Chapter 4

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COMBRETUM ABBREVIATUMEngl.—Kariya.COMBRETACEAE.

This very beautiful species is a climbing or spreading shrub with a multitude of stems forming a tangled thicket with occasional stems extending into the air some 30 feet in length. It can be distinguished by its masses of brilliant red flowers and by the great variety of its leaves and the pale colour of its fruits. It is not common, so mention is made of two places where it may be seen, namely, in a “kurmi” at Rahamma (Zaria Province) and at Dan Tudu, near the G. Mainu Reserve on the River Rima (Sokoto Province).

The Leavesvary very considerably from 3-7 inches long and 2-4 inches broad. They may be almost as broad as long or twice as long as broad. On the new shoots there are short branches, modified to the form of blunt spines at the end of which are single leaves. When these drop off the thorn hardens but is never very sharp. These leaves are arranged spirally round the stem, unlike those of the other branches without thorns, which are inclined to one plane. The leaves are dark green and smooth and the venation shows up almost white in contrast. The venation is prominent on the under surface.

The Flowersare in enormous panicles several feet in length at the end of the shoots. The clusters vary in size at close intervals all the way along the shoot and the flowers themselves all stand up in the same vertical position, forming a great flat mass of brilliant red bloom. They appear in February and each consists of a light green 4-lobed calyx, 4 small red petals meeting at the tips and overlapping. From the tips of the petals 8 stamens emerge, 4 long, 4 short, bright red, as is the pistil.

The Fruitsare 4-winged, ¾-1 inch in diameter, a delicate green when new and a light brown when ripe. The single seed is long and 4-angled. They are ripe in March.

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COMBRETUM HYPOPILINUMDiels.—Jan Taramniya, Jan Ganyi.COMBRETACEAE.

A small tree, rarely exceeding 20 feet in height, except in good soils, found very commonly in the drier country of the extreme north or in open savannah where theTerminaliaspecies abound. It is not unlikeC. lecananthum, but the seeds are larger and the leaf broader. Its form is typical of the small, wide-spreading trees of the Bush savannah, one or more stems and a number of spreading branches forming an open crown. Occasionally, though rarely, the species exceeds 20 feet and has an 8 feet bole. The tough, deep red fruits are distinctive.

The Barkis grey or brown, smooth in young stems and later showing long, vertical, narrow ridges and stringy fissures. The slash is red-brown.

The Leavesare variable in size, up to 5 inches long and 2½ inches broad, oval with a pointed tip and a stout ¾ inch long stalk. The venation is prominent beneath and flush on the upper surface, the mid-rib very prominent and light coloured. The upper surface is dark green and smooth, the underneath grey-green. They are tough in texture.

The Flowerswhich appear from December to February are in axillary spikes up to 3 inches in length crowded with cream-coloured, slightly scented flowers, each of which has a 4-pointed calyx, 4 minute petals, 8 stamens and a short pistil rising from a calyx full of white hairs.

The Fruitsare 4-winged, 1-1¼ inches in diameter and length, conspicuous by their size, tough texture, and the rich, reddish-purple colour softened by a grey bloom. They are very numerous, crowded, heavy and hard.

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COMBRETUM LECANANTHUMEngl. & Diels.—Chiriri, Dagera.COMBRETACEAE.

A very common tree of the more open, dry savannahs and occurring on hard and barren or dry and sandy soils, often in such quantities as to form almost pure forests. It occurs mixed with the shrubbyCombretumspecies or by itself in belts and patches on slightly better soil than is required to support the latter. It is about 20-25 feet high but a full-grown example will reach 40 feet with a 5 feet bole girth. The stem is rarely straight, often leaning or twisted and branching low down. The crown is either of erect branches and twigs, or the latter may as often as not droop and hang vertically downwards.

The Barkis smooth, grey-brown or rust-red in colour, with hardly any scales, but of a rather fibrous appearance. From it, in the hot season, large quantities of gum exude, white, yellow or red-brown, poor in quality, not brittle, but rubber-like, melting in moist heat and drying only in the dry season. The gum forms strange shapes, from nodules to long slender spirals. The bark is very thin. The slash is crimson, with yellow centre.

