OIL BEANS, SEEDS AND NUTS 455 
Apparently an oil seed, probably Philiodiscus, 2 member of the 
Sapindacee family, has been examined at the Imperial Institute 
and has been found to contain a non-drying oil, which was free from 
taste and smell. It should, therefore, be of value for eating or for 
making a white soap. 
Sapotacex, Butyrospermum Parkii.—In recent years larger quan- 
tities of Shea nuts, which are the product of this tree, have been 
exported from West Africa, especially Nigeria, as also Shea butter, 
which is manufactured locally from the nuts. In the varieties Tengba 
and Bomo the quantity varied from “54:5 per cent. to 48 per cent.,” 
and these were obtained from the Southern Provinces of Nigeria. In 
the two varieties exported from the Northern Provinces, those known 
as Eko showed a length of nut varying from 1-5 to 2°5 inches, and the 
Giddouchi variety 1-4 inches long. Owing to the wide prevalence of 
this tree much larger quantities could be exported, but many of the 
forests containing it are situated far away from means of trans- 
port, and no very suitable method has yet been found of manufacturing 
the butter on a big scale locally. At present it is made by certain 
women who know the process, which takes nearly three days to 
complete. According to the Imperial Institute the results of the 
analysis of Shea butter are:1 
Fat from Fat from 
From Lagos. Untreated Kiln-dried 
Kernels. Kernels. 
Specific gravity at 100/15°5° C. 0-862 _— _— 
Acid value ait ae a 18°0 33°9 26°2 
Saponification value .. 179-0 181-2 180°2 
Todine value 58°7 59-4 55°8 
Hehner value .. 6 96°5 — — 
Unsaponifiable value . . 1:7 _ —_— 
Titer test 52°0°C —_ _ 
The fat obtained from the Northern Provinces and the Gold Coast 
shows very similar contents. 
Mimusops, sp. Djave ?.—The nuts of this species closely resemble 
those of the Shea Butter Tree. The nuts are a light-brown colour, 
about two inches long, and one to one and a half inches in diameter, 
with roundly pointed ends. Rather more than half the surface of the 
nut is smooth and shiny, and the other half is rough and dull, and 
the whole of it is very hard. When dry it is, however, comparatively 
easily separated from the kernel. The fresh kernels are cream- 
coloured. According to the Imperial Institute the yield of fat 
extracted by solvents is 60-2 per cent., or 37°7 per cent. from the 
1 Colonial Report, 88, Oil Seeds, Fats and Waxes, Imperial Institute, 1914. 
