258 
WEST AFRICAN FORESTS AND FORESTRY 
It is a shade-bearing and slow-growing shrub, with soil- 
protecting and soil-improving qualities. It serves a very 
useful purpose amongst the undergrowth in the forest. Natural 
regeneration appears to be fair, but no plantations have been 
made with this species. The nuts have not been tested in the 
export market. Amongst the natives the nuts are very popular, 
and it is the only use which they have for this shrub. This 
chiefly refers to the Benin district. 
Heisteria sp.?. Benin Nut, Edible Nut. Evialegbi (Benin). 
It is found chiefly in the Benin province of Nigeria, though 
probably its area of distribution extends to the Ondo and 
Ogoja provinces as well. It is a tall, comparatively thin- 
boled tree in proportion to its height. Attaining a girth of 
about 8 feet, the bole is 40 feet in length. The bark is dull 
green and not very thick, being more in the nature of cortex 
than real bark. The most typical feature of the tree is the 
fruit, which is a spherically-shaped nut with a pointed tip. 
When dry, it is marked with shallow groves about half a milli- 
metre apart, all converging to the tip. When cracked, the 
kernel obtained is rather pleasant to the taste, with plenty of 
oil. The timber is a yellowish colour and moderately hard. 
It is fairly durable, though it is attacked by a small wood- 
borer when it is left lying in the forest. It is a moderately 
fast-growing tree, but is a shade-bearing, soil protecting and 
improving tree. Natural regeneration appears to be poor. 
No plantations have yet been made with it, but its yield of 
nuts should be tested. The timber has not yet been exported, 
nor has it been cut for local use. So far, the chief use of the 
tree is the nut, but even here proper tests have not yet been 
made, and it is only the natives who really know the tree. The 
exact oil content has yet to be tested. 
Coula edulis. Nkula in the Gaboon, Gaboon Nut. Omumu 
(Benin). 
An edible nut containing oil. It is nearly round in shape, 
but slightly depressed at the top, with a soft shell. 
Chief Characteristics—The tree is of medium size, with 
narrow crown and small leaves, the fruit being borne on the 
upper side of the branches. It is moderately common near 
Ugo and also on the Siluko road (both in Benin). This is 
apparently a rare tree in reality, and it may be mistaken for 
Ivialegbi. 
The timber is brown with a red tinge, almost hard. 
Native Use.—The nut decorticated is sold in the native 
markets and eaten as a delicacy. 
Value.—According to report made some years ago, it was 
