280 WEST AFRICAN FORESTS AND FORESTRY 



are contained in each pod, and these, including the wing, are 

 2 inches in length. The flat seed, which is found in the 

 centre, is brown and shiny, and is only about one-six- 

 teenth to one-eighth of an inch in thickness. It has a tiny 

 string-like attachment to the centre, which distinguishes it 

 from Newtonia on the one hand and Cylicodiscus on the other. 

 The young green foliage is also most distinctive and attractive 

 in its freshly salmon-pink colour, also the greenish tips 

 of the older leaves. The leaves themselves are bipinnate ; 

 there are often twenty to twenty-four pairs of pinnae, each of 

 which is about half an inch long. 



The sapwood is white and comparatively wide ; the heart- 

 wood is a pretty light-brown colour, a little darker when fresh, 

 but still retaining a good light-brown colour when it is dry. 

 Although at first rather heavy and hard, it seasons as a com- 

 paratively light and scarcely hard wood ; it planes well and 

 saws fairly easily ; takes nails moderately well, but does not 

 split at all easily, especially when fresh ; has an open grain 

 and the pores are comparatively long. It is a durable wood 

 and is almost termite-proof, especially when it is quite dry. 

 When moderately dry the logs float in water. It weighs 

 53 pounds per cubic loot. 



It is a light-loving species which does not protect or improve 

 the soil, except in so far as it is a leguminous tree and its roots 

 thus improve the ground. It is a moderately rapidly growing 

 tree which stands a little shade in its youth. Natural re- 

 generation appears to be only moderate. It sprouts well from 

 the stump, and stump shoots appear to be very persistent. 

 It is rather sensitive to fire and is easily killed by placing 

 rubbish near its roots and then burning the heap. No plan- 

 tations have yet been formed for this tree. In the forest the 

 seeds fall to the ground and are soon eaten by a small boring 

 insect. It likes a comparatively good soil, but is found on 

 sandy soil which has great moisture ; it does not like flooding, 

 but will stand a little. 



Locally, it is occasionally used as a house-building timber. 

 The bark is occasionally chipped off for use medicinally. 

 Europeans have cut it up and used it as verandah-posts, joists 

 and verandah handi-ails. However, in an unseasoned state 

 the sapwood was attacked by termites, and thus it was not 

 entirely satisfactory. The heartwood when quite dry does 

 not warp and appears to be very durable. 



In 1906 sample logs of this timber were sold in the Liverpool 

 market as " Greenheart " at 2s. 9d. per cubic foot. Since 

 that date no regular supplies have been sent to the market, 



