Chapter 3

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BAUHINIA RETICULATADC.—Kalgo, Kargo.LEGUMINOSAE.

A medium-sized tree or shrub, in which latter form it occurs over large areas of country as pure growth, particularly as secondary growth in farmed land, where it is a great pest to the farmer who desires to continue sowings. It grows prolifically from stumps which the farmer does not trouble to uproot. It is very fond of small, shallow depressions, where it will grow to the exclusion of all else. In its proper habitat it will grow over 30 feet high with a girth of 8-10 feet, with short bole and an enormous rounded crown of dense foliage affording good shade. It is one of the commonest species in the north.

The Barkis a dull, dark grey, sometimes with a rust-red tinge, deeply fissured and ridged with hard, brittle bark of some thickness, which falls in large, ragged sections. That of young trees can be ripped off readily after being cut. The slash is bright crimson, turning brown on exposure, and shows the fibrous nature of the bark.

The Woodis oak-brown, rather dirty looking, with light patches and dark discolorations, especially round flaws. In transverse section the rings are indistinct but the hard and soft tissue is very well marked, mostly in concentric lines. The pores are small, evenly distributed, mostly in festoons joined by the soft tissue. The rays are extremely fine and closely spaced, invisible to the unaided eye and very faintly seen in radial section as small bands. The wood is easily sawn but picks up badly under the plane. It is very strong and tough and weighs 50 lbs. a cubic foot.

The Leavesare bifoliate, the depth to which the leaf is divided varying a great deal and the angle being sharp or rounded. They average 4 inches across but those from stool shoots especially may be very much larger and generally the larger the tree the smaller the leaves. There are four main nerves on each leaflet and the mid-rib projects slightly between them. The leaf stalk is an inch long, with large base. Like all species of this genus the leaf tends to fold up along the mid-rib. The colour is lighter beneath and the venation a very intricate network and prominent. The texture is tough.

The Flowersare in spikes, 2-6 inches long and appear in February or March or even as late as June. Each has a 5-lobed calyx, green-brown in colour, 5 white petals, wrinkled and overlapping at the edges, 10 stamens of varied length with brown anthers and a short, blunt pistil. The flowers drop off readily when handled and are about an inch long. They do not open very wide.

The Fruitsare pods 6-9 inches long, hard, flat, dark-brown, straight or contorted into strange shapes, 2 inches broad and ¼-½ inch thick. They are persistent on the tree for many months, a most disfiguring feature, and drop entire, rotting on the ground. They are very liable to attacks from a grub which destroys the seeds. These are small, brown, oval and scattered about in the mealy endocarp which has an objectionable smell.

Uses.—The wood is used for axe and hoe handles of all sorts. The bark is used for binding and tying but is not plaited or twisted into ropes. Cattle eat the pods.

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BAUHINIA RUFESCENSLam.—Jirga, Tsatsagi, Matsagi.LEGUMINOSAE.

A small tree, typically inhabiting annually inundated areas but also flourishing in sandy soils of poor quality. It forms, with its numerous much branched stems, a small thicket of one or more trees; it is difficult to say how many under the circumstances, as one root-stock will produce a number at ground level, forming an impenetrable mass. It can be distinguished readily by the typical leaves of the genus, and the small size of these compared with other species. The fact that it is always in flower and fruit will identify it also.

The Barkis a light ash-coloured grey, smooth and covered with small, brown horizontal lenticels. Old stems bear at the base small dark scales and the bark is fissured giving it a speckled appearance. The slash is pink and reveals the very fibrous nature of the bark.

The Thornsare modified twigs whose tips are strongly pointed. They may support leafy shoots or bear leaves themselves and are seen best on the long, slender shoots and drooping twigs. They extend their growth indefinitely, but on the older wood may be seen as bare, woody spines 3 or 4 inches long, curved out and down.

The Woodis a dull, smoke-brown colour. In transverse section the rings are indistinct dark lines; the pores are numerous and unevenly distributed, single in small groups or in short chains, the rays invisible to the unaided eye but showing as small bands in radial section, which reflect the light. In vertical section the grain is close and there are darker bands of colour. The wood is not hard, is easily sawn and planes to a nice, soft, smooth finish though it picks up in places with the long soft fibres. The weight is 50 lbs. a cubic foot.

