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Title: The useful trees of northern Nigeria
Author: Hugh Vandervaes Lely
Release date: November 2, 2023 [eBook #72006]
Language: English
Original publication: London: Crown agents for the colonies, 1925
Credits: Galo Flordelis (This file was produced from images generously made available by the HathiTrust Digital Library)
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE USEFUL TREES OF NORTHERN NIGERIA ***
[Illustration: THE KUKA OR BAOBAB TREE
Adansonia digitata Linn.]
THE USEFUL TREES
OF
NORTHERN NIGERIA
BY
H. V. LELY
_Assistant Conservator of Forests_
NIGERIA.
Price 10/-
Published by the Crown Agents for the Colonies,
4, Millbank, London, S.W. 1.
1925.
[Decoration]
CONTENTS.
* * * * *
PREFACE vii
DESCRIPTIONS OF SPECIES IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER 1
APPENDIX I.—TABLE OF FLOWERING SEASONS 121
APPENDIX II.—LIST OF SPECIES ARRANGED IN FAMILIES 126
INDEX OF NATIVE NAMES 127
PREFACE.
* * * * *
The text and plates of this volume have been prepared with the primary
object of identification of the trees of the savannah forests of
Northern Nigeria. The volume is, in no sense, a Flora, and no attempt
has been made to include all the species found in the region under
survey. Trees, being distributed over a large number of Families of the
plant kingdom, are a small proportion of the total number of flowering
plants, and their systematic arrangement would not, except in a few
cases, be an aid to identification. Some 30 Families are represented
by the 120 species included, in one of which there are as many as
36 species. The botanical names are arranged, therefore, in their
alphabetical order so as to group certain genera and species whose
similarity aids identification and to make the volume, in its index
form, handier for reference.
The text is arranged in paragraphs, the first giving a general
description of the form, height, girth, habitat, locality, &c.,
successive paragraphs describing in detail the bark and slash, thorns,
wood, leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds, with a few notes on uses
where these are known. These paragraphs are in uniform order for rapid
reference.
The text is supplemented by drawings of the flower, leaf, thorn, fruit
and seed, sketched from the living specimens. Wherever possible the
drawings are actual size to avoid calculations from enlarged or reduced
figures, but a number have been enlarged to show structures, or reduced
owing to their actual size. In several cases sections of various parts
have been made to illustrate peculiarities of structure, a pocket lens
being used for this purpose, though practically all the parts drawn are
visible to the unaided eye.
The majority of the botanical names have been verified through the
Herbarium of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew.
In describing the woods, few of which are in use and many of which
are little likely to be of use, an attempt has been made to strike a
path midway between the complete technical and botanical description
employed with regard to timbers and a vague statement as to colour,
quality, hardness and grain which helps little to distinguish the
individual from others like it. Most of the woods are described from
samples collected by the author and shaped by the Sokoto Arts and
Crafts School. I am indebted for these, and for the facilities offered
for observing their behaviour under tools, to Mr. W.E. Nicholson.
The dry weight of seasoned wood is given in all cases and in this
connection it may be noted that a number of species produce heavier
wood in the north than they do in the south.
A table of flowering seasons has been appended, with a few notes on its
significance.
A second appendix arranges the 120 species under their Families. The
_Genera Plantarum_ of Bentham and Hooker has been followed.
Finally, there is an index of _Hausa_ names for reference to the plates
and text, whose numbers are given in the index. A blank column has been
left in the index for the benefit of those who may desire to collect
either additional _Hausa_ names or the nomenclature of other tribes. It
is hoped that the scope of the volume will be enlarged thereby, so as
to cover other parts of Nigeria where the trees are the same but the
language different.
