Chapter 2

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ACACIA SEYALDel.—Dushe, Dussa, Jimshi, Erafi, Gishishiya. “Talh.”LEGUMINOSAE.

This very common species is noted for its occurrence as pure forest over large areas of country. It can be distinguished at a glance fromA. Sieberiana, which it resembles in small trees, by its powdery orange or rust-coloured bark, or in the case of the varietyA. fistula, by the colour being a milky white. It is generally a small tree from 15-30 feet in height, resemblingA. arabicain form, with an umbrella-shaped or flat-topped crown formed by the ascending and spreading branches. Sometimes the secondary branches are practically horizontal and the crown wide and quite flat on the top. It bears a profuse mass of bright yellow flower-balls, highly scented and very conspicuous. It occurs in clumps or isolated examples on stony ground, not in loose sand, but where the ground is broken up and barren looking.

The Bark, the most distinguishing feature, is powdery and comes off in the hand with the appearance of minute flakes like bran. It is a rust-red or orange colour and in the case of the varietyA. fistulathe bark is green with the powder milk-white in colour. A clear white or yellow gum exudes from the slash, which is light red and white, with brown edges.A. fistulais light red with green edges.

The Thornsare similar to those ofA. arabica, but shorter, 1-2 inches long, white with black points, straight, strong and sharp and at an angle of about 100° to each other. The base is frequently largely swollen. Near the tips of the twigs little recurved thorns occur in place of the long, straight ones.

The Woodis whitish, a brown colour being given it by the lines of hard tissue. It is apt to discolour with mould. In transverse section the close concentric rings of hard and soft tissue are very distinct, the pores are very numerous in the bands of soft tissue of varying width, the alternating bands of hard tissue being almost free of pores. The rays are straight, the larger plainly visible, the finer often closer together, showing as light-reflecting bands in radial section. In tangential section the hard tissue makes a well-defined grain of light brown. The wood is soft, the grain coarse; it works easily with tools, the plane giving a rough finish. Weight 50 lbs. a cubic foot.

The Leavesare bipinnate, about 2 inches long with 6-8 pairs of pinnae cut up into some 15 pairs of leaflets. There are typically three in the angle of each pair of thorns and they are dark green when full grown.

The Flowersare in yellow balls about ½ inch in diameter, 1-4 in the axil of a leaf. They have 1½ inch stalks, are sweet scented and appear from January onwards in masses which make the tree all yellow at a distance. The young leaves appear just as the flowers are going.

The Fruitsare slightly curved, flat, jointed, embossed pods, 3-5 inches long, light brown with green tinges and finely veined. When ripe the pod splits up both edges, and the seeds, 6-10 in number, remain fastened to the edges by the long twisted attachments, from which they break loose gradually, the pod sections remaining attached to the tree for some time before this occurs. Many pods fall with the seeds still attached to them. The clusters of curved, split pods are most conspicuous and they contract considerably during the ripening stages.

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ACACIA SIEBERIANADC.—Fara kaya, Bauji.LEGUMINOSAE.

This common and widely distributed species has, when full-grown, some similarity toAcacia campylacantha, especially when the species occur in the open. Its long, white thorns distinguish it from the latter. It is occasionally met with as pure forest, but should not be confused withAcacia Seyal, the “Talh” acacia, which is very like the smallA. Sieberianaand has yellow flower-balls and ochrey bark. Old trees are a height of about 50 or more feet with girths of 5-6 feet. They have large round crowns and sometimes rather persistent lower twigs, though 20 feet boles are not uncommon. It grows well in dry situations and frequently occurs, mixed withA. Seyal, in open, dry country.

The Barkof young trees is yellowish and smooth, this feature persisting on the branches of older trees, which have rough, small, square scales, grey in colour on the stem and larger limbs. The bark exudes a gum which is white, clear and brittle when dry, making a fair mucilage. The slash is yellow, with dark red edges.

The Thorns, persistent everywhere except on the bole and largest limbs, are fine, straight and white, with very acute points. They are in pairs at about 120° to each other, pointing slightly forward, up to 3 inches long. On new shoots they are green and soft, hardening as the shoot ages. Quite small thorns are found at the tip of the shoots.