The Leavesare borne spirally round the branches, often in the thorn axils or on the thorns themselves, or on twigs bare of thorns. They are bifoliate, typical of the genus, rarely over an inch long and mostly a ½ inch, the terminal leaf of a new shoot often being much larger. The mid-rib is extended between the leaflets which are divided to the base and there are three main nerves to each leaflet. They are a light, blue-green or grey-green, with a bloom and are partly sensitive, closing up rapidly after being plucked.

The Flowersare white and can be found all the year round, though the proper flowering season is in the rains or towards the end of them. They are in small racemes at the twig ends, pendulous amongst the leaves, ¾ inch long, with a calyx which splits partially into five parts, remaining attached at the tips and opening beneath, 5 white petals, spoon-shaped with narrow base and broad, pointed tip, 10 white stamens with light brown anthers and a tuft of hairs at the base of each, and a clubbed pistil.

The Fruitsare pods about 3 inches long, constricted between the seeds, dull black, slightly curved, containing up to eight shiny, rich red-brown seeds, roughly rectangular with one rounded corner. The seeds rattle loose in the pod which falls entire and rots on the ground. The pods hang in conspicuous clusters and may be seen all the year round.

Uses.—The bark is stripped for binding but is not plaited into ropes.

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BERLINIA AURICULATABenth.—Doka rafi.LEGUMINOSAE.

This is a medium-sized tree of the best savannah types, commonly found in “kurmis” and extending as far north as 11°. It occurs plentifully in Sokoto and Kontagora along the small streams in the south. Averaging 40 feet in height it will reach 60 feet with girths of 8-10 feet. The crown is high, rounded and very dense in the open; flatter and more superficial in heavy forest, topping a 30-feet bole, only 10 feet long in open situations. The flowers and pods are both conspicuous.

The Barkis dark-grey or brown, the scales leaving large, concave scars. The slash is pale brown.

The Wood.—The heartwood is red-brown, the sapwood light with a pink tint. In transverse section the rings are well but unevenly marked red lines. The pores are large and solitary, for the most part in oblique rows, and the rays are extremely fine and invisible to the unaided eye. In vertical section the pores are long and straight and the rings show as dark bands. It is rather a coarse, stringy wood, sawing roughly and picking up in long fibres under the plane. Where the grain suits the plane the finish has a bronze sheen. It is a fairly hard wood and weighs 50 lbs. a cubic foot.

The Leavesare pinnate, 9-12 inches long with an average of four pairs of pinnae increasing in size from the lower pair upwards, the lower 2-4 inches long and 1½—2 inches broad, the upper pair 5-7 inches long and 2-3 inches broad. The mid-rib curves forward, rounding the outer edge of the leaf. The nerves are alternate long and short. The similarity of the leaf and fruit to those ofIsoberlinia dokagives it its native name.

The Flowersare in close panicled racemes at the branch tips from March to June. Each flower is 4 inches long over all, being enclosed at first in a pair of long, pale green, velvety bracteoles which separate and fall back to release the flower parts. The calyx is a slender tube divided into five long, narrow pointed, recurved sepals. The corolla has four small, linear petals and one erect white, wrinkled, cleft petal 2 inches long and broad, with a green centre splash. There are ten long, erect, hairy stamens with brown-green anthers, and a long pistil. The flowers are in such masses as to be conspicuous from a great distance.

The Fruitis a broad, flat, dark brown, velvety pod, 6-10 inches long and 2-2½ inches broad. It explodes when ripe to release some 3-5 round, flattened seeds.

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BOMBAX BUONOPOZENSEBeauv.—Kuriya, Gurjiya.MALVACEAE.

This tree is known as the Red-Flowered Silk Cotton Tree and grows, on an average, to a height of 40 feet with a girth of about 5 feet. Very much larger specimens are, however, to be seen, up to 70 feet high with girths of 15 feet and more. Rounded root-flanges are prominent on the large trees. The crown is regular and umbrella-shaped, rather flat-topped, wide-spreading and open with superficial foliage giving little shade. In old specimens the bole is gnarled and the limbs much bent, the shape of the crown being often retained by the growth of the smaller branches. The species is not at all exacting as regards soil and is, in fact, commonly found on hillsides and amongst rocks where its roots penetrate the little but good soil. It is more local than general in its distribution.

