have I seen the flower. The tree and pod are unmistakable, even
when it is a large one. The numerous brown pods hang down amongst the
foliage and appear to be much longer than those of any other
Leguminous tree. This feature alone distinguishes it from any similar
species. The bole divides up into a few large limbs and many small
branches, making the foliage lighter and thinner than many other
Leguminous trees, but not so thin as that of _Piptadenia Africana_.
The root spurns are very slight and rounded, merging into the bole of
the tree 1 foot to 3 feet above the surface of the ground. At the base
of the bole the bark is sometimes cut off by the natives for “Ju-ju”
purposes, and then an additional swelling appears there.

The sapwood is white and narrow, the heartwood greenish-brown when
fresh, and yellowish-brown after it has lain in the forest for a few
years. It is very hard—in fact, one of the very hardest of African
timbers. Under cover it is very durable. In the open it does not last
so long. It is termite-proof. The sapwood, however, rots in the open,
and the heartwood softens very considerably. It is somewhat fibrous,
but it planes up well, with a smooth surface. It does not take nails,
saws well, and splits moderately well. It has considerable elasticity.
It makes a very hot-burning firewood, but is inclined to crackle and
make sparks.

It is a moderately fast-growing, shade-bearing, soil-protecting and
soil-improving tree. Natural regeneration appears to be fair, but the
seeds are often eaten by little boring insects, soon after they fall
to the ground. It appears to be rather exacting as to soil, liking a
deep, moist loam sand with good drainage. It is scarcely a fire-
resisting tree, but very storm firm—in fact, one of the safest trees.

In 1906 sample logs of this tree were sold in the Liverpool market as
African Greenheart at 1s. 8d. per cubic foot, and were stated to be
good greenheart. Since then none has been cut or shipped to England.
With the exception of its use for verandah-posts for a public building
in Benin city, it has not been cut or sawn up in planks for local use.
Considering the comparatively large quantity available, it deserves a
fair trial both for export and local use, more especially for heavy
constructional work, such as bridges, piles, uprights.

Amongst the Benis it is sometimes a “Ju-ju” tree, and is said to
impart strength.

_Leptoderris_.

Owerri province of Nigeria. It is a medium-sized tree found growing
near the Imo River, but not very common. It has a hard wood.

_Baphia nitida_ (Afz.). Awenu or Irosun. Borri Borri (Yoruba); Otwa (Benin); Ubara (Efik).

Is a small tree, which is usually found near villages, being left by
the natives when land is cleared. The white flowers are almost of pea
shape. It has a small leaf, and does not usually get any larger than
about four inches in diameter.

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

The real Camwood of commerce.

It is very slow-growing, and is not a hard wood, with dark-red
heartwood of small size in proportion to the size of tree. It forms
late, too. If the stem is wounded, even the sapwood becomes a rich red
colour like the heartwood.

The probable origin of the word “Camwood” is taken from the Timani
name, Cam, of the _Baphia nitida_ tree in Sierra Leone. From another
point of view this is all the more interesting, as the original
exports of Camwood were made from Sierra Leone in the early part of
the nineteenth century, and this name “Cam” brings together the tree
from which the Camwood is obtained and the tree botanically known as
_Baphia nitida_.

_Native Use._—A piece of the wood and a leaf are placed on the ground
where a woman has borne a child, whether it be on a road or in the
house. Not used in Benin as a dyewood.

_Baphia polygalacea_. Walking-stick Camwood. Asana, Ossusu (Yoruba); Aswen (Benin); Mbomokuku (Efik).

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

A small tree of typical Baphia habit, which is common in parts of the
Benin district of the same named province. It has considerable
elasticity, though it dries rather hard and does not give much in that
state. It is a rather slow-growing tree, which lights the shade of the
forest, and is also a soil-protecting and soil-improving tree. Natural
regeneration appears to be good in several places. It sprouts slightly
from the stump, when felled. No plantations have yet been made with
this tree. The walking-sticks have not been exported to England for
trial in the market.

The curiously shaped single root, sticking out almost at right angles
to the stem, makes a good walking-stick; it is curved as well
slightly, too. When the bark is peeled off and the stem partially
charred, it looks very effective.

_Baphia pubescens_. Benin Camwood. Awewi (Lagos) (Yoruba); Ositwa (Benin).