The Woodis a dull yellow colour, very subject to bluish discolorations, due to mould. In transverse section the rings are indistinct and inseparable from the numerous concentric lines of hard and soft tissue which are clearly marked. The pores are open, very numerous, of different sizes, the large ones plainly visible, mostly single with little soft tissue, except along the rings where the pores are in rows, each separated by a ray. There are a few double pores, nests and small chains. The rays are slightly waved, fairly evenly spaced except where the finer rays are closer together. The rays show as light-reflecting bands in the radial section. The wood is soft, rather coarse in grain, easily worked, planing to a rather rough, untidy surface. The weight is 45 lbs. a cubic foot.

The Leaves, which spring from between the thorns, are bipinnate, about 5-6 inches long with 10-25 pairs of pinnae, the numerous and dark green leaflets being ⅛ inch long with rounded tips.

The Flowersare in white balls slightly over ½ inch in diameter, with ¾ inch stalks, in loose bunches. Their colour distinguishes them from those of other species similar and likely to be confused. They are sweet-scented and visited by bees.

The Fruitsare large, brown pods, from 6-7 inches long, 1 inch wide and ½ inch thick, straight or slightly curved. They are not very numerous, but conspicuous by their size. The seeds, about 12 in number are quadrangular, rounded, flattened, very hard and dark and light brown.

Uses.—The young trees and the branches of the old are used for handles of implements, the angle of branching being especially suited to the shape of the large hoe (galma) handle.

The gum, in solution, is applied to turban and gown cloth and a sheen produced by beating.

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ADANSONIA DIGITATAB. Juss.—Kuka. “Baobab.”MALVACEAE.

The Baobab tree is so well known as hardly to need description. The enormous girth up to some 50 feet, large white flowers and pendulous fruits are familiar. From its earliest years it assumes the shape, in miniature, of the older trees. Though nature plays the largest part in the shaping, the cropping of leaves for food, the stripping of bark for rope and the ringing of large branches by beetles till they fall to the ground, all help to accelerate the abnormal form. Widely distributed, it is locally more than generally common, and abounds in groups. The majority of large native towns are full of it. Occasionally it can be seen without the usual stunted appearance, with slender branches and well-formed crown. An association withTamarindus indica(Tsamiya) is fairly common, the latter growing long slender stems about the former and partly embracing its trunk.

The Barkis grey, with all shades of purple and a sheen. It has great callus-growing properties and appears vigorously alive in its power to cover up wounds. The outer bark is soft, spongy and full of sap, and it is the inner layers which are stripped off for the rope making. The slash is mottled red and white.

The Woodis not used. It is very light, soft and crumbling, rotting rapidly under exposure.

The Leavesare digitate with some six or seven lobes, 2-3 inches long, borne on a 4-5 inch leaf-stalk. They have sinuous margins and a tongued tip; the mid-rib is sunken and the veins regular. The surface is dark green above and smooth, but downy beneath. The leaves appear soon after the flowers.

The Flowersare solitary and pendulous on 9-10 inch stalks, and appear in May before the leaves. They are some 6-8 inches in diameter with five leathery sepals covered densely on the inside with straight hairs; five white petals nearly twice the length of the sepals, recurved at the tip and with wrinkled edges; a stout, shiny, white, tubular stamen column from which the mass of white stamens with light brown anthers radiate and bend up towards the vertical position and from which emerges the long shiny white pistil with spiral bend and outward growth, bearing at its tip the flattened, lobed, sticky stigma. All the flower parts tend to assume the vertical position. The Hausa calls them “kumbali.”

The Fruitsare large, oval or round, 5-15 inches long and 3-7 inches in diameter, covered with brittle, bronze hairs which break off when handled. The stalk is long and stout and the calyx remains at the base are broken and hardened. There is a short woody “nose.” A number of kidney-shaped seeds are embedded in a white, crisp, acid and slightly refrigerant pulp, pleasant to taste when fresh, and fibres separate the rows of seeds. The seeds are grey with a brown patch, intricately veined. They are very hard. The pulp is called “garin kuka,” the seeds “guntsu.”

Uses.—The leaves are used as a sauce in soup and food, called “Miyan (or) Garin Kuka.” They are given also, with bran and salt as a horse medicine, called “chusar doki.”

The inner bark is stripped and twisted into strong ropes “kista,” tethering ropes “gindi,” and strings of musical instruments. The acid pulp is eaten fresh.

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ADINA MICROCEPHALAHiern.—Kadanyar rafi.RUBIACEAE.

