34 WEST AFRICAN FORESTS AND FORESTRY 



as the name indicates, is like a green plum, is covered with white 

 lenticels, making the surface very rough. The flesh is of a yellowish 

 colour and soft, with a pasty nature. It has a sweet, pleasant taste. 

 The wood, when freshly cut, has a sweet, beeswax-like scent, similar to 

 that of the fruit. 



15. Whismore, which is sold as planks at 2Jd. per superficial foot, 

 is another very useful timber, not unlike cedar in texture. The tree 

 comes up very readily in old farms, and has very large tri-pinnate 

 leaves. Apparently it grows very fast, though this does not appear 

 to hinder the early formation of heartwood, which is of a very light 

 brown colour, though the sapwood is quite white. It attains a girth 

 of about 9 feet and a bole length of 50 feet. The bark forms very 

 characteristic fissures, dividing it into more or less diamond-shaped 

 pieces, rather reminiscent of the European Elm. Although the tree 

 does not occur in actual groups, more than one will usually be found 

 in the same locality. 



16. Uapaca Heudelotti (Sugar Plum, Red Cedar) is a large tree 

 with rather a spread of crown and numerous aerial roots. It attains 

 a girth of 9 feet and a bole length of 20 feet. The timber has a close 

 and fine grain, and is of a reddish colour. Locally it is cut and used 

 for the ribs of sea-going boats. It is apparently quite durable for 

 this purpose. It is very prevalent, and usually grows near waterways. 



17. Pycnanthus Kombo (White Cedar) is a very large tree which 

 attains a girth of 12 feet and a bole length of 80 feet. It is very preva- 

 lent, and can be recognised by the flat crown and long straight branches 

 coming out at right angles to the stem. When cut it exudes a reddish- 

 coloured mass of semi-liquid nature. The bark reminds one of the 

 Mahoganies, though on the whole it is more fissured. The timber is 

 soft and of a pinkish colour, though it gives more the impression 

 that it is white and tinged with red. It has a very open grain with 

 particularly long pores, reminding one of cedar {Cedrela). It is 

 cut locally for sale as planks. 



18. Pterocarpus Erinaceus (African Rosewood) is mentioned amongst 

 the number of possible export timber-bearing trees. It is also used 

 locally in the making of a musical instrument called Balangi, after 

 the timber has lain some months in the ground. In the drier portions 

 of the country it is a useful tree for house-building. It seeds readily, 

 and is usually found in large quantities. 



19. Baphia nitida (Camwood) is also one of the export produce 

 bearing trees, but which has been used as a colouring matter for 

 putting on the body from time immemorial. The local people, how- 

 ever, prefer to use cakes of the ground-up produce of the Barwood 

 {Pterocarpus Tinctorius) from Southern Nigeria, which commands a 

 higher price. That this product of Baphia nitida is the true Camwood 

 is practically proved by the fact that this tree was first identified 