The botanical name, being universal, is always given preference. The
native names, variable and unreliable as they often are, should be a
secondary consideration, their importance resting in their being a
means of communication with the native rather than a short cut to the
botanical names. In a country where there are several native names for
one tree or one native name for several distinct species, the knowledge
gained is either limited to a small number of trees or applicable to a
small area of country. But once examined and properly identified, no
number of native names need confuse the real identity. In collecting
native names a warning should be given against the ignorant or
ready-to-please native, and independent corroboration is advisable
before accepting a name as worth recording. At the same time it is a
fact that names genuinely differ in quite small areas of country where
the same language is spoken, and a knowledge of the botanical names or
real familiarity with the tree species is essential to reliable work.
The identification of 120 species, though seemingly not a large
number, is sufficient to afford a thorough familiarity with most of
the savannah forests and makes further species, not included here,
stand out all the more clearly from their no longer similar companions.
Numbers or economic values of further species are sufficient
justification for forwarding these for identification to Kew, if they
cannot be named from their resemblance to known species or by means of
a Flora.
In selecting the 120 species to be included in this volume, the author
has had to exercise his own discretion. The collection has been made
between 9° and 14° N., and those who know this area will find a great
deal they require, while some, in the more northerly latitudes, will
find little of importance that is not included. Others, however, will
meet with unfortunate omissions, for the following reason: South of
11° N. certain species which more truly belong to the evergreen and
intermediate forest zones have established themselves in considerable
numbers by streams, in valleys and in pockets of rich soil with
surroundings suited to their propagation. Either all or none must be
included if this volume is to be representative of such regions, but
since they are not truly savannah species their inclusion here is
beyond the scope of this volume, which would have to be enlarged very
considerably to cover even the forests in the Benue region and south of
the Niger, where savannah abounds. All the species included here occur
up to 11° N., and with five exceptions up to 12° N., while nearly all
occur below 10° N. and many much further south.
A selection has been made in the case of some genera, _e.g._, _Ficus_,
and _Combretum_, to familiarise the characters of trees which occur in
large numbers and are typical of savannah forest. Some of these are
of little importance beyond their occurrence in numbers over large
stretches of country. The value of trees varies largely according
to locality. Timber value is of little account in regions where it
is inaccessible and unexploitable. Food, medicinal and other values
take precedence where there is a large population demanding economic
produce, and many species must be accounted valuable merely as a
soil covering for the prevention of denudation, fixation of shifting
surfaces, protection of new growth, grazing areas, precipitation of
moisture, retention of conditions advantageous to agriculture or as a
basis for the introduction of new, or the encouragement of existing
valuable trees from the forestry standpoint. The advance of agriculture
or the condensing of population intensifies these values by the
destruction of the better types in favour of the poorer, and by the
increased demand for the products of the better types. There are many
instances of valuable products being obtained from forests which are
not only some distance from habitations but whose soil is of a nature
that precludes any possibility of supporting a population, since it
will not produce crops. For example, _Sclerocarya birrea_ (Danya) grows
to large sizes in some parts of Sokoto Province where the soil is of an
unworkable kind and where, over wide areas, there are no people. Yet
this area is visited from all over the country and hundreds of trees
are felled for the manufacture of mortars, trees in many cases suitable
for two or three mortars being exploited for one only.
Though much has been written about the various types of savannah
forests, a short account of them will not be superfluous here. First
it may be pointed out that savannah forests vary so much in their
composition and distribution that a survey is practically impossible,
and if made, would have to be revised annually. Savannah is a
particularly aggressive form of forest growth. Given the opportunity,
it at once occupies more land and on its own ground the inferior
types oust the superior wherever there is an opening. Any extensive
area of cultivation, if abandoned and allowed to regenerate its tree
growth, lets in secondary forests containing species which are less
exacting as to soil and moisture conditions, and the depreciation of
these conditions to the farming methods stops the competitive growth
of the trees which formerly occupied the area. Where the area cleared
is sufficiently small and the period short enough, the conditions are
retained, and are able to close up the clearing with little loss by
degeneration.
The fringing forests, belts of evergreen and deciduous trees on the
banks of streams, are continually hard pressed by the broad wedges
of open savannah between them. Fires take toll of them every year
and cultivation not only pushes them down stream from the source
but interrupts and cuts them up into islands exposed to threats of
extinction.
