888 WEST AFRICAN FORESTS AND FORESTRY 
Anacardiacee. 
Spondias lutea. Non-indigenous Hog Plum or Yellow Plum. 
Iyeye, Akika Aka (Yoruba) ; Ogikan or Ogege (Benin) ; Nsuka- 
kara (Efik). 
Although indigenous to India, it has become very wide- 
spread in its area of distribution in Africa, where it is found, 
partly planted or as a “ garden escape,” in all the Southern 
Provinces of Nigeria. It is a medium-sized tree, reaching a 
girth of about 5 feet and a height of about 50 feet. The very 
evenly and comparatively deeply fissured bark, in comparison 
to the size of the tree, is the most typical feature of it. A 
very open crown, and few straight upward- and outward-tending 
branches, with very slight side branches and twigs also dis- 
tinguish this tree from many of the forest trees. The little 
yellow fruit, about 1 inch long and } inch in diameter, is 
very much like an elongated Mirabel plum. It is between 
an eighth and a quarter of an inch of yellow flesh when the 
nut or stone is reached inside. The leaves are thin and pinnate, 
with ten to twelve pairs of pinne on each leaf. Sometimes 
the bark is rough and almost prickly. The branches and cortex 
in smaller trees are more or less covered with little nodules 
which sometimes develop into small thorns. The fruit is 
sweet, but rather sharp to the taste, almost tart. It is, 
however, refreshing in the hot weather whilst on the 
march. 
The timber is whitish-yellow, not very hard, although it 
is scarcely attacked by white ants, chiefly perhaps owing to 
the fact that any green piece of wood with some bark on it 
will grow when lying on the ground. It planes well, splits 
easily, and takes nails. 
It is a rapid-growing, light-loving tree which does not 
thoroughly protect the soil nor enrich it very much with its 
foliage. Natural regeneration is poor. It is most readily 
propagated by means of cuttings, which may even be about 
6 inches in diameter and quite as long as posts. With the 
spread of farms and other buildings it tends to become more 
widely distributed over the country. It demands a moist soil 
with a fair amount of depth. 
The timber does not show such qualities as to justify its 
export, but occasionally the larger trees might be sawn up 
for planks for local use. It is very useful for making live 
fences, which grow fast and do not cast much shade. In fruit 
the tree also looks very pretty. 
Native Use.—The tree is used for live fences for gardens 
and farms. The fruit is eaten, but not to an enormous extent, 
