THE NIGERIAN TIMBER TREES 291 
It is found in the Benin, Ondo, Abeokuta, Calabar, 
Owerri and Ogoja provinces of ‘Nigeria. 
It is a medium-sized tree, with a pod, which is usually slightly 
crumpled or bent, containing about six or eight black nuts, 
with a red aril at the base, and each nut is pointed more, and 
less rounded, than in A. Africana. On the whole it is found 
more in the deciduous mixed forest than on the edge or in 
the dry-zone forest region, where A. Africana abounds. The 
bark does not scale off so much as that of A. Africana. It 
stands more shade than A. Africana. It does not reach such 
large dimensions, though logs up to 18 inches square and 
24 feet in length could be obtained. 
Up to the present the tree has not been cut to the same 
extent as A. Africana, though the wood is very similar and 
apparently just as durable. 
No separate report has been made on the timber as to its 
value in the European markets. 
Afzelia bella. Calabar Afzelia. Aligna (Benin). 
It is found in the Calabar province of Nigeria. It is more 
common in the Cameroons. 
It is a small tree, with large white flowers with a pretty, 
reddish streak in each petal. The pod is of usual Afzelia size 
and appears rather large for the size of the tree. The type 
specimen stands on the Calabar Golf Course, between the seventh 
and eighth holes. It is apparently uncommon, though more 
may be found on closer study of the forests. The fruits appear 
to have the same qualities as those of other Afzelias. In 
Nigeria it has so far not been utilized. The bark is not so 
scaly as that of A. Africana. 
Afzelia pachyloba (nov. sp.). Forest Afzelia or Yellow Aril. Apa 
(Yoruba) ; Orodo (Benin). 
It is a medium-sized tree, with long, pointed nuts with a 
bright sulphur-coloured aril instead of the orange-colour of 
Africana or red of Cuanzensis. It does not appear to be such 
a common tree as A. Africana, but much the same number 
of trees as that of A. cuanzensis. 
It is found in the evergreen forests of Ondo, Benin and 
Abeokuta provinces of Nigeria. 
The sapwood is white and the heartwood is brown. It 
is very hard, almost as hard as Lophira, according to the natives. 
Self-sown seedlings do not appear in large numbers. 
It is used for similar purposes as A. Africana. It is a shade- 
bearing and soil-improving tree. 
No separate report has been made on the timber, and so 
far it has not been exported to the English markets. 
