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ERYTHRINA SENEGALENSISDC.—Minjiriya.Majiriya.LEGUMINOSAE.
This species is common locally and prefers the banks of streams, on which it grows to large dimensions. Examples 40 feet high with a girth of over 6 feet are met with and numbers may be found growing together along a considerable length of a stream. It occurs also, more or less commonly in open forest country, but does not reach the same dimensions as those near water. The larger trees have 20 feet boles and large, crooked limbs forming a wide, open crown, irregular in form.
The Barkof old trees is very rough and, in the case of those trees growing on stream banks, covered with lichen. There are long, vertical fissures and long, heavy scales. The stem of the young tree, and the branches of the old, are covered with short, sharp thorns with heavy bases, in pairs, pale brown with black points. The slash is yellow.
The Leavesare trifoliate, the lateral pair without stalks, the terminal larger with an inch stalk. They are a dull, grey-green, often blotched on the under surface. The leaflets are 2-3 inches long.
The Flowersreadily identify the species and are borne in bright red, terminal spikes. Each flower is a highly modified form of the “Pea,” and consists of a hood-shaped calyx and a large standard petal, folded down the middle, enclosing the long pistil and 10 stamens, some of which protrude with the pistil. They appear from November-January.
The Fruitsare pods, about 6-7 inches long with embossed sections. They are sickle-shaped and dull green with a velvet covering. When ripe they split down one side and twist into fantastic bundles with the coral-red seeds attached alternately to the rims of the two sections. The vivid colour of the seeds gives the name “Coral Tree” to the species.
Uses.—The seeds are used locally by boys in playing games of chance.
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EUGENIA GUINEENSISDC.—Malmo.MYRTACEAE.
A very familiar species which grows along stream banks as far north as 12°, while from 11° south it may be found gradually more and more able to leave these where conditions are suitable as regards soil and moisture. In Zaria and Bauchi especially it may be seen along streams to the exclusion of nearly all other species, and where it attains large dimensions up to 40 feet with girths of 6 feet. Like most species of the fringing stream belts the foliage approaches close to ground level, except where good protection is formed by the wider influence of “kurmis” when longer boles are found. The crown is dense but not high. Both the flowers and fruits are distinctive features.
The Barkis very dark, sometimes almost black or very dark brown, often lichenous with a mottled appearance. The bark is fairly smooth with long rectangular scales of little thickness. The slash is bright crimson and of fibrous texture.
The Leavesare very variable in shape and size, the true type being oval with rounded base and short pointed tip. They are 3-5 inches long and variable in breadth in proportion to a constant length. The surface is smooth with a rubbery texture, dull wax-like green. The venation is very fine, consisting of a large number of parallel laterals inclined acutely forward connected by a fine network of interlacing veins. The leaves are often distorted, the mid-rib curved or the tip of the leaf cleft.
The Flowersare in terminal racemes, regularly branched, of white flowers, each composed of a funnel-shaped 4-pointed calyx, 4 petals which are noticeable in bud, numerous white stamens which spring from the edge all round and a short curved pistil. They are scented and appear from January to March.
The Fruitsare drupes in large falling clusters passing through the green, white and mauve stages before ripening to a rich purple-black. They are oval, a little over ½ inch long, with a prominent mouth. The skin is thin, the juicy flesh narrow and the thin-skinned kernel large. Birds eat them with avidity.
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FICUS CAPENSISThunb.—Uwar yara, Haguguwa, Farin baure.MORACEAE.
A large fig tree commonly found on stream banks and in gulleys, distinguished by its masses of pear-shaped figs clustered round the trunk of the tree. It grows some 30 feet high with a girth of 4-6 feet, and in form is usually tall and narrow with a cylindrical crown which extends down to near ground level.
The Barkis a light brown colour and the scales are small, rectangular and grey, in patches on the tree. The slash is light red with a flow of milky sap.
The Leavesare 3-4 inches long and some 2 inches wide, of rather unusual shape, with broad tip, unequal basal lobes and wavy edges parallel in the middle portion. They are dark green with a bluish, waxy upper surface, paler beneath, and have ½ inch, stout stalks. The foliage is dense.
