THE NIGERIAN TIMBER TREES 327 
It is one of the most prevalent trees on the banks of the 
Ogba stream in the Benin province, and it is also found in the 
Ondo, Abeokuta, Owerri and Calabar provinces of Nigeria. 
This tree grows to a large size, reaching a girth of over 
12 feet and a bole length of over 60 feet. The root spurns 
are slight compared to Mahogany, extending only from 4 to 
6 feet up the stem. 
Chief Characteristics.—The small, almost quadrangular-shaped 
capsule, which splits open with four sides and centre square in 
section with only eight seeds, two placed on each face, is 
about the size of a little finger. At its base the bole is not 
entitely circular in shape, but tends to form four distinct narrow 
small buttresses, giving it almost a quadrangular shape. The 
bark is a dark brown colour, which gets rougher with old age 
and scales off to a small extent. Compared to the size of the 
tree it is not very thick. In the younger trees it is quite smooth 
and mote of a yellow-brown colour. The leaves are pinnate, 
with three or four pairs of pinnez. The four-sided capsule is 
a most typical feature of this tree, and distinguishes it from 
Entandrophragma. The leaves are of a dark colour. 
The sapwood is white and the heartwood is a good walnut- 
brown, sometimes with very striking dark-brown or black 
streaks in it, The sapwood is comparatively narrow and the 
heartwood farms comparatively early in the life of the tree. 
The wood is only moderately hard ; it planes well, and takes 
nails ; it sawseasily, and splits moderately well. It is, however, 
attacked by termites, but not when used for interior work. 
It shrinks but little and does not warp very much. The grain 
is rather finer than that of the ordinary mahogany, but the 
pores are often much longer. Jt has a pleasant lustre, but tends 
to darken a litile with age, especially when not exposed to the 
brightest light. The tree is a moderately fast-growing, shade- 
bearing species, vith soil-protecting and soil-improving qualities. 
Natural regenertion appears to be moderate. It sprouts 
slightly from the stump. Seed years are none too frequent. 
The seeds themelves are soon eaten by boring insects when 
they lie on the ground ; even when picked up they soon lose 
their germinative >apacity, and should be planted within a month 
of being gathered, as they are so liable to get dry. The tree 
is a little exacting in regard to soil, apparently demanding 
plenty of moistwe, depth and a good deal of humus. No 
plantations have keen made with this tree, but a great’ number 
of isolated trees have been planted by timber-lease holders 
in their areas. 
In 1906 sample of this timber were sold in the Liverpool 