This is a large tree inhabiting stream banks which extends as far north as 12°. It attains a height of 60 feet with a girth of 6-8 feet, occasionally more. It has a habit of growing right in the beds of small streams where it is washed annually by the flood waters. In these situations the trunk will assume almost a horizontal position at the base and survive severe damage. Except in dense stream bank vegetation the bole is rarely clean, but is covered with slender shoots down to the ground level. The erect willowy shoots are a marked feature of the tree. It has a large dense crown with heavy limbs, and the rosette-like growth of the long narrow pointed leaves distinguishes it.

The Barkis grey and deeply fissured, often spirally, with long fibrous ridges and ragged scales which fall in large pieces. The slash is a deep dull red, with thick spongy fibres, and a sticky sap exudes.

The Leavesare some 9 inches long and 1½ inches broad, with tapering base and long pointed tip. The stalk is an inch long. The upper surface is a dark, shining green, paler beneath with the mid-rib prominent. They are whorled and appear like rosettes.

The Flowersare borne on 3-inch stalks in the leaf axils from February to June. Each stalk has a pair of bracts in the middle, or nearer the head of flowers. These flower-heads are spherical, 1-1¼ inches in diameter, greenish and perfumed. Each separate flower is tubular, with a short 5-lobed calyx, a long tubular 5-lobed corolla, 5 stamens inserted on the corolla throat and a long, knobbed pistil. The corolla tube is pinkish, the tips of the lobes mauve, and the calyx is green, red inside at the base.

The Fruitsare in spherical heads, greatly resembling those ofMitragyne africana. Each is a small capsule which parts down the middle into two cocci which contain a number of minute seeds, winged at both ends.

Uses.—The timber is suitable for all kinds of furniture and joinery work.

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AFRORMOSIA LAXIFLORAHarms.—Makarfo, Kariye gatari.LEGUMINOSAE.

A small or medium-sized tree very common in bush or tree savannah, averaging 30 feet in height, but attaining 50 feet, with girths of 3-6 feet. The bole, though frequently of good length, is rarely straight, in fact it is a characteristic of this species that the bole is bent and twisted and that the branches show this feature to the tips. It is like a large edition ofStereospermum Kunthianum(Sansame). The crown is high, rounded and open, giving little shade. The bark is the most ready means of identification.

The Barkis all colours, grey, green, bluish and brown in patches, the large scales falling entire like those of the plane tree and leaving deeply indented scars which gradually change colour. The slash is a rich yellow with a thin green bark edging.

The Woodis very dark brown. In transverse section the rings are clearly marked dark lines of varied width, rarely circular. The pores are small, in chains and festoons connected by soft tissue which shows as flecks in the dark hard tissue. The rays are fine and almost straight, invisible to the unaided eye and visible as short light bands in radial section, in which section the grain is banded and straight. In tangential section the grain is mottled, almost figured. The wood is hard, not easy to saw or plane but capable of being worked up to a rather oily finish which takes a polish. It has a not unpleasant smell. In seasoning it has been noticed that numerous radial and concentric cracks occurred but that these closed up and became quite invisible even under a lens. The weight is 50 lbs. a cubic foot.

The Leavesare pinnate, 9 inches long with an average of 11 alternate leaflets which are oval, slightly cleft, 2 inches long and 1 inch broad, increasing in size upwards, with shiny surface and short stout stalks.

The Flowersare in small racemes amongst the leaves at the twig ends. They are inconspicuous and appear from May to July. Each has 4 green sepals, 5 greenish-white petals, 10 stamens in the keel, not all fertile and a prominent, flattened pistil. They are ½ inch long.

The Fruitsare pods from 2-4 inches long and an inch broad, brown with a paler edge, shiny, with veined surface and slightly embossed seeds. The 1-3 seeds are round, flat, light brown and have a white hilum, and are ⅜ inch long. The pods are persistent on the tree till the following rains.

Uses.—The wood is used for axe and hoe handles, its excessive hardness giving it the name of “kariye gatari” or “break the axe.” Concoctions of the bark and roots are used medicinally.

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AFZELIA AFRICANASmith.—Kawo.LEGUMINOSAE.

A species which is more locally than generally common and in some forests found very evenly distributed throughout large areas. Large timber specimens, as found in the south, are rarely met with, as the form of the typical northern specimens is one having a short, thick bole with a girth of 6-10 feet, large spreading limbs forming a wide, rather flat-topped crown with dense foliage and good shade. Forty feet is an average height for such full-grown trees. It is comparatively rare in the extreme north, but especially common in parts of the central and southern provinces of the north. At a distance it can be distinguished by the brilliant green of its foliage, which, though apparently dense, is actually very superficial and can be seen through in somewhat the same manner as canChlorophora excelsa. It attains its full size in “kurmis” or on the slopes of well-watered hills.