It is a small tree, 30 feet high and 3 feet in girth, with usually
half the bole sapwood white, and dark-red heartwood, which is hard and
close-grained. The flowers are white, with yellow tips to the two
petals. It is often seen just outside villages, or where two paths
meet.

_Native Use._—It is not used for dye, though apparently the wood is
just as suitable as _B. nitida_.

_Baphia sp._ Camwood. Mogbara (Yoruba, Ikale); Owe, Aswen (Benin).

It has also been determined as _Carpolobia lutea_, and as one of the
Oleaceæ.

It is a shrub with a stem of about 4 feet in height. The fruit is a
small nut containing three small kernels. The wood is very hard.

_Native Use._—The seeds are eaten.

_Macrolobium palisoti_. Ogaba (Benin); Nya (Efik).

It is a common tree of the Abeokuta, Ibadan, Ondo, Warri, Benin,
Owarri and Calabar provinces of Nigeria. It only reaches a girth of
about 2 feet and a height of 20 feet. The leaf has two pairs of pinnæ,
with one end leaflet. The small pod containing two or three flat seeds
is most typical of this tree; the seeds are ¾ inch in diameter and of
a dark-brown colour; the flowers are white; the timber is cross-
grained and rather hard; the sapwood is white and the heartwood of a
dark brown. The tree is a shade-bearer, soil-protecting and improving.
It is usually found amongst the undergrowth in the thicker parts of
the evergreen forest zone. Natural regeneration is usually good. The
wood is used locally in the Yoruba and Benin country for posts; it has
not been sawn up for planks, nor has it been exported to England.

_Macrolobium stipulaceæ_.

It was stated it was found in the Calabar province.

_Nr. Macrolobium sp._ Ogabeszi (Benin).

It is found in the Benin province of Nigeria. It is a small tree of
the evergreen forest zone. The foliage is very dense. The tree has a
short bole of about 15 feet, and the crown is much branched; the pod
is rather larger than _Macrolobium palisoti_. According to the
natives, this is the “Ogaba” of the waterside. The timber has not been
exported to Europe, nor do the natives use this somewhat hard wood to
any extent.

_Dialium Guineense_. Pulley Wood, Velvet Tamarind. Awin (Ib.) (Yoruba); Ohiorme (Benin); Amoyin (Egba).

It is found in the Ibadan, Abeokuta, Benin, Calabar and Ogoja
provinces of Nigeria. In the mixed deciduous forests it is very
prevalent in certain localities. Of medium size, it rarely exceeds a
girth of 5 feet. Where found, it often comprises over 10 per cent. of
the standing stock of the forest.

The wood is used for small boats in Senegal. It exudes a red-coloured
sap in small quantities.

The fruit, with its flat and round, velvety little pods, is most
typical of this tree. These are of a very dark chocolate colour, and
in the distance appear almost black. The bole is usually silver-grey.
The slash is light-red, and the reddish, latex-like substance exudes
when the bark is cut. The crown is dense and compressed, being mainly
made up of a number of small branches. In proportion the leaves are
small and make a very dense foliage. The rusty-red slashing marks, or
other marks caused by damage to the trunk of the tree, show up most
distinctively, especially against the grey surface of the cortex, are
one of the most distinguishing features of this tree.

The sapwood is white, the heartwood is dull-red, rather larger in
proportion than we should suspect, compared with the size of the tree.
It is hard and tough, and does not split well. It planes up, however,
with a smooth surface, is very durable and termite-proof. It does not
take nails well, but saws fairly easily.

It is a somewhat slow-growing, shade-bearing, soil-protecting and
soil-improving tree. Natural regeneration appears to be good. It
appears to be a little exacting in regard to soil. It is slightly
fire-resisting, chiefly, perhaps, owing to the fact that few weeds or
grass grow in its shade. No plantations have been made of this tree.
It bears a good crop of fruit almost every year.

It has not been felled for export, nor has the timber been sawn up for
local use. It was formerly used in the Congo for pulley-blocks, for
which purpose it is said to be admirably suited. Amongst the natives
it is sometimes used for house-building.

_Nr. Newtonia_. Boji Albizzia or Giant Pod.

It is rather an uncommon tree of the Boji Hills forest; the enormous
flat, papery pod makes it easily distinguishable from any other tree.

The pod is about 15 inches long and 9 inches wide, with a slight
depression in the middle of one side.

_Pithycolobium altissimum_. Bent Pod or Gambia Pod.

It is a medium-sized tree, found at the edge of swamps near the sea
coast in the evergreen forest zone. It appears to stand a waterlogged
soil.

