Chapter IX: The Nigerian Timber Trees (8)

With its none too straight stem and comparatively slight amount of
foliage it presents a poor appearance.

The wood is of a pleasant light-yellow colour and comparatively hard.
It planes up with a smooth surface and saws easily. It does not take
nails well, nor does it split easily. It is termite-proof.

Natural regeneration appears to be slight, but stool and root shoot
reproduction seem to be strong. The seeds are very small and appear
like little round, spherical nuts. Although it will bear a slight
amount of shade in its youth, it is a light-loving species later on.

Occurring as it does in the mixed deciduous forests, near the lower
edge of the dry-zone vegetation it should prove a useful tree,
especially as it is comparatively fire-resisting.

Although comparatively slow-growing it attains sufficient size to be
cut up into verandah-posts and banister rails and uprights.

On the whole, quite a respectable quantity of timber could be obtained
in the aggregate from the large number of trees found growing in the
forests.

_Pachystela cinereum_ (Pierre). Osan odo, Orban igba (Yoruba).

Found in the Abeokuta province.

=Ebenaceæ.=

_Diospyros Mombuttensis_, syn. _Sinensis_. Walking-stick Ebony or Yoruba Ebony. Ogan pupa, Aggan Egbo (Egba) (Yoruba); Ungungmekkan (Benin).

It is a small tree with reddish-coloured stem and very thin, scaly
bark, often branching near the base and usually forming several stems
up to 18 inches in girth instead of one main stem. It has a large,
alternate leaf, with large leaf scars, amounting to projections from
the twigs. The fruit is like an acorn, but of reddish colour, with a
very small, low-rimmed cup. The twigs are reddish colour too, which is
most typical of the tree.

It is common in the Benin, Abeokuta, Ibadan, Oyo and Ondo provinces of
Nigeria.

_Timber._—Very hard, whitish-brown wood.

_E. Use._—Walking-sticks, as it often grows forming a natural handle.

_Native Use._—Walking-sticks.

_Diospyros sp._ Benin Ebony. Owegbo (Benin).

A medium-sized tree, yielding a black ebony, which is prevalent in the
Benin forests. The bark scales off like _D. atropurpurea_. It is a
larger tree, though, than the last named. It likes the dense forest
with a deep, damp soil.

In proportion the sapwood is white and very wide.

The tree is slow-growing, shade-bearing, with soil-protecting and
soil-improving qualities. Natural regeneration is weak.

The timber has not been exported, nor has it been sawn up for local
use.

_Native Use._—Firewood.

_Diospyros mespiliformis_. Monkey Guava or Yoruba Ebony, Kanran, Etini (Yoruba); Igedudu (Benin).

From the similarity of its fruit to a medlar it obtains its botanical
name.

It is found in the Abeokuta and Ibadan provinces of Nigeria, in the
mixed deciduous forest zone. In places such as the Olokemeji Forest
Reserve and neighbourhood it is very prevalent and almost gregarious
in habit. As regards height, and almost always as regards girth, it is
the largest of almost all the ebony-trees, with the exception of one
species found near the Niger, reaching a girth of over 14 feet and a
bole length of 70 feet. At the pole stage, and as it gets older, the
bark is evenly fissured, vertically and horizontally, breaking up into
small black-edged sections of about 2 inches long and ½ inch wide.
Until it is much over 2 feet in girth the cortex is smooth, dark-green
or black. After this it becomes rather rough, with small fissures.
Although often very cylindrical in shape, the bole sometimes has very
considerable taper—in fact, more so than many other trees. The
branches come out almost at right angles to the stem and are very
persistent, still remaining as short snags for many years after they
have been broken off by storms or other agencies. The leaves are
smallish and lanceolate in shape, and almost appear to be silvery on
the under surface and very dark green on the upper surface. The
thinner branches appear silvery-grey, though they are very similar,
but thinner in comparison to _M. multinervis_, which are found in the
same locality growing side by side. The leaf has a few fine veins. The
fruit is flatly spherical, and is like a little medlar with its
russet-brown rough surface and the dried-up sepals of the flower on
it. It is, however, larger than than of Multinervis.

The sapwood is white and narrow and the heartwood dark-brown to black,
sometimes even green-black. It is very hard—in fact, almost the
hardest of all African woods, with perhaps the exception of Yoruba
Ironwood, Red Ironwood, and African Greenheart. It splits fairly well.
It is inclined to be brittle, especially in timber from larger
specimens, planes well and saws well, but is difficult to nail. It is
termite-proof. Occasionally a large boring beetle burrows into the
wood when it is lying on the ground. However, the grubs which do this
damage are considered a delicacy by the natives, so that wherever
found they are soon collected and eaten. The younger tree grows with
branches more or less in whorls, but not so regular as those of _M.
multinervis_. When fresh it is liable to warp. It keeps its colour
better than most of the ebonies. It occasionally shows a little
figure. In proportion it has the largest heartwood of any of them, and
for this reason is a most valuable tree.

To face p. 384.

_Diospyros Kamerunensis_. Cameroon Ebony.

This tree has been found in the Boji Hills Forest as well as in the
Cameroons. Although not of great size, it yields a comparatively large
and black-hearted ebony. The fruit is much larger than that of most
other species. It is comparatively prevalent at an elevation of about
1,000 feet in the Boji Hills. Up to the present it is doubtful if it
has been worked at all. The natives have no use for the tree.

_Diospyros Barteri_. Ebony Nut or Yam Stick. Ivioha (Benin).

Small ebony-shrub of the Benin province of Nigeria, found near Okomo
in rather moist ground. The natives have no use for the wood.

_Diospyros bipendensis_. South Cameroon Ebony.

It is supposed to be found in the Oban Reserve.

_Diospyros crassiflora_. Benin Ebony. Aborkpor (Benin).

It yields the black ebony of the Benin country and is somewhat
prevalent. Found in the Benin, Abeokuta and Onitsha provinces of
Nigeria. A tree with a small leaf.

It forms almost pure groups or even small stands, of half a mile and
less in extent, near the banks of the Niger. It can stand swampy
ground. It used to be cut in the Onitsha district.

_Diospyros sp._ Benin Ebony. Isanhianme or Ehrenyegbo (Benin).