The Barkis grey and flakes off in large, uneven-edged scales which leave distinctive, light patches. The slash is pale red and of a crumbling composition.

The Wood, when freshly cut is a light brown with distinct orange tint, which always remains, even when the timber has darkened to the deep red brown after seasoning. The sapwood is white or yellowish, generally the latter, the orange of the pores enhancing this. In transverse section the rings are indistinctly marked, but the soft tissue, in unusual quantities, is clearly seen, as are the pores, which are large, rather far apart, some single, or in small nests, or in lines. The rays, not visible to the naked eye, are continuous and regularly spaced, readily visible in radial section. The grain is inclined to pick up in bands, it being by no means an easy wood to work with, but the resulting finish is well worth the trouble required. It is hard, durable and strong, and weighs from 55-60 lbs. a cubic foot.

The Leavesare pinnate, about a foot long with 6-8 pairs of opposite, shiny, dark-green leaflets, 3½ inches long and 2½ inches broad. They are a most brilliant green when new.

The Flowersare in stiff, flat panicles and appear in March. Each flower has four dark-green cupped sepals, one long petal, cream-coloured with red lines, seven fertile stamens, two infertile stamens and a long, dark-green style.

The Fruits, which ripen about December or January, are large, hard, black pods, 5-6 inches long, 2½ inches broad and an inch thick, with a point at the tip. They split in half to disclose about eight large, black beans, set in a red aril in large, white cells. The pods are numerous and conspicuous on the trees.

Uses.—Planks and mortars are made locally from the wood. Furniture in small quantities has been made, and except for the weight of the wood, it is admirably suitable, in colour and texture for this purpose. The seeds are sold as a charm (fasa daga) and used in the game of “dara.” The idea is held, in some parts of the country, that if the seeds be picked from the pod while it is still on the tree and made into “tuwo” the eating of them will make one safe from an attempted blow with a stick, which will remain poised, or break with the blow.

The leaves are eaten as fodder by cattle.

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ALBIZZIA BROWNEIOliv.—Madobiar rafi.LEGUMINOSAE.

This is a large species of the tree savannah, extending generally by way of the streams and “kurmis” up to above 11° N. On suitable soils it can be found in large groups forming a high forest with the crowns meeting over 60 feet overhead. The bole length is considerable, often 30 feet and the stem is slender and straight. Enormous isolated trees inhabit the more sheltered “kurmis” and reach a height of 80 feet with a girth of 12 feet. Such specimens have small root flanges and the crown is low and of great size, not affording very much shade owing to the spreading limbs. The large bipinnate leaves of distinctive form and the big, flat pods are readily recognised.

The Barkis greyish-brown, fairly smooth, with square or rectangular close-fitting scales, larger and rougher in old trees, especially at the base. The slash is light orange in colour.

The Woodis a light red, with streaks and areas of darker and lighter red and white. In transverse section the rings are well marked and wide apart, the pores are large, mostly twins or small groups and imperfect festoons, the soft tissue not linking them up in long lengths. The rays are fine, wavy and irregular in their spacing, closing up and separating, showing as red bands in radial and fine stippling in tangential section. The wood is soft, easy to saw and plane, the finish being smooth, with a sheen and able to take a polish. The weight is 42 lbs. a cubic foot.

The Leavesare 12-18 inches long, with an average of three opposite pairs of pinnae 6-7 inches long bearing four, five and six pairs of leaflets on the lower, middle and upper pinnae respectively. The leaflets are roughly rectangular in shape due to the curving forward of the mid-rib and the blade of the leaflet being wider on the inside at the base and on the outside at the middle. The leaflets increase in size from the lowest pair to the topmost pair, varying from 1-3 inches long. They are practically the same dark, rich green above and beneath, being reddish when young. The mid-rib and nerves are prominent on both surfaces.

The Flowersappear in March and April just as the new leaves are maturing. They are of both sexes on the same tree and the same shoot, borne in small heads at the end of numerous long stalks in the leaf axils, the whole shoot being some 12 inches long. The female is solitary in the middle of the head in a circle of male flowers which open slightly later. The female is white and has a corolla of 5-6 lobes in a tubular 5-lobed calyx, and a large number of radiating styles, white with black stigmas, like a Sea Anemone in form. The male is much smaller, with a minute calyx, small tubular corolla of five points, and a long slender column of bright red stamens with black anthers radiating in a tuft at the top of the column.

