THE NIGERIAN TIMBER TREES 409 
The branch is used. It has to be placed on a boy’s head 
and is said to make him grow. The boys do it themselves in 
the Benin country, The wood is also a firewood in Benin. 
Composite. 
Vernonia conferta. Big-leaf African Cabbage Tree. Onimagugun, 
Shapo (Yoruba); Orimagugu, Oriweni, Onamagungun (Benin). 
It is found in the Abeokuta, Ibadan, Benin, Onitsha and 
Ogoja provinces of Nigeria, in clearings at the edge of the 
mixed deciduous and dry-zone forests. It is a very common 
small tree or large shrub, springing up in all old farms. The 
very large bright-green leaves, set opposite to each other on a 
small, comparatively, stout, green, succulent stem, are most 
typical of this plant. The fresh leaf, especially on the smaller 
plants, is not unlike a very open cabbage leaf, but of a lighter 
green hue. As the plant gets older the leaves do not attain 
such a size. The flowers are small, but grow on large, open 
and much-branched spikes. The stem is comparatively soft 
and pithy, scarcely forming a real woody tissue. When dried 
they can be used for firewood and kindle easily. Occasionally 
it is used for making live fences. 
Vernonia Nigritana (O. and H.). Bitter Leaf. Ewuru or Oko 
(Yoruba) ; Ihagobo (Benin). 
This is found in the upper part of the Benin province of 
Nigeria, near Sabongida, in the deciduous zone. A small 
shrub-like tree, the leaves of which are used for soup. The 
dried stem is used for kindling wood. The roots are sometimes 
used as chew-sticks. 
Vernonia amygdalina. (Del.). The Bitter Leaf. Ewuru (Yoruba), 
Oriwu (Benin). 
Yoruba Chew-stick, also known as the Chew-stick of Ewuro, 
thereby clearly showing the Yoruba origin of some of the in- 
habitants of Sierra Leone, as Ewuro is also the name of it in 
the Sierra Leone country. 
It is found in the Abeokuta, Ibadan and Benin provinces, 
where it grows in openings in the mixed forests. 
It is a small shrub, reaching a height of about 5 feet, 
having soft leaves, with rather a greyish tint, which are covered 
with very fine silvery hairs. It is commonly found in old farms 
and by the side of the roads, usually in small bushes or clumps. 
It sprouts up when cut down, and thoroughly shades the 
ground. However, it is sometimes so thick that it rather 
hinders plantation operations, though once the other plants 
are established it acts as a useful little “nurse.” The leaves 
are picked off by the natives and cooked in water for making 