Savannah is very topographical, and though, within broad limits, it can
be divided into two main types, Tree and Bush savannah, the two are so
distributed or blended that the differences are often unrecognisable
and not able to be recorded in a survey.
Tree savannah is recognised as a tall type having a light, closed
canopy, with a sprinkling of under-shrubs and a sparse growth of grass.
Bush savannah is a more open growth of less height, more spreading and
lower branched form, with no canopy, and many stunted shrubs and a
dense growth of grasses which are normally burnt out each year. There
is every variation of this latter type from _Combretum_ and _Guiera_
scrub of barren soils or stony plateaux to the type which closely
approaches that of Tree savannah.
The following are some of the recognised sub-types:—
PARK SAVANNAH.—This is a natural or artificial formation, the latter a
product of agriculture, and is a two-storeyed growth composed of large
type trees scattered about and dominating an undergrowth of smaller
trees. Type species are _Parkia filicoidea_, _Butyrospermum Parkii_,
_Afzelia africana_, _Tamarindus indica_, _Acacia albida_, etc. In
the artificial product the large trees often owe their presence to
their value, having been allowed to stand when the land was cleared
for farms, the lower storey being a subsequent growth whose height
depends on the period that has elapsed since the farms were abandoned.
Natural Park Savannah is well represented by the superior size of
_Afzelia africana_ or _Paradaniellia Oliveri_ over the lower storey
of _Terminalia_ and other species which cannot attain the height or
proportions of these large trees.
FRINGING FORESTS.—These are the narrow belts of forest along stream
banks, and are either intrusion of evergreen and other trees from a
lower latitude or the remnants of broader belts which have dwindled
to a mere fringe. Typical species are _Khaya senegalensis_, _Eugenia
guineensis_, _Adina microcephala_, _Diospyros mespiliformis_, etc.,
with a number of evergreen shrubs, typically Jasmines. The narrower the
belt the lower branched are the trees.
“KURIMI.”—This is the formation found in depressions, where there may
or may not be a stream, not necessarily flowing in the dry season. It
is an enlarged edition of the fringing belt and more nearly represents
the evergreen forest. Trees of large dimensions with long, clean
boles are found amidst a luxuriant undergrowth of shrubs and younger
trees, which if undisturbed will attain full maturity. “Kurimi” is
the chief source of timber in the Northern Provinces and from it such
type species as _Khaya grandifolia_, _Chlorophora excelsa_, _Albizzia
Brownei_, _A. fastigiata_, _Diospyros mespiliformis_, and frequently
Oil Palms are obtained.
“FADAMMA.”—This is represented by the broad river valley perennially
inundated, or a depression of varying size in flat country where water
lies during the rains. Typical species are _Mitragyne africana_,
_Paradaniellia Oliveri_ and _Borassus flabellifer_, the Fan Palm. There
is either a dense growth of grass or, in the case of temporary lakes,
an area of cracked mud.
Pure forests are rare in savannah and _Acacia Seyal_ and _Isoberlinia_
species are type cases. Gregarious clumps of various sizes are,
however, one of the commonest features and a large number of trees
is concerned. Examples are the _Acacias Seyal_, _arabica_, _albida_,
_Senegal_ and _campylacantha_; _Anogeissus_, _Isoberlinia_, _Bauhinia_,
_Anona_, _Bombax_, _Terminalia_, _Combretum_, _Detarium_, _Gardenia_,
_Parinarium_, _Pseudocedrela_, _Stereospermum_, _Ximenia_, _Uapaca_,
_Boswellia_, _Monotes_, etc.
Savannah also shows many examples of a dominant species, the presence
of which are indications of the composition of a forest. The presence
of this or that species sets a standard of comparative quality to an
area by which it may be valued from various standpoints.