The Fruitsare large, flat, light mahogany brown pods, up to 8 inches long and 1½ inches broad, shining and veined, and embossed at the 9-12 seeds which are ⅜ inch long, flat, oval, sharp-edged and dark brown, with a prominent “horse-shoe” mark. The pods fall and split and the seeds remain attached alternately to the two halves till blown or washed out.

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ALBIZZIA CHEVALIERIHarms.—Katsari.LEGUMINOSAE.

A small tree up to 30 feet in height with a girth of 2-3 feet, common throughout the northern provinces. Owing to the similarity of its pods to those ofAcacia macrostachya, it may be confused with this species in the dry season when the tree is leafless. The larger leaves, absence of thorns, corky bark and balls of flowers distinguish it at once on examination. It has an erect stem, often three or four stems from a low level, which repeatedly fork and form an open spreading crown, some of the branches extending widely and inclined to droop with the weight of the large leaves. The twigs are softly hairy.

The Barkis pale grey with a light brown tinge due to the patches left by the falling scales. It is thickly covered with very soft, corky scales, rectangular in shape and of greater length than breadth. The horizontal cuts are very straight and seem to have been done with a sharp knife. The fallen scales show a reddish colour beneath, which rapidly turns light brown and finally grey. The surface of the bark scales is very smooth and silvery.

The Woodis medium weight, rather light yellow, with a marked, long, straight grain, alternate yellow and white. The pores are very long, the rings very close. Planes and saws well, with a sheen in places.

The Leavesare about 9 inches long, bipinnate with some 10-15 pairs of pinnae, each having from 10-20 leaflets. The leaflets are broad, sharply pointed and uneven in shape, the inner portion being much narrower than the outer, whilst the inner edge is almost straight and the outer curved to the tip; they overlap and are inclined towards the tip of the pinna, whose main rib has a small extension between the top-most pair. The leaves are slightly sensitive and close at night and very shortly after they are gathered. The main rib of the leaf has purple blotches on its upper surface and is covered with very short hairs. The leaf is smooth with a waxy surface and much darker above than below.

The Flowers, which appear in April are in spherical heads of about thirty together, borne on a 2½ inch stalk. Each flower has a small 5-lobed reddish calyx, 5 small reddish petals and some 18 stamens which are an inch long, very slender, white, gradually becoming green towards the anthers. There is a 1½ inch long pistil, also becoming green towards the tip. The flowers are sweet scented, blooming at night.

The Fruitsare pods from 3-6 inches long and ¾ inch wide, and vary in size according to number of seeds and in colour from a very light brown with a pinkish tinge to an uniform light red-brown colour. They are flat and the seeds embossed, the edges of the pod being straight and not indented between the seeds. The whole surface is covered with very short hairs and is velvety to the touch. The pods open on the tree or on the ground, splitting up to the stalk. The seeds are small, round, flat, and green-brown in colour, and are attached to each half of the pod alternately by a long stalk, part of which is straight and part tightly curved into an S next the seed. The pods are ripe in November and remain, a light crop, till April. There is a fine cellular veining on the surface.

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AMBLYGONOCARPUS SCHWEINFURTHIIHarms.—Tsege, Kiriya ta mata, Kolo.LEGUMINOSAE.

This strikingly handsome tree, with a strong resemblance to the Mountain Ash, is found on poor soils as far as 12½° N., but in the belts where the soil is better than that of the surrounding country. Elsewhere further south it occurs throughout the higher savannah forests, often near streams, where it will grow 60 feet high, but with a small girth in proportion, not exceeding 5 feet. It averages 30 feet high, with a long clean bole and high, wide, flat crown of great beauty from the filtering of light through its bipinnate leaves whose small round leaflets are set apart, the leaves lying in the horizontal plane. A 30-feet bole on the larger trees is not uncommon. It gives little shade. It seems to be very local and where found, occurs over a small area of country in fair numbers.

The Barkis grey or brown, rough, with uneven sized scales, rounded or polygonal. These leave red scars on falling.

