144 WEST AFRICAN FORESTS AND FORESTRY 
Leaves simple and broad; the small, white flowers are in 
panicles a foot long. The wood is entirely like the V. 
Cienkowskit. 
Avicennia Africana. Amu-ati (Ewe). 
A broad-spreading leafy tree from 39 to 482 feet in height, 
and about 7 inches in diameter; leaves dark green, the under- 
side grey, and flowers 4 smudgy white. Its wood is used for 
boat-building in Gabun, but little known elsewhere. It is 
closely allied to the Avicennia officinalis of East Africa, 
which has a beautiful, violet-coloured wood ; is very hard and 
heavy. 
Bignoniacee. 
Spathodea campanulata. Adadasé (Ewe) ; Ghetschigbetschi (Atak- 
pame). 
A wonderful leafy tree, 974 feet in height, with wide- 
spreading crown of foliage, and greyish-green warty trunk. 
In the flowering time the tree is a mass of crimson flowers— 
a beautiful sight in the coast woods and on the hill slopes. 
In Europe it goes by the name of tulip-tree. The buds are 
filled with a sweet, watery fluid, which the children use as 
squirts. The wood should be of great service, but does not 
seem to be used. 
Newbouldia levis. Lifui (Ewe); Akinale (Tschandjo); Aboboé 
(Atakpame). 
A medium-sized prairie tree, found plentifully also near the 
villages, where the small branches are used as material for 
fences, When the tree is young, it stands very erect, but later 
the remarkably long branches bend to the ground. The flowers 
are either rose-coloured, violet, or bright blue. The bright- 
coloured wood is fairly heavy, uniform in texture, very similar 
to the V. Cienkowskii. 
Markhamia tomentosa. Tschitschifie (Atakpame). 
Appears to grow only among the mountains. The flowers 
are yellow, with red stripes ; the leaves and husks both yellowish 
brown. Children use the flower buds as playthings. The 
wood is like that of the Newbouldia levis. 
Markhamia lutea. . 
Usually found as a shrub, but occasionally to the height of 
19} to 26 feet high, with rough or warty, blackish bark, and 
yellow flowers in great quantities. 
Stereospermum Kunthianum. Essobelia (Tschandjo); Eké-dekd 
(Atakpame). 
A small tree seldom found taller than 32} feet, a greenish- 
grey bark, divested of leaves. When in bloom it has much the 