The Barkof the younger trees is very corky, longitudinally fissured and horizontally cut into prominently spiked scales. The degree of roughness is very variable, being generally far more marked, relatively on younger trees, and, in the older ones, the thorns being confined to the branches, the bole having prominent layered corky scales with soft ends. Some quite small trees bear no thorns at all, but this is rare. The spines are conical, with broad corky bases and sharp black points. If a piece of the bark be snapped off it shows a light red colour. The slash is crimson.

The Woodis a dirty white colour. In transverse section the pores are large, widely scattered, single, twin or nests. The rays vary in width and in spacing very considerably, and are straight, showing as long, light-reflecting bands in radial, and as brown flecks in tangential section. In the latter section the pores are brown, open and wavy. It is a very soft and light wood, easily worked, not strong, its durability largely dependant on the manner in which it has been seasoned, with exclusion of damp and consequent mould. It is very subject to small borer beetles. The weight is only 20 lbs. a cubic foot.

The Leavesare truly digitate with generally six lobes, broad at the tip, narrow at the base, with a prominent point. The entire leaf is 6-7 inches across, with a 5 inch stalk. The venation is prominent on both surfaces and the colour is pale, the surface smooth.

The Flowersare the most conspicuous feature of all and may be found from November to February. They are red, tulip-like blooms, 3 inches in diameter, with a dark red 5-lobed calyx, 5 red petals and a mass of black-anthered stamens filling the corolla and surrounding a 5-part pistil. They fall in numbers, entire, and are devoured by antelopes.

The Fruitsare large, pendulous capsules some 4 inches long and 2 inches wide, black or deep brown when ripe, splitting into five sections to release small black seeds embedded in a mass of silk-cotton. The pod shrinks in the ripening and the silk cotton is packed tight in it and expands in bulk enormously by hygroscopic action, carrying the seeds a great distance on the wind.

Uses.—The wood is used for making large and small drums, native stools used by women, basins, shoes and saddles and cattle troughs. The bark is used by women to impart a red colour to the teeth. Certain pagans make a sauce from the flowers, locally called “Kwungi.”

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BORASSUS FLABELLIFERLinn.var.AETHIOPUMWarb.—Giginya.PALMACEAE.

This very well-known Palm inhabits marshes, the banks of streams and any well-watered hollow, and will grow, if introduced, on dry sandy soils. With the exception of the Dum Palm,Hyphaene Thebaica, it is the most northerly of the palms in Nigeria and is found in vast quantities in “fadamma.” It does not actually grow in the water, though it will survive an occasional immersion when grown, but occupies islands, banks and edges of marshy land as well as the banks of streams, lakes, etc. It reaches a height of over 80 feet, with a girth at the base of 6 feet, at breast height 4 feet 6 inches, and at the narrowest point 3 feet. The stem swells at about 30 feet and after the palm is about 50 years old narrows again, repeating the swelling process again and even a third time in very old palms. The rate of growth, except when cultivated, in which case it is quicker, is very slow. The seed germinates in a month and sends down a shoot from 2-4 feet deep into the ground. This shoot swells at the base and loses connection with the empty seed, and sends up a green shoot from the base, which forms the first leaf. In the root-bud stage it is eaten as a vegetable, called “muruchi” and thousands of seeds are planted for this purpose alone. The first leaf is a narrow blade, as are subsequent leaves, gradually broadening till the first frond appears about three years later, the stem appearing at ground level after some six or seven years. From then onward the growth is at the rate of from 12-18 inches a year, 50 year old palms being about 50-60 feet in height.

The Bark.—The stem is a smooth one after a number of years; the leaf scars, very marked when fresh, gradually fading away.

The Woodis heavy and hard, apt to splinter into separate fibres, but very durable above ground. It weighs about 50 lbs. a cubic foot. The wood of the male is more compact throughout than that of the female whose centre is looser, the outside only being really serviceable.

The Leavesare up to 12 feet long, fan-shaped, the segments V-shaped, joined for half their length, the stalk concave above and spiny on the margins. The sheath divides at the base before falling and remains for some time clasping the stem.

The Flowersappear in April, just as the fruit has fallen, the females on one tree the males on another. The males are on branched spadices up to 6 feet long, the separate catkins a foot long and 2 inches broad. There are 3 sepals, 3 petals and 6 stamens, the flowers being green. The females are on a 6-8 feet long spadix, unbranched, with up to a dozen spikes of flowers, with 3 sepals, 3 smaller petals and the rudiments of 6 stamens.