A common tree of the Benin province of Nigeria. It is supposed to
yield a good ebony. It does not reach a very large size. It is a soil
protecting and improving tree. Locally it is used for house-building.

In 1906 samples of this timber were sold in the Liverpool market as
mahogany at 1s. 6d. per cubic foot. Since that time it has not been
exported.

_Diospyros atropurpurea_ (Gurke). Brown Ebony. Igedudu (Yoruba); Igedudu (Benin).

It is a small tree, attaining a girth of about 4 feet. The heartwood
is usually brown with black streaks, giving it a curious and diverse
streakiness, not unlike black marble or Indian Blackwood. The flower
is reddish-purple coloured and quite conspicuous, growing out of the
upper surface of the twig without a stalk of any kind. The bark is
almost black and peels off in very thin, oblong-shaped flakes; the
cortex underneath is green. In old age it is hollow at the first
branch joint.

It is found in the Benin and Abeokuta provinces of Nigeria. About one-
third of the diameter of a mature tree is heartwood. Apparently a
slow-growing tree, though none have been planted. It is a shade-bearer
in the evergreen and mixed forest; natural regeneration is not good. A
large cerambix or other borer makes finger-thick holes in the sap and
heartwood of old trees.

It should be an export timber of value, but it was only valued at £5
to £10 a ton in 1906. It has been used for mirror frames.

_Native Use._—For firewood in the Benin country, where it is
considered very good.

_Diospyros suaveolens_. Benin Ebony. Oohoo (Benin).

It is a small-sized tree, with very small heartwood and a small,
oblong, almost lanceolate leaf. The bark, which is quite black, has
slight fissures and is much harder than that of _D. atropurpurea_.

It is prevalent in the Benin country, Nigeria.

It likes to grow near water, but not in a swampy place. It is a slow-
grower and shade-bearer, being found as an undergrowth in the high
forest. It is not attacked by white ants. The wood is hard and
durable.

_Native Use._—It is used for house-building as rafters, as well as for
axe-handles of any kind. Small trees are used for making bows (long)
for shooting birds.

_Diospyros verrucosa_.

This tree, although named from the Cameroons, is found in the Abeokuta
and Benin provinces of Nigeria. The twigs are very rough compared to
the other species.

_Diospyros dendo?_. Cross River Ebony. Ebubri etu, Obiliteto (Efik); Itiuyang (Oban, Ekoi).

It is a medium-sized tree with dark-green, smooth bark, with large
lanceolate leaves and strong upward-spreading branches, which makes
the bole shorter than it would otherwise be. The fruit is almost pear-
shaped, containing four long, thin, wedge-shaped seeds, brown outside
and white inside.

It is found in the Calabar and Ogoja provinces of Nigeria, in the
evergreen forest zone of the hill forests.

The crown is rather irregular in shape, being supported with two or
three main limbs from the bole. It reaches a girth of about 6 feet and
a bole length of 12 feet.

The sapwood is wide and white and the heartwood black. The tree is
occasionally attacked by a large borer, which makes large holes nearly
¾ inch in diameter. The timber is very hard, but if the tree is killed
by fire it becomes a little more brittle than is usually the case. In
old trees which may be left lying in the forest, the middle of the
heartwood often decays away with ground-rot. It planes well and saws
well. Nails often split it. It splits moderately well, especially when
free of knots.

It is a very slow-growing, shade-bearing, soil-protecting and soil-
improving tree. On the whole, it is more exacting as to soil than most
other trees, being usually found on a good loam rich in humus, which
is moist and with fair drainage. Natural regeneration is none too
good. Stump shoots are very weak, and often do not occur. It has not
yet been planted. It is very susceptible to fire—in fact, more so than
perhaps any other tree. The timber has been exported for many years
from Calabar, but of late in decreasing quantities, owing to the
exhaustion of the nearer sources of supply, and to the fact that only
small billets under 3 feet in length, not square, and only 3 or 4
inches in cross-section were cut. The usual native method of procedure
is very curious. On making a clearing for a farm, any ebony standing
there gets killed with the fire, and having comparatively few roots
and being very heavy, the tree falls down. Before abandoning the farm
the native may put a mark on this tree, or at any rate make a mental
note of its existence. After a year or two, if he is in need of money
to buy clothes, or wishes to purchase anything, he goes back to this
old farm, finds this tree, perhaps externally somewhat charred, and
perhaps the centre of the heartwood rotted away; he proceeds to cut it
into lengths of about 10 or 12 feet. These he then splits lengthways
into segments with a rounded side of about 5 inches, the two split
sides about 4 inches, and the inner surface about 3 inches. In order
to get these long pieces of suitable dimension to carry to the nearest
factory or trading station, he cuts them into three or four billets;
two or three of these, according to weight, are tied together and
carried to the factory. It is sold by weight, and sometimes 200
billets go to the ton, though a smaller quantity of a larger size
would be better and secure a better price. This method should be
compared with the superior one adopted by the natives of the
Cameroons. Compared to the usual price of £6 or £7 per ton for Calabar
ebony, Cameroon wood usually fetches £10 to £12.

_Diospyros xanthochlamys_. Okahimi (Benin).

This is one of the Benin ebonies and is not very prevalent. It is said
to yield a good ebony.

_Maba Mannii_. Benin Maba.

It is a common tree in the Benin and Ondo provinces of Nigeria. It
only reaches a girth of 4 feet and a short bole of about 10 feet. It
is much branched, even low down, the branches being persistent and
crooked. The leaves are small, rather less than ebony itself. The leaf
is really a long, pinnate one, with thirty pairs of pinnæ. The fruit
is white, soft and oblong, with small seeds.

The tree has a white sapwood with a black heartwood, rather small in
proportion to the size of the stem. It does not split well. Termites
do not attack it, but occasionally the gigas borers make holes in it.
It grows slowly and stands a good deal of shade. It sprouts well from
the stool and the seed also grows fairly well. It grows in the damp,
deep soil and does not stand fire at all. It belongs to the evergreen
forest zone.

This tree has not been cut for local use or exported to Europe. It is
used as firewood, and is considered better than most other woods, even
_Ohia_, _Celtis sp._

=Oleaceæ.=

_Schrebera Golungensis_. Hard Yellow Wood. Opele (Yoruba); Udegwoga (?) (Benin).

