THE NIGERIAN TIMBER TREES 271 
the soil properly, though the foliage is comparatively dense 
for that type of tree. It is slow-growing. No plantations 
have been made. 
It does not attain sufficient size for export, but it might 
be tried for local ‘turnery work. It is useful for local hut- 
building. 
Native Use.—House-building, and the roots when boiled 
are used in medicine as a tonic. 
Afrormosia elata. African Satinwood, Yellow Satinwood. Ayin 
(Yoruba); Anyeran, Anyesan, Ehranobapotineddo (Benin) ; 
Egbi (Ibadan) ; Elo Uta (Ibo, Owerri). 
A very conspicuous tree, with its orange-red trunk near 
the base, gradually shading off to yellow higher up, and towards 
the branches a light-green colour. Large, irregular-shaped 
pieces of bark fall off from time to time, in a similar way to 
the plane-tree of Europe, though with its reddish trunk it is 
not so much like the plane as Afzelia Africana. The root 
flanges or spurns are very thin and do not extend beyond about 
three feet up the stem of the tree. In plate No. 82 one of 
these trees, growing near Benin, shows the open, rather narrow 
crown with its few main limbs supporting it. 
It is commonest in the Benin, but also found in the Ondo, 
Owerri and Calabar provinces in the moist evergreen forests. 
It is also seen in secondary forests of the same zone. 
The timber planes well, but does not split. It saws easily, 
but takes nails with difficulty. It is sometimes figured, espe- 
cially logs from the base of the tree. 
It is pretty easily killed by fire at the roots, though other- 
wise it tends to spread with cultivation. The sapwood is 
almost white and the heartwood a yellowish-green, when 
fresh, but a dull yellow when dry. It is very hard and with- 
stands the attacks of white ants (termites). Even the sap- 
wood of a young tree had not rotted after six years near the 
bank of the Ogba, Benin province. It grows moderately 
quickly. 
The flower is inconspicuous and small, and the pod is also 
small, being about 2} inches long and } inch broad, containing 
two or three flat seeds. The tree does not bear very heavily, 
and in consequence natural regeneration is not very good, 
though such seeds as actually form properly seem to germinate 
well. In youth it bears some shade, but in middle age seems 
to be almost a light-demander. 
Although when freshly cut the wood does not float, when 
thoroughly dry it would not be difficult to float it with a lighter 
species. 