The Fruitsare the most conspicuous feature, ripening in April to a rich orange colour. They are some 6 inches long and 5 inches broad, the enlarged calyx cupping the fruit. The edible, fibrous pulp surrounds three seeds with hard fibrous coats and edible kernels.

Uses.—Locally the pulp is eaten raw or pounded with milk. The kernel is eaten young. The root-buds are roasted and are a delicacy. The leaves are used for mats, bags, baskets, fans, &c. Some tribes extract salt from them. The wood is used for canoes, rafters, poles, water-pipes, doors and guttering. Elsewhere the leaf stalks are the source of fibre, a spirit has been distilled from the flower spathes and buttons made from the seeds.

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BOSWELLIA DALZIELIIHutch.—Hano, Ararabi, Basamu.BURSERACEAE.

A very common tree in high savannah, extending as far north as 13° where the soil is suitably rich and well watered. It will not grow as far north as this where the conditions are dry and barren, granite soils and situations on stony ground of the right kind being suitable. In sand or laterite it will not thrive, but it will flourish on bare granite where its roots can make their way into crevices. In some suitable localities it forms almost pure forest and is a very handsome species under those circumstances. The leaf, flower, fruit or bark are all distinctive. Another closely allied species,B. odorata, differs only in having a branched panicle in place of the bunch of racemes ofB. Dalzielii. When young or middle-aged the stem is erect and the limbs ascend steeply forming a high crown, foliated down to a low point. Older trees exhibit a short, massive bole from which the heavy limbs spread out forming huge crowns with drooping extremities.

The Barkis most conspicuous, pale brown, with large papery pieces peeling off and at times hanging in shreds from the stem. The slash is reddish-brown and a scented gum-resin exudes, partly drying into nodules, almost white in colour, readily crumbled.

The Leavesare 12-18 inches long, pinnate, with some 7-9 pairs of long, slender, pointed, deeply-toothed leaflets. These increase in size towards the top end of the leaf, the basal pair often being very small and distinct in shape. The terminal pair are frequently partly united into one for half or more of their length. The leaflets are sessile, in colour light green and shining, with the venation raised on both surfaces.

The Flowersappear from January to April, and are in large bunches of racemes at the tips of the large, blunt twigs. The racemes are from 6-8 inches long and bear numerous white flowers on ½-¾ inch long stalks. Each flower is ⅝ inch in diameter with 5 white, pointed petals, 10 stamens whose anthers are bent away from the filament at a side angle, and a small, blunt pistil. The flower disc is red and the flower scented.

The Fruitsare 3-angled capsules, elongated pear-shaped, with prominent bulges opposite the seeds. They are ¾ inch long and the stigma remains are present. The capsule splits into three and the small seeds are released, each with a sharp spike at the top end.

Uses.—The gum-resin, being scented, is used for burning in houses, or fumigating clothes, and as an ingredient in medicine.

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BRIDELIA FERRUGINEABenth.—Kisni, Kirni.EUPHORBIACEAE.

A small tree of the Tree and Bush savannahs which does not extend very far north and will not grow away from fairly good soils. It is rather shapeless, except occasionally in closer forest, where it may reach a height of 30 feet with a girth of 3-4 feet. This species andB. scleroneuraare similar in habit, with open, formless crowns, straggling, drooping limbs covered with numerous, slender, erect twigs which are apt to be burnt back repeatedly by fires and show the position of leaves and flowers as prominent clusters at frequent intervals. The distinguishing features are larger leaves of this species and the absence of the marked crenate edges.

The Barkis dark grey, covered with small, close-fitting, prominent scales. That of the branches is lighter and covered with rectangular scales, clearly cut in rows. That of the smaller branches is almost white with vertical, wavy ridges of cork. The slash is crimson.

The Woodis brown and the sapwood is dull white. In transverse section the rings are clear, fine light lines, the pores are very small, single, double, or in small festoons, the soft tissue not well developed. The rays are fine, close, fairly straight and evenly spaced. In vertical section the grain is coarse, and not very straight and the wood is easily sawn but hard to plane, picking up in patches. The weight is 60 lbs. a cubic foot.

