128 NIGERIANORTHERN PROVINCES 



partly due to the extermination of the vines by the 

 wasteful process of preparing root rubber. 



Sources. The following are the trees and plants which 

 have been used for extracting rubber : 



1. Funtumia elastica. This is only found in a wild 

 state in Southern Kabba and Bassa Provinces, and is 

 recognised under the Yoruba name of " Ire." Small 

 pieces of fairly well-prepared rubber from this tree are 

 occasionally brought in to Lokoja for sale. 



2. Landolphia sp. (probably owariensis). A clean " red 

 nigger " rubber is sold, and is probably obtained from 

 this species. It is generally of good quality, but not 

 plentiful. It appears to be collected as a scrap rubber, 

 and is made up in small irregular balls. 



3. Landolphia sp. " Root rubber," termed locally 

 " Attifufu," and called by the trade " Brown cluster " 

 or " Brown medium." It is probable that several species 

 of vines are used for this, which is not necessarily prepared 

 from the root alone, the whole stem being pounded up. 

 This seems to represent the commonest form of Northern 

 Nigerian rubber, the preparation of which was at one 

 time prohibited. 



4. Landolphia florida or Thompsonii (?). " Paste rub- 

 ber," called locally " Ebo," is prepared from the latex 

 of these vines by boiling with the admixture of " wood 

 oil," or the resinous exudation of Daniellia thurifera, 

 until it reaches the consistency of bird-lime, when it is 

 only capable of being handled in water, in which state 

 it is sold to the merchants, who accumulate it in casks 

 for shipment. It is inferior in quality, and only capable 

 of export for cheap manufactures. 



5. Carpodinus hirsutus. " Flake rubber," called " Ari- 

 bedda," is said to be the product of this vine, which 

 grows commonly in Bassa. It is without resiliency and 

 somewhat resembles the exudations of some of the species 

 of Ficus. 



6. Ficus platyphylla. " Red Kano rubber," or " Bal- 

 lata," known to the Nupe people as " Ogbagba." This is 

 prepared by boiling, without the addition of any foreign 

 matter, and attains the consistency of a hardened paste, 

 similar to the " guttas " made from the latex of the 

 Shea-butter tree (Butyrospermum Parkii). It is dis- 

 tinguished in the Kano Province by the name 



