THE NIGERIAN TIMBER TREES 245 



It is a light-loving tree, moderately fast growing for a 

 palm. It is usually found growing gregariously in groups of 

 a few acres up to hundreds of acres in extent. However, it is 

 rarely thick enough to thoroughly shade the ground. Natural 

 regeneration is good, even though in most areas annual grass- 

 fires run through the trees and to some extent char the fruit. 

 No plantations have been made of these species. 



The timber has not been exported, but locally it has been 

 used for house-building, as well as for fences near the railway. 

 The natives occasionally use it for house-building, but they 

 do not know how to tap it for the wine. The leaves are some- 

 times used for making temporary shelters. The fruit is some- 

 times eaten, and has a pleasant taste. The nuts might be 

 exported for making into buttons. 



Cyanastracea;. 



Cyanastrum cordifoUum. Ikoto. 



It has an edible fruit. Found in the Benin province of Nigeria. 



Liliaceae. 



Draccena sp. Dragon's Blood. Ewanenimi (Benin). 



It has a very long, thin leaf of the usual monocotyledonous 

 type and with a somewhat branched stem, with thin papery 

 bark. 



It is fairly common in the Benin country. It is one of 

 the few monocotyledonous trees of the forest, and thus easily 

 distinguishable from other trees. The parallel veins of the 

 leaf are very long and laid fairly close together. The stem 

 is very porous and not woody, being more fibrous in type. 

 It reaches a girth of about 4 feet and a height of 40 feet. 



Native Use. — The leaves are used by the natives medi- 

 cinally ; and occasionally the sap is used to blind people. 

 Draccena surculosa. Dragon's Blood. Ope, Igbo. 



Is found in Olokemeji. 

 Draccena cylindrica. Boundary tree. Peregun (Yoruba) ; Uk- 

 pogun, Ogihu (Benin). 



Found in the Olokemeji Reserve. 

 Draccena cylindrica. Boundary tree. Peregun (Yoruba) ; Uk- 

 pogun, Ogihu (Benin). 



It has a wider and shorter leaf than the Ewanenimi tree, 

 but again with the parallel veins, which are, of course, tj^pical 

 of the monocotyledon. It does not really form proper timber, 

 but the stem is of a spongy, fibrous nature. It reaches a girth 

 of about 5 feet and a height of about 50 feet. It usually has 

 one stem, which is unbranched for a very considerable length, 

 but sometimes a whole group will grow up in one place. 