The Woodis a dirty white or cream colour. In transverse section it is much darker and the pores are very small and in little wavy lines and festoons, the rays exceedingly fine and close light lines. In the plank the pores are fine dark lines. In the green state the wood is so tough as to blunt axes but when it dries it loses its strength and is often completely destroyed by borer beetle. An unsatisfactory wood of no value. Weight 56 lbs. a cubic foot. The name “kariye gatari,” or “break axe” is given to it.

The Leavesvary largely in shape and in proportion of length to width. They average 4-5 inches long and 2-2½ inches wide, tapering both ends, pointed, shining above, paler beneath, the venation simple and the lateral nerves inclined far forward. They are in pairs and tend to lie in the same plane.

The Flowersare in branched spikes, cream-coloured and sweet-scented. They appear in November and may flower up to July. Each has the 4-pointed calyx, 4 minute petals, 8 stamens and short pistil common in this genus. There are bright orange glands inside the calyx.

The Fruitsare 4-winged seeds, about ¾ inch long. They ripen from green through red to brown, and hang in loose clusters amongst the leaves. The stalks of the flower spikes elongate considerably with the seed growth and intermingle, forming a tangle of seed and stalk.

Uses.—There are none other than that the gum is chewed by the natives.

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COMBRETUM LEONENSEEngl. & Diels.—Wuyan damo.COMBRETACEAE.

This species is found distributed fairly evenly over large areas of both Tree savannah and the drier, more open forests, and is common in rocky country. It has a tendency to grow longer, straighter boles than other species ofCombretumand is commonly met with 20-30 feet high, or even more, with girths of 3-4 feet. If surrounded by other trees, the stem is exceptionally straight and readily distinguished by its dark colour and the small, square, regular scales. The crown, with its large, dark, drooping leaves, is dense, and big trees afford good shade. The branches droop over and the long, slender twigs hang straight down.

The Bark, a ready means of identification, is dark grey, sometimes almost black, and is covered with small, prominent, square, even-sized scales from which the tree gets its Hausa name, owing to its resemblance to the skin of the large lizard. It yields a gum. The slash is yellow.

The Woodis yellow or greenish-yellow. In transverse section the pores are small, in groups and festoons, the rings indistinct and the rays so fine as to be invisible. In the planks the pores are long, wavy and dark, the grain being crooked and fibrous in appearance. It is a very hard, tough, heavy wood, most unsatisfactory to saw and impossible to plane. The strength and durability are great. The weight is 64 lbs. a cubic foot.

The Leavesare larger than those of other species and are dark green, with a softly hairy surface and a soft texture. They are about 7 inches long and 2½-3 inches wide, with a long, slender tip, a taper at both ends and a very short stalk. They are pendulous on the long, slender twigs.

The Flowersare in clusters of 1½ inch spikes and are yellow with a sweet odour of musk. There are 10 yellow stamens round a square calyx and the pistil is surrounded densely by hairs on the receptacle. The flowers appear in March.

The Fruitsare the typical winged seed of the genus and are smaller than those of most other species, a light brown in colour, less than 1 inch long and very persistent.

Uses.—The stems of small trees make excellent posts for use in the ground, owing to their great durability.

A concoction from the bark is used medicinally as an astringent.

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COMBRETUM MICRANTHUMDon.—Fara Geza.COMBRETACEAE.

This is one of the commonest species in the north, and covers many square miles of the driest and most barren of rocky wastes where little else will grow. The stout root stocks and tough, wiry stems survive fire, drought and excessive heat. It grows from 3-10 feet high, pure or mixed with otherCombretumspecies or withGuiera senegalensis. It is distinguished by its generally smaller leaf, smaller fruits (seeds), lighter green foliage and the masses of highly perfumed flowers.

The Leavesare light green and shining, in pairs. The tip is pointed and the margin sinuous. They decrease in size from the base of the twig upwards. The venation is raised on both surfaces. They are 2-3 inches long and 1-2 inches broad.

The Flowersare in dense masses of spikes in the leaf axils from May onwards and fill the air with perfume. Each has a 4-pointed calyx, 4 small petals, 8 stamens and a short pistil. There is a ring of orange-coloured hairs round the pistil.

The Fruitsare 4-winged, ½ inch in diameter and length, brown when ripe, in dense clusters on brittle stalks. They are persistent right through to the following rainy season.

Uses.—The bark is stripped for fibre and the stems used entire for binding the rafters of grass roofed houses or split for basket making. The stems are so tough that an axe or matchet will as often as not fail to cut through, but split the stem.

