THE NIGERIAN TIMBER TREES 313 



Reported on by the Imperial Institute in 1904, and kernels 

 worth £14 a ton then in London. 



Native Use. — House-building. The fruit is eaten, and then 

 the nut is cracked and the kernel beaten up and served as 

 soup. Fruit or nuts or both are sold in the markets of Benin 

 and Yorubaland. 

 Irvingia Smithii. Benin Dika Nut (?). Akwekwe (Benin). 



It is found occasionally in the Benin province of Nigeria. 

 It is a tree with similar growth to Irvingia Barteri, but reaches 

 a larger size, up to 12 feet. The bole length is also greater, 

 40 feet. The fruit is larger than Irvingia Barteri, but of the 

 same shape. It is rather uncommon in the evergreen forest. 

 The crown is smaller and occupies only the upper third of 

 the stem. The branches are larger, too, and of lesser number 

 in proportion than Irvingia Barteri. 



The wood is yellow in the sapwood and brown in the heart- 

 wood, and hard. It is hard to split. The heartwood is very 

 small, being only about 1 foot out of a diameter of 4 feet. 

 Termites do not attack the wood. 



It is a shade-bearer and grows slowly. It does not sprout 

 from the stool, but reproduction by seed is good. The duikas 

 eat the fruit. 



It has not been cut for local use nor exported to Europe. 



It is used, by tying four seeds together like Ogwega, for 

 a game. The fruit is not eaten because it is not sweet. 

 Irvingia sp. Pwekupweku (Benin). 



It is a common tree in the Benin province of Nigeria. It 

 is a large tree, reaching a girth of 15 feet and very tall. The 

 fruit is yellow, and large as an African mango, but with 

 a very much sweeter smell and sweet taste. The branches 

 are liattish, and so the crown is wide, with a long bole 

 and shallow crown. It has a long, lanceolate leaf with 

 insignificant veins. The wood is hard, with white sapwood 

 and brown heartwood. * It grows on good soil, which is moist 

 and deep in the evergreen forests. It is a shade-bearer and 

 grows moderately fast. 



Native Use. — The fruit is used for killing rats after it has 

 been cooked and mixed with palm oil chop. It is then 

 given to them, and they at once fall down dead. 



Simarubaceae (Planch). 



Hannoa undulata. Whitewood. Igigun (Egba) ; Igbo (Lagos) ; 

 Orisi (Igbado, Yoruba). 



It is found in the Calabar, Owerri, Benin, Warri, Ondo, 

 Ibadan and Abeokuta provinces of Nigeria. 



