THE NIGERIAN TIMBER TREES 355 
are covered with epiphytic ferns or orchids. Occasionally, 
once @ year or once in two or three years, the branches of the 
trees standing nearest to a Cola are cut away and the ground 
immediately surrounding a Cola tree is cleared of undergrowth. 
The crop of fruit borne varies very much from year to year. 
One year a native may make a pound or so from his Cola tree, 
whereas in another he perhaps makes very little. 
The sapwood is white and the heartwood a dull whitish- 
yellow. It is moderately hard, very close grained and of fine 
texture, with a dull lustre; is moderately durable, but is liable 
to be attacked by a very small furniture borer. It is termite- 
proof. It planes well, does not split easily, takes nails and 
saws well. It is apparently an excellent wood for carving. 
It does not shrink nor warp very much. It is more durable 
for interior work than for outside, where it is liable to get soft 
and to crumble away. It is sometimes brittle; it does not 
burn well. 
Native Use.—The fruit is eaten and is used as an article 
of export both to the Northern Provinces and also to the Con- 
tinent. The wood is used for making “ Ju-jus” (Esu—the 
Devil) (Images of the King); otherwise it is not cut in the 
Benin country. 
Cola Afzelit, Monkey Cola Tree. Obidu, Obiedun, Ebidun (Yoru- 
ba); Awohebitan (Benin). 
The brilliant red fruits, about twelve joined together in 
a spherical bunch, are usually quite a feature of the small tree. 
The leaves are digitate, but joined at the base, so in reality 
only a single leaf. It is a much-branched tree with yellowish- 
grey bark. The crown is much divided, and sometimes the. 
branches almost appear as if in large whorls. 
It is found in the Oyo, Abeokuta, Ondo, Benin, Owerri, 
Calabar and Ogoja provinces of Nigeria. 
The wood is white and softish and not durable. It is most 
common at the edge of the evergreen forest. It attains a 
girth of about 6 feet and a bole length of about 15 feet. It 
is a light-lover, though it stands a considerable amount of shade 
in its youth. 
Native Use.—The wood is used for the stock of a cross-bow 
in the Benin country, and the seeds are eaten at any time. 
Cola sp. Obiedum (Yoruba); Ewoha (Benin). 
This is a comparatively common tree of the Benin, Abeo- 
kuta and Ondo provinces of Nigeria. It is the original Cola 
of the forest; a medium-sized tree with the typical Cola 
foliage, found growing singly. It does not appear to bear 
very heavily, and apparently in some places the local people 
