64 GUIDE TO TIMBERS OF NIGERIA 



is the whole of the tissue, which accounts for the slight sticki- 

 ness of the surface. Strings of white beads (crystals) come 

 out clearly in this section. 



Density, No. 3010, 0-997, or about 62 Ib. per cu. ft. 

 3337, 0-89, 55J 



Mitragyne macrophylla, Hiern. Rubiaceae. 

 Gen. No. 3005. 



Synonym. Mamboga stipulosa, Welw. 



LOCALITIES. Gold Coast, Ivory Coast, Togo, Nigeria, 

 Congo, Nile -land. 



VERNACULAR NAMES. Abura ; Atchipon ; Apuro ; Bahia 

 (com. to Sarcocephalus) ; Bois de Bahia ; Baya ; Bodo 

 Bulokossa ; Burokossa ; Ebar ; Elelom ; Elelou ; Fofo 

 Gofa ; Kobodigansu ; Mboi ; Mungo ; M'vuku maza 

 Ntowo ; Ogouwa ; Opepe, false ; Osikiba ; Sefono ; Sofo 

 Soufo ; Tilleul d'afrique ; Togba ; Ubuen ; Ugbodokossa 

 Ya-ya ; Yahyah ; Yar-yah ; Yaya ; Yowi ; Yuku ; Oganedjo 

 Elelommzame ; Ossoupou. 



Description of the wood from specimens Nos. 3016 (Empire 

 Timber Exhibition, 1920), 3286 (from Oni), 3611 (from 

 Lagos) and 4040 (from Benin) all " Abura," received from the 

 Government of Nigeria. Our specimens Nos. 2841 HS. 

 "Supuwa; Osupuwa " 3088 HS. "Mboi" from the Gold 

 Coast, and 3798 " Nturgo " from a commercial source, all 

 agree, but No. 2842 HS. " Yaryah " from the G.C. and other 

 specimens of " Apuro " from the same Colony, do not. 



GENERAL CHARACTERS. A wood of medium weight and 

 hardness and of a warm brown colour splashed with darker 

 patches caused by cross-grain. These patches form a rough 

 zigzag tracery here and there. The wood resembles that of 

 the European Pear-tree. Chevalier (1909, p. 228) says, " colour 

 light yellow tinged with pink." Surface dull. Would soil 

 readily ; rather warm and velvety to the touch. Grain, medium 

 coarse and open. Shade of the transverse section very slightly 

 darker than that of the other sections. Smell, faint, perhaps 

 a little spicy. 



STRUCTURE. Very characteristic and unusual. 

 Transverse section. (Prepared with pumice-stone ; very 

 troublesome.) 



