300 WEST AFRICAN FORESTS AND FORESTRY 



been used for house-building, the forked stem being much 

 appreciated by the natives. 

 Acacia Farnesiana (Willd.). Farnesian Acacia. Bonni (Yoruba), 



It is found in the Abeokuta province of Nigeria. It is a 

 small tree growing up to 6 feet in girth. It has a small pod 

 containing eight seeds inside. The inside of the pod is white 

 and the seed is brown. The flower is yellow, and is used by 

 girls in decorating their ears. Usually found in towns, where 

 it is planted. The seeds are sold in the market. 



The timber is dark-red, surrounded by a narrow white sap- 

 wood. It is hard, like ebony. The bark is very much fissured 

 and j)eels off in large scales. 



The seeds of this tree and Jagiri are used with water for 

 scraping the leather for making the fells smooth. Sold at Itaku 

 and Shapon markets. 

 Acacia campylacantha. Confectioner's Gum or African Catechu. 

 Ede (Yoruba). 



It is found in the Abeokuta, Oyo, Borgu, Niger, and Nassa- 

 rawa provinces of Nigeria. 



It is a very common tree, growing almost everywhere in 

 groups. The stem is of a whitish to slight yellow colour, 

 almost reminding one of the larch, but the whole tree is armed 

 with short, sharp thorns. It reaches a girth of nearly 4 feet 

 and a height of over 50 feet. The slash is light-brown, and a 

 pale, yelloMish-pink gum exudes from it. The tree usually 

 forks about 20 or 30 feet from the ground, the other branches 

 being rather crooked in shape. In February or March a mass 

 of small yellow flowers appear, and in the autumn small pods 

 cover the tree. The sapwood is white, and the heartwood 

 varies from a dull red-brown to a rich, almost rosy red. In 

 the latter case it is exceedingly pretty wood. The wood is 

 moderately hard ; it splits and planes badly, saws fairly well, 

 and only takes nails indifferently. The wood dries rather 

 harder and is more durable than when freshly cut and than 

 would be expected. It is said to be termite-proof. A reddish 

 colouring matter exudes from the heartwood, but this feature is 

 typical of the cutch which is obtained from a similar tree in India. 



Natural regeneration by seed appears to be good, hosts of 

 young trees being found near the older ones. In fact, in 

 localities of low rainfall it is tending to spread and fill up all 

 ■v^acant spaces after the annual grass-fires have burnt all the 

 vegetation. It is a light-loving tree which does not protect the 

 soil. The leaves are not unlike conifer needles, and enrich the 

 soil to a certain extent, more especially as the tree is deciduous. 



As a timber it has not been cut for export, but certainly 



