THE NIGERIAN TIMBER TREES 409 



The branch is used. It has to be placed on a boy's head 

 and is said to make him grow. The boys do it themselves in 

 the Benin country. The wood is also a firewood in Benin. 



Compositss. 



Vernonia conferta. Big-leaf African Cabbage Tree. Onimagugun, 

 Shapo (Yoruba) ; Orimagugu, Oriweni, Onamagungun (Benin). 



It is found in the Abeokuta, Ibadan, Benin, Onitsha and 

 Ogoja provinces of Nigeria, in clearings at the edge of the 

 mixed deciduous and dry-zone forests. It is a very common 

 small tree or large shrub, springing up in all old farms. The 

 very large bright-green leaves, set opposite to each other on a 

 small, comparatively, stout, green, succulent stem, are most 

 typical of this plant. The fresh leaf, especially on the smaller 

 plants, is not unlike a very open cabbage leaf, but of a lighter 

 green hue. As the plant gets older the leaves do not attain 

 such a size. The flowers are small, but grow on large, open 

 and much-branched spikes. The stem is comparatively soft 

 and pithy, scarcely forming a real woody tissue. When dried 

 they can be used for firewood and kindle easily. Occasionally 

 it is used for making live fences. 

 Vernonia Nigritana (0. and H.). Bitter Leaf. Ewuru or Oko 

 (Yoruba) ; Ihagobo (Benin). 



This is found in the upper part of the Benin province of 

 Nigeria, near Sabongida, in the deciduous zone. A small 

 shrub-like tree, the leaves of which are used for soup. The 

 dried stem is used for kindling wood. The roots are sometimes 

 used as chew-sticks. 

 Vernonia amygdalina. (Del.). The Bitter Leaf. Ewuru (Yoruba), 

 Oriwu (Benin). 



Yoruba Chew-stick, also known as the Chew-stick of Ewuro, 

 thereby clearly showing the Yoruba origin of some of the in- 

 habitants of Sierra Leone, as Ewuro is also the name of it in 

 the Sierra Leone country. 



It is found in the Abeokuta, Ibadan and Benin provinces, 

 where it grows in openings in the mixed forests. 



It is a small shrub, reaching a height of about 5 feet, 

 having soft leaves, with rather a greyish tint, which are covered 

 with very fine silvery hairs. It is commonly found in old farms 

 and by the side of the roads, usually in small bushes or clumps. 



It sprouts up when cut down, and thoroughly shades the 

 ground. However, it is sometimes so thick that it rather 

 hinders plantation operations, though once the other plants 

 are established it acts as a useful little " nurse." The leaves 

 are picked off by the natives and cooked in water for making 