The Figsare borne in dense clusters on the trunk and wood of the larger branches, much branched twigs bearing the heavy crop. They are pear-shaped, about an inch long, and smooth. They are not edible.
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FICUS GNAPHALOCARPAA. Rich.—Baure.MORACEAE.
A very large fig tree, common throughout the country, but not in dry localities. It demands a moist site, preferably on the banks of a stream or in a fairly well watered locality. Though giving a deep shade it is not, like the “chediya” and “durumi” planted in towns for that purpose. It occurs in gregarious clumps, self sown and the seed is distributed by birds or goats and sheep which are very partial to the figs. It grows to very large dimensions, 50 feet in height with girths of 10-20 feet. There are two common forms: the high-crowned with long bole, erect branches and rather narrow, flat-topped crown, and the heavy-crowned, short-boled tree with low, widely-spreading limbs and immense crown. This is probably, like many other trees, merely a question of age and surroundings. Flanges a foot or two high and the roots running above ground for several feet are common features. The tree puts on its new foliage very quickly and this is a brilliant dark green colour.
The Barkof young trees is a light green colour with a soft, powdery covering. That of older trees is very distinctive, grey-green, fairly smooth with grey scales here and there about the bole and light brown patches where these have fallen. The trunk presents a mottled appearance most of the year, and green, grey, light and dark brown and bluish tints are intermingled. The slash is pale pink with a flow of milky sap.
The Leavesare 4-5 inches long and 3-3½ inches broad, cordate at the base with irregular margins. They are dark green on both sides with the veins very clearly visible in lighter colour and all prominent on the underneath. Both surfaces are rough to the touch, this being the most distinguishing characteristic of the species. There is a ½-¾ inch stalk.
The Figsare borne directly behind the leaves in short clusters any time from December to March and there is a heavy crop. They are about 1½ inches long and 1¼ wide, bluntly pear-shaped with ¾-1 inch stalks. When ripe they are various shades of red and orange to almost purple, rarely uniformly coloured throughout, and covered densely with short straight hairs like plush. They are much eaten by the natives, especially by children and are certainly the best eating though much spoilt by the fertilising fly. Sheep and goats relish them.
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FICUS ITEOPHYLLAMiq.—Shiriya, Shirinya.MORACEAE.
A very well known species of fig tree distinguished by its long narrow leaves and long clusters of small figs. It grows to great sizes, over 40 feet high and with girths of 15 feet. It varies considerably in form from a tall narrow tree to one with enormous flat-topped crown 75 feet in diameter. The foliage is superficial and the shade is not very good. The bole is short, gnarled or compound, and there are many roots trailing over the ground for several feet from the base of the tree in old examples. The branches of younger trees are very erect and it is only in old age that the large spreading form is assumed. It often starts life as a parasite, the seeds being carried by birds to a crevice in another tree which it gradually surrounds and smothers. It is not unlikeF. Kawuri, whose leaves are, however, slightly broader and whose figs are hairy and reddish.
The Barkis a creamy colour and a few grey scales are scattered here and there over it, giving it a mottled appearance. The bark is smooth.
The Leavesare 3-4 inches long and an inch wide with an inch stalk. They gradually widen from the base upwards and suddenly narrow to a point. The upper surface is dark, shiny green and the mid-rib and leaf stalk are very light green. The under surface is lighter in colour. The mid-rib is prominently raised on the underneath only. The margin is slightly waved. The leaves are arranged spirally in clusters of about 20 on the last 3-4 inches of the twigs, presenting a whorled arrangement.
The Figsare in 3-9 inch long clusters on the otherwise bare twigs, though they may be borne on the tree when it is in leaf. They are just over ¼ inch in diameter and when ripe are green with a red tint, round and the surface covered with small warts. They are eaten by birds which distribute the seeds to other trees where the tree starts life as a parasite. The crop of figs is a very heavy one.
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FICUS KAWURIHutch.—Kawuri.MORACEAE.