Over wide areas of savannah there are to be found many evidences of
previous peoples in the shape of walled ruins, foundations of corn
stores, grindstones and heaps of hand-picked stones indicative of
cultivation. The dating of such remains gives the approximate age of
the forest growth, and from this evidence it would appear that certain
types of savannah deteriorate considerably with age and that farming
will regenerate them to a certain extent. A comparison of 20-30 year
old forest with the untouched older forest shows the former to be
denser, more healthy and of straighter and more even growth, while
the latter contains a large number of very old trees in a state of
decay, with great open crowns, liable to be blown down by storms, their
branches burned by fires and riddled with fungus. The new growth which
is to take their place consists mostly of grasses, stunted shrubs and
small trees of species which are incapable of forming a canopy. As
mentioned above, provided the area farmed is not too large, the support
given it by the surrounding forests is sufficient to ensure effective
regeneration, otherwise a poorer type takes hold.
In conclusion a short account of the growth and characteristics of
savannah forests is given. As would be expected, the trees, being
subject throughout life to extremely hard conditions, counter with
defensive measures for self-preservation. Most of them are prolific
seeders and many have the habit of retaining their fruits or seeds on
the tree for many months, sometimes right round to the next flowering
season. Germination of seeds is a matter of chance when the tree is
liable to ground fires from October to April or May. The life of a
seedling, too, is precarious, since at the age of six months it may
be subject to a devastating fire. In later life a fire, occurring
in April, may, if the grass is high, burn the bark to ashes on the
outside, destroying all fruits or seeds, killing the twigs and small
branches and apparently destroying all life. Yet, a month later
leaves will spring from all but the burnt tips, the tree losing a
year’s height growth, but in a position to put on another year’s stem
girth. Wounds on the trunk of a tree heal over with the formation of
a hollow or rotten core. Trees 4-5 feet in girth have been felled
and their stems found to consist of a mere shell two or three inches
thick. The hollow is filled either with the workings of termites or
the fermenting sap which is forced up from the ground level and will
pour out of the stump. Savannah trees are adapted to overcome most
of these adverse conditions. Heavy crops of fruit and seed, rapid
ripening of seeds or fire-resisting fruit coats and various means of
distribution are means to ensure germination. Deep or thickened tap
roots of seedlings are put down in the first year so that though the
seedling may be levelled by fire it will appear with renewed vigour
soon after. A very short flowering period for the individual tree is
a marked characteristic of many species. Fire has a quickening effect
on the flowering and leaf bearing of trees to a marked degree. A
grass fire in November may produce flowers and leaves in December on
trees which, if unburnt, would not have flowered till February. As a
rule, no tree will flower again if the first flowers have been burnt
off, though it will, of course, bear leaves. One or two exceptions,
very rare, have been noticed by the author, but these were due to the
peculiarity that some trees exhibit of bearing flowers on some of their
branches and not on others, so that the flowerless twigs were probably
excited by the fire into bearing flowers after it. Leaves are readily
replaced after attacks by locusts which generally take place early in
the season. The end of the cold weather and first sign of heat is the
spring of growth. Few trees have to wait for rain before they produce
all the signs of maturity except the complete growth of their leaves.
The bark of young seedlings, subject to fire, is very thick and corky
and that of old trees is still more so, while the inner layers are
fibrous and full of sap. Almost all species will coppice very well,
many throwing up shoots up to 10 feet high in a season, others only a
foot or two. Root shoots are also very common and a large number of
what are apparently seedlings in the forest are root shoots. Most trees
are anchored very firmly to the ground by lateral roots far longer than
the height of the tree, a protection against storms. A tree which is
completely ringed will often endeavour to join up the cut, meanwhile
continuing its season’s foliage, while the smallest connection with the
root is sufficient for it to live for many years. Most new leaves, as
a protection against the sun, are reddish in colour, many a brilliant
crimson, the green being produced through all gradations of colour
from the red. Others are hairy, scaly or covered with a bloom, the
protective coverings wearing off with maturity. The proportion of
sapwood to hard is large and many species show marked differences in
this proportion according to their locality, some showing no heartwood
in the north where it is produced in the south. The weights of woods
are often considerably heavier in the north than is the case for
the same species in the south. There are some localities where wide
areas are infested with termites to such an extent that, during the
dry weather their whole surface, even to the tips of the twigs, is
completely covered with the earth carried by the termites. Although
there are exceptions, it is observed that apparent damage is negligible
and that the old scales are removed from the bark, exposing the fresh
surface.