The Leavesare alternate, assuming one plane. They are 4-5 inches long and 2¼-2½ inches broad, with slightly waved edges, the nerves reaching the edge. They are dark green above, olive green beneath, with the venation very prominent and covered with brownish hairs, especially on the short stalk and mid-rib.

The Flowers, male and female on the same tree are in small, compact clusters in the leaf axils from March to June. The male flowers have a calyx of 5 sepals, 5 minute petals and 5 radiating stamens, joined at the base into a short column. The female flower has the same calyx, longer, narrower petals and two styles which are forked. The male flowers have a shiny yellow disc.

The Fruitsare small black ovoid drupes, becoming veined and wrinkled when dry, with a single cell containing two seeds. They are ⅜ inch long and flattened at the top, and very persistent on the twigs.

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BRIDELIA SCLERONEURAMüll. Arg.—Kisni.EUPHORBIACEAE.

This is a small tree, without any definite form, which grows up to 15 or 20 feet high, with, occasionally a stem some 6 feet high and a misshapen crown. It is distinguished by the small clusters of minute flowers in the leaf axils and the crenate margined leaves which lie in one plane on long, slender, drooping twigs.

The Bark, in old trees, is quite black, with long fissures and fibrous ridges; in young trees it is white, or black and white in patches, with soft, corky scales which fall in large pieces composed of several smaller scales bound together. The slash is bright crimson.

The Leavesare borne on long, drooping, slender twigs, alternate, in one plane and gradually diminishing in size from the base upwards. Each such twig is supported by a larger leaf, 3½ inches long and 1¼ inches broad. The alternate leaves vary from 3 inches long and ¾ inches broad at the base of the twig to 2 inches long and ½ inch broad at the end of the twig. The lateral veins, as they reach the margin, are continued along it so that the edge is crenate. The tips are sharply pointed. The leaves all point well forward. The ¼ inch long stalks are covered with soft, brown hairs. The upper surface is slightly rough and darker than the under surface, on which the veins, especially the laterals and mid-rib, stand out prominently and show yellow in colour. The halves of the leaf tend to fold up along the mid-rib slightly.

The Flowersare in very small clusters in the leaf axils and appear in May and June. They are bright red in bud, the sepals being tinged. Each male flower is ⅛ inch in diameter with a 5 sepal calyx, 5 minute petals and a column of 5 radiating stamens. The female flower has 5 sepals, 5 petals, a disk round the ovary and 2 bifid styles.

The Fruitsare in clusters, often a dense crop, at each node. They are the size of peas, green at first, ripening to black with a bloom. A thin skin surrounds a narrow, juicy flesh round a hard, 2-celled stone. The flesh dries and the skin wrinkles while the fruit is on the tree.

Uses.—The roots are sometimes used medicinally.

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BURKEA AFRICANAHook. f.—Kolo, Kurdi, Bakin, makarfo, Namijin Kiriya, Kariye gatari.LEGUMINOSAE.

A fairly large tree up to 50 feet in height with girths of 3-6 feet. It is a fine upstanding tree, frequently with a 20 feet bole, straight and clean, with ascending branches and high crown, spreading with age. It bears a resemblance toAmblygonocarpus Schweinfurthii, from which it can be distinguished by its larger and unequal-shaped leaflets. It is plentiful in high savannah forests and will extend, by means of small hollows or valleys as far north as 12½°. In flower or seed it is readily distinguished, and the leafless tree can be recognised by the thick, blunt end of the branches, often tufted with the dead stalks of last year’s leaves.

The Barkis light grey with a bluish tint, and the scales are large and heavy, at times closely fitting, then falling in large sections, so that the trunk may appear shaggy. The branch bark, right up to the tips is very thick, with pronounced ridges and fissures and a light brown colour towards the ends. Often the leaf scars swell and form prominent knobs on the twigs. The slash is dark red and an oily resin exudes.

The Woodis reddish brown, the sapwood, light brown with an orange tinge. In transverse section the rings are very close, well-marked darker lines; the pores are very numerous, single and in festoons in well-developed soft tissue which shows up strongly in contrast with the hard tissue and nearly closes the pores. The rays are fine and evenly spaced, nearly straight, not visible to the naked eye owing to the amount of soft tissue. In vertical section the grain is close, the rings seen as bands of darker colour. The wood is very hard to saw and difficult to plane, but the planed surface is smooth and takes a high polish. It is liable to ring shake when seasoning, but is on the whole a sound, durable wood, very suitable for upright in constructional work. The weight is 72 lbs. a cubic foot.