The pods are used for tanning hides and making ink (Moloney). It has
curious semicircular pods, which are typical of the tree, containing
eight to ten seeds.

_Afzelia sp._ Waterside Ekpagoize. Ekpagoize (Benin).

It is found in the Benin province of Nigeria. It is a medium-sized
tree, reaching a girth of 7 feet and a bole length of 40 feet.

This tree has often been confused botanically with _Berlinia
acuminata_, but it is undoubtedly an Afzelia. The flowers are of a
reddish colour and very pretty; the foliage is not quite so heavy as
that of the other Afzelias; the pod is rather smaller than that of
either _Afzelia Africana_ or _Afzelia cuanzensis_. The wood is a
reddish-brown colour, a little cross-grained, but more durable than
the other Afzelias. It does not split well, and can only be planed
with difficulty; the grain is very coarse and fibrous. Samples of this
timber have been shipped to England and sold as red oak. The natives
scarcely ever use the wood, partly because the tree is not very
prevalent.

_Afzelia cuanzensis_. Bilinga, Red-arilled Afzelia. Aiyo (Yoruba); Aligna (Benin); Igbin (Brass); Onuru, Oshoshi (Ibo, Owerri); Mbarakun (Oban, Ekoi).

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

It is a medium-sized tree, with a pod, which is usually slightly
crumpled or bent, containing about six or eight black nuts, with a red
aril at the base, and each nut is pointed more, and less rounded, than
in _A. Africana_. On the whole it is found more in the deciduous mixed
forest than on the edge or in the dry-zone forest region, where _A.
Africana_ abounds. The bark does not scale oft so much as that of _A.
Africana_. It stands more shade than _A. Africana_. It does not reach
such large dimensions, though logs up to 18 inches square and 24 feet
in length could be obtained.

Up to the present the tree has not been cut to the same extent as _A.
Africana_, though the wood is very similar and apparently just as
durable.

No separate report has been made on the timber as to its value in the
European markets.

_Afzelia bella_. Calabar Afzelia. Aligna (Benin).

It is found in the Calabar province of Nigeria. It is more common in
the Cameroons.

It is a small tree, with large white flowers with a pretty, reddish
streak in each petal. The pod is of usual Afzelia size and appears
rather large for the size of the tree. The type specimen stands on the
Calabar Golf Course, between the seventh and eighth holes. It is
apparently uncommon, though more may be found on closer study of the
forests. The fruits appear to have the same qualities as those of
other Afzelias. In Nigeria it has so far not been utilized. The bark
is not so scaly as that of _A. Africana_.

_Afzelia pachyloba_ (_nov. sp._). Forest Afzelia or Yellow Aril. Apa (Yoruba); Orodo (Benin).

It is a medium-sized tree, with long, pointed nuts with a bright
sulphur-coloured aril instead of the orange-colour of Africana or red
of Cuanzensis. It does not appear to be such a common tree as _A.
Africana_, but much the same number of trees as that of _A.
cuanzensis_.

It is found in the evergreen forests of Ondo, Benin and Abeokuta
provinces of Nigeria.

The sapwood is white and the heartwood is brown. It is very hard,
almost as hard as Lophira, according to the natives. Self-sown
seedlings do not appear in large numbers.

It is used for similar purposes as _A. Africana_. It is a shade-
bearing and soil-improving tree.

No separate report has been made on the timber, and so far it has not
been exported to the English markets.

This may be the tree which yielded the so-called teak in the Benin
forests some years ago, and fetched a price of 5d. per foot
superficial.

The bark scales off in a similar way to _Afzelia Africana_.

_Afzelia bracteata_ (T. Vogel). Benin Bilinga. Ekpagoize (Benin).

It has a red flower, is found in the Benin province, but is apparently
rather rare.

The Benin name indicates that it is the Ekpagoi or Berlinia of the
waterside. It is usually found near or on the bank of a stream. It is
a large tree, which is otherwise similar to the other Afzelias.

The natives have apparently not tried it for building purposes.

_Afzelia Africana_. Yoruba Bilinga. Apa (Yoruba); Olokokima, Aligna (Benin); Ayibukpo (Efik); Adja, Arachi (Asaba Ibo).

_Trade Name._—Bilinga, similar wood from the French Congo, so named
for some years.

