250 WEST AFRICAN FORESTS AND FORESTRY 
rays, more especially in the root. In cross section the root 
looks almost porous. 
Native Use-—Amongst the Yorubas the bark is used medi- 
cinally and the wood for doors, benches and matchet handles. 
It grows very fast and likes light. Scale insects like to 
make their nests in a junction of a branch with the stem, 
where there is quite a hollow. In youth the firm and almost 
horizontal branches are quite a contrast to the long, up-shoot- 
ing or drooping branches of Oroko. It has not been cut 
either for local use or for export. 
The roots are used for making corks in the Calabar district. 
It is used often as a “ Ju-ju” tree, like the Iroko, chiefly in 
the Calabar Division. The hunters sit near the tree, when 
in fruit, because the Maxwell’s Duika, Yellow-backed Duika, 
Red-headed Duika, etc., eat the fruit. The bark is used in 
sections for making bags by sewing the two ends together, 
as well as one side. 
Antiaris sp. Ovu (Benin). 
It is a common tree in the Benin and Ondo provinces of 
Nigeria. It is medium-sized, reaching a girth of 9 feet and 
a bole length of about 50 feet. The leaf is larger, but the 
crown appears thicker and heavier than Antiaris toxiaria. 
The seed is the same size as Antiaris T., but the root spurns 
are very slight, even less than Antiaris T. The branches spread 
out from the stem, thus making the crown longer and narrower 
than Antiaris T. In this respect the Antiaris sp. is more like 
the Oroko than the Antiaris T. 
The timber is white and soft. No proper heartwood. It 
splits well. 
It is a shade-bearer and is often found in the thick forest. 
It grows much slower than Antiaris T. 
It has not been cut for local use or exported to Europe. 
Perhaps it could be tried for wood pulp. 
In Benin the branches of this tree are used for making 
figures of their ancestors, which are placed outside the house. 
The bark is used for making bags in a similar way to that of 
Antiaris T. It is also used for making rope or string for 
tying bags. 
Antiarus sp. Cedar-like Lauro. Oregbon I (Yoruba) ; Opputtu 
(Benin). 
It is a common tree found in the Benin and Abeokuta 
provinces of Nigeria. It is very similar in habit and shape 
to the Antiarus toxiaria, but it does not attain nearly such a 
large size. The tree exudes very fine, white latex in a very 
small quantity. The timber is soft and white and not durable. 
