THE NIGERIAN TIMBER TREES 397 



The leaf is large. It is a common tree in the Benin district, 

 of medium-size. 



It yields a softwood, which has a certain amount of 

 resonance. The sap wood is white and the heart wood a mid- 

 brown colour. It is not very durable, except under cover. 



It stands a good deal of shade. It sprouts well from the 

 stump. It bears fruit irregularly, and seedlings are scarce in 

 the forest. The wood has not been exported, and none of its 

 qualities so far assure it of finding a good market in Europe. 



Native Use. — The natives use the wood for making drums. 



Verbenaceae. 



Avicennia Africana. White Mangrove. Ogbun (Lagos) ; Ede, 

 Eyhrodo (Benin) ; Odonumon (Efik). 



It is found in the Colony, Ondo, Warri, Owerri and Calabar 

 provinces of Nigeria. It is seen partly in pure groups, and 

 also mixed more or less in groups with the other areas of 

 Red Mangrove and Laguncularia sp. 



It is a small tree, growing up to 2 feet girth and about 

 40 feet high. 



The bole appears silvery grey and the branches very slender. 

 The leaves are of a lighter green than those of the Red Mangrove. 

 The aerial roots are smaller and not so extended as in the case 

 of Racemosa. On the whole, it occurs in the quieter and less 

 exposed localities, away from the sea, and it seems to appear 

 only secondary to R. racemosa, which is the first tree to appear 

 in the mangrove formation. The slash is white ; the cortex 

 is thin. 



The sapwood is white and the heartwood a light brown 

 when freshly cut. Is moderately hard, and durable when dry 

 and used away from water. It is termite-proof. In structure 

 it is similar to teak, being a member of the same family, but 

 the grain is more open and the pores are considerably larger and 

 longer, giving the wood a more open texture. It planes up 

 with a smooth surface, splits well, takes nails moderately well 

 and saws easily. 



It is a somewhat slow-growing, at first shade-bearing, and 

 later on a light-demanding tree. Natural regeneration is good, 

 but it does not appear to be extending as fast as R. racemosa. 

 It sprouts from the stump ; root suckers and aerial root shoots 

 grow in considerable numbers. On the whole, it tends to die 

 out sooner when the ground becomes dryer than R. racemosa, 

 and its area of distribution from the coast inland is much 

 less wide. 



The timber has not been exported, nor has it been sawn 



