GUIDE TO TIMBERS OF NIGERIA 37 



ing the ground-tissue in area, being less than their own breadth 

 apart (rare case), never widely spaced (up to 3-4 to a pore- 

 diameter). Very variable in thickness, with a suggestion of 

 false aggregation here and there. Where a ray crosses a 

 line of P. (a) there is a distinct arching or crenation of the 

 line and a suggestion of a node in the ray. Number per mm. 

 8-14 ; somewhat weak, but if they avoid the pores, this 

 avoidance is masked by the P. (a). Proportion of the wood 

 about one-third. 



Ground- tissue-cells just visible with the macroscope, especi- 

 ally in parts of the wood which are tainted by decay. The 

 cells are regularly arranged in rank and file (rare case amongst 

 Dicotyledons). 



Rings apparently defined by a line of P. (c) ; contour 

 regular. 



Radial section. P. (a) and P. (c) both clearly visible. Vessels 

 coarse, but not prominent from lack of contrast ; loculi visible 

 to the unaided eye ; contents, red, scanty. Rays visible by 

 contrast of lustre. 



Tangential section as the radial, but the rays appear as 

 minute lines, which being in parallel produce a fine stippling 

 that even attracts the eye, it is very pronounced on the sap- 

 wood (see fig. 10, PI. I). Height of rays very uniform, up to 

 about ten cells by 1-4 wide arranged in horizontal rows of 

 some three rows to the mm. Vessels very irregular in their 

 course, but there is no zigzag tracery. 



Density, No. 3002, 0-608, or about 38 Ib. per cubic foot. 



SAPWOOD. Colour, oatmeal ; sharply defined from the 

 heartwood ; contour regular. The rays become coloured 

 before the rest of the tissues. On a trans, sec., this feature 

 produces a distinct zoning. 



Pith ? Bark ? 



Afzelia africana, Persoon. 



Leguminosae : Caesalpmeae. Gen. No. 1951. 



Syn. : Intsia Africana, O. Kuntze. 



LOCALITIES. Senegambia, Upper and Lower Guinea, Sierra 

 Leone, Gold Coast, Togo, Nigeria, Gaboon, Congo, Uganda, 

 Rhodesia, British East Africa (Malindi district), Cameroons, 

 French Central Africa. 