It is found in the Abeokuta province of Nigeria, Olokemeji and Ilaro
Reserves.

It is a large tree, reaching a girth of about 10 feet. The smooth,
light-green bark with yellow patches differs from the Celtis species,
which is rougher, and the Afrormosia species, which is orange-red and
peels off. The leaves are small for the size of the tree. The crown is
narrow and long and the branches forming it slender. The curious small
pear-shaped dehiscent fruit, showing four oblong niches for seeds, is
most typical of the tree. In other respects the habit and build of the
tree is similar to the Celtis species, especially with the root spurns
slightly corrugating the base of the bole. It is not a common tree,
but usually a fair number of specimens are seen in any locality where
it has been found. The bole is very straight and free from branches
for quite a height of the tree.

The timber is a dull-yellow colour, fine grain, of smooth texture and
moderately hard. It planes to a smooth, almost shining surface. It
scarcely shrinks or warps when drying.

It sprouts slightly from the stump, though the shoots do not seem to
have much strength.

The timber has not yet been exported, though its valuable quality
should assure it of a market. Sample planks used at Olokemeji proved
most durable.

_Native Use._—The fruit is used by the Yorubas for divining the
future.

=Loganiaceæ.=

_Strychnos densiflora_ (Baill.). African Strychnos Tree. Attako (Yoruba); Egbeda (Benin).

It is found in the dry-zone forest of the Ibadan and Benin provinces
of Nigeria, where it seems to be very prevalent.

_Chief Characteristics._—It is a small tree or shrub, up to 12 feet
high, with small leaves and very hard wood.

It is of slow growth, but on the whole is a shade-bearer and soil-
protecting and soil-improving tree. Natural regeneration appears to be
poor.

It has not been planted.

Apparently the seeds have not yet been examined as to their value. The
timber is too small for export or local use, except for hut-building.

_Use._—The Benin natives use the stem for making snares for Duika and
the branches for making brooms, as they are very tough.

_Anthocleista nobilis_. Ogugu, Sapho, Apa Oro (Yoruba); Orrimogungun, Oriweni (Benin).

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

It has huge soft leaves, and is one of the first plants to appear on a
clearing in the dry-zone or mixed forests. In old age the leaf is much
smaller, and the mass of white flowers along the uppermost branches is
most typical of the tree. It is often almost gregarious, and in most
places more than one tree is found in the immediate neighbourhood.
Reaching a girth of about 3 feet, its stem does not exceed 20 feet in
height. There are usually two or three main branches into which it
divides. The wood is soft and white.

It is a light-loving, rapid-growing tree, which is soil-protecting and
soil-improving in youth, but is too open in crown after a few years.
It should, however, prove a useful nurse for superior species in the
dry zone.

_Native Use._—Firewood in places where wood is scarce.

=Apocynaceæ.=

_Alstonia Congensis_ (Eng.). Pattern Wood, Stool Wood. Ahun, Awun, Ogudugbu (Yoruba); Ukhu (Benin); Ekuri Ebu (Ibo Owerri); Abo, Idu (Efik); Ofemm (Bembi); Etiap, Oguk (Oban, Ekoi).

It is a large tree, growing up to a height of 100 feet and 10 feet
girth. The white lenticels on the bark are very typical of the tree,
and give it the appearance of having a rust disease. The crown is
formed of two or three whorls of branches and is very flat in old age.
The tree grows always in whorls, though it may have more than one
stem. In the distance the leaves appear to be digitate, but in reality
three to seven are found to be growing out of the end of one stalk,
all being much the same size. The crown is flatly umbrella-shaped. It
has comparatively few branches. The root flanges are slight, soon
merging into the trunk. At the base of the bole, however, they are not
absolutely round in shape, but have two or three large ridges,
sometimes almost subdividing it. The slash is white, with yellow
spots. A chalky white latex exudes when it is cut, rapidly running
down the stem like a streak of whitewash.

It is found in the Abeokuta, Ibadan, Ondo, Benin, Owerri, Calabar and
Ogoja provinces of Nigeria in the evergreen and mixed deciduous forest
zone. It is a very common tree throughout this region and is usually
found growing singly.

The timber is white, there being little or no difference between
sapwood and heartwood. When dry, it is very light and soft. It splits
and planes easily, saws well, and takes nails easily. The grain is
close and fine and very even in texture. Although dull, it works up to
a smooth finish. It is attacked by termites. It is not durable in the
open, but under cover it lasts quite well. In drying it is liable to
shrink and warp a little, but with care this can be avoided. It
seasons comparatively quickly. It cuts easily with a knife or chisel
and might take the place of lime as a carving-wood. From its texture
it should take stains very well.

It is a very fast-growing, at first slightly shade-bearing and
latterly a light-loving tree, which thoroughly protects the soil and
enriches it with its leaf fall. Natural regeneration appears to be
good, as it sprouts well from the stump. It seems to like a good soil
with plenty of moisture, and will even withstand floods. It is not
fire-resisting. The crown and branches are liable to be broken with a
high wind.

In 1906 samples of this timber were sold in the Liverpool market as a
whitewood, but it was considered to be of no value. It deserves a
further trial as a pattern-wood, comparatively large quantities being
available. Locally it has not been sawn up for planks.

In Calabar the timber is used for stools, which are carved out of
large solid blocks of this wood in one piece, without a joint.

_Native Use._—In the Benin country the timber is used for doors and
the roots for medicine.

The box of the musical instrument Asologun, a kind of zither, is made
of this wood in the Yoruba country. The latex is used for mixing with
real rubber latex of the Anyo or _Funtumia elastica_ tree.

_Voacanga Africana_ (Stapf.). Cloth Shrub. Dodo, Giwini (Yoruba); Igbo (Benin).

It is a common shrub-like tree in the Ogoja, Onitsha, Benin, Warri,
Ondo, Ibadan and Abeokuta provinces of Nigeria. The tree is usually
noticeable from its white wax-like, trumpet-shaped flowers, which have
a very fragrant scent, and which very rapidly wither when cut. The
bark is thin and extremely fibrous and hard to break, so much so that
the natives of the Asaba district make grass-like fibre out of it and
mix it with a silk fibre to make a very durable kind of cloth, which
the natives wear. It grows in waste places and requires light. It
sprouts well from the stump.