The Woodis a rich red-brown, more red than brown. The sapwood is grey. In transverse section the rings show as darker bands of varied width and the colour is darker in this section. The pores are numerous, in festoons of various lengths, or single, and a few nests, the whole densely and evenly distributed and the soft tissue plainly visible to the unaided eye as waves and specks in the dark hard tissue. The rays are straight, unevenly spaced, some being only the width of a ray apart, others far apart, some visible to the naked eye. The vertical section shows bands of colour and long dark pores. The wood is very hard, difficult to saw and picks up in bands under the plane, but the finished surface is smooth and will take a high polish. The weight is 60 lbs. a cubic foot.

The Leavesare bipinnate, 10 inches long, with 2-5 pairs of opposite or sub-opposite pinnae bearing 8-16 alternate leaflets, broad oval, flat tipped, pale blue-green, on light brown stalks, each ¾ inch long and ½ inch broad. They spring from the ends of erect twigs and lie in the horizontal plane. The leaflets are set apart and do not touch or overlap.

The Flowers, which appear in March, are in spikes, 2-3 inches long, crowded with white, scented flowers. Each flower has five small white petals with acute tips, ten white stamens with yellow anthers and a white pistil. They are not very conspicuous as they are partly hidden amongst the foliage.

The Fruitsare large four-angled pods, the suture angle rounded. They are 4 inches long and 1½ inches broad, brown, pendulous on a 3 inch long stalk. They contain 6-10 seeds, roughly four-angled, pointed at one end. These lie across the length of the pod and ripen about December. They are ¾ inch long.

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ANDIRA INERMISH. B. K.—Gwaska, Madobia.LEGUMINOSAE.

A large tree occurring near streams in Bauchi, Sokoto and Zaria provinces. It is also found in the forests where the conditions are moist enough, and is not at all uncommon amongst the rocks on the Bauchi plateau. It rarely has any length of bole, the crown almost reaching the ground and the stem being bent or leaning. The crown is dense and the branches droop at the end. A height of 30-40 feet with a girth of 4-5 feet is usual. The foliage much resembles that ofKhaya senegalensis, from a distance, but has a brilliant sheen.

The Barkis brown or grey-brown, roughish, with scales an inch or two in diameter fitting close together.

The Leavesare pinnate, 10-18 inches long with 5-7 pairs of opposite or nearly opposite leaflets and a terminal leaf. The smallest at the base are 1½ inches long and ¾ inch wide; the largest in the middle are 3½ inches long and 1½ inches wide. The edges are parallel and there is a sharp taper to a cleft tip. The basal lobes are uneven and the leaflets vary much in shape. The terminal leaflet is broader in proportion to its length than the lateral leaflets and the margins are not parallel. There are small stipules at the base of each stalk. The surface on both sides is shining and the new leaves are a most brilliant green. The mid-rib is below the upper surface but raised beneath.

The Flowerswhich bloom from March to May are in loose panicles up to 2 feet in length and in such numbers as to show up from a considerable distance. The blossom is very ornamental. The flower is papilionaceous with a large pink standard and white keel. A species of small black ant swarms over the flowers at times.

The Fruitsresemble large walnuts and hang in bunches on long stalks like mangoes. They are ovoid, 2-3 inches long and 2 inches across, with a thick, fibrous, green-brown case containing two white kernels one above the other. They ripen about September. There is the line of a suture down one side, and the surface is uneven.

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ANOGEISSUS LEIOCARPUSGuill. & Perr.—Marike.COMBRETACEAE.

This is perhaps the most evenly and widely distributed of all trees, extending from the southern rain belt to the extreme north of Nigeria, and over the border into French territory north of Sokoto, where some of the largest examples of the northern provinces are to be found. A height of 70 feet with girths of 6-8 feet is common. As regards the situations most favourable to this species, level country with deep soil and average rainfall is preferred, and considerable areas of such country are found occupied almost entirely by it, both as full grown trees and saplings in dense thickets. These latter are especially valuable for the production of forked poles (gofa) for building purposes, and are transported great distances owing to their great durability and comparative resistance to White Ants. The species is readily distinguished at a distance by its feathery, birch-like foliage and drooping branches, which, at first acutely ascending, bend over and droop in graceful curves. A light-demander, its branches are extremely persistent on the stem and only where it is very densely grown, preferably with an admixture of shade-bearing species, will clean boles be found. Examples grown in the open, or suddenly freed from the forest by the clearing for cultivation, are covered with small twigs and the foliage extends almost to ground level. Large specimens in forest have clean boles, generally forking at no great height, with wide-spreading, open crowns.

