836 WEST AFRICAN FORESTS AND FORESTRY 
«lm. The leaf is of similar size and shape, the bark peels off 
in fibrous layers, but is otherwise fissured in lattice-work 
fashion. For the size of the tree the bark is comparatively 
thin ; the slash is light-brown, sometimes a whitish-grey. The 
sapwood is white and the heartwood is dark-brown and very 
hard. It saws well, but is almost impossible to split, and it 
will not take nails. It has a short bole of about 20 feet, is 
deciduous for a few days in the year, but is otherwise a soil- 
protecting and soil-improving tree. Samples were at one time 
on the way to be exported, but were sunk by accident, the 
wood, of course, being much heavier than water. 
The natives occasionally use it for house-building. 
Ezxcecaria sp. Orupa (Yoruba). 
It is a small tree, up to 18 inches in girth, with smooth, 
yellowish-red bark, and has maple-like seeds in pairs joined 
at the base. The stem gives a greyer impression than that 
of Ormosia laxiflora, and it is also much smoother. 
Distribution.—It is found in the dry-zone forest of the 
Ibadan, Abeokuta and Onitsha provinces of Nigeria. 
Timber.—Not very hard: and of a yellowish colour. 
Native Use.—The bark and roots are used medicinally. It 
is sold in the Lagos medicine market. 
Antidesma venosum. Aroro (Yoruba). 
It is a small tree, about 9 feet high. Found in the Oloke- 
meji Reserve. 
Antidesma sp. Ogbamaton (Benin). 
Found in the Benin province. 
Tragia Manniana. Esisi (Yoruba); Ogangan (Benin). 
Found in the Ondo and Benin provinces. 
Microdesmis puberula (Hook.). The Benin Apata Wood. Apata 
(Yoruba); Ehranpata, Esanpata, Omomeran (Benin). 
It is found in the Abeokuta, Ibadan and Benin provinces 
of Nigeria. 
It is a small tree with' hard wood of a brown colour. It 
reaches about 15 feet high with a girth of about 12 inches. 
On the whole this is a slow-growing, soil-protecting and 
soil-improving shrub. It serves a useful purpose in the under- 
growth and is of local value as well. 
Native Use.—The wood is used for making the musical 
instrument known to the Benin as Apata, a kind of harp- 
shaped frame made of wire, but much smaller. 
Microdesmis sp. Essunsun, Ubelluname, Ubellunowe (Benin) ; 
Njorgora (Oban, Ekoi); Akiti (Ibo Owerri). 
It is a common tree of the Benin, Ondo, Ogoja and Calabar 
provinces of Nigeria. A medium-sized tree of about 6 feet 
