THE NIGERIAN TIMBER TREES 305 



from the wonderful bole, exceeding nearly all others in cylin- 

 drical shape. 



Chief Characteristics. — It is a very large forest tree, with 

 clear bole of 90 feet and open crown formed with two or three 

 large, upspreading limbs, flatly oval on the top. It is quite 

 reminiscent of an old elm in the shape of the crown. The single- 

 seeded winged fruit is most tj'pical, no other species of Legu- 

 minosese having a similar seed except the nearly related 

 Pterolobium (?). The bark is comparatively thin, silvery-grej^ 

 in colour, with a few more or less well-defined ridges running 

 horizontally round the trunk here and there. These are most 

 typical, and it is the only tree which shows them. In some 

 places they amount to small nodules of bark. 



This tree is found commonly in the Benin and Ondo pro- 

 vinces of Nigeria, where it is prevalent, and in the northern part 

 of the Benin province, and seen in almost gregarious patches 

 in the secondary forest. The slash is yellowish-white, and 

 in the younger trees a dirty pinkish sap exudes, but later on, 

 especially from deep cuts, the gum copal forms and gradually 

 hardens into solid lumps of various size. 



Silvicultural Peculiarities. — It loves a deep soil with plenty 

 of moisture, which may even be flooded or partially water- 

 logged during the rainy season. A chalky or limy soil seems 

 to suit it best. It is a fast-growing, light-loving tree, though 

 it stands a little shade in its youth. The light, feathery foliage 

 does not shade the ground, though when in falls it enriches 

 it. The root spurns are most slight, extending only from a 

 few inches to 1 foot above the surface of the ground ; in fact, 

 sometimes the trunk appears to come straight out of the ground, 

 like a round log on end. Natural regeneration is none too good, 

 but this is chiefly due to lack of light in the mixed forests. 

 No plantations have yet been made with this tree. 



It has not been exported, but it deserves a trial as a 

 furniture-wood for drawing tables and office equipment gener- 

 ally. It is sawn up into planks and boards at Koko Town, 

 and contains a gum which makes the saws stick a little. It 

 makes a good, soft wood for table tops, of a pinkish colour 

 and clear, close grain. The gum is sold. 



Native Use. — It has been used for canoe making in the Ondo 

 province. The gum is used for an illuminant, and was at one 

 time used entirely for this purpose. In 1906 logs of this timber 

 were sold in Liverpool market as a kind of mahogany of light 

 colour. 

 Prosopis oblonga. Yoruba Charcoal Wood. 



It is found in the Ibadan and Ogoja provinces of Nigeria, 

 20 



