898 WEST AFRICAN FORESTS AND FORESTRY 
up for local use. For the natives this tree forms what is con- 
sidered the best “salt bush” in the Jekri country. It is still 
used for the manufacture of salt, which is considered much 
stronger than and superior to imported salt. It is also used for 
poles, house-building, boat and canoe houses and wharves. 
Vitex grandifolia. Ori (Yoruba) ; Owenkundignon, Oriri Ogikiomi (?) 
(Benin). 
It is found in the Benin, Onitsha, Owerri and Ogoja pro- 
vinces, in the open deciduous forest zone. 
The digitate leaf is much larger than that of V. Cienkowskz, 
and on the whole the tree is larger too, reaching a girth of 
10 feet and a bole length of 30 feet. The fruit is rather larger, 
but similar in shape and taste to the former. The branches 
are very persistent, and coming out more or less in whorls 
from the bole, give the tree a most distinct appearance. 
The sapwood is white and the heartwood at first light- 
brown, and then darker brown. It is rather more open-grained 
than the teak. It does not split very well, but can take nails ; 
neither does it plane easily, but can be worked up to a smooth 
finish. It is very durable and termite-proof. 
At first fast growing and later rather slower, it is on the 
whole a little faster growing than V. Cienkowski. It withstands 
the fires in an extraordinary manner, and only occasionally 
does the bole get so deeply burnt that the tree becomes hollow. 
It bears a large crop of fruit almost every year. 
The timber has not been exported, nor has it been sawn up 
for local use. It deserves further attention than it has received 
up to the present, more especially as it is of the same family 
as the teak. 
Native Use.—The fruit is eaten, and occasionally the smaller 
trees are used for house-building. 
Vitex Cienkowskiz. Ori, nla (Yoruba). 
It is a medium-sized tree, attaining a girth of about 8 feet 
and a bole length of about 25 feet. The bark is rough, divided 
up with long, narrow vertical fissures, which are more or less 
regular in their distribution. The crown is spherical, somewhat 
widespreading, and usually occupies about half the height of 
the tree. The large, shiny, dark-green digitate leaf is most 
characteristic of the tree. The fruit, not unlike a large acorn 
without the cup, is edible and has a slight honey taste. It 
attracts the bees from far and near. 
This tree is found in the Oyo and Abeokuta provinces of 
Nigeria. 
Timber.—Hard, brown wood, very similar to teak. It is 
often rather knotty and sometimes cross-grained. 
