GUIDE TO TIMBERS OF NIGERIA . 25 



sonii, but below is called " Guarea sp." The plank is marked 

 " Sida," but this name is common to more than one species. 

 The other species mentioned under the same heading (No. 13, 

 Lagos) appears to us to be Lovoa (see that species). 



VERNACULAR NAMES.' For G. Thompsonii : Akpaku ; Cedar ; 

 Cedar-Mahogany ; Close-grained Mahogany ; Scented Mahog- 

 any ; Obobonikwi ; Sida ; Sidu (both common to other 

 species). For the other species mentioned by Unwin (1920, 

 p. 329) : Cedar Mahogany ; Scented Mahogany ; Sida ; 

 Sendar ; Odogbo ; Akokogbo ; Obobonufwa ; Akpaku. 



Unwin's description does not accord very well with our 

 specimen, inasmuch as the latter can hardly be said to resemble 

 a Mahogany, and has not the characteristic smell stated by 

 that author to be shared by both species mentioned by him. 



Description from the specimen No. 4035 as above. 



GENERAL CHARACTERS. A wood of medium weight and 

 somewhat hard, of a pleasing pale nut-brown colour relieved 

 in tang. sec. by a pretty zigzag tracery in paler greyish -brown 

 lines. Surface lustrous in patches, reminding one of satin- 

 wood, and of beautiful effect ; dry to the touch and rather 

 cool. Grain, rather fine on account of the small number of 

 the pores, very cross-grained with undulating fibres. Shade 

 of the transverse section rather darker than that of the others. 



STRUCTURE. Fairly visible on trans, section ; decidedly 

 characteristic. 



Transverse section. (Prepared with glass-paper.) See PI. II, 

 fig. 4. 



Parenchyma readily visible and abundant ; of one kind 

 only sheathing the vessels and extending into nearly continuous 

 concentric lines, which are frequently undulating and anastomos- 

 ing ; irregular in width and at intervals of about twice their 

 own width ; number per mm. 2-4 ; colour very light buff ; 

 sometimes there is a narrow zone of fibres where the lines 

 are lacking and the vessels very few. Proportion of the 

 wood about one-third. 



Vessels visible to the unaided eye as perforations, medium in 

 size and regular ; shape, round ; very widely isolated and few 

 and irregular in distribution, there being as many as 5 per sq. 

 mm. in some places, while in others there are areas of more 

 than a sq. mm. in which no vessels occur. Mostly single, 