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

The round, orange-coloured aril at the base of the black nut is
typical of this tree. It sometimes has a reddish tinge, but it is
always round and completely surrounds the base of the nut, in
contradistinction to _A. cuanzensis_, in which the aril is red and
pointed and much thinner in build.

The spherically-shaped crown with its flattish top is most typical of
this tree. The largish leaves and the paucity of their number make the
foliage open, so that daylight can be seen through it. In the distance
it appears dense.

The sapwood is white, and the heartwood a rich oak-brown colour. It is
one of the most durable West African timbers. It planes well and can
be worked up with a good finish. It does not split well. It is
obtainable in logs up to 30 inches square and 30 feet in length.

Though slow in growth it would average that of many European trees. It
stands a good deal of shade in its youth, but it is really more of a
light lover than a shade-bearer. Self-sown seedlings are few;
apparently rodents eat them. In a similar way it is difficult to make
a plantation, many being eaten or dying in the transplanting. One of
the most successful methods evolved is that of sowing seeds in lines
about 4 feet apart; a large number then come up and provide ample for
a crop on the same land. They are not transplanted. When of middle age
it will stand fire and the shade of the tree keeps the ground moist.

It is a soil-protecting and soil-improving tree; good crops of seeds
are borne almost every year. The flowers are reddish, with white edges
to the petals. The reddish tinge is quite distinctive in this genus,
the white being that of Berlinia.

The bark drops off in large scales in places on the trunk towards
middle and old age, in a similar fashion to the European plane.
However, they do not leave the stem as smooth, though the lighter
patches where the bark falls off brighten the bole up and make it
quite distinctive amongst the other trees.

The timber has been constantly used by the P.W.D. at Onitsha. In the
Liverpool market it was stated that it might be marketable as oak, at
a low figure, in 1906. A similar species was being shipped from Gaboon
in 1914 and fetched a fair price.

_Albizzia fastigiata_ (Oliv.). East Indian Walnut. Ayinre langara, Ayinre ogo (Eg.) (Yoruba); Uwowe Lugu, Uwowelabafun (Benin); Uyat (Efik).

It is a large tree, up to 7 feet in girth and of corresponding height.
Fruit narrower than _A. sp._; only half an inch, with four or five
seeds in each. This species has the most durable wood of all the
Albizzias, but is not termite-proof, and has heartwood of a brown
colour and white sapwood. The smallest leaf of all the Albizzias is
met with in this tree, having very fine pinnæ.

Although not indigenous to Africa, it is now found almost everywhere
in all the mixed deciduous forests of the Southern Provinces of
Nigeria. The bark is rather rougher than that of _A. Brownii_. The
basal root spurns are narrower, though they do not project more than 2
feet up the stem. On the whole the foliage is thicker, and the crown
gives the appearance of being a little denser and not so feathery as
that of _A. Brownii_.

The wood planes well, splits fairly easily, takes nails and saws well.
It is what the carpenters would call a wood easy to work. The grain is
of fine texture and has a certain amount of lustre.

It is a fast-growing, light-loving tree, which does not protect the
soil. The leaves, however, form a rich humus, which enriches the soil.
Natural regeneration appears to be good, and with the spread of farms
this tree tends to increase its area of distribution. It will stand a
little shade in its youth. A few plantations have been made with this
tree.

Up to the present the timber has not been exported, but deserves a
trial as an African Walnut, though it is difficult to obtain large-
sized logs. It has occasionally been cut for local use. It is used by
the natives for firewood, and occasionally, when split, for temporary
house-building in the farms.

_Albizzia Brownii_. African Walnut. Ayinre, Ayinre Bona Bona (Yoruba); Owewe nolemare, Ikpawudu (Benin).

It is a large tree, up to 7 feet in girth, with wide fruit 2 inches
across, containing four or five seeds. There are three or four pairs
of pinnæ to each leaf, which is the largest of all the Albizzia
leaves. The heartwood is more like walnut in colour, though of course
softer and with more open grain. It could no doubt, however, be used
as a substitute for walnut.

It is a common tree in the mixed deciduous forests of the Abeokuta,
Ibadan, Benin, Owerri, and Ogoja provinces, where it is tending to
widen its area of distribution with the spread of cultivation.

The fruit is very papery and almost transparent. It is rather larger
than _Albizzia sp._, Shemusholoshi, but of about the same length. Its
smooth, almost orange-coloured bark in the earlier stages is almost
typical of the tree. As it gets older, a somewhat more corky bark
forms in large scales which can be stripped off. The lop-sided shape
of the pinnæ is very typical of the tree, making the leaves look
almost like those of a true Gum Copal. The main vein is near the
straighter side of the leaf.

