THE NIGERIAN TIMBER TREES 253 



It is a medium-sized tree with an umbrella-shaped crown. 

 It is the most distinctly gregarious tree of any in the forest, 

 often alone covering many acres of land, supported on a series 

 of aerial roots, the centre one of which is really the tap-root. 

 The tree looks altogether top-heavy when mature (it is short- 

 lived). It reaches a girth of nearly 5 feet. The bark is thin 

 and of a light brown colour, spotted here and there with large 

 yellow lenticels. The large pink sheath containing the im- 

 mature staminate flower is often found lying on the forest 

 pathway after the storm. The leaf is reminiscent of the horse 

 chestnut, but with about eight digits. The young leaflet is 

 of an orange-red colour. It is doubtful if it passes an age of 

 thirty years. 



The timber is white and soft, with no distinguishing heart- 

 wood, but with brown pith half an inch in diameter. When 

 properly dried it has a fine, smooth grain and is usually free 

 of knots. It dries much harder than when freshly cut. It 

 splits well, but it is rather brittle. 



It is the quickest growing of all the African forest trees, 

 and certainly reaches timber size before any other. Regenera- 

 tion by seed is prolific, seeds often germinating after lying 

 dormant for over a hundred years, when a heavy forest is 

 cut down. It is a light-lover, protecting the soil with its 

 heavy foliage, and enriching it by making a good mould when 

 it falls to the ground. It will stand a little shade as a young 

 seedling. Very few trees will grow under it, though it is a 

 useful " nurse." 



The timber is used for floating other wood heavier than 

 water, but it has not been exported or cut for local use. The 

 roots are used medicinally, and hunters tap the tree for water 

 in the dry season. 



Native Use. — As the Yoruba name implies, a group of the 

 aerial roots is used for a native chair. Young 6-inch stems, 

 split in half, cut about 4 feet long and dried, are used upright 

 to form the walls of temporary farm-buildings. The wood 

 is also used in place of cork, and for making matchets and 

 knife scabbards in the Benin and Ibo countries respectively. 

 Chlorophora ezcelsa. African Oak, African Teak. Iroko (male), 

 Iroko (female), Oba's Tree, Rock Elm. Iroko (Yoruba) ; 

 Uloko, Oroko Ulokoodigpe, Uloko-nushinogbon (Benin) ; Odji 

 (Ibo, Asaba) ; Ofryio (Efik) ; Nsan (Oban, Ekoi). 



It is a very large forest tree, reaching a girth of 30 feet 

 and a bole length of 90 feet under favourable conditions. 

 The male tree is usually thinner and of more compressed build, 

 whereas the female shows more spreading growth and larger 