The savannah species are, then, well equipped to withstand fire,
drought, insects, wounds, storms, and damage by man and it can be
imagined how readily they will supplant better types, since the harder
the conditions the better adapted are the trees to meet them. The
wide distribution of most species renders them more aggressive, and
an individual species that will grow into a fine tree under the best
conditions can still grow under the worst, though it may differ in form
and feature so as to be hardly recognisable as the same species.
If, as it is supposed, savannah forests are depreciating of their own
accord, some factor other than climate, which has not been demonstrated
by records, must be at work. It is sufficient to point to the increase
and spread of the population from the towns to the forests to find a
reason for the displacement of good forest by lower grades. Shifting
cultivation encourages a worse type each time it is practiced and late
fires are very destructive.
For valuable assistance given in identifying the trees and shrubs in
this volume, the author is indebted to Dr. A. W. Hill, Director of the
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and Mr. J. Hutchinson of the Herbarium. To
Dr. J. M. Dalziel he is indebted for the “Hausa Botanical Vocabulary,”
a valuable short-cut to further research. Other books referred to
are the “Flora of Tropical Africa” and Kew Bulletin, Additional
Series IX., neither of which has been used other than for purposes of
classification, it being the author’s aim to describe and illustrate
the material as it appears to be, and not only as it actually is from
the scientific point of view, avoiding botanical terms except where
they have no alternatives.
H. V. L.
_March_, 1925.
=ACACIA ALBIDA= Delile.—_Gawo_. LEGUMINOSAE.
This is the largest of the Acacias in the north, and attains a height
of over 60 feet with girths over 12 feet. It is particularly common in
Sokoto, but even there is locally distributed, and gregarious clumps
are commonly met with. It prefers dry, sandy soils. The form of the
young and the old tree is very different. The former has a straight
bole with acutely ascending branches forming a high, flat-topped crown
very similar to that of _Paradaniellia_ in shape. The bole may be clean
for over 20 feet, but in young trees there are usually clusters of
thorny twigs at no great height. As age increases the crown widens and
the limbs get heavier and more spreading until the form is like that of
_Parkia_. The bole is then quite clean and considerably thickened at
the base, the roots spreading above ground and forming flanges, thick
but of little height. Its distinguishing peculiarity is the habit of
shedding its leaves at the approach of the rains and putting them forth
at the first sign of the dry season, in September. It grows fast up to
full height and then slowly.
=The Bark= is uniform dull grey. Long wide fissures and prominent
ridges of hard bark ascend the bole and the bark appears as if it was
stretched without being cast off. Light brown patches, quickly turning
grey, are left by the falling scales. The slash is pale brown and
fibrous.
=The Thorns= are in pairs, under ½ inch long and slightly recurved.
They are pale brown with white bases. The young tree is armed all over,
but as the tree ages the thorns leave the stem and finally the higher
branches are free as if protection seemed to be unnecessary at a height.
=The Wood.=—The heartwood is a light, clean yellow. The sapwood is a
dirty white. Frequently the whole wood is a dirty white or grey, but
this is due to discolourations from mould and the wood should always be
seasoned in dry air and not allowed to get wet. In transverse section
the rings are indistinct and wide apart, the pores are small and evenly
distributed, mostly in festoons with twin pores here and there, the
soft tissue plainly seen as concentric lines with the hard tissue
alternating. The rays are extremely fine, very regular and closely
spaced and quite invisible to the naked eye. In vertical section there
are faint bands of colour, with light reflecting flecks in tangential
section. The wood is soft, very easy to work with all tools, seasons
well if looked after, and finishes well under the plane. The weight is
35 lbs. a cubic foot.