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COMBRETUM VERTICILLATUMEngl. & Diels.—Farin Taramniya.COMBRETACEAE.

This is one of the commonest of the largerCombretumspecies, especially in the drier savannahs. It is particularly common in Sokoto Province and can be distinguished by the grey, dusty-looking leaves. There are two common forms of growth. The more common is that with a bole from 5-10 feet long, or several stems from ground level, and a round straggling open crown with the twigs drooping low down. The other is the tall, erect stem up to 40 feet in height, branching to within a few feet of the ground but having a cylindrical crown composed of erect limbs terminating in long slender branches of great length extending high into the air or dividing into numerous drooping flaccid twigs. The heavy leaves sway and weight down the weak twigs which can be bent to a circle without breaking. The species grows in the poorest sandy soil.

The Barkis pale grey or brown with very small, crisp scales scattered all over it, there being wide spaces between the scales, especially in the spring. The scales are dotted with small rust-coloured lenticels. The bark is sometimes cream-coloured. The bole is rarely cylindrical, but most often columnar and having rounded root flanges. The slash is red-brown.

The Woodis yellow or greenish-yellow. In transverse section the pores are small, single or in small groups, and the rings are very faint, the rays hardly visible, except as small brown bands in radial section. In the plank the pores are brown and open and the grain irregular, with black lines, flecks and brown patches. An unsatisfactory wood, cross-grained and tough, but strong, hard and fairly sound. Difficult to saw and plane. Weight 55 lbs. a cubic foot.

The Leavesvary much in size from 3 inches long and 2 inches wide to 5 inches long and 2½ inches wide. The base may be slightly cordate or narrowing and the tip is generally abruptly pointed. The margin is wavy, the leaf rarely flat and the foliage is very subject to attacks by insects and is much contorted, indented and disfigured. The upper surface has a dusty grey bloom and the lower surface is grey. The venation is raised on both sides of the leaf. The whole is soft and velvety to the touch. There is a ¼ inch stalk.

The Flowersare yellowish and in racemes, the spikes 1-2 inches long. They first appear when the tree is leafless from December onwards and are scented. Each consists of a 4-lobed calyx, 4 small white, recurved petals and 8 stamens opposite sepals and petals.

The Fruitsare 4-winged, 1-1¼ inches long, all shades of red till they are ripe, when they turn brown. The seed is long and 4-angled.

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CORDIA ABYSSINICAR. Br.—Aliliba.BORAGINACEAE.

A small tree up to 25 feet high, either shrub-like in habit or with a short bole and round crown. The distinguishing features are the large heart-shaped leaves, large heads of papery flowers and the clusters of yellow fruits. As a shrub the branches spring from ground level and form a large compact bush, and as a tree the bole may be from 6-10 feet long and some 2-3 feet in girth.

The Barkis light grey and smooth with small lenticels. Only on the larger trees do scales form and the bark splits longitudinally and has a fibrous appearance. The slash is white.

The Leavesvary greatly in size from the quite small ones at the twig ends to the large basal leaves a foot long and 9 inches wide. They are heart-shaped, with stout stalks, the mid-rib curved back and the leaf tending to fold up along its length. Both surfaces are rough with short hairs. The upper surface is dark green, the lower paler. The venation is bold, the mid-rib not straight, but changing direction at each lateral nerve. The lateral nerves are connected by parallel veins. The leaf is tough in texture.

The Flowerswhich appear in October, are in large branched heads, a mass of buds prolonging the flowering period. The flower blooms for one day and then dries crisp, retaining its shape more or less when dry. Each flower is an inch across, funnel-shaped, white, with veined and crinkled corolla with 5 indistinct lobes. There are 5 black-anthered stamens and a twice-forked style with 4 stigmas. The 5-toothed calyx is a short tube and is heavily ribbed. The flowers have no stalks and there is a slight perfume.

The Fruitsare in clusters; round juicy drupes with a hard stone and yellow translucent flesh, edible and sweet. They are ½ inch in diameter.

Uses.—The fruits are eaten, either fresh or mixed with honey to make a sweetmeat “alewa.”

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CRATAEVA ADANSONIIDC.—Gude.CAPPARIDACEAE.

