THE NIGERIAN TIMBER TREES 395 



Native Use. — The chief tree for all tool -handles and house- 

 posts. The most durable kinds are in Egba, and they are 

 not attacked by white ants. 

 Alafia Landolphioides. Ubamiagon (Benin) ; Ata frifridi (Ibo Asaba). 



Found at Illushi, Asaba district, Oke Igbo, Ilesha district. 

 Carissa edulis. 



It is found in the Olokemeji Reserve of the Abeokuta 

 province of Nigeria. The fruit is edible. 

 Motandra Guineensis (A. D.C.). Bodekadun (Yoruba). 



It is found in the Olokemeji Reserve of the Abeokuta 

 province of Nigeria. 



It has not been used for making rubber. 

 Strophanthus Preussii. Elephant Poison. Isha gere, Isha kekere 

 (Yoruba). 



Found in the Shagamu, Lagos and Calabar districts. 



A climbing shrub, attaining the height of 12 feet. The 

 flowers are creamy in colour, deepening to orange, with purple 

 spots and streaks. 

 Strophanthus bispidiis (A. D.C.). Isha fere (Yoruba). 



Found in the Ilesha district, Oyo province. 

 Holarrhena Wulfshergii (Stapf.). The Male Rubber Tree or False 

 Rubber Tree, according to the Yorubas, or sometimes known as 

 the False Ireh Tree. Ireh-ibeji, Ireh-ako, Ako-ireh (Yoruba). 



This tree being found in the Abeokuta and Oyo provinces of 

 Nigeria, it is not very prevalent, nor does it grow in large 

 numbers in any one place. With its smooth, dark-green bark, 

 speckled irregularly all over with white spots and lenticels, it 

 is easily distinguishable from the almost silver-white or grey 

 beech-like stem of the true West African Rubber Tree. 



At a height varying from 10 to 15 feet the bole sometimes 

 divides and forms two very straight stems, one much smallar 

 than the other. In the African Rubber Tree {Funtiimia elastica) 

 usually only one stem is formed. 



Again, in its sparse and rather drooping foliage it is very 

 different from the real rubber-tree. The leaves are much 

 longer, more sharply pointed, and in fact more lanceolate than 

 those of F. elastica. The foliage often gives the appearance 

 of being withered or that the tree is drying up. 



Large raceme-like masses of small flowers appear in February 

 or March, which are much more prominent than those of i^. elastica, 

 these being more hidden among the leaves, although individu- 

 ally having larger blossoms. Later on, a thin round pod, nearly 

 2 feet in length, forms in pairs, which hang down and make 

 the tree look most grotesque. On the other hand, F. elastica 

 pods are stout and short and almost hidden by the foliage. 