_Conopharyngia durissima_.

This tree is found in the Western Provinces. It is of a similar size
to _C. pachysiphon_, and the timber is just as durable.

_Conopharyngia pachysiphon_. False Boxwood. Dodo? (Yoruba); Ibbu (Benin).

It is a common tree in the Calabar, Warri, Benin and Ondo provinces of
Nigeria. A small tree, attaining a girth of only 4 feet, with a large
leaf, bearing large spherical-shaped fruits in pairs. The large
creamy-white, strongly scented flowers are conspicuous to both sight
and scent. The bark, even in its younger stages, is covered with small
yellow lenticels. The wood is hard and yellow in colour, and there is
no difference between sapwood and heartwood. The latex has sometimes
been used as an adulterant for rubber. It is a shade-bearer, and is
found at the border of the evergreen and mixed deciduous forests.

The natives of the Benin country use the roots for medicinal purposes.

_Farquharia elliptica_. Onanisankianmon (Benin).

This is a member of the new genus of Farquharia found by Mr. Farquhar
in the Benin province of Nigeria, near Ugumu. It is not stated whether
the natives use this as a source of rubber or not.

_Landolphia florida_ (Benth.). Rubber Vine. Ibugidi, Ibo-akitipa (Yoruba).

A vine found throughout Southern Nigeria, though most abundant in the
dry-zone fringing forests and in the intermediate forests, and at
Ottoa, Benin province. It bears white flowers having yellow centres.

_Uses._—Milky juice is obtained from this vine, but it is not good
rubber, and has no market value.

_Landolphia scandens_. Ibo (Yoruba); Ubamiogon (Benin); Otopoi, Otanta (Ibo Asaba).

Ilaro.

_Landolphia Owariensis_, var. _rubiginosa_.

Found Anwai River, Asaba district.

_Landolphia Owariensis_. White Vine Rubber. Ibo tabong (Yoruba); Ubamiogon, Ubgo (Benin); Otta farfridi (Ibo Asaba).

Found Benin City and Mamu.

_Landolphia Senegalense_. Ibo akitipa (Yoruba).

It is found in the Oyo province of Nigeria, and it is supposed to be
one of the sources of vine rubber.

_Landolphia Thompsonii_ (Chev.). Corrugated-fruited Rubber. Ibogidi (Yoruba); Ugbamiogun (Benin).

Abeokuta, Benin and Calabar provinces of Nigeria.

A vine growing abundantly throughout the rain and fringing forests. It
has white flowers with yellow centres and a bright-yellow edible
fruit. No rubber is obtained from it, but only a pasty mass from the
latex.

_Landolphia Petersiana_. Large-fruited Landolphia.

Found in the Oban Reserve and Benin province.

_Landolphia bracteata_. Autopoi (Ibo Asaba).

Found at Idanre, Anwai, Asaba district.

_Carpodinus hirsuta_ (Stapf.), var. _djenge_. Flake or Paste Rubber, Root Rubber, Brown Cluster, or Brown Medium. Ibo Ilecki (Yoruba); Uboto, Obo, Ubanakwi, Ake, Abache (Benin).

It is found in the Onitsha, Benin and Warri provinces of Nigeria. It
has a mauve-coloured flower with a musk-like scent.

The rubber was bought near the Niger until the vines from which it was
taken were destroyed.

_Carpodinus Barteri_, syn. _Clitandra Barteri_. Mauve-flowered Vine Rubber. Ibo (Yoruba); Akhe (Benin); Akwarri, Offonkwari (Ibo Asaba).

Anwai River.

_Carpodinus fulva_. Pear-shape-fruited Rubber. Ikwian (Benin).

Found in the Asaba district, Benin province.

_Clitandra elastica_. Brown Medium Rubber. Ubabikpan (Benin); Beckindanko (Hausa).

Benin province.

A vine of the dry zone, found in the Okwoga district and at Adani in
Awka district. It also yields root rubber.

It yields a good rubber, sold on the Niger for 1s. 3d. to 1s. 6d. per
pound (1911). Extracted by tapping and coagulated by boiling, also
with salt.

_Clitandra visciflua_ (Hall. Fil.). Ubake (Benin).

Found in the Benin province.

_Clitandra Togolana_ (Hall). Ibo, Agba (Benin).

It is a large tree, up to 60 feet high (?). Olokemeji.

_Clitandra cirrhosa_. Oban Rubber.

This is one of the commoner vines of the Oban Forest Reserve. In
recent years, owing to the low price of rubber, it has not been tapped
to any extent. The cost of collection to the natives is rather high,
with the extended preparations and amount of food they must take with
them in this forest. Added to this there is the cost of the licence
and the cost of taking it over the long distance to the market, so
that they do not think it pays to collect this rubber.

_Rauwolfia vomitoria_ (Afzel). Swizzle-stick. Iraigbo, Asofeyeje (Yoruba); Akata (Benin).

It is found in the Abeokuta, Ibadan, Ondo, Benin, Warri, Owerri and
Calabar provinces of Nigeria, in the evergreen and mixed deciduous
zone, where it is very prevalent.

It is a small tree of 12 feet in height and 18 inches in girth, with
almost always four branchlets to each branch, forming regular whorls
in this manner. It has a soft, thin leaf and a round, small green
fruit. The stem is usually forked near the ground, and each side
branch is forked again and the uppermost branches divided into four
separate twigs, making thus a most convenient shape for a swizzle-
stick. The stem is more or less dotted with a few white lenticels. The
bark peels off very readily and cleanly with a knife, leaving the bare
white stem, especially in the smaller branches.

The wood of the smaller branches is soft, showing a small pith in the
centre, but that of the stem in the larger specimens is comparatively
hard, and more like an inferior type of boxwood. The sapwood is
usually a little softer than the heartwood.

It is a moderately fast-growing, shade-bearing, soil-protecting and
soil-improving tree. Natural regeneration is good. It sprouts well
from the stump, and a certain number of root suckers appear. It stands
pruning well.