This is perhaps the largest fig tree with the exception ofFicus polita, “durumi,” attaining a height of 50-60 feet with girths of over 20 feet. It may start life as a parasite, when it forms the usual mass of aerial stems forming a compound bole. It grows to vast dimensions, forming a sun-proof shade with its dense, regular-shaped and clearly outlined crown. It is common in and around towns. The slash is pale red-brown with a flow of milky sap.
The Leavesare large, some 6 inches long and 3 inches wide on an average, 8 inches long and 3½ inches wide being the largest. They are broadly spear-shaped with cordate base and tongued tip. The upper surface is very dark green and shiny, the venation clearly marked and prominent on the surface, the mid-rib and main lateral nerves only prominent on the duller under surface. The leaves spring from the short, blunt twigs in a rosette formation.
The Figsare small, squat, pear-shaped and with black mouths, and are borne in small clusters of 2-4 in the axils of the leaves or behind the leaves on the wood. They turn from whitish to pink with purplish tints when ripe, and birds are very partial to them.
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FICUS PLATYPHYLLADel.—Gamji.MORACEAE.
A common species of fig tree, readily distinguished by the great size of its leaves and by the rusty colour of its bark. It attains a great size, over 60 feet in height, with enormous girths. The size of the large spreading limbs and breadth of crown are a feature. The lower limbs are horizontal and of great length and the crown is either flat-topped or round. There are small root flanges and often great lengths of root above ground. Though the leaves are few in number their size makes the tree give good shade. Life is started epiphytically.
The Bark, especially of younger trees and the branches of old trees, is rust red and there are large, scattered or patchy scales on the bole, which are light grey. The slash is dull pink, with a flow of milky sap.
The Leavesare very large and dark green. Twelve inches long and 8 inches wide, the upper surface is velvety with hairs and the veins show a pink tint. The under surface is lighter and the veins so prominently raised as to resemble rubber piping. The base is cordate and the tip pointed. The new leaves spring from the tips of the twigs above the figs.
The Figsare borne in clusters a foot or more in length and the crop is often a very heavy one. They ripen in December or January, or in places later, and the new foliage grows above them. The twigs on which the figs are borne are an inch thick with blunted tips. The figs themselves are an inch in diameter and have a 1½ inch stalk. They are reddish in colour with a soft skin and are covered with red warts.
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FICUS POLITAVahl.—Durumi.MORACEAE.
This is one of the commonest of the fig trees, chiefly occurring in towns where it is planted for its shade. It is the densest of all the shade trees and readily identified by its very large, spherical or flat-topped crown of darkest green, and heart-shaped leaves. It branches not above 10 feet from the ground and innumerable straight branches extend in every direction to form the dense, superficial crown. In form it differs fromF. Thonningiiin being flatter topped and not so tall, the crown being umbrella-shaped. The trunk of an old tree may be of great size and is built up of many aerial stems formed from the growth downwards of the aerial roots which anchor themselves to the soil or hang in festoons from the branches. A network of roots may often be seen spreading several feet round the base of the tree.
The Barkis smooth and light in colour and creeping down it or suspended from it are the aerial roots, red at the tips. The bark yields a copious flow of milky sap.
The Leavesare heart-shaped with a prominent tip and a waved edge, are dark green and shining above, smooth beneath, with the main veins raised on both surfaces. They have a 2 inch stalk and are 4-5 inches long and 3-4 inches wide. They are pendulous.
The Figsare single or in pairs on the wood of the branches and are very numerous, clustering all round the branches. They are about 1¼ inches in diameter and have square, twisted stalks over an inch long. They ripen in January.
Uses.—It is planted, from poles, solely for its shade and in old towns trees may be found with a shade diameter of 100 feet.
The figs are sometimes chewed by the native but not swallowed.
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FICUS THONNINGIIBlume.—Chediya.MORACEAE.