The sapwood is white and the heartwood a mahogany brown. It has rather
an open grain, but a good deal of lustre, and is easily worked. It
planes well and takes nails easily. It splits fairly well and saws
quite easily. It is not quite so durable as _A. fastigiata_, but it is
more durable than the other Albizzias, except _A. sp._, Shemusholoshi.
It is not termite-proof. It has considerable tensile strength compared
to the other species, and a certain amount of elasticity.

It is the fastest growing of all the Albizzias and a light-loving
tree. It scarcely protects the soil, but the leaf fall makes a good
humus. It stands a little shade in its youth. Natural regeneration is
very prolific. No plantations have been made with this tree. It
appears to be a little more exacting as to soil than the other
Albizzias, but will grow on almost any soil.

The timber has not been exported, but deserves a trial as a substitute
for walnut. Owing to the fact that there are considerable supplies,
and that it reaches a size to produce logs of the requisite
dimensions, it appears to offer some possibilities as an export wood.
Locally it has often been used for cutting up into planks, and is
liked among the Yorubas for this purpose. In other places it has been
used as a house-building wood, as well as for firewood. It has also
been used for making beams, planks and doors. The roots, leaves and
bark have been used amongst the Yorubas for medicinal purposes.

To face p. 294.

_Albizzia sp._ Walnut. Owewe nolemare (Benin); Ayinre (Yoruba); Semusholoshi (Jebu); Akkihien, also Owewe lagebon (Benin).

According to Mr. H. N. Thompson, Chief Conservator of Forests in
Nigeria, who has seen the fruit of this tree, it is most certainly an
Albizzia.

_Chief Characteristics._—It has been described by a German as not
unlike a solitary-standing pine, with its dark foliage of small
pinnate leaves, which are larger than _Piptadenia Africana_ and yet
smaller than _Cylicodiscus Gabunensis_. In the above description it is
very similar in habit to _Piptadenia Kerstingii_. The dark brown bark,
which is roughish, is light-brown on the upper part of the stem. The
crown is flat, consisting of two or three wide, outspreading branches.
It has the usual flat, papery pod. The leaves are used by the Benin
people for soup.

_Distribution._—It is found in the Abeokuta province of Nigeria.

_Timber._—It is fairly close-grained, though not nearly so hard as
either _Piptadenia Africana_ or _Cylicodiscus Gabunensis_.

_Use._—The Yorubas use the bark medicinally as a stomachic, and the
trunk is usually swollen at the base owing to the cortex being removed
so often.

_Albizzia rhombifolia_. Walnut. Ayinre, Ayinre langara, Ayinre ogo (Yoruba); Owowe (Benin).

It is found in the Ibadan and Benin provinces of Nigeria, in the mixed
deciduous forests, where it is quite prevalent. It is a medium-sized
tree, attaining a girth of about 6 feet and a bole length of 30 feet.
It is commonly seen in old farms, and usually more than one is found
in the same locality. The thin, yellow, spiky flowers are rather
pretty. The fruit is rather smaller than that of the other species.

The sapwood is white, and the heartwood is a light yellow-green. It is
soft and not very durable; it is attacked by white ants (termites).
However, it saws well, planes well, takes nails easily and splits
moderately well. It can be cut into good-sized planks.

Timber, yellowish-green, and yields large planks.

It is a fast-growing, light-loving tree, which scarcely protects the
soil, and only slightly improves it with its leaf fall. Natural
regeneration is good, the seedlings growing up rapidly in any open
place in the mixed deciduous forests.

The timber has not been tried for export, nor has it been used to any
extent for local use. It deserves a further trial both as an export
wood and as a wood for local floor-boards. Its qualities are far from
properly known.

Among the natives it is used as firewood.

_Albizzia sp._ Walnut. Ayinre Ayinre, Ayinretta (Yoruba); Ikpawudu, Owawelugu (Benin).

It is a large tree, up to 6 feet in girth. It has rather narrower
pinnæ, but of similar round shape to _A. Brownii_.

It is a common tree of the mixed deciduous forests in the Abeokuta,
Ibadan, Ondo, Benin, Onitsha, Owerri and Ogoja provinces of Nigeria.

