258 WEST AFRICAN FORESTS AND FORESTRY 



It is a shade-bearing and slow-growing shrub, with soil- 

 protecting and soil-improving qualities. It serves a very 

 useful purpose amongst the undergrowth in the forest. Natural 

 regeneration appears to be fair, but no plantations have been 

 made with this species. The nuts have not been tested in the 

 export market. Amongst the natives the nuts are very popular, 

 and it is the only use which they have for this shrub. This 

 chiefly refers to the Benin district. 

 Heisteria sp. ?. Benin Nut, Edible Nut. Evialegbi (Benin). 



It is found chiefly in the Benin province of Nigeria, though 

 probably its area of distribution extends to the Ondo and 

 Ogoja provinces as well. It is a tall, comparatively thin- 

 boled tree in proportion to its height. Attaining a girth of 

 about 8 feet, the bole is 40 feet in length. The bark is dull 

 green and not very thick, being more in the nature of cortex 

 than real bark. The most typical feature of the tree is the 

 fruit, which is a spherically-shaped nut with a pointed tip. 

 When dry, it is marked with shallow groves about half a milli- 

 metre apart, all converging to the tip. When cracked, the 

 kernel obtained is rather pleasant to the taste, with plenty of 

 oil. The timber is a yellowish colour and moderately hard. 

 It is fairly durable, though it is attacked by a small wood- 

 borer when it is left lying in the forest. It is a moderately 

 fast-growing tree, but is a shade-bearing, soil protecting and 

 improving tree. Natural regeneration appears to be poor. 

 No plantations have yet been made with it, but its yield of 

 nuts should be tested. The timber has not yet been exported, 

 nor has it been cut for local use. So far, the chief use of the 

 tree is the nut, but even here proper tests have not yet been 

 made, and it is only the natives who really know the tree. The 

 exact oil content has yet to be tested. 

 Coula edulis. Nkula in the Gaboon, Gaboon Nut. Omumu 

 (Benin). 



An edible nut containing oil. It is nearly round in shape, 

 but slightly depressed at the top, with a soft shell. 



Chief Characteristics. — The tree is of medium size, with 

 narrow crown and small leaves, the fruit being borne on the 

 upper side of the branches. It is moderately common near 

 Ugo and also on the Siluko road (both in Benin). This is 

 apparently a rare tree in reality, and it may be mistaken for 

 Ivialegbi. 



The timber is brown with a red tinge, almost hard. 



Native Use. — The nut decorticated is sold in the native 

 markets and eaten as a delicacy. 



Value. — According to report made some years ago, it was 