This species, somewhat similar toF. polita, is also commonest met with in towns, where it is grown for its shade. In form it differs fromF. politain that it reaches a greater height, 60 feet being not unusual, and has, as a rule, a spherical, rounded-topped crown. Numerous straight branches ascend from a large, short stem and, bearing their leaves at the ends, form a dense, superficial crown. The stem itself is, as in the case ofF. polita, composed of a large number of aerial roots which have grown downwards from the branches and entered the ground, eventually combining with the stem to form a gigantic whole. Where the main stem branches, a dense mass of small aerial roots is often in evidence. The species is commonly seen in the act of strangling another tree in some fork of which the seed has originally lodged and about which it has twined its aerials till the host is completely enveloped. It is a fast growing species and readily propagated from a branch length placed upright in the ground.
The Barkis light grey and smooth and a copious flow of milky sap will pour from a cut.
The Leavesare dark green and slightly shining on the upper surface, on which the venation is prominent. They are about 5 inches long and 2½ inches broad, with 2 inch stalks.
The Figsare very numerous and are under ½ inch in diameter, in dense clusters amongst the leaves. They are reddish in colour with a warty skin. They ripen about February, and are not edible.
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FICUS VALLIS-CHOUDAEDel.—Dulu.MORACEAE.
A large fig tree, most commonly found along the banks of streams and only away from them farther south in moister conditions. It reaches a height of 50-60 feet with very large girths. The bole is short, not above 10 feet and the limbs, widespread, form a large open crown with superficial foliage of very large leaves. Both the leaves and the large, solitary figs are distinguishing features. It is very common indeed in Bauchi province.
The Barkis light grey with large polygonal scales that leave light patches. The slash is pink, with a flow of milky sap.
The Leavesare large, averaging 6 inches long by 5 inches broad, but exceeding these dimensions by some 2 inches in some cases, with a stalk some 2 inches long. The base is slightly cordate and the margin broadly waved or bluntly toothed at wide intervals. The venation is prominent underneath and flat above. The upper surface is dull, dark, smooth, but not shining, the lower side slightly paler.
The Figsare solitary and large, almost up to 2 inches in diameter, flattened or pear-shaped, with a slight, softly hairy coat, and traces of longitudinal lines. The mouth is large and protrudes very slightly. They may be found from February to June.
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GARDENIA ERUBESCENSStapf & Hutch.—Gaude.RUBIACEAE.
A common and conspicuous shrub of the savannahs whose only claim to importance lies in its frequent occurrence in large numbers over wide areas of the country. It rarely exceeds 10 or 12 feet in height as against the 20 feet to which its congener,G. ternifoliamay attain. It is often gregarious, occurs in rich or poor and rocky soil and is more or less a component of all types of savannah. It branches from ground level and forms a round bush. The branches are twisted and bent, stout, blunt and springy.
A comparison withG. ternifoliashowsG. erubescensto have larger, paler and brighter green leaves, with less crinkled margins; crisp, not fibrous fruits of more uniform and oblong shape; stouter, blunter and browner twigs, and a more shrub-like growth.
The Barkis smooth, grey-brown, with a powdery surface and small, thin scales which leave lighter scars. The slash is yellow, with green edges.
The Woodis yellow, hard, crisp under the axe, planes well, seasons well, is sound and clean and weighs 50 lbs. a cubic foot. In transverse section the rings are clearly visible as fine white lines, the pores are minute, open, evenly distributed and more numerous in the light annual rings. The rays are extremely fine, rather far apart and wavy.
The Leavesare about 5 inches long and 2½ inches broad, bright green and shiny on the upper surface, lighter beneath, with the mid-rib raised on both sides. The margin is wavy or not, and some leaves are narrow at the tip and others blunt and flat. They do not form as marked rosettes as those ofG. ternifolia.
The Flowersare large, white, tubular, 6-petalled blooms, 3 inches in diameter with a very long, narrow corolla tube from which protrudes a ribbed club-like stigma, surrounded by 6 stamens consisting only of long anthers attached by their centres to the corolla. They are very highly scented and are conspicuous from their size, colour, number and perfume about December.
The Fruitsare fleshy, potato-like, yellow, with a smooth surface and variable in size and shape, though usually long. The flower-parts are persistent at the top. The firm, juicy flesh surrounds a number of small, flat, yellow seeds in a bright yellow, pithy pulp, and is sweet and edible. They are eaten by antelopes.
