452 WEST AFRICAN FORESTS AND FORESTRY 
at the Imperial Institute, the analysis of Nsa-sana kernels and Tsung 
oil showed : 
Oil ee Bans: Commercial Tsung Oil. 
Specific gravity ss -. | 0°9320 (at 20° C.) 0: 933-0-° 942 (at 15°5° C.) 
Saponification value ws 191-6 190-197 
Iodine value .. nis ae 147°7 149-165 
Hehner value ee es 95°2 96°3 
Titer test .. is on 35°7° C. 37° 1-37: 2° C. 
Despite the large quantities of nuts available, especially in the 
Abeokuta, Benin and Calabar provinces, the difficulty of cracking 
the nuts satisfactorily and buying them cheap enough has so far 
precluded an export trade from being built up. Owing to the low 
percentage of oil in the whole nut it is evident that it would 
not pay to ship the uncracked nuts. So far no plantations have been 
made with this tree, but it comes up very readily and plentifully in 
old abandoned farms of the mixed forest zone. In open localities, 
with plenty of light, the tree begins to bear between the seventh and 
tenth year, and almost each year there is a large crop of fruit. From 
larger trees the yield appears to be over one bushel of nuts per tree 
per annum. 
The curious nut-like fruits of Ubellu, Benin, supposed to be a 
species of Microdesmis, have not been examined as to their oil or other 
content. Soon after falling to the ground they break up irito a white 
putty-like substance, which has a very peculiar, almost sulphurous, 
smell, and sometimes rather phosphoric. The nuts are spherical and 
rather more than half an inch in diameter. The tree is found chiefly 
in Benin, also in the Abeokuta and Calabar provinces. 
Among the Euphorbiacez is the creeper, Manniphyton sp., known 
as Okwe to the Benis. The spherically shaped fruit with four raised 
ribs on its surface is cut open and contains one large round nut. It 
is about one inch in diameter. This is boiled for a few hours and is 
then edible, after the thin dark-brown husk has been removed. It can 
be peeled off with the fingers. The nut has a pleasant mealy taste 
and is very satisfying. Further examination would show whether it 
contains a valuable oil, and in what quantity. So far it has not 
been cultivated. 
Of the Cucurbitacer, the seeds of Citrullus vulgaris, known as 
Ikpan by the Efiks or Egusi bara by the Yorubas, have been 
examined at the Imperial Institute } and found to contain from 40 to 
41 per cent. of a pale-yellow oil. It is a common plant in the more open 
farms of the forest and does not demand a very high rainfall—45 
1 Colonial Report, 88, Oil Seeds, Fats and Waxes, Imperial Institute, 1914. 
