THE NIGERIAN TIMBER TREES 311 



or exported. Locally it has not been nsed in any form. It 

 should be noted, however, that this is a sister tree of the West 

 Indian Satinwood, and considering that it grows to a larger 

 size than that one, the timber should demand a still higher 

 price. 



Use. — In the Benin country the timber is used for making 

 door-plates before putting dried clay on the top, and also used 

 for doors. 

 Zantfioxylum sp. n. Dwarf Satinwood. Boji. 



Chief Characteristics.— The friiit is a mass of red berries 

 very similar to the Mountain Ash of Europe, but a small tree 

 armed with a few scattered spines of short length, but not 

 very woody, more in the nature of thorns. It attains a girth 

 of 10 inches and a height of 15 to 20 feet. 



Distribution. — It was only found on the summit of the 

 Boji Hills from an elevation of 4,500 to 5,000 feet, where other 

 vegetation gave out and only grass grew otherwise. 



It has a very hard, yellow wood of the usual satiny nature. 

 It made very good firewood on the mountain top. 

 Zanthoxylum sp. (Kew). Pterocarpus sp. African Satinwood, 

 Urueben (Benin). 



It is found in the Benin and Ondo provinces of Nigeria. 



It is a common tree near the banks of rivers in the ever- 

 green forest. It is of medium -size, reaching a girth of about 

 7 feet ; the bole is long (40 feet) ; the root buttresses reach up 

 the bole about 3 feet. The stalk has a few prickles, especially 

 when it is small, but they disappear in old age. The leaf is 

 smaller than P. osun, but much the same as Akume, Pterocarpus 

 sp. The habit is typical of a Pterocarpus and not of Zan- 

 thoxj'lum. The bark is quite smooth and always unarmed. 

 The fruit is ovoid and flat, with the seed at one end, rather 

 different in this respect to Pterocarpus, and without the prickles 

 on it. The slash is white, and soon red drops of latex-like 

 fluid exude from the tree. The branches are upsprcading 

 and the crown is large, though narrow, the bole being about 

 two-thirds of the total height. 



The sapwood is white and the heartwood is yellow when 

 young and dark-red, like P. osun, when old. It is hard, but 

 splits well. Termites attack it. It is cross-grained and stands 

 a little bending ; otherwise it is brittle, when bent far. 



It is slow-growing and a light-lover. It likes a good soil 

 which is moist and has depth. It docs not sprout from the 

 stool. Seed reproduction is good, and the seedlings are found 

 in the neighbourhood of old trees. It is a deciduous tree for 

 three months in the year (dry season). 