The root spurns are very small. The bark gets rougher than that of _A.
Brownii_ in old age, the crown is longer and more feathery, and the
leaves appear to be more of a silvery green.

The sapwood is white and the heartwood is of a yellowish-brown colour,
tending to become a light brown when exposed to the air. It is
comparatively soft; is not termite-proof. It is easy to work, planing
and sawing well, and taking nails easily and splitting fairly well. It
is, however, less durable than _A. Brownii_ or _fastigiata_. When
split and dried it is more durable than when cut up in the ordinary
way. The wood hardens very considerably on exposure to the sun.

It is a light-loving, fast-growing tree. It scarcely protects the
soil, but the leaf fall enriches it. Natural regeneration appears to
be good. It tends to spread with the increase of farms, more
especially on the poorer laterite soils. A few plantations have been
made with this tree. The volume of produce per acre is less than in
the case of _A. Brownii_, but apparently greater than any of the
others. It is less rapidly growing than _A. Brownii_, but faster than
the others.

The timber has not been used for export, and it is doubtful if it
would repay the cost. Locally it has been used for planks, but it is
not liked so much as that of _A. Brownii_ or _fastigiata_. By the
local people it is used for firewood, and occasionally for building
temporary houses.

_Anglocalyx ramiflorus_ (Taub). Ekiyawa (Benin).

It is a large tree, attaining a girth of 8 feet, but the trunk is not
over-long in proportion. It is a shade-bearing, soil-protecting and
soil-improving tree. The bark is a dark olive-green and smooth. It is
found in the Benin province of Nigeria. Natural regeneration appears
to be poor. The wood is yellowish-brown and floats when quite dry. The
timber was valued at nothing in 1906 and stated to be a whitewood in
the Liverpool market.

_Native Use._—None.

_Ostryoderris impressa_. White Oak. Awaw or Erumacie (Yoruba); Ori, Ehrurumesi, Erurunuesi, Awaw, (Usshin) (Benin).

It is a common tree in the Calabar, Ogoja, Benin, Owerri and Abeokuta
provinces of Nigeria. To be seen along the Benin-Siluku Road, as also
in the Badagry district on the Ayobo-Osuke Road.

It is a straight-boled, tall tree, with flattish crown made up of few
straight branches with large pinnate leaves, making it appear flatter
than it really is. The bark is slightly scaly with fine fissures. The
slash is red, exuding a red latex. It reaches a height of 150 feet
with a girth of 12 feet. The white, papery, pointed, flat, lozenge-
shaped fruit, with a small kidney-shaped seed attached to the centre
of the surface of one side, is most typical of the tree. The spurns
are almost non-existent, so that the tree can be felled near the
ground without trouble.

The timber is white in the sap and brown-white in the heartwood, but
not over-hard, very tough and not splitting easily. It is hard to
fell, being very flexible. It planes moderately well. The colour
darkens with age.

It is a light-loving tree after the first few years. It grows
moderately rapidly. It is a soil-improving and covering tree. Natural
regeneration appears poor, though many seeds are usually seen on the
ground. Insects appear to eat them rapidly. No plantations have been
made with this tree, but experiments would show whether it grows well
from seed.

In 1906 a sample log was exported and sold in the Liverpool market as
white oak at 2s. per cubic foot, and it was recommended for shipment
by the brokers.

_Native Use._—It is used as posts for frames on which yams are tied in
the Benin farms. In temporary houses, small trees are trimmed and
squared for the forming of the walls, instead of dried mud.

_Dalbergia saxatilis_. West African Blackwood (?). Awow (Benin).

It is a small tree of the mixed deciduous forest of Benin; it is
occasionally used by the natives for hoe and axe handles.

_Dalbergia sp._ West African Blackwood. Emosobegan, Paran (Yoruba).

Found in the Olokemeji Reserve.

_Dalbergia sp._ North Benin Blackwood.

This is found near Aroko, in the Onitsha province, and near Ishoka, in
the Benin province. It is a small tree with very hard wood. In habit
very similar to _Ormosia laxiflora_, with its orange-coloured bark,
which is rougher than _O. laxiflora_ and not so scaly. The wood is
used for axe and hoe handles by the natives.

_Dalbergia hostilis_ (Benth.). Yoruba Blackwood. Ogan Oga (Yoruba).

This Dalbergia is fairly common in the Olokemeji Reserve, in the
Abeokuta province of Nigeria.

_Copaifera sp._ True Benin Gum Copal.