A medium sized tree found growing locally in considerable quantities in “fadammas.” It attains a height of about 30 feet with a girth of 4-5 feet. Owing to the fact that the leaves are cropped as a human foodstuff, few trees retain their natural form and the general appearance is that of a pollard willow, with a short, stout stem and a number of erect slender shoots, inclined to bend down. Owing to its being liable to submersion for certain periods, the stem is frequently in a semi-recumbent position and from it spring a number of shoots forming a false crown. It is a very handsome tree in full flower and the delicate foliage is attractive.

The Barkis a light brown with a few crisp scales here and there. That of the branches is smoke-colour, densely covered with light brown lenticels. That of the new twigs is pale brown.

The Woodis very soft and of a rich yellow colour. It has a strong not unpleasant odour. It is of no practical use.

The Leavesare trifoliate with a stalk some 3 inches long and the leaflets from 3-4 inches long and an inch wide. They are narrow at both ends, light green and smooth, tender in consistency. They are in whorl-like bunches at the tips of the twigs.

The Flowersare very handsome and appear in February at the tips of the twigs in clusters of 10-20. Each has 4 small pale green sepals, 4 large leaf-like white petals grouped round one-half of the calyx and some 18 inch-long mauve stamens with mauve anthers. The pistil, which appears prominent in length after fertilisation is some 1½ inches long, with a knob at the end.

The Fruitis very like that ofStrychnos(kokiya) in appearance, a pale brown sphere from 1½-3 inches in diameter on a woody stalk about 2½ inches long. The inside contains a number of small dark brown seeds of quaint “curled-up” shape embedded in a white, mealy flesh. The “rind” of the fruit is thin and crisp. The fruits are ripe about November onwards. They are eaten by birds who pick out the contents and leave the empty “shell” on the tree.

Uses.—The leaves are considerably eaten by the natives, and in times of famine are taken great distances to the markets.

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CROSSOPTERYX KOTSCHYANAFenzl.—Kasfiya.Kashin awaki.RUBIACEAE.

This fairly common tree occurs more plentifully in localities which are flooded during the rains and baked hard and burnt bare in the dry season. Thus it may take the place ofMitragyne africana(giyeya) in wet-season fadammas where the grass is rank in growth. It is not, however, confined, like the above, to such situations, but abounds in open savannah and rocky places. It is most readily identified by its fruits, q.v. and also by its habit of sending up a number of stems from a common stock, these stems growing erect and close together and showing an irregular cross section, oval, grooved or flattened in shape by reason of this close proximity to each other. In form the tree is cylindrical with a rounded or pointed top and sparse foliage. The foliage extends almost to the ground. A height of 30 feet and 2-3 feet girth is usual.

The Barkis peculiar in structure and is light grey or brownish, with small grey scales which will crumble in the hand and appear to consist of numerous lenticels. It is smooth and the scales are not prominent. The slash is salmon pink and crumbling.

The Woodis a brown pink, not unlike Pear wood. In transverse section the pores and rays are scarcely visible, so close is the texture. The rings show as faint light lines, close together, and the minute pores are scattered about between the exceedingly fine and numerous rays. The grain shows as slight banded variations in depth of colour. It is a sound, hard wood which seasons well, saws and planes easily to a hard, smooth finish, taking a good polish. The small sizes are unfortunate. Weight 57 lbs. a cubic foot.

The Leavesare about 3½ inches long and 2 inches broad, alternate and inclined to assume one plane. They are pale green and downy on the upper surface, roughly and intricately veined beneath with light brown velvety hairs on the veins.

The Flowersare in close bunches with a tendency to droop from their weight; each flower consisting of a small 5-lobed calyx, a long tubular corolla with 5 petals, white tinged with pink, and a long, clubbed pistil surrounded by 5 small, protruding stamens. They are sweet-scented and appear in February.

The Fruitsare easily recognised, forming bunches similar to the heads of flowers. Each is a small blackish capsule with a black tip, and it splits into two sections across the two seeds which are the shape of half the capsule and are black. They are very persistent and remain on the tree for a long time after they have shed their seeds.

Uses.—The stems are cut for poles (gofas).

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CROTON AMABILISMüll. Arg.—Koriba.EUPHORBIACEAE.

