THE NIGERIAN TIMBER TREES 278 
Pterocarpus Osun. African Padouk or Barwood. Osun, Osun 
dudu (Yoruba); Ume, Ureben (Benin); Opepe (Ikala, Ijor). 
It is found in the Ogoja and Calabar provinces of Nigeria, 
in the mixed deciduous forest zone, where it is none too preva- 
lent. A specimen was found near Ibami, in the Obubra district. 
It is a small tree with small yellow flowers and rather small 
leaves. The branches are placed close together and the crown 
is very dark and thick. The bole is short, rarely exceeding 
15 feet in length, and the bark a dark brown colour. The bole 
reaches a girth of about 5 feet. 
The sapwood is white and the heartwood of a dull-red 
colour, but in proportion the sapwood is rather wide. It is 
moderately hard, fairly durable, but not termite-proof. It 
planes well, saws easily, takes nails ; it does not split very well. 
It is a somewhat slow-growing, shade-bearing, soil-pro- 
tecting and soil-improving tree. Natural regeneration does 
not appear to be very good. It is doubtful if it sprouts from 
the stump. It has not been cut for export, nor has it been 
felled for local use. 
On the Cross River the Camwood was sold to the European 
merchants, at the rate of 409 billets per ton, for £4 10s., so that 
with the added cost of river and ocean freight and sale charges, 
there was no profit when it was being sold at £6 10s. per ton 
in the Liverpool market. Better prices are always secured 
if it is shipped in squared logs, 24 inches square and 24 to 
30 feet in length. 
Apparently it is not the Camwood used by the natives, 
because plenty of trees are seen scattered about in the neigh- 
bourhood of Obubra untouched 
Pterocarpus erinaceus. African Rosewood. Apepe, Ara (Yoruba) ; 
Oyo, Upeka (Benin). 
This tree grows in the dry-zone savannah forests of the Ogoja 
province of Nigeria. It is of small size ; the flowers, which are 
yellow, appear in March. The timber is of little value, the tree 
not being large enough to yield a useful timber, but it has been 
sold as African Rosewood. It has a beautiful rose-red colour. 
Pterocarpus sp. So-called Camwood. Osun pupa (Yoruba) ; 
Akume (Benin); also spineless fruited Camwood. 
It is found in the Calabar, Ogoja, Benin and Ondo provinces 
of Nigeria. On the bank of the Cross River, near the Ossizza 
factory, there is a large specimen, standing about 20 feet away 
from the water’s edge. 
It is not very common, and chiefly found near river banks 
in the evergreen forest towards their northern limit. It is a 
medium-sized tree, reaching a girth of 9 feet at the most 
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