The Leavesare some 18 inches long, at first erect, then drooping. They are bipinnate, with some four pairs of pinnae bearing 9-11 alternate leaflets, 1½-2 inches long and 1-1¼ inches broad, with unequal lobes and slightly cleft tip, bluish-green above, grey-green below, with a dull surface. The venation is prominent above and not beneath. The short leaflet stalk is curved.

The Flowersappear in March and April, mostly at the base of the new leaf shoot, a few only amongst the leaves higher up. They are in spikes or panicles up to 12 inches long, numerous, pendulous and conspicuous. The small white flowers are crowded and each consists of a minute calyx, 5 white petals which bend back in half, concealing the tips, 10 yellow-anthered stamens and a short blunt, curved pistil. The pentagonal shape of the corolla with its recurved petals and the erect stamens are noticeable. There is no scent.

The Fruitsare pods, 2 inches long, 1 inch broad, thin, not flat, but tending to twist at the tip, forming a convex and concave side on the latter, of which the seed is clearly embossed. The colour is mahogany brown, veined, brittle and persistent. There is one brown, oval flat seed.

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BUTYROSPERMUM PARKIIKotschy.—Kadanya, Kadai. “Shea Butter Tree.”SAPOTACEAE.

This is one of the commonest species of the savannah forests and has a wide distribution. An average tree is about 30 feet high with a girth of 4-5 feet, though large specimens over 40 feet high with a girth of 10 feet are by no means infrequent. A short, stout bole and large, spreading limbs, gnarled and crooked, form a widely spreading crown of considerable density, which, from the drooping habit of the lower branches, reaches almost to the ground in many specimens. It is the type species of the tree savannah and in some parts of the country forms a large percentage of the forests.

The Barkis a distinguishing feature of the species and is dark grey, sometimes almost black, sometimes, particularly in the case of trees growing in barren situations, almost white. It has deep, vertical fissures and prominent, square scales of great thickness. The rough scaling extends to the quite small branches. A milky sap exudes from the crimson slash and from the leaf-stalks and twigs, when broken.

The Woodis a deep, dull red-brown with a purple tinge, the sapwood is pinkish. In transverse section the rings are indistinct lines and bands of dark and light tissue, the pores are small and in little rows between the fine rays, bands of soft tissue running in concentric lines and also connecting the chains of pores. The wood is extremely hard and heavy, difficult to saw and very hard to plane, the resulting finish being hard and taking a high polish. The grain picks up in part and the wood is liable to crack when dried. The weight is 80 lbs. a cubic foot.

The Leavesare strap-like, of an average length of 9-10 inches and a width of 2 inches; 3-4 inches of the length are occupied by the stalk and the veining is strong, these two features and the darker colour distinguishing this species fromLophira alatawhich it superficially resembles. The springing of the leaves from the end 2 inches of the twigs gives the idea of a rosette. The margin of the leaf is waved.

The Flowersare in round heads, 2-3 inches across, at the tips of the leafless twigs and appear from December onwards. Each flower is cream-white in colour, has 8 sepals in two rows, 8 petals, 8 stamens and a central, petal-like crown round the ovary, consisting of abortive stamens (staminodes). The flowers are sweet, with a rather nauseating perfume. As they die off, the young leaves shoot from the middle of the head. They are visited by bees.

The Fruits, which begin to form from January onwards are like green plums when ripe, and contain one or two shiny, chestnut-brown kernels, with a large scar, or hilum, having the appearance of a split seed coat. They are about 2 inches long and 1 inch wide, the thin seed coat enclosing a firm, white flesh, from which the oil is extracted.

Uses.—The oil is extracted and the butter made by the natives by a preliminary boiling in water, followed by repeated pounding and stirring in cold water, the oil which rises to the surface being skimmed off and placed to harden in calabashes. It is eaten as such, burnt as an illuminant and used as a base for certain medicines.

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CASSIA AREREHDel.—Malga, Gamma fada.LEGUMINOSAE.

A small, erect tree from 15-20 feet in height, about a foot in girth, with one or more stems and a high, drooping crown of delicate pinnate leaves. It resemblesCassia Sieberianaonly in the shape of the flowers, leaves and pods, and the outstanding differences are the erect form, the perfume and the longitudinally splitting pods. It grows in good soils and not in the barren places whereC. Sieberianaabounds.