The tree does not really reach a large enough size to yield export
timber, or to be of much value for local use. It is, however, commonly
used as a swizzle-stick.

In places where building timber is scarce, it is occasionally used in
house-building. It could be, and sometimes is, used as a live fence.

_Polyadoa umbellata_ (Stapf.). Oak or Boxwood. Aini (Egba); Erm (Yoruba); Osu (Benin).

It is a medium-sized tree which grows to a girth of 4 feet. The young
stem is easily recognized by the longitudinal strips of lenticels,
joined together with the dark-green cortex, showing between each
strip. When older, lenticels appear on the stem and it may be quite
grey or white.

The wood is a dirty yellow colour and very hard, resembling box in the
fineness and the hardness of its grain. It is used by the natives for
making combs for the hair; these combs have six prongs about 6 inches
long and are sold at 6d. to 1s. apiece. It is used for house-building,
and is considered the most durable timber for this purpose; it is
forked about 15 to 20 feet from the ground. The bark is used
medicinally by the natives (Yorubas).

The leaves are a yellowish-green, gradually turning a rich dark-green.
The small greengage-sized fruits appear in pairs at the ends of the
shoots, and occasionally in threes, but this is rare.

It likes moist ground, though it will stand a long dry season, so long
as it has the shade of other trees. It is a distinct shade-bearer,
though it grows a fair height when it has a chance. The flowers are
white and have a very pleasant smell.

Only a very small quantity of latex exudes when the tree is cut, and
so does not give the impression of belonging to the rubber family of
Apocynaceæ.

The sapwood is a similar colour to the heartwood. It is not always
straight, but this is owing to its slow growth causing it to be
amongst the dominated trees. In older trees the stem is usually quite
white, except where the bark has been removed.

A sample was sent to England in 1914 and was said to be valueless as a
substitute for boxwood. In 1906 samples were shipped to Liverpool,
where it was sold as a species of oak at 1s. 9d. per cubic foot, but
it was not considered as good as that obtained from Awaw, Eba,
_Lophira procera_ or _Ostryoderris impressa_.

_Native Use._—The chief tree for all tool-handles and house-posts. The
most durable kinds are in Egba, and they are not attacked by white
ants.

_Alafia Landolphioides_. Ubamiagon (Benin); Ata frifridi (Ibo Asaba).

Found at Illushi, Asaba district, Oke Igbo, Ilesha district.

_Carissa edulis_.

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

_Motandra Guineensis_ (A. D.C.). Bodekadun (Yoruba).

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

It has not been used for making rubber.

_Strophanthus Preussii_. Elephant Poison. Isha gere, Isha kekere (Yoruba).

Found in the Shagamu, Lagos and Calabar districts.

A climbing shrub, attaining the height of 12 feet. The flowers are
creamy in colour, deepening to orange, with purple spots and streaks.

_Strophanthus hispidus_ (A. D.C.). Isha fere (Yoruba).

Found in the Ilesha district, Oyo province.

_Holarrhena Wulfsbergii_ (Stapf.). The Male Rubber Tree or False Rubber Tree, according to the Yorubas, or sometimes known as the False Ireh Tree. Ireh-ibeji, Ireh-ako, Ako-ireh (Yoruba).

This tree being found in the Abeokuta and Oyo provinces of Nigeria, it
is not very prevalent, nor does it grow in large numbers in any one
place. With its smooth, dark-green bark, speckled irregularly all over
with white spots and lenticels, it is easily distinguishable from the
almost silver-white or grey beech-like stem of the true West African
Rubber Tree.

At a height varying from 10 to 15 feet the bole sometimes divides and
forms two very straight stems, one much smaller than the other. In the
African Rubber Tree (_Funtumia elastica_) usually only one stem is
formed.

Again, in its sparse and rather drooping foliage it is very different
from the real rubber-tree. The leaves are much longer, more sharply
pointed, and in fact more lanceolate than those of _F. elastica_. The
foliage often gives the appearance of being withered or that the tree
is drying up.

Large raceme-like masses of small flowers appear in February or March,
which are much more prominent than those of _F. elastica_, these being
more hidden among the leaves, although individually having larger
blossoms. Later on, a thin round pod, nearly 2 feet in length, forms
in pairs, which hang down and make the tree look most grotesque. On
the other hand, _F. elastica_ pods are stout and short and almost
hidden by the foliage.

The tree reaches a girth of 36 inches and a total height of about 50
feet.

The slash is greenish-white, and a very little white, rather watery
latex exudes from the cut. The wood is white, soft, planes easily, and
splits comparatively easily. It saws fairly well and takes nails with
comparative ease. It is not termite-proof.

It is a moderately fast-growing tree of a light-loving nature. Natural
reproduction by seed appears to be fair. It sprouts slightly from the
stump.

Being found in odd and poor places in the mixed deciduous forests at
the edge of dry-zone vegetation, it should prove useful for temporary
house-building purposes and for cutting up as cratewood for bananas,
etc.

_Pleiocerus Barteri_ (Baill.). Irena, kekere (Yoruba).

The fruit is very much like a Cola and fairly common in the forest. It
is very sticky to the taste.

It is a medium-sized tree, in habit similar to the Cola-tree, and most
people would classify it from its external appearance as a species of
Cola.

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

_Picralima Klaineana?_. Agege (Yoruba).

Found at Agege, Yoruba country.

_Oncinotis gracilis_. Ornamental Rubber Vine. Allerle (Benin).

Found in Ogodo Dry-zone Forest.

_Name unknown_. Ikwian (Benin).

An uncommon tree of the Benin province of Nigeria. It attains a
medium-size and bears large fruits. The wood is used as firewood.

=Borraginaceæ.=

_Ehretia cymosa_ (S. and H.). Ija oke (Yoruba).

Found in the Olokemeji.

_Cordia sp._, _? Platythyrsa_. Drum-wood Cordia. Ako Ledo (Yoruba).

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

_Cordia Irvingii_. Acorn-like-fruited Cordia.

It is a medium-sized tree, similar to _Cordia Millenii_. It is found
in the Abeokuta province of Nigeria.

_Cordia Millenii_. Omon or Omo (Yoruba); Omah (Benin).

