452 WEST AFRICAN FORESTS AND FORESTRY 



at the Imperial Institute, the analysis of Nsa-sana kernels and Tsung 

 oil showed : 



Specific gravity 

 Saponification value 

 Iodine value . . 

 Hehner value 

 Titer test 



Oil from Nsa-sana 

 Kernels. 



0-9320 (at 20°C.) 



191-6 



147-7 

 95-2 

 35-7° C. 



Commercial Tsung Oil. 



0-933-0-942 (at 15-5° C.) 



190-197 



149-165 



96-3 



37- 1-37-2° C. 



Despite the large quantities of nuts available, especially in the 

 Abeokuta, Benin and Calabar provinces, the difficulty of cracking 

 the nuts satisfactorily and buying them cheap enough has so far 

 precluded an export trade from being built up. Owing to the low 

 percentage of oil in the whole nut it is evident that it would 

 not pay to ship the uncracked nuts. So far no plantations have been 

 made with this tree, but it comes up very readily and plentifully in 

 old abandoned farms of the mixed forest zone. In open localities, 

 with plenty of light, the tree begins to bear between the seventh and 

 tenth j^ear, and almost each year there is a large crop of fruit. From 

 larger trees the yield appears to be over one bushel of nuts per tree 

 per annum. 



The curious nut-like fruits of Ubellu, Benin, supposed to be a 

 species of Microdesmis, have not been examined as to their oil or other 

 content. Soon after falling to the ground they break up into a white 

 putty-like substance, which has a very peculiar, almost sulphurous, 

 smell, and sometimes rather phosphoric. The nuts are spherical and 

 rather more than half an inch in diameter. The tree is found chiefly 

 in Benin, also in the Abeokuta and Calabar provinces. 



Among the Euphorbiacese is the creeper, Manniphyton sp„ known 

 as Ok we to the Benis. The spherically shaped fruit with four raised 

 ribs on its surface is cut open and contains one large round nut. It 

 is about one inch in diameter. This is boiled for a few hours and is 

 then edible, after the thin dark-brown husk has been removed. It can 

 be peeled off with the fingers. The nut has a pleasant mealy taste 

 and is very satisfying. Further examination would show whether it 

 contains a valuable oil, and in what quantity. So far it has not 

 been cultivated. 



Of the Cucurbitacese, the seeds of Citrullus vulgaris, known as 

 Ikpan by the Efiks or Egusi bara by the Yorubas, have been 

 examined at the Imperial Institute ^ and found to contain from 40 to 

 41 per cent, of a pale-yellow oil. It is a common plant in the more open 

 farms of the forest and does not demand a very high rainfall — 45 

 ^ Colonial Report, 88, Oil Seeds, Fats and Waxes, Imperial Institute, 1914. 