The Barkis a dull grey, with wavy but not prominent ridges of crisp bark, often rather shaggy when the scales fall in long pieces. The slash is pale brown.

The Leavesare pinnate, about 10-12 inches long with 6-7 pairs of leaflets some 2 inches long and narrowing in proportion to the length towards the top of the leaf. The main rib is very slender and is produced beyond the top pair of leaflets in the form of a slender curve, which frequently replaces one of the final pair of leaflets. The leaflets are smooth, clearly veined and purplish when young.

The Flowersare in racemes some 6-10 inches long, crowded, especially at the tip, with the flowers whose stalks grow to 3 inches in length. The three bracts, one long and a pair shorter are very conspicuous, especially at the crowded tip of the flower stalk where the buds are purplish. The flowers are typical of the genus, with 5 curled sepals, 5 irregular oval petals, 3 long, 4 medium and 3 short stamens, and a long, curved pistil swollen in the middle. The flowers are highly perfumed and appear in February in large masses amongst the new leaves.

The Fruitsare pods, 12-20 inches long and an inch thick, cylindrical with irregular constrictions, purplish black in colour, shiny and hard. They persist on the tree for a long time and finally split down one side to release the light brown seeds. The inside of the pod has a yellowish, dry, mealy pulp.

Uses.—The pulp of the pod is used as a laxative.

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CASSIA GORATENSISFres.—Rumfu.Runhu.LEGUMINOSAE.

This is a small and common tree whose only value, apart from medicinal use by the natives, is ornamental. It is found in clumps as a small tree about 10 feet high, but also singly growing to a height of 20 and even 30 feet. Well-grown examples have a 10-12 feet bole some 3 feet in girth and a spherical crown. In its young state it is apt to be confused withCassia occidentalis, “rai dore,” which latter is a shrubby herb with similar flowers and leaves.

The Barkis grey, sometimes almost white, with wide fissures and large scales. Old trees may have very dark and rough bark. That of the stout tapering twigs is a light brown with a powdery surface which rubs off in the hand. The slash is dull brown.

The Leavesare pinnate, 10-12 inches long with about eight pairs of oval leaflets which are bright green and smooth on the upper surface; grey, with the venation raised on the under surface. They are soft in texture and very often blotched or spotted.

The Flowersare most conspicuous in large, round bunches at the twig ends. They are bright yellow and about 2 inches across, with 5 petals, of which the lower three are much the same size and shape, while the other two are larger, the one spoon-shaped, the other serrate-edged and with marked veining. The sepals are also yellow and saucer-shaped, two of them larger than the other three. Of the 10 stamens, 3 are tall with large anthers, 4 are short with large anthers and 3 are quite small with round, flat anthers. They are grouped accordingly, from back to front as is typical of the genus. They appear in September.

The Fruitsare thin, brown, jointed pods about 4 inches long, straight or curved, hanging in bunches. They contain 15 or 20 small, round, flattish grey seeds and ripen in February.

Uses.—The pods and leaves, boiled in water, are used for washing and purification after child-birth. The same infusion is taken internally as a cure for fever.

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CASSIA SIEBERIANADC.—Malga, Gamma fada.LEGUMINOSAE.

A very common tree with a wide distribution, growing on any kind of soil from rich loam to the driest and most barren sand or clay. It is commonest on wastes swept bare and scoured by rain or in little stony gullies. The form varies with the locality, tall, slender trees growing on good soils and wide-spreading, many stemmed shrubs of great size, or small stunted trees on poor soils. The full-grown tree is some 30 feet high, branching from ground level and forming a hemispherical growth with foliage to the ground.

The Barkof young trees is black, smooth and covered with lenticels that are rust-coloured on the smaller branches. That of old trees is dull black and rough with large heavy scales several inches long, that give the stem a shaggy appearance when they are falling. The slash is a yellow ochre colour.

The Woodis pale red, darkening to a light mahogany brown after exposure. The sapwood is white. In transverse section the rings are ill-defined, though the hard and soft tissue is well marked and the colour is much deeper in this section. The pores are numerous in long chains and festoons; the rays, invisible to the unaided eye, are fine and nearly straight. The wood is very hard and heavy and difficult to saw and plane, the finished surface taking a bright polish. Weight 70 lbs. a cubic foot.