Uses.—The fruits are eaten fresh or made into a sauce as an ingredient of soup.
The whole plant is cut for fencing farms as protection from goats, etc., and the twigs are stuck on the tops of compound walls.
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GARDENIA TERNIFOLIAThunberg.—Gauden kura.RUBIACEAE.
This species, similar toG. erubescens, is found in the same situations, but is less plentiful as a rule. It may be seen mixed with the other species or over considerable areas by itself. It is, or can be, a taller species, occurring as a tree about 20 feet high with a less spreading habit, and a flat-topped crown. It branches from just above the ground and the branches are crooked and very springy, but not so stout and blunt as those ofG. erubescens, in fact, the straight twigs of this species are very distinctive.
A comparison withG. erubescensshowsG. ternifoliato be a larger or taller tree, less shrub-like; to have greener bark; to have smaller, darker, rougher and more crinkled leaves with pointed tips, and to have fibrous, grey-green fruits which vary exceedingly in size and in shape.
The Barkis smooth and grey or green with a powdery surface, and there are small, thin, grey scales which leave greenish-yellow scars. The end of the twig is covered with knobs of soft green cork. The slash is yellow, with green edges.
The Woodis yellow, close-grained, tough and hard to cut with the axe.
The Leavesare about 4 inches long and 1½ inches wide, dark green and slightly rough on the upper surface with a white mid-rib raised on both sides. The margin is crinkly and the tip pointed. They spring in little rosettes from the ends of the twigs.
The Flowersvary in size; are generally smaller than those of the other species but may be larger, 3½ inches across and with a corolla tube the same length. They are white and the under surface of the petals is very shiny. They have 6 petals, 6 stamens, consisting only of long anthers attached to the mouth of the corolla round a clubbed and green-ridged stigma. The calyx is irregular and a very bright, shiny dark green. The flowers are highly scented and turn yellow when fertilised. They appear about December and are very conspicuous by their size, colour and perfume.
The Fruitsare very variable in size and shape, but are always of the same consistency, grey-green on the outside with a fibrous flesh that surrounds a number of small, round, flat, yellow seeds in a firm pith. They may be round or oval, ribbed or plain with roughened surface, covered with lenticels, and from 1 to 4 inches long. They may be found on the tree during the greater part of the year, and fall entire.
Uses.—The fruits are not edible and are used in the making of black cosmetic (katambiri) for decorating the faces of women.
The tree and its branches are used for fences (shingi) round farms and also for sticking on the tops of compound walls.
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GREWIA MOLLISJuss.—Kurukubi.TILIACEAE.
A large shrub or small tree growing in higher savannah forest and not occurring in dry latitudes. It is especially partial to granite soils and hills. It has no very definite form, being either a dense shrub 12-15 feet high or a small, shapeless tree up to 20 feet, with crooked branches and a mass of fine twigs. It likes the shade of high forest and is found under the shelter of large trees. The star-shaped yellow flowers and irregularly toothed leaves are the conspicuous means of identification.
The Barkis black and rough, deeply fissured and fibrously scaled. It presents a rough, shaggy appearance.
The Leavesare alternate on the long shoots and assume one plane with their surfaces to the light. Especially in the shrubby forms is this most marked. The leaf is 3-5 inches long and 1-1½ inches broad, borne on a short stalk and with the edges acutely and irregularly cut into teeth of all sizes. There are three main nerves, the mid-rib boldly branched and the laterals less so. All the nerves point well forward, and are prominent beneath. The basal lobes are unequal. The leaf-stalk is dorsally flattened. The upper surface is a dull, blue green, the under surface paler. The leaf-bearing shoots are oval in section.
The Flowersappear in April and persist till well on in June, the fruits almost ripening before the last flowers are over. They are in axillary clusters, 2-3 on a stalk and 2-4 stalks in an axis. They are ½ inch in diameter, bright yellow, with 5 long, narrow yellowish sepals, 5 small, round yellow petals and a mass of yellow stamens surrounding a knobbed pistil.
The Fruitsare blackish when ripe, green with a pubescence before ripe, 2-lobed, with a cell in each lobe. They are edible.
