394 WEST AFRICAN FORESTS AND FORESTRY 
sprouts well from the stump, and a certain number of root 
suckers appear. It stands pruning well. 
The tree does not really reach a large enough size to yield 
export timber, or to be of much value for local use. It is, 
however, commonly used as a swizzle-stick. 
In places where building timber is scarce, it is occasionally 
used in house-building. It could be, and sometimes is, used 
as a live fence. 
Polyodoa umbellata (Stapf.). Oak or Boxwood. Aini (Egba) ; 
Erin (Yoruba); Osu (Benin). 
It is a medium-sized tree which grows to a girth of 4 feet. 
The young stem is easily recognized by the longitudinal strips 
of lenticels, joined together with the dark-green cortex, showing 
between each strip. When older, lenticels appear on the stem 
and it may be quite grey or white. 
The wood is a dirty yellow colour and very hard, resembling 
box in the fineness and the hardness of its grain. It is used 
by the natives for making combs for the hair; these combs 
have six prongs about 6 inches long and are sold at 6d. to Is. 
apiece. It is used for house-building, and is considered the 
most durable timber for this purpose ; it is forked about 15 to 
20 feet from the ground. The bark is used medicinally by the 
natives (Yorubas). 
The leaves are a yellowish-green, gradually turning a rich 
dark-green. The small greengage-sized fruits appear in pairs 
at the ends of the shoots, and occasionally in threes, but this 
is rare. 
It likes moist ground, though it will stand a long dry season, 
so long as it has the shade of other trees. It is a distinct shade- 
bearer, though it grows a fair height when it hasa chance. The 
flowers are white and have a very pleasant smell. 
Only a very small quantity of latex exudes when the tree 
is cut, and so does not give the impression of belonging to 
the rubber family of Apocynacez. 
The sapwood is a similar colour to the heartwood. It is 
not always straight, but this is owing to its slow growth causing 
it to be amongst the dominated trees. In older trees the 
stem is usually quite white, except where the bark has been 
removed. 
A sample was sent to England in 1914 and was said to 
be valueless as a substitute for boxwood. In 1906 samples 
were shipped to Liverpool, where it was sold as a species of 
oak at 1s. 9d. per cubic foot, but it was not considered as good 
as that obtained from Awaw, Eba, Lophia procera or Ostryo- 
derris impressa. 