The Leavesare some 12 inches long, pinnate with 6-9 pairs of leaflets opposite or nearly opposite. These are varied in shape, the basal pair almost as broad as long and the top pair almost twice as long as broad, with graduations between, 1½-2 inches long and 1-1¼ inches wide. They are bluish-green with a brilliant sheen, paler beneath with the mid-rib prominent. Young leaves are often purplish. The petioles are ¼ inch long.

The Flowersare in 12-18 inches long, pendulous racemes, in masses with the appearance of Laburnum, from February to May. Each flower is 1½-2 inches across on a 1½-2 inch stalk, and has 5 small, irregular sized pointed sepals with a darker green central line, 5 large yellow petals, varying in shape, and 10 stamens, 3 long and large-anthered, 4 shorter and large-anthered, and 3 small and round-anthered. The pistil is large, smooth and green. The petals enlarge and pale after the stamens have fallen from the fertilised flower. There is no scent.

The Fruitsare long, black pods, up to 2 feet in length and a little over ½ inch broad, cylindrical, straight or slightly curved, more or less jointed, but never deeply, and divided across the length of the pod by fine, transparent, brittle membranes forming cells up to a hundred in number containing oval, shiny, light brown, hard, ½ inch long seeds, one in each cell, rattling loose in the pod. The pods fall entire or break across and rot on the ground. They are mostly riddled with holes by a small grub. The dry, yellowish pulp has an unpleasant smell.

Uses.—The yellow, mealy pulp is used in the preparation of a laxative.

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CELTIS INTEGRIFOLIALam.—Zuwo, Dukki.ULMACEAE.

A large tree which, when full grown attains a height of over 60 feet and a girth of 12-15 feet. It is not commonly distributed all over the country but is very common locally,e.g., in N.E. Sokoto and in N.W. Bauchi, in both of which places a large number of big trees are found over a small area of country. It may have a clean bole up to 20 feet or more in length with, in old trees, root flanges. The species is so frequently lopped for fodder that it is rare to find a naturally formed tree except in uninhabited forest where it produces a very large crown rounded at the top and, as a rule, branching low down. The limbs are large and bent; the twigs slender, horizontally spreading or drooping. The foliage is dense but not heavy. There are often thickets of adventitious shoots on the trunk.

The Barkis a light, slightly bluish-tinted grey, fairly smooth, with large, thin, very hard, rounded scales which come away from the lower end, remaining attached to the tree at the upper end and giving the rather curious look of sliding down the tree. Under the scales the bark is light brown. The slash is mottled, dark brown crumbling, white fibrous.

The Woodis light yellow in colour, soft, fairly close-grained, easy to work with all tools, planes to a dull, smooth finish, cracks only slightly when seasoning, is not durable under exposure, being inclined to bluish discolorations and weighs only 35 lbs. per cubic foot. The native does not use it, but it seems a useful soft timber. The pores are very numerous, of different sizes, some quite large, open and in festoons. The rays are just visible with the unaided eye and the rings plainly seen as close fine light lines. The rays are much waved.

The Leavesare variable in shape and size, some toothed and some plain along the margin. They are from 2-4 inches long and from 1-2 inches wide with pointed tip and ¼ inch stalk. The serrate leaves are found in numbers on the adventitious twigs, the entire leaves generally on the long, slender twigs which bear the flowers. Old leaves are very much darker in colour and rougher to the touch than younger leaves. Both surfaces are covered with very short, stiff hairs and are rasping to the touch. There are three main veins and the leaf is not symmetrical in shape. They turn their upper surface to the sky and are arranged alternately on the twig.

The Flowerswhich appear from December onwards are in minute, branched clusters in the leaf axils. Each flower is green in colour and has 5 sepals, 5 stamens with yellow anthers, and a twice forked stigma which enlarges as the fruit grows and then withers. The remains of the sepals and the stamens are found at the base of the fully grown fruit whilst it is green.

The Fruitis a plum, single-stoned and fleshy. If cut through before ripe, the seed can be seen growing in the top under the stigma and it expands downwards from this point, only partly filling the cavity when ripe. The ripe fruit is light brown and ribbed, about ½ inch long, and the stone is white, very hard and marked all over with a raised network.

Uses.—The leaves are a valuable fodder for cattle and made into soup by the natives.

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