The Barkvaries according to habitat. That of specimens in dense forest is fairly smooth with small, brown scales, but as generally seen in the north is a very light grey with long scales which turn up at the ends before falling, giving the tree a ragged appearance, with large, lighter patches. A dark gum exudes from the bark, very inferior as an adhesive as it is cloudy when made up into solution. The slash is pale yellow with thin dark lines.

The Woodis a dark, dull, smoky brown, sometimes almost black, with reddish streaks. The sapwood is grey or dirty white. In transverse section the rings are seen as dark bands, the pores are minute and densely distributed in small groups, chains and festoons of various sizes, with single pores between, the soft tissue sparse and hardly connecting the pores. The rays are extremely fine and close together. In vertical section the grain is very fine and the pores have glistening contents. It is a very hard wood, difficult to work with all tools, often knotty, picking up in bands, but will polish, even on the transverse section. The weight is 64 lbs. a cubic foot.

The Leavesare on long, slender, drooping twigs, and are oval, slightly darker above than below with a silky pubescence which is most marked in the young foliage. They tend to assume one plane. Length 2-3 inches, breadth 1 inch.

The Flowersare little cream-coloured, scented balls, ⅜ inch diam., from February on. Each has a 5-pointed calyx, 10 erect stamens, a short, straight pistil, round the base of which is a ring of reddish hairs. They are very inconspicuous.

The Fruitsare small, rough, cone-like balls of irregularly serrated-edged seeds, packed horizontally. They are green in the seed and brown in the wing portion. They ripen about December and are about ¾ inch.

Uses.—The wood is burnt entire and the fine, white ash used for fixing dyes. The ash is also used for washing white garments. The roots are used as “Chew-sticks” for cleansing the mouth and teeth. The saplings and branches produce forked poles (gofa) for building. The bark yields a dark, inferior gum. The seeds are a cure for worms in horses. The leaves, mixed with salt, make a yellow dye.

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ANONA SENEGALENSISPers.—Gwandar daji. “Custard Apple.”ANONACEAE.

A very common shrub, averaging some 10-12 feet in height, sometimes a small tree, in suitable situations exceeding 20 feet; very widely distributed and found everywhere except in the extreme north. The distinguishing features are the oval, bluish leaves, the waxy, yellow flowers and the familiar orange-coloured fruits. It has no particular form.

The Barkis normally light, silvery grey, smooth, with marked horizontal cuts round the stem, having the appearance of joints. Older or exposed stems, especially those subject to fire, become darker and roughly scaly. The slash is a dull, pale pink.

The Woodis greenish-grey. The transverse section shows indistinct rings, minute single pores scattered in between the fine waved rays which reach from the centre to the edge of the wood and show as small dark bands in radial section. In vertical section the grain shows as slight variations in colour. It is soft and easy to saw and plane. Weight 40 lbs. a cubic foot.

The Leavesare oval, some 6 inches long and 3 inches broad, bluish-green, with a short stalk, the lateral nerves inclined well forward and the small connecting veins parallel, numerous and at right angles to the mid-rib. The leaves stand erect and are apt to fold up along the mid-rib. When crushed they are fragrant.

The Flowersappear from January to April, single or in pairs, ¾ inch long, pale yellow and waxy. Each has three small green sepals and six petals in two rows, the outer three large, with broad flat edges which meet tight together in bud, the inner three smaller, thick and pale yellow, their tips meeting over a mass of stamens round the ovary and stigmas. The flowers do not open wide and last for a long time.

The Fruitsare rounded, 2-3 inches long, composed of fleshy carpels each containing a seed, green at first with a resemblance to cones, ripening to a rich orange colour. They are pleasant but unsatisfactory eating owing to the large number of seeds embedded in the juicy flesh. Birds are very partial to them, hollowing them out before they ripen.

Uses.—The fruit is eaten fresh.

[Illustration]

BALANITES AEGYPTIACADel.—Aduwa. “Desert Date.”SIMARUBACEAE.

In the north this is one of the commonest trees on loose sand or barren, stony wastes, where it is often the only species to survive the extreme conditions. It averages 15-20 feet high, but 30 feet is not uncommon, with a girth of 4-5 feet. The long green thorns and small dark leaves distinguish it. The form is roughly spherical, with a tangled mass of long thorny twigs, whose ends droop or protrude here and there some feet from the main thicket. It extends northwards to the limits of tree growth, affording fodder for camels and goats.