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GUIERA SENEGALENSISLam.—Sabara.COMBRETACEAE.
A shrub, or, very occasionally, a small tree, which covers wide areas of otherwise barren land in the Bush savannah. In north-west Sokoto, for example, there are miles of this scrub covering what were large areas of cultivation at one time. It also covers the bare rocky slopes and summits of the flat-topped hills. On these it is associated with the smallerCombretumspecies “geza.” In appearance it is a bushy plant with several stems, dusty grey-green in colour from a few feet to about 15 feet in height. It is most conspicuous in fruit. The stems are very subject to a gall caused by a grub whose brown excretions fill the cavity in the gall. A small black and brown ant is found covering the plant at times.
The Barkis grey, and that of the young stems and branches is brown and covered with loose, brown fibres running vertically.
The Woodis cream-coloured with a reddish tinge. In transverse section the rings are darker bands, the pores are very small, single, in nests and in festoons, the contents closing most of them; the rays are very fine and evenly spaced, close together. The grain is coarse and twisted and the wood is tough and of no practical value. Weight 55 lbs. a cubic foot.
The Leavesvary much in size, being from 1-2 inches long and ¾-1½ inches wide. They have a slightly cordate base, a pointed tip and are broadly oval. The stalk is ¼ inch long. They are in pairs and opposite. They are a dusty grey-green, but a fresh green when new, and are rather dry and leathery in composition.
The Flowers, which are found at most times of the year, are in greeny-yellow, spherical heads about ½ inch across, enclosed at first in a sheath of bracts which splits open first into two parts and finally into four, which bend right back and persist in the fruiting stage. The head of flowers is on an inch long stalk in the axil of a leaf and bears a pair of tiny bracts about half-way up. Each flower has a 5-lobed calyx, 5 slender petals and 10 long stamens round a straight pistil. The whole is covered with minute black dots which are raised.
The Fruitsare 1½ inches long, slightly curved, pointed at both ends, extremely hard, and covered with long silky straight hairs. In section they are 5-lobed, occasionally more, and contain one long seed. They may be seen for several months in the year, chiefly in the dry season, and are very conspicuous with their silky hairs. They have often a pronounced pink tint.
Uses.—The shrub is burnt round cattle, sheep and goat camps to keep off the flies and as a remedy for colds in such herds.
The leaves, concocted with water, are a medicine for internal complaints, a preventive of leprosy and, applied externally, a cure for skin irritations. They are also drunk by women after child-birth. The leaves are often added to food to prevent indigestion.
It is commonly cut for fencing farms against herds.
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GYMNOSPORIA SENEGALENSISLoes.—Kunkushewa, Namijin tsada, Mangaladi, Bakororo.CELASTRACEAE.
A shrub or small tree, occasionally as tall as 25 feet with a girth of 2 feet, but more generally a shrub found in large numbers in open secondary growth after cultivation. It does not grow in the far north and requires well-watered and more loamy soils than are found above 13° N. Sometimes it exceeds 50 per cent. of the vegetation on old farm lands, and such land being burnt every year the tree increases very slowly in height and broadens into a compact shrub. The crenate-edged leaves with bright red stalks, the small sharp thorns, small white flowers and globular fruits are distinctive characters.
The Barkof old trees is dark or light grey and covered with very small, close-fitting rectangular scales. That of the shrubs is pale-grey, sometimes almost white, and smooth. The slash is crimson.
The Thornsare in the axils of the leaves and in their axils is a bud. On the new shoots they are green with crimson bases, ¼-½ inch long, very sharp and straight. On old wood and twigs they are brown and very strong.
The Woodis whitish, hard, straight grained, sound and clean and weighs 45 lbs. a cubic foot. The rings are visible as extremely fine lines of alternate hard and soft tissue, the pores and rays both invisible except under good magnification. Planes and saws well but splits in seasoning.