A small, erect tree from 10-25 feet high which will grow in the extreme north in the driest and most barren of soils. It flourishes round the parallel 14° north and extends right down to the extreme south also. It is often a stunted, shrub-like tree growing in quantities on bare, hard, stony soils, but in more open sandy localities will grow a 15 feet bole with an open light crown composed of erect, slender branches. Old trees spread wide and give a little shade. It can be at once distinguished by the silvery glister of its leaf on the under side and by the spikes of closed flowers.

The Barkis grey or light brown with small, close-fitting, even-sized polygonal or rectangular scales.

The Woodis pale yellow, discoloured grey in patches. The rings are fine, close, light lines, the pores are very fine, numerous and evenly distributed, connected by very fine lines of soft tissue, narrower than the pores. The grain is fine and the wood is hard, difficult to saw, not hard to plane and finishes with a hard, smooth surface which will polish. The weight is 64 lbs. a cubic foot.

The Leavesare long, narrow and pointed, 4 inches long and 1½ inches broad with a 1½ inch stalk. The upper surface is a dark shining green, the lower glistening silver with minute rust spots all over the surface. The mid-rib is sunk on the upper and very prominent on the under surface. The lateral nerves are numerous and parallel. The stalk and mid-rib are covered with soft brown hairs. The young leaf is bronze or red-coloured. The leaves droop and tend to fold up along the mid-rib.

The Flowersare of two sexes, each on a different tree (dioecious). They are in racemes, resembling long spikes. The male are the longer, up to 4 inches, the female up to 2 inches. The male flower has 5 sepals, 5 petals and some 15 stamens all packed up in the bracts, on short stalks. The females have similar flowers with 3-part styles each with a bifid stigma. The flower parts are hardly visible to the naked eye so closely folded are the bracts.

The Fruitis a capsule, 3-lobed, one seed in each lobe. They ripen about November onwards, but may be found for many months in the year.

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CUSSONIA NIGERICAHutch.—Gwabsa, Takandar giwa.ARALIACEAE.

This quaint looking species is locally very common, more especially on rocky hills where, in its leafless condition, it resembles some cactus growth. It is not, as a rule, above 20 feet in height, but may reach over 30 feet with a girth of 4-5 feet. The girth is large in proportion to the height and there is practically always a clean bole, sometimes divided at the base into two stems, with an umbrella-like crown, flat-topped. The form of the tree is best seen in its leafless state, when it has the appearance of innumerable stags’ horns, the branches being very thick and blunted at the ends. In leaf, its more or less grotesque appearance is disguised by the large and handsome foliage.

The Barkis very rough and vertically fissured, light grey with long, corky ridges and regular sized scales. A clear gum exudes from a cut. Annual fires are harmless but cause a large amount of charcoal on the outside so that the stems are nearly always blackened. The slash is pale brown.

The Woodis a dirty grey colour, very soft, brittle and easy to work, is not durable, rots readily and weighs only 23 lbs. a cubic foot. In transverse section the rings are dark lines at broad intervals and the rays are clearly visible to the unaided eye. The pores are open and distributed in small rows, singles and groups between the rays; a useless wood.

The Leavesare digitate with about 8 digits, in length from some 10-20 inches in the one leaf. They spring from the tips of the blunt twigs in an erect bunch, at first almost purple in colour. Each has a 2 feet long stalk and the edges are serrate. They are pale green in colour.

The Flowersappear in February and are on stout spikes of weird shape and appearance, which grow well over a foot long and are about one inch thick. The flower spike shows flowers and fruits in all stages of maturity from the bud to the seed and may be straight or twisted and tangled up with the others on the twig. Each flower is pale green with 5 petals, between ½ and ¾ inch across, with 5 stamens and a bifid stigma on a stout ovary.

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DETARIUM SENEGALENSEGmel.—Taura.LEGUMINOSAE.

In the north this species is generally quite a small tree from 15-20 feet high with a few erect branches forming a small flat-topped crown. Often, however, quite large trees can be seen, even in the driest country, and further south large specimens up to 40 feet high with girths over 6 feet are not uncommon. In the southern provinces, the same tree will grow to a height of 80 feet with a 12 feet girth. The larger portion of the height is almost always the crown, which is spreading and dense, giving good shade. The tree is readily distinguished by its bluish bark and round, compressed fruits. The small trees show enlarged tips to the branches from which the leaves spring. In places it is so common as to form almost pure forest over small areas.

The Barkis bluish-grey, with large polygonal scales. On young trees there are yellowish patches where the scales have fallen and the bark of the smaller branches is ochrous and powdery. The slash is pale crimson.