=The Leaves= are bipinnate, 4 inches long with 6-7 pairs of pinnae
bearing some 10-15 pairs of dusty, grey-green leaflets, covered with
tiny hairs. The foliage in the mass appears bluish-green. It appears
at the end of September and is susceptible to insect, caterpillar and
locust.
=The Flowers=, from October to December, are in dense spikes 3-4
inches long, scented. The lower inch of the spike is flowerless.
Several spikes are borne at the twig ends. Each flower has a 5-lobed
cream-coloured calyx with pink centre, 40-50 stamens, and a short
pistil with slightly clubbed stigma.
=The Fruits= are pods, at first green and sickle shaped, ripening to
a bright orange and twisting into strange shapes. They are 4-6 inches
long, 1 inch wide, concave on one side, convex on the other. They
contain dark brown shiny seeds ⅜ inch long. The pods ripen in January
and February and fall entire, rotting on the ground.
=Uses.=—Inferior canoes, of the stitched together type are made. The
ripe pods are collected and fed to cattle, sheep and goats. The common
brown kite nests frequently in its branches in March and April.
[Illustration]
=ACACIA ARABICA= Willd.—_Gabaruwa, Bagaruwa_. LEGUMINOSAE.
This tree, the original source of gum-arabic, is very common and widely
distributed throughout the north. It is very frequent round towns
where it is utilised for the tannin properties of its pods. It varies
largely in size from a small erect tree with umbrella crown to a large,
heavy-stemmed tree with high rounded crown. It occurs gregariously
in clumps or small forests, growing densely with the crowns meeting
overhead. The seed germinates freely in low-lying country liable
to submergence by rains or floods and the tree flourishes in such
situations. It is just as partial to dry sandy soils where it abounds.
With its almost black stem and branches, bluish-green foliage and
graceful, symmetrical form, it is readily distinguished from other
_Acacia_ species. The average height is some 20-25 feet, but trees over
35 feet with girths up to 8 feet are not uncommon.
=The Bark= is almost black, or a dull dark grey, with long stringy
ridges and narrow fissures. The dark colour extends to the branches and
woody twigs, the latter covered with a soft pubescence. A clear yellow
gum exudes from the slash which is a pale pink colour. The slash is red
brown and blackish in streaks.
=The Thorns= are in pairs on the branches and twigs, some quite short
and slightly curved, others, especially on the older wood being long,
straight, slender and very sharp, with a grey colour and a slight
backward slope. They are up to three inches in length and generally
curved a little.
=The Wood= is a deep red-brown with almost purple bands. The sapwood
is yellow. In transverse section the colour is darkest, the rings show
as dark, ill-defined bands, the pores are small, few and scattered
about between the fine straight rays which are visible against the
dark ground of the hard tissue. There are many double and nested pores
and zones with very few pores. Their contents nearly close them. In
vertical section the grain is twisted, there are dark bands and the
pores have black contents. The wood is very hard to saw and plane but
the finish is hard and takes a high polish. The grain picks up badly in
places. The transverse section will polish. The weight is 75-80 lbs. a
cubic foot.
=The Leaves= are bipinnate, some 2-4 inches long with 5-6 or sometimes
more pinnae bearing 15-20 pairs of leaflets with rounded tips, ³⁄₁₆
inch long. They are a dark bluish-green with grey bloom and soft
texture.
=The Fruits= are jointed pods, straight or sickle-shaped, with slightly
embossed seeds. The pod surface is wrinkled and covered densely with a
whitish bloom. The seeds, some 10-12 in a pod, are round, flattened,
shiny and brown, ⅜ inch in diameter. The pods, ripening towards the end
of the year, fall to the ground entire. They are the “Sant Pods” of
commerce.
=Uses.=—Hoe and axe handles are made from the wood which rarely reaches
large enough dimensions to provide canoes as it does in other parts of
Africa.