The Leavesvary a great deal in size and shape, but the type is obovate or spoon-shaped with a tapering base and a rounded, broad tip, with or without a cleft of variable depth. Often the tip of the leaf is very deeply cleft, the edge is finely crenate or serrate, the surface smooth, the laterals hardly visible except when held up to the light. The mid-rib is prominent beneath, the laterals waved, the stalk crimson, the length up to 4 inches and breadth 2½ inches. The leaf droops in the sun and becomes limp in texture.
The Flowers, from December to February, are in small cymes in the axils of the leaves, on the old wood or new shoots. On the new shoots there is generally one cyme in each axil, on the older twigs there may be four separate cymes. Each flower is ⅙ inch in diameter, with a very small 5-pointed calyx, 5 white, oval petals, 5 minute stamens and an ovary with a bifid, branched style. There are male and female flowers on the same tree, the female having no stamens.
The Fruitis a capsule, ½ inch in diameter, with 3 cells each containing 2 seeds. They are conspicuous in clusters, turning from pale green to red.
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HANNOA UNDULATAPlanch.—Takandar giwa.SIMARUBACEAE.
A medium-sized tree which abounds, though not further north than 12° and very local, in Tree savannah and the better type of Bush savannah. Its bark and leaves, once recognised are a ready means of identification. It attains a height of 35 feet with girths of 3-5 feet. It grows erect, with vertically ascending branches which form a high, narrow crown. A bole-length up to 10 feet, but not often more, is common. It is very subject to attacks by a caterpillar which skeletonises the leaves and covers the twigs with a lot of silk.
The Barkis dull, grey with long vertical ridges and fissures of very soft, thick cork. A curious effect, due to the absence of marked scales, is that the bole appears to have no bark at all, but resembles a dead tree whose trunk has turned grey with exposure. The slash is reddish.
The Woodis pale yellow. In transverse section the rings are faintly visible, the pores are mostly in little chains of 2-6 or so, having the appearance of being one long pore divided by partitions, the groups running in radial direction between the rays. Thin lines of soft tissue connect the groups. The wood is soft, saws and planes very easily, with little picking up. The wood requires well seasoning as it is liable to mould and rot. The weight is 35 lbs. a cubic foot.
The Leavesare pinnate, up to 12 inches long with 3 or 4 opposite pairs and a terminal leaflet. The leaflets are far apart and on slender stalks an inch or more in length. They vary in size on the one leaf, up to 2 inches long, excluding the stalk, and almost as broad as long in the case of the lowest pair and the terminal leaflet, with broadly cleft tips and abruptly tapering bases. The margins are sinuous, the mid-rib prominent on both surfaces and the lateral grooved on both surfaces. They are a dull, dark green above and a yellowish green beneath. The leaflets are almost at right angles to the main stalk.
The Flowersappear from October to November and are in large, loose panicles, some 12 inches long. Each is about ⅜ inch in diameter with a small cup-shaped calyx, 6 yellowish petals, 12 stamens, the lower half of the filaments being covered with hairs, and a short blunt pistil on a 6-part ovary. The flowers are scented.
The Fruitsare formed by the growth of the several carpels, one or two of which generally crowd out the rest and grow at their expense. Rarely more than two reach maturity and occupy their respective positions on the stalk with their angular side facing the centre. Each is ¾ inch long and half as wide, a flattened or angled oval, with a brown or blackish wrinkled or lined skin, a hard shell and white kernel with light brown coat. Only a small proportion, as a rule, reach maturity, and these are very persistent on the tree, falling with the first rains 3 or 4 months later.
Uses.—The wood is used for all purposes thatBombax buonopozenseis, namely basins, stools and cattle troughs, and occasionally drums.
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HYMENOCARDIA ACIDATul.—Jan Yaro, Jan iche.EUPHORBIACEAE.
A small, erect tree up to 25 feet in height and 2 feet in girth. It is very widely distributed from quite near the coast up to 12° N. As most commonly seen, in open forest, it is not above 15 feet, erect, with ascending, crooked branches and a close, compact little crown. In this form it occurs in great quantities in secondary growth and is very familiar with its pale reddish stem. Older trees may have an 8 feet bole with a compact rounded crown. The male and female are on different trees (dioecious), both very readily distinguished, the first by its red catkins, the second by its red, heart-shaped, double-seeded, winged fruit. The male is often called “taramniya” by the native, owing to the resemblance of its flower-spikes to those ofCombretumspecies.