The Woodis dark brown or red-brown. In transverse section the rings are slightly darker lines, the pores are small, clear and open, mostly single, some in groups or nests of 2-4, rather unevenly and widely scattered. The rays are visible, not all continuous, some broader than others, evenly spaced with room for the pores between, showing in radial section as brown bands, so conspicuous on the sapwood as to colour it. In vertical section the pores are light coloured in the heartwood and dark in the sapwood, in which the resinous pore contents darken the wood in rings, showing as lines in the vertical section. The wood is tough and hard and not easy to work, though it has a slight sheen and takes a polish. The weight is 55 lbs. a cubic foot.

The Leavesare pinnate, 6 or 7 inches long with 6-10 alternate or opposite elliptical leaflets some 3 inches long and 1½ inches broad. Those nearer the top are more oval, those at the base rounder. The tip has a slight cleft. The leaf-stalks are very short and stout and covered with dusty brown hairs. The surface is waxy, there may be a few hairs, and bluish-green. The texture is rather leathery.

The Flowers, which appear in May, are found in masses all over the tree. They grow on short, branched stalks in dense clusters. There are no petals, their place being taken by the white petal-like sepals, 4 in number. There are 8 short, curved stamens with yellow anthers and a short pistil.

The Fruitis a drupe about 1½ inches across and flattened to about ¾ inch. It has a brown outer skin, a greenish, mealy flesh full of fibres which when the flesh decays remain round the kernel. This flesh is sweet and edible, but not very palatable. On small trees clusters of abortive fruits are found; little round, brown-green, soft growths which do not mature.

Uses.—The flesh is used by the natives in the manufacture of the sweetmeat “madi.”

Where it is large enough the timber is used for mortars, but the size is, as a rule, against this use.

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DICHROSTACHYS NUTANSBr.—Dundu.LEGUMINOSAE.

A very common, acacia-like shrub which occurs in dense thickets in open situations. It averages about 10 feet high, though it will attain nearly 30 feet, branches near the ground and is most readily distinguished both by its flowers and pods. It is of no use in the composition of the forest, but is quite ornamental in flower.

The Thornsare modified branches, each twig ending in a thorn which bears leaves, and is almost black in colour.

The Leavesare bipinnate, up to 4 inches long with 10-15 opposite pinnae, each bearing 15-20 pairs of dark, dull-green leaflets.

The Flowers, the most distinguishing feature of the species, are in pendulous catkins, shaped like large acorns. Those above (next the stalk) are functionless, except for attracting insects by their scent, and consist of 10 long, mauve filaments. Those below (at the tip) are yellow and consist of a pistil surrounded by 10 stamens. The whole flower-spike is 2 inches long with a 1½ inch stalk. They first appear in February and blossom for several months onwards.

The Fruitsare bunches of small, brown pods which are so twisted and contorted as to assume fantastic bundles with alternate concave and convex surfaces outwards, each section the reverse of the next. They hold about four small, flat, black seeds, pointed at one end. The pods are very persistent and remain on the tree for several months. They fall without splitting.

Uses.—The stems are made into a good quality bow, very commonly seen, and also into sticks.

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DIOSPYROS MESPILIFORMISHochst.—Kainya, Kaiwa. “Ebony.”EBENACEAE.

This species, though typically inhabiting the banks of streams and the depths of “kurmis,” is quite commonly found in dry situations, where it attains large dimensions. It is the same species as is found in abundance in the south, but while there it yields a fair proportion of black heartwood, in the north there is but a pencil or none at all. The form varies greatly according to locality. On stream banks in the savannahs, the foliage extends, as a rule, down to ground level, or near it. In the “kurmis” great, tall, tapering stems, cylindrical or, in some cases, apparently built up of a number of stems which have joined and formed a fluted column, or, in other cases, of a number of separate stems forming a huge crown, are the types. In some cases,e.g., north-east of Sokoto Province, a number of large trees occur in the middle of farm land on light sandy soil. These may reach a height of over 60 feet and a girth of over 10 feet.

The Barkdistinguishes the tree from all others. It is almost black, and the scales are small, regular, even-sized and rectangular. That of very young trees is green or grey and quite smooth. The slash is salmon pink with darker flecks.