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

It is an irregularly shaped tree, often with more than one stem. The
light-coloured bark, especially when it is scaly, often gives the
impression that the tree is luminous at night. The leaf is large. It
is a common tree in the Benin district, of medium-size.

It yields a softwood, which has a certain amount of resonance. The
sapwood is white and the heartwood a mid-brown colour. It is not very
durable, except under cover.

It stands a good deal of shade. It sprouts well from the stump. It
bears fruit irregularly, and seedlings are scarce in the forest. The
wood has not been exported, and none of its qualities so far assure it
of finding a good market in Europe.

_Native Use._—The natives use the wood for making drums.

To face p. 396.

=Verbenaceæ.=

_Avicennia Africana_. White Mangrove. Ogbun (Lagos); Ede, Eyhrodo (Benin); Odonumon (Efik).

It is found in the Colony, Ondo, Warri, Owerri and Calabar provinces
of Nigeria. It is seen partly in pure groups, and also mixed more or
less in groups with the other areas of Red Mangrove and _Laguncularia
sp._

It is a small tree, growing up to 2 feet girth and about 40 feet high.

The bole appears silvery grey and the branches very slender. The
leaves are of a lighter green than those of the Red Mangrove. The
aerial roots are smaller and not so extended as in the case of
Racemosa. On the whole, it occurs in the quieter and less exposed
localities, away from the sea, and it seems to appear only secondary
to _R. racemosa_, which is the first tree to appear in the mangrove
formation. The slash is white; the cortex is thin.

The sapwood is white and the heartwood a light brown when freshly cut.
Is moderately hard, and durable when dry and used away from water. It
is termite-proof. In structure it is similar to teak, being a member
of the same family, but the grain is more open and the pores are
considerably larger and longer, giving the wood a more open texture.
It planes up with a smooth surface, splits well, takes nails
moderately well and saws easily.

It is a somewhat slow-growing, at first shade-bearing, and later on a
light-demanding tree. Natural regeneration is good, but it does not
appear to be extending as fast as _R. racemosa_. It sprouts from the
stump; root suckers and aerial root shoots grow in considerable
numbers. On the whole, it tends to die out sooner when the ground
becomes dryer than _R. racemosa_, and its area of distribution from
the coast inland is much less wide.

The timber has not been exported, nor has it been sawn up for local
use. For the natives this tree forms what is considered the best “salt
bush” in the Jekri country. It is still used for the manufacture of
salt, which is considered much stronger than and superior to imported
salt. It is also used for poles, house-building, boat and canoe houses
and wharves.

_Vitex grandifolia_. Ori (Yoruba); Owenkundignon, Oriri Ogikiomi (?) (Benin).

It is found in the Benin, Onitsha, Owerri and Ogoja provinces, in the
open deciduous forest zone.

The digitate leaf is much larger than that of _V. Cienkowski_, and on
the whole the tree is larger too, reaching a girth of 10 feet and a
bole length of 30 feet. The fruit is rather larger, but similar in
shape and taste to the former. The branches are very persistent, and
coming out more or less in whorls from the bole, give the tree a most
distinct appearance.

The sapwood is white and the heartwood at first light-brown, and then
darker brown. It is rather more open-grained than the teak. It does
not split very well, but can take nails; neither does it plane easily,
but can be worked up to a smooth finish. It is very durable and
termite-proof.

At first fast growing and later rather slower, it is on the whole a
little faster growing than _V. Cienkowski_. It withstands the fires in
an extraordinary manner, and only occasionally does the bole get so
deeply burnt that the tree becomes hollow. It bears a large crop of
fruit almost every year.

The timber has not been exported, nor has it been sawn up for local
use. It deserves further attention than it has received up to the
present, more especially as it is of the same family as the teak.

_Native Use._—The fruit is eaten, and occasionally the smaller trees
are used for house-building.

_Vitex Cienkowskii_. Ori, nla (Yoruba).

It is a medium-sized tree, attaining a girth of about 8 feet and a
bole length of about 25 feet. The bark is rough, divided up with long,
narrow vertical fissures, which are more or less regular in their
distribution. The crown is spherical, somewhat widespreading, and
usually occupies about half the height of the tree. The large, shiny,
dark-green digitate leaf is most characteristic of the tree. The
fruit, not unlike a large acorn without the cup, is edible and has a
slight honey taste. It attracts the bees from far and near.

This tree is found in the Oyo and Abeokuta provinces of Nigeria.

_Timber._—Hard, brown wood, very similar to teak. It is often rather
knotty and sometimes cross-grained.

At first fairly fast-growing, later on it is rather slow. It is very
fire-resisting, but does not thoroughly protect the soil. It has not
been felled for export, nor has it been sawn up for local use. It
serves a useful purpose amongst the dry-zone vegetation, and is one of
the larger trees of that zone.

_Vitex Fosteri_. Ori-eta (Yoruba); Obuban, Ibang (Benin); Ogi (Calabar).

_Chief Characteristics._—It is a medium-sized tree with thin, white
bark and voluted stem, which is not overstraight beyond 15 or 20 feet,
soft and fibrous; one of the common trees in the mixed forest, though
also found in the evergreen forest. It has a thin, digitate leaf. It
usually stands as one of the dominated trees in either forest. The
leaves often look silvery, but this is an optical illusion, owing to
their being so thin and white on the underside.

_Distribution._—It is found in the Abeokuta, Ibadan, Jebu, Ode, Benin
and Calabar provinces of Nigeria.

_Timber._—It is a hard, white wood of even texture and smooth grain,
which is apparently durable for interior work. It is somewhat like
hornbeam, though not quite so hard. It works up with a smooth surface.

_Silvicultural Qualities._—It is a shade-bearer, though, if planted
pure, it is doubtful whether its foliage would thoroughly protect the
ground, owing to its being so thin. Natural regeneration by seed is
apparently good.

_Use._—It would probably make good verandah-posts, door-frames and
window-frames, but so far has not been tried. As there is plenty of
it, proper supplies could be obtained in the provinces named.

_Value._—At present doubtful, as it is an untried wood; however,
belonging to the same family as teak, it should find a place amongst
the valuable small timbers for local use.

_Vitex diversifolia_.