The Barkis a light reddish or orange colour, sometimes almost white, with a dusty covering up to the extremities of the twigs. Here and there on older trees are a few scattered grey scales. The slash is a dull pink with a thin green edge.
The Woodis pinkish, hard, 55 lbs. per cubic foot, splits in seasoning, planes well with the grain, coarsely against it, exhibiting a bright sheen in cross section, the rings well marked fine dark lines, the pores very small and evenly scattered along the extremely fine rays in chains. The wood darkens considerably on exposure, being almost orange in transverse section.
The Leavesare some 3-4 inches long and 1-1½ broad, rounded or narrow at the base, bluntly pointed at the tip, which is variable, with ½ inch stalks. The mid-rib is prominent beneath. The leaf has a tendency to fold up along the mid-rib, especially towards the tip which is often recurved. The colour is at first a most delicate green, conspicuous from a distance but the leaf turns dark, toughens and loses the few hairs it had when young. They are arranged spirally round the twigs and stand erect.
The Flowers, male on one tree and female on another, appear in February and March. The male are in spikes, which are at first, in bud, short and bright red, gradually lengthening and turning whitish as the stamens open, finally becoming pendulous and as much as 4 inches long. Often they are in great masses and flies and small insects haunt them. Each consists of a small 5-lobed red calyx, no petals and 5 radiating stamens joined below into a short column, the anthers large, whitish and with a bright yellow gland at the tip beneath. There is a rudimentary red ovary with a bifid tip. The female flowers are almost invisible at first but grow into sight very rapidly after fertilisation. They consist of a calyx with long red sepals, varying in number from 5-8, and an ovary with two styles which become very prominent and grow long. These are wrinkled and bent or twisted and beneath them the ovary enlarges till it is about an inch long and 1¼ inches broad, gradually changing from the limp green to the dark red double-seeded, winged fruit so familiar in masses and often persistent till the new leaves of the following year.
The Fruits, as described above, ripen and split into their two cocci, each containing one large flat seed. The seed portion of the coccus is net-veined and the wing portion longitudinally veined.
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HYPHAENE THEBAICAMart.—Goriba. “Dum Palm.”PALMACEAE.
This very common palm is found all over N. Nigeria and is distinguished from all others by its branching habit. It thrives in dry country, farther north than any other palm. The height is some 30 feet and the girth about 3 feet. The main stem branches into two and each of these may divide again and even a third time. In agricultural land the ground is densely covered with the seedlings which are cut down each year by the farmer.
The Barkis smooth, the rings of the leaf sheaths clearly marked except at the base of old trees where the stem has the appearance of decay and an uneven surface.
The Woodis very fibrous and has no local use beyond that of roof or door supports. It has been used as fuel.
The Leavesare about 4 feet long, the segments inverted V-shaped, about 18 inches long, with smooth margins, united for a few inches of their length only. The stalk is curved back at the tip and the segments at the base are higher up on one side than on the other. The stalk is heavily armed with black spines and the sheath is divided at the base, remaining clasped to the stem for some time.
The Flowerswhich appear in March, when the fruit is ripe or fallen, are male and female on different trees. The spadix of both sexes is similar, up to 4 feet long with 2-3 spikes rising from the small branches at intervals along the spadix. The males are small green flowers with 3 sepals, 3 petals and 6 stamens, massed on the spikes, often spirally in rows up the spike. The females have very short stalks and have 3 sepals, 3 shorter petals, 6 rudimentary stamens and a 3-lobed ovary.
The Fruitsare 2½—3 inches long and 2-2½ inches broad, light brown when ripe, reddish-brown before ripe, roughly showing 3 lobes on the exterior, smooth and hard. They contain a large, hollow kernel, very hard. The fruit ripens in March.
Uses.—The leaves are used for mats, hats, baskets, fans and various plaited articles. The unripe kernel is eaten raw and the rind of the fruit is used for making sweets. Elsewhere the kernels have been used for buttons.