The Woodof the northern examples rarely contains any black wood. The heartwood is a mixture of shades of pink, grey and green, the predominant colour being light red. In transverse section the rings are faint waved dark lines, close together; the pores are small, open, evenly scattered, mostly single, with some small chains in the line of the extremely fine and close rays. The rays show as small red bands in radial section. The grain is close, not very straight and the wood seasons well and is hard and durable. Damage from fires to young trees often extends many feet up the stem. It works fairly well with tools but will not take nails well. The planed surface is smooth and will take a polish. The weight is 48 lbs. a cubic foot.

The Leavesare a very dark and rather dull green, the under surface with a slight sheen. The venation is very delicate and not raised on either surface, though the mid-rib is most prominent underneath. They are some 6 inches long and 2½ inches wide, with a short stalk. The young foliage is bright red, which turns brownish before the final green. The shade is dense and nothing grows under it.

The Flowersare borne in small clusters in the axils of the leaves in February. They are green and not conspicuous. Each consists of a 5-lobed calyx on a longish stalk, 5 petals set in spiral formation, one over the other and inside the closed corolla are 10 stamens attached to the petals.

The Fruitis about an inch in diameter, green at first, with the crinkly calyx much enlarged and toughened, ripening to yellow with a crisp rind, a soft, sweet, edible flesh and from 4-6 seeds. The seeds are very hard with shiny, rich red-brown coat and grey interior into which the red colour of the coat runs in streaks as seen in section. The seeds are grouped radially round the centre with thin, jelly-like partitions between each. The fruit falls entire from March onwards.

Uses.—The tree is cut into planks for various uses and the timber is very durable though a little too heavy. Canoes have been made of it. The fruits are eaten fresh by the natives.

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EKEBERGIA SENEGALENSISA. Juss.—Madachin dutsi.MELIACEAE.

This not very common species is found in Bauchi, Zaria, S. Katsina, etc., and has not been observed above 11½° N. It inhabits the outskirts of “kurmis” or the open forests where the soil is good. Considerable quantities occur just below the 4,000 feet level on the Bauchi plateau. The similarity of leaves, flowers and fruits and its rocky habitat are responsible for its local name. It reaches 30 feet in height with a girth of 2-3 feet, rarely has any bole length over 10 feet, but as a rule a number of acutely ascending limbs forming a dense oval crown. It stands shade well and there its growth is taller and more slender and open and inclined to spread. The terminal foliage is noticeable.

The Barkis smooth and dark grey, often with marked light and dark patches, and on younger stems or branches is covered with white lenticels in vertical rows. The slash is crimson with white streaks. The bark of older trees is roughish, with close-fitting, small scales.

The Leavesare about 15 inches long, pinnate, with 6-10 pairs of opposite, or nearly, pointed, wavy-edged leaflets some 3 inches long, a dull dark green above, pale beneath, with a prominent mid-rib on the under side which is reddish, as is the stalk of the leaf. They are borne on the last foot of the twig in erect, rosette-like bunches.

The Flowersare in panicles 5-6 inches long, amongst the leaves in February and March. Each flower has 5 pale green petals, 10 stamens with black anthers and a knobbed pistil. The filaments of the stamens are united up to the anthers.

The Fruitsare capsules 1-1½ inches in diameter, normally of 4 segments, but owing to the growth of one or more at the expense of the rest, the capsule is often irregularly developed. They are light brown in colour and at first sight resemble those ofKhayabut contain brilliant red oval seeds set in a bright yellow aril, embedded in the thick walls of the capsule, in a vertical position.

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ENTADA SUDANICASchweinf.—Tawatsa.LEGUMINOSAE.

A very common species occurring everywhere in savannah forests of the more open type; usually about 20 feet high, sometimes more, with an average girth of 3 feet. It forks and branches low and has, as a rule, no length of bole and a widespreading, open crown. In full leaf it is graceful in appearance and not unlikeParkia. It is of no use as a forest species except from its frequency.

The Barkis light grey with very long fissures and ridges set widely apart. It peels in long strips and provides a fibre, as does that of the roots which is in local use for rope. The slash is crimson and white in thin streaks.

The Woodis a light red colour. In transverse section the rings are well marked dark lines, close together, the pores are large, open, few, widely scattered, single or in small nests or rows of two or three, the rays straight, continuous, not too evenly spaced, some just visible to the naked eye. In vertical section the pores are long, open and sparse, and the grain fairly well marked in darker red lines. The wood is not hard, easily worked, planes to a nice smooth finish and is sound and compact. The weight is 50 lbs. a cubic foot.