It has been noted from the Oban Reserve.

_Clerodendron Thonningii_. Egwa, Oriakuku (Benin).

It is an ornamental shrub of the Benin province of Nigeria, found near
the Osse River.

_Clerodendron Thompsonii_. Egwa oviakuku (Benin).

A medium-sized shrub with woody stem found in the Benin province.

_Clerodendron scandens_ (Beauv.).

It is a large shrub with hard wood of the Benin province of Nigeria.

_Clerodendron volubile_. Ebenote (Benin).

Found in the Benin province.

_Clerodendron splendens_ (Kew). Adabi (Yoruba).

A medium-sized shrub found in the Abeokuta province. The stem yields
small wood for farm implements.

=Labiatæ.=

_Ocimum viride_ (Willd.). Efinrin (Yoruba); Aramoho (Benin).

Found in the Yoruba and Benin country.

=Scrophulariaceæ.=

_Cycinium camporum_ (Engl.). Arojoku (Yoruba).

Flowers white. Found at Obba on the Hill, Ondo province.

=Bignoniaceæ.=

_Spathoidea campanulata_. Red Tulip Tree. Oruru (Yoruba); Okokwi Okwekwe (Benin); Essenim (Efik); Osukaregigi (Bembi).

This tree grows in the fringing and intermediate forests. It is of
medium size and has large trumpet-shaped flowers, not unlike those of
the tulip.

_Uses._—This tree is often used for ornamental purposes. Timber,
edible seeds and medicaments are obtained from it.

_Stereospermum acuminatissimum_. Osualong (seed), Okwekwe, Aguana (Benin).

This is a somewhat common tree of the Benin province of Nigeria, and
certainly with its red flowers it is one of the most handsome. It is
not unlike the so-called African Tulip Tree, _Spathoidea campanulata_.
On the whole, it is a smaller tree, with a round, almost spherical
crown; the wood is soft and white and not durable. It bears a large
number of seeds, but few appear to germinate. It sprouts feebly from
the stump, is a light-loving tree, and also a soil-protecting and
soil-improving species. It deserves greater attention for planting in
gardens and at the edges of recreation grounds of all sorts.

_Stereospermum Kunthianum_ (Cham.). Ayagdo (Yoruba).

This tree is found in the Abeokuta province and Erin, Ilesha. It is
very similar to the tulip-tree, but has a more orange-coloured flower.

_Kigelia Africana_. Sausage Tree. Orora, Pandoro (Yoruba); Ogiahimi, Esiskwi (Benin).

It is a common tree of the Ogoja, Owerri, Onitsha, Benin, Ondu, Ibadan
and Abeokuta provinces of Nigeria. The most typical feature of this
tree is the long sausage-shaped fruit, which hangs by a stalk about 10
inches long; the flowers are red, the leaves large and open. It is a
small tree, often very much branched. It is usually found in old
clearings at the edge of the mixed deciduous forest. The wood is not
durable. The natives use it for fences, and the roots are mashed and
used by Benis for cuts in the fingers. The bark and fruit are also
used medicinally by the Yorubas.

_Markhamia tomentosa_. Iru, Aya, Iwe (Yoruba).

It is found in the Abeokuta province of Nigeria, in the mixed
deciduous forest zone.

It is a tree 4 to 6 feet in girth, with a large leaf having five pairs
of pinnæ, the lowest being very small, like stipules. A deciduous tree
bearing small fruit. A very common tree.

The timber is a soft, white wood, which is not used. It is attacked by
white ants, and is not durable except under cover.

The tree is a light-lover, quick-growing, and non-soil-improving.
Natural regeneration is moderate, so that it does not spread too much.
The tree has not been felled for export timber, nor has it been cut
for local use.

_Newbouldia lævis_. Benin Ju-ju Tree. Akkoko (Yoruba); Ikhimi (Benin).

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

It is a small tree, scarcely exceeding 4 feet in girth. It has a
large, oblong, dark leaf. It is most commonly seen in the middle of a
compound with a pot at the base of it. The flowers are trumpet-shaped,
white-coloured at the base and rose-red at the mouth. The fruit is a
long, thin black pod, which opens releasing many flat, winged seeds.
The seed is yellow and in the middle of the wing.

The timber is white and soft.

It has not been exported or cut for local use.

_Native Use._—The tree is used to mark boundaries. It is a “Ju-ju”
tree, both in and outside the compound. It is sometimes used for
fences. It is used by the Yorubas for rafters.

=Acanthaceæ.=

_Thunbergia Vogeliana_ (Benth.). Blue Benin Thunbergia. Ohwohiro (Benin).

This is a shrub with handsome blue flowers; it is moderately common in
the Central Circle.

=Rubiaceæ.=

_Sarcocephalus eu-esculentus_. Sierra Leone Peach. Egbesi (Yoruba); Aragbaihi (Benin); Amellaky or Egbessye of Sierra Leone.

It is found in the Abeokuta, Ibadan, Benin, Onitsha, Owerri and Ogoja
provinces of Nigeria, where it is common in the open deciduous forest.

In habit it usually takes more of the shape and form of a shrub rather
than a tree, though where it is protected a longish main leader grows
up, but even this droops. It rarely attains a height of more than 15
feet and a girth at the base of about 18 inches. The leaf is large and
oval, opposite, and rather leathery to the touch. The fruit is not
unlike a peach, except that its surface is not smooth, but is pitted
in small depressions, giving it a more special peach colour. The flesh
is very woody and tough, interspersed with small seeds not unlike
those of the strawberry. When ripe the birds eat them. The roots are
of a yellowish-brown, especially when the cortex is rubbed. The slash
is yellow. The leaf is very shiny.

It does not really reach timber size, but the sapwood is a light
yellow and the heartwood a darker yellow.

It is a moderately quick growing, light-demanding, soil-protecting and
soil-improving tree. Natural regeneration is poor, but reproduction by
root suckers and stool shoots is very strong. It is very fire-
resisting, and recovers easily from any effects of fire.