A concoction of the pods, crushed with water, is used for tanning. The
leaves, boiled, with the addition of a small piece of Tamarind pod, are
used as a cure for a disease of the eye which causes the lashes to fall
out.
From the pods a black leather dye called “kuloko” is made.
[Illustration]
=ACACIA CAMPYLACANTHA= Hochst.—_Kumbar Shafo, Farichin Shafo, Karo,
Karki_. LEGUMINOSAE.
A tall tree somewhat resembling _Acacia Sieberiana_, especially in the
case of full-grown trees of both species. A comparison of the bark,
thorns and pods will readily distinguish one from the other. It is
the tallest and most erect of the acacias in the north, reaching a
height of 60 or more feet and girths of 4-6 feet when growing, as is
very commonly the case, in dense clumps on stream banks, hillsides and
on the sites of old towns. This last peculiar situation is sometimes
explained locally by the fact that cattle eat the pods and deposit the
undigested seeds on the site of a cattle camp in a deserted town. The
bole is often 30 feet or more in length in these clumps, the crowns
high and flat-topped and meeting overhead, forming a density of shade
sufficient to kill all growth of grass on the floor. Old trees in the
open have lower, wider-spreading and more open crowns, with shorter
boles and bear a marked resemblance, at a distance, to _A. Sieberiana_.
They commonly reach over 6 feet in girth.
=The Bark= is a pale yellowish colour, sometimes almost white, and is
smooth, with small, regular, brownish scales which in old trees are
grey and coarser. The slash is crimson with white streaks, very fibrous.
=The Thorns=, which are the readiest means of distinguishing this
species from _A. Sieberiana_, are short, strong, recurved, and brown
with a black point. They resemble falcons’ claws, from which they get
their native name. They are in pairs at a widely obtuse angle.
=The Wood= is a very dark brown, with almost black streaks. The sapwood
is white. In transverse section the rings show as irregular dark bands,
the pores are small, few and connected by very thin lines of soft
tissue, the rays are very fine, waved and unevenly spaced, invisible
to the naked eye. In vertical section the rings show as bands of dark
brown and almost black and there are lighter areas. The wood is hard,
fibrous and bad to saw, not easy to plane, though the finished surface
is smooth and will take a good polish. The long fibres pick up badly in
places. The weight is 52 lbs. a cubic foot.
=The Leaves= are bipinnate, about 9-10 inches long with 20-25 pairs of
leaflets which droop on each side of the mid-rib. The narrow leaflets
are ³⁄₁₆ inch long, slightly curved and a dull, dark green.
=The Flowers= are in 4-5 inch spikes about ½ inch in diameter, densely
crowded with cream-coloured scented flowers with numerous stamens. They
appear from May-July in masses amongst the leaves.
=The Fruits= are pods, 4-5 inches long, ¾ inch wide, very flat, with
the seeds slightly embossed. They are very numerous, tenacious and
conspicuous on the trees from October onwards. The seeds, about six in
a pod, are round, flat, shiny and dark brown, the same colour as the
pods, and have strong germinating power.
=Uses.=—The wood is used for implement handles of all kinds. The
branches are cut for making protective farm fences, and the pods are
very much appreciated by cattle.
[Illustration]
=ACACIA DALZIELII= Craib.—_Gaba chara, Gwanno_. LEGUMINOSAE.
This is a slender Acacia, locally very plentiful, especially in central
and south-west Sokoto throughout some 1,000 square miles. It inhabits
the open bush savannah of better quality where the rainfall is good and
the soil contains some loam. In certain belts it is the predominant
species. It is the largest leaved of all the Acacias in this zone and
at a distance closely resembles _Entada sudanica_, though the leaflets
are much smaller and more numerous and the flowers and thorns are both
distinctive; in fact, the resemblance is one of form only. It grows
20-35 high with a girth up to 3 feet. Some trees are tall and slender
with high crowns, others low-branched and spreading, but the foliage of
all is very light and graceful.