The Leaves, which resemble those ofParkia filicoidea, though they are a much lighter green, are bipinnate and about 18 inches long. The pinnae, 5 or 6 pairs, are set wide apart on the mid-rib, and there are some 15-20 pairs of inch-long leaflets, light green above and grey-green beneath, with a waxy texture. They grow densely near the twig tips and the mid-rib remains on the twig after the leaflets have fallen, persistent through the dry season.

The Flowersare in 4-5 inch spikes, whitish in colour. Each flower consists of 5 small green sepals and 10 white stamens with pistil. They appear amongst the new leaves in March, and are sweet-scented.

The Fruitsare the most conspicuous feature of the species and the most ready means of identification for several months in the year, as they are very persistent, in whole or in part. Each is a long, flat, ribbon-like pod, from 6-15 inches long and over 2 inches broad with as many as 15 seeds, embossed. A rich brown in colour, the pod splits into sections between each seed, the outer cover falling away and releasing the seed which has a wing the shape of each section. The seed itself is a small, flat, brown oval, and the papery wing is veined. The seeds fall one by one, leaving the skeleton rim of the pod itself persistent for some time. The pods are a prominent and disfiguring feature of the tree, in the dry season.

Uses.—The leaves are appreciated as cattle fodder. An infusion of the bark is drunk as a tonic. The bark of stem and roots gives a fibre used as rope.

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ERIODENDRON ORIENTALESteud.—Rimi.The White-flowered Silk-Cotton.MALVACEAE.

This well-known tree is the tallest in the northern provinces and a height of 100 feet may be reached, with girths of 12 and 15 feet. Those who are familiar with the giant examples of the south will readily distinguish the difference in form between them and the type found in the north. In place of the clean bole up to 100 feet long with great horizontal limbs, the crown descends to within 10-20 feet of the ground and is, as a rule, very regular and shaped like a sugar-loaf, with a pointed top. The other type is seen but is not typical of the region. The branches, too, ascend at an acute angle and in the case of trees which have been lopped, a very common occurrence in the north, the new branches run up parallel with the main stem. Here and there occur branches which grow at right-angles to the main stem, so that one tree will show both types. The tree, as a rule, bears large, conical thorns, but there is a variety called “Rimi Masar” which has no thorns at all. The young tree shows a whorled arrangement of the branches. It is one of the quickest-growing trees and can be grown from poles, stuck upright in the ground.

The Barkis pale grey and smooth. In young specimens it is a bright green, with or without a mass of stout, conical thorns with round bases and sharp, black points. The slash is crimson and white in patches, the white darkening to brown.

The Woodis white with small, yellowish streaks, and is soft and fibrous when green, and brittle and inclined to be crumbly when dry. It rapidly rots on exposure to weather but will wear quite well when made up into any article, such as a stool. It is short in the fibre and has been rejected as a source of pulp for that reason.

The Leavesare truly digitate with 7-9 lobes, each 3-4 inches long and narrow and pointed. They are dark green and smooth and slightly paler beneath, with a long stalk.

The Flowers, which appear in December cover the leafless twigs in pendulous masses. They are lily-shaped, with 5 brownish petals, so densely covered with silky hairs as to appear white on the tree, especially when in bud. There are 5 stamens with rolled-up anthers and a long, white pistil. The attachment of the pistil to the ovary is peculiar. The concave base of the corolla, which sits on the ovary, is pierced with a small hole through which the pointed end of the pistil passes, but when the corolla falls entire, the pistil is prevented from remaining attached to it by a swelling of the style at the base of the corolla, on the inside. The ground may be seen littered with the fallen flowers, each containing the unattached pistil.

The Fruitsare large, pendulous capsules, 6 inches long, which are black when ripe and split into 5 sections, releasing a number of small, black seeds which are embedded in a mass of silky fibre known as Kapok. The fibre grows from the inner surface of the capsule.

Uses.—The wood is used for canoes of inferior quality in places where a better timber is not handy.

The silk-cotton is used for stuffing all kinds of articles, and by the native for stuffing donkeys’ saddle-pads. It is also used as a kindling for flint and steel.

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