_Native Use._—In cases of scarcity of building-timber, occasionally
short sections are obtained from it for hut-building. It is, however,
usually too short. The roots are used medicinally in the following
way: roots about a ¼ inch in diameter and upwards to ¾ inch are
thoroughly washed in water and cut up into sections of about 4 inches
long and boiled in water. The solution thus made is strained off, and
is drunk either hot or cold in fairly large doses for the relief of
venereal disease (G.) in its earlier stages. Most of the natives
affirm that it gives great relief, though they acknowledge that it
does not prove a cure for it.

_Sarcocephalus esculentus_. Weatherboard Wood. Opepe (Yoruba); Obiache (Benin); Awessu (Jekri).

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

It is a large tree of the evergreen forest zone, which attains a girth
of 12 feet and a corresponding bole length. The bark is slightly rough
and scaly, but in an even manner. It bears a large edible fruit 2
inches in diameter. The fruit is not unlike a peach in shape and
colour, but with a rougher and softer skin. It is very closely and
finely pitted with tiny holes in its surface. Inside, the flesh is
pinkish-white. It is commonly seen at the edge of freshwater swamps in
the Benin, Ifon and Ondo districts. It likes soil with good drainage,
but it may be very moist.

The bole is very straight, and not unlike that of real African Oak in
appearance. The leaves are rounded and moderately large, and inclined
to be leathery in texture, with two stipules at the base. In the young
seedlings the stem is more quadrangular in shape than round, and there
are a few almost straighter furrows running vertically up it.

It tends to spread with the opening up of the evergreen forest. The
root spurns are very slight and round, merging into the stem a foot or
so above the ground. The slash is yellowish-white, and a rather dirty
colour. Mucilage-like latex gradually exudes from the cut.

_Timber._—The wood is very durable indeed, both for exposed places and
for interior work. It is moderately hard, a little open and fibrous in
grain, of a yellow to orange colour, with slight variations in its
distribution through the wood. It planes well and saws easily; splits
fairly well, takes nails, and does not warp or shrink very much. There
is only a slight difference in colour between the sapwood and
heartwood, but the sapwood is not quite so durable. It is termite-
proof. It is usually very straight-grained, free of knots and other
internal defects—in fact, it is one of the cleanest of all the African
timbers.

It is a very fast-growing, at first slightly shade-bearing and later
light-loving tree, which thoroughly protects and enriches the soil
with its leaf fall. In fact, after the first two years it is very
impatient of shade, and grows very slowly, if it is at all under large
trees. In suitable places natural regeneration is very good. Fair
crops of seeds are borne almost every year. In some places, notably
north of the Ikoha in the Benin province, it is almost gregarious in
habit. It sprouts well from the stump. Here again, unless there is
sufficient light, it does not grow rapidly, and even tends to die
down. In the nursery, seeds generate readily, but often fall a prey to
the Duika, which eat the young seedlings. The tree does not stand
transplanting very well, as it throws back its development very
considerably. Small plantations have been made in one or two places.
Close planting appears to be the correct method, as the branches are
rather persistent and liable to form knots or places of decay in the
stem, if they do not drop off when they are quite small.

In 1906 samples of this timber were sold as a hardwood in Liverpool
market, where it was considered to show little or no merit. However,
since that date there have been increased demands for all good
timbers, so that it seems worthy of a further trial. Locally it has
been used for making canoes, or has been cut up for planks. It has
also been used for bridge-building and other constructional work, and
being one of the most durable, ever wider use is being found for it,
quite apart from any likely demands for export.

_Native Use._—It is felled for sawing up into planks and making
canoes, and is considered one of the best of all local timbers, except
Iroko.

_Sarcocephalus sambucinus_ (?). Yellow Wood. Opepe (Yoruba); Ebengiku, Obiache (Benin); Eben (Jekri).

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

It is a medium-sized tree of the swamps, both near rivers and near the
sea coast—in fact, it will grow in waterlogged places—whereas the
_Sarcocephalus esculentus_, to attain large dimensions, likes drained
soil.

The fruit is only an inch in diameter, but of the same colour as the
former. The pitting of the surface is more widely distributed and the
pits are shallower. The bark is less scaly, with a very slight
roughness or fissured surface. The wood is not so durable as the
former, especially in exposed places. On the whole, the leaves are
larger than _S. esculentus_ and a little thinner.

The sapwood is whitish-yellow and the heartwood of a deep yellow
colour. It is more fibrous and rather more open-grained than that of
_S. esculentus_. The pores, too, are longer. On the whole, it is
easier to work, a little softer, planes well, takes nails, splits well
and saws easily. It is doubtful if it is termite-proof.

Although really a light-loving tree, it can stand more lateral shade
than _S. esculentus_. It is a thoroughly soil-protecting and soil-
improving tree, the foliage making a very rich humus. It is much more
slow-growing than _S. esculentus_, though on the whole it will stand
closer together, and yet grow well. It sprouts well from the stump.
Natural regeneration appears to be good. It is sometimes almost
gregarious in habit, and in some places one of the few valuable trees
in the swamp region. It is also often one of the few of merchantable
size. No plantations have been made with this tree.

In 1906 samples of this timber were sold in the Liverpool market as
cedar, but it was only considered of poor quality. It deserves,
however, further trial now. Locally it is occasionally sawn up for
planks.

_Native Use._—It is sometimes used for making canoes, but it is not
liked by the natives, because they say it is not so durable as _S.
esculentus_.

_Sarcocephalus sp._ Swamp Opepe. Oppepera (Yoruba); Eben Obiache (Benin). Perhaps the same as the foregoing species.

_Morinda sp._ Brimstone Wood.

Ekiti district, Ondo province.

_Morinda lucida_. Brimstone Wood. Oruwo (Yoruba); Obiache (Benin).

Found in the Yoruba and Benin country.

_Morinda longiflora_. Ekiti Morinda.

Found in the Ekiti district, Mamu Reserve.

_Pausinystalia sp._

It is found in the Eastern Calabar province of Nigeria. It is a
medium-sized tree found growing in old farms. It has globular-shaped
flowers with yellowish-red anthers, making it very pretty and
conspicuous. It has a hard, yellowish-white wood.

_Saccoglottis Gabunensis_. Mahogany, Tala. Ugu (Benin); Attalla (Jekri); Edat (Efik); Tala (Brass); Tala (New Calabar); Edat (Oban, Ekoi).