The Barkis grey, with long, wide, deep, vertical fissures in which the yellow of the new bark can be seen. The scales are long, thick, prominent and ragged. The branch bark is distinctive. Dark green and smooth, the cream-coloured lenticels of various lengths cover it ever more thickly from the tip downwards till the green colour is completely obscured and the grey of the branch bark is reached. The slash is pale yellow.

The Thornsare modified shoots borne spirally round the long slender twigs in the leaf axils, 2-3 inches long, tapering evenly to a strong, sharp point. They incline slightly forward and barely curve. They are dark green and persist on the branches.

The Woodis light yellow with sometimes greyish discolorations. In transverse section the rings are distinct in wavy light lines; the pores are small, open and in little groups in concentric rings and the rays are clearly visible as light lines of various overlapping lengths. In radial section the rays add a figure to the wood in lines up to an inch long. In vertical section the wood is of even colour and texture, close grained and sound. It is easy to carpenter and planes smoothly without picking up. Weight 48-50 lbs. a cubic foot.

The Leaves, with the thorns in their axils, are really paired leaflets on a short, common stalk; 1½-2 inches long, over 1 inch wide, a very dull, dark green, they are unequal lobed, as illustrated, with a tendency to close up along the mid-rib. They assume a vertical position, even when the twig droops, the stalks bending to adjust themselves to this position.

The Flowers, in the leaf axils, are found from November to March, in spikes up to 3 inches long, often shortened to resemble round clusters. Each flower is ½ inch across, with five small green sepals, five longer and darker green petals, ten short yellow stamens and a shining dark green ovary with short, blunt pistil. The tree sometimes flowers out of season.

The Fruits, which ripen from February onwards, are 1¼ inches long and about an inch wide on a short stalk. At first green with a wrinkled, nipple-like tip, they turn yellow on ripening, when they have a thin hard skin, a light brown, sticky, edible flesh and a large, hard, pointed stone. There is a space between the flesh and the skin.

Uses.—The fruits are edible, particularly appreciated by beasts. The wood makes excellent axe and hoe handles. Planes have been made of it, it being similar to beech in quality. The branches are used for hedging farms.

[Illustration]

BALSAMODENDRON AFRICANUMA. Rich.—Dashi.BURSERACEAE.

This shrub or small tree is locally plentiful and is found in all situations, in the driest sandy soils, on the tops of rocks where it grows stout and stunted in the crevices, and in loamy soils. It is frequently seen planted as a live hedge from cuttings and forms an impenetrable barrier after the habit of the Blackthorn. The slender but rigid twigs shoot out in all directions and with its trifoliate leaves on the purple twigs, the plant is readily identified. As a small tree, a form met with on hills or in better soils in the forest, the stem is short and stout, dividing low down and quickly branching into a light rounded crown. The height is rarely over 15-20 feet.

The Barkof old examples is green and shining, covered with little papery scales which flake off. That of the branches and twigs is red or purple. A resinous gum with a pleasant scent exudes from the slash.

The Thornsare branches whose tips are modified in the form of spines, which will bear leaves, and in the dormant season are dotted with buds.

The Leavesare trifoliate, often very small, but when full-grown some 3-3½ inches long, of which one inch is stalk, red above, green beneath. The middle leaflet is broadest slightly over half-way up, tapering gradually to the base and more suddenly to the tip, with irregularly serrated edges. The lateral leaflets are unequal in size, the right hand one usually considerably larger than the left, both rounded and serrated in the same manner as the middle leaflet. The surface is shiny waxy green, very bright when young. The venation is prominent beneath, the lateral nerves much branched and zig-zag. The leaf is scented.

The Flowersappear in October on the leafless tree and are in small clusters all along the twigs, up to about 10 in a cluster, each on a minute stalk. The flower is ¼ inch long with a 4-lobed tubular corolla deep red with green lobes, the petals separate but overlapping and close together in the tubular portion which is held in the 4-lobed, cup-shaped calyx. There are 8 stamens, 4 just appearing in the corolla mouth, 4 shorter, and a pistil wholly below the corolla mouth.

The Fruitsare small irregularly pear-shaped drupes a little over ¼ inch long, greyish with a purple bloom which is easily rubbed off. They have a highly resinous flesh and white kernel and ripen in the early spring. They grow in clusters along the twigs and the crop is often a heavy one.

Uses.—The resin is used as a scent on garments and medicinally, taken internally.

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