I 
INFORMATION LEA- 
FOREIGN WOC, 
Forest Prcdu cJ;s_i&b_Qrc.t. ory - Forest Service 
U. S. Department of Agriculture 
1951 
AZOBE, 
BONGOSSI, EKKI 
Lophira alata Banks 
var. pro cera (A. Chev.) B. Da\ J 
Family: Ochnaceae 1— 
ELOIS E GERRY, Technologis t 
Division of Silvi cultural Relations 
The Lophiras occur at comparatively low elevations in the central and Atlantic 
coastal areas of tropical Jest Africa, frc:.. ^al to Gabon and ranging into 
Uganda and East Sudan (5 ; 35; 48) J= This is the only genus of commercial 
importance for its timber in the family Ochnaceae . Next to Khayas , Lophiras are 
the commonest trees found, for example,, in the Nigerian forest (48), and ^n all 
large foresxs of tropical Africa (35) . 
Locally and in export trade, the wood from these trees is kno T ..-n by a variety of 
names , mainly as azobe, bongossi, or ekki. It is also known as ironpost and red 
ironwood, with reference to its hardness. The trees are also known as meni-oil 
trees, and misleadingly, due to superficial resemblance, as African oak (5, 9> 
41, 47). 
The Tree 
. ' " ze and Form 
Lophira alata var. procera Burtt Davy is the botanical name applied recently to 
the trees producing azobe wood (5, 17, 18, 24, 35) . These trees are light- 
loving trees (48) . 
Two forms of Lophiras have previously been recognized as distinct species (5), 
and distinguishing characteristics of these forms, particularly as related to 
mtained at Kadison, Wis., in cooperation with the University of Wisconsin. 
p 
^Underlined numbers in parentheses refer to the list of numbered references at 
the end of the article. 
Report No. R1913 -1- Agriculture -Madison 
