THE NIGERIAN TIMBER TREES 279 



by the bare crown with its blue flowers. The path later on is 

 covered with these. There are practically no root spurns, the 

 stem emerging straight away from the ground. The crown 

 is very flat, and does not usually occupy more than one-fifth 

 of the total height of the tree. The branches are few and of 

 slight and almost feathery build. The timber is soft, not 

 durable nor termite-proof. It saws easily, does not split very 

 well, and considering its softness it does not plane at all well 

 nor with a very smooth surface. Natural reproduction by 

 seed appears to be poor, although plenty of seeds seem to 

 ripen ; there is one seed in each pod. It is a light-loving, 

 deciduous tree, but for eleven months of the year it is certainly 

 a soil-protecting and soil-improving tree. It demands a deep, 

 moist and somewhat rich soil, though judging by the various 

 localities in which it is found it is doubtful if it is really exact- 

 ing as to soil. 



In 1906 sample logs of this timber were sent to the Liver- 

 pool market and considered to be a species of mahogany, but 

 of no value. Natives have not used it to any extent for local 

 purposes. 

 Piptadenia Africana. Light African Greenheart. Agboin (Yoru- 

 ba) ; Sanga (New Calabar) ; Iteruku (Efik) ; Ebbome (Oban, 

 Ekoi) ; Ekhimi (Benin). 



This is a common tree in the Abeokuta, Ondo, Benin, Warri, 

 Owerri, Onitsha, Calabar and Ogoja provinces of Nigeria. 

 It is one of the most prevalent trees in the evergreen forests, 

 but is also found in the mixed deciduous forests, especially, 

 in both cases, near the edges of the waterways. It is a very 

 large tree, attaining a height of over 120 feet and a girth of 

 over 12 feet. The bole is often 80 or 90 feet in length and 

 perfectly straight. The crown is thin, ovally flat, but wide- 

 spreading. The thick, heavily foliaged and drooping appear- 

 ance at the ends of the branches makes the tree a most hand- 

 some ornament to a station. At the root, flanges are com- 

 paratively long and widespreading, reaching often over 6 feet up 

 the stem, having root spurns quite 12 or 15 feet away from the 

 tree. The stem divides up into a few large branches which 

 form the crown ; the bark is yellow-brown and smooth, but 

 when the tree is growing in the sunlight it becomes a much 

 lighter colour and sometimes almost grey. The slash is yellow, 

 with a light- brown tinge ; the flowers are quite inconspicuous 

 when they appear in January or February, being formed of 

 little narrow spikes. One of the most conspicuous features 

 of this tree is the thin, flat pod, which may grow as much as 

 1 foot long and nearly 1 inch broad. Six to eight seeds 