=The Bark= is grey-brown with long fissures and large, shaggy scales
which fall in long, irregular sections. This is largely due to fires
which thicken and blacken the cork. The bark of the twigs is a silvery
grey. The slash is a dull red, exposing the orange colour of the wood.
=The Thorns= are in pairs on the twigs, the leaves springing from
between them. They vary considerably in size, ¼-¾ inch long, large and
green on the new shoots and small and black on the wood, as a rule.
They are slightly curved, and grooved along the inner side from the
point where the leaf-stalk springs.
=The Wood.=—The heartwood is reddish with long, vertical streaks of
black and brown in the pores. The sapwood is yellow with an orange
grain. In transverse section the rings are indistinct, the pores are
open and numerous, the soft tissue in wide and narrow festoons plainly
visible to the unaided eye. The wood is hard, splits easily, is
straight-grained, not easy to plane and weighs 65 lbs. a cubic foot.
=The Leaves= are 12-18 inches long, bipinnate with 20 or more pairs
of pinnae bearing 50 or more pairs of long, narrow, pointed leaflets
with parallel edges. Near the base on the dorsal side of the stalk is a
prominent oval gland. They are a very bright, fresh green, and at first
erect, finally spread and droop.
=The Flowers= are in large, erect panicles, 12-18 inches high and
stiffly branched, standing prominently up on the ends of the shoots.
They appear in the rains and are in bright yellow balls about ½ inch in
diameter.
=The Fruits= are pods, 3-5 inches long, ½-¾ inch broad, flat, dark
red-brown with a grey bloom and containing from 6-12 flat, oval, brown
seeds. The pod is slightly embossed at the seeds and very persistent,
numbers remaining on the tree till the following rains.
[Illustration]
=ACACIA NILOTICA= Del.—_Bagaruwa namiji_. LEGUMINOSAE.
This species is nearly allied to _Acacia arabica_ and can be at once
distinguished from it by the smooth, jointed pods. In other respects
it is very similar. The native distinguishes the two species by the
fruits, the _Acacia arabica_ with its large grey “sant pods” being
known as the female, “ta mata” as against the name “namiji” of _A.
nilotica_. As a rule this species is a much larger tree than _A.
arabica_ and two forms are commonly met with. The one, which is common
in low-lying country liable to inundation, has a short bole and a large
number of slender branches which ascend to a great height and spread
out wide, forming a large semi-spherical crown almost reaching the
ground. The other has a long bole with a girth of 10 feet or more and a
high rounded crown. The latter type yields a large volume of timber.
=The Bark= is almost black with deep fissures and very long, ragged
scales, which fall in large pieces. The slash is red-brown, with darker
streaks.
=The Thorns= are in pairs, quite small near the twig tips and up to 2
inches or more in length elsewhere, straight or curved, more often the
latter, white, slender and very strong and sharp.
=The Wood= is reddish-brown in colour, almost blood-colour in cross
section, with marked rings. It is very close grained, the cross section
being able to be planed quite smooth. The grain is irregular and picks
up. The weight is about 75 lbs. per cubic foot. See _A. arabica_.
=The Leaves= are 2-3 inches long with some five pairs of pinnae bearing
10-20 pairs of leaflets, bluish-green with a grey pubescence.
=The Flowers= are very numerous from February onwards in clusters
of 2-5 at the nodes, the slender stalks over an inch long and the
sweet-scented, yellow flower balls over ½ inch in diameter. As a rule
the ends of the twigs on which the flowers are borne have no spines,
these appearing later.
=The Pods= are very variable in size, up to 6 inches in length and
their peculiarity is the marked jointing which, before they are full
grown, gives them the appearance of a string of beads. They are smooth,
with a slight bloom and contain some 6-8 oval, flattened seeds which
ripen from March onwards.
=Uses.=—The wood is used for axe, hoe and tool handles.
[Illustration]
=ACACIA SENEGAL= Willd.—_Dakwora_. LEGUMINOSAE.
A small tree some 15-20 feet high on an average, which is commonly met
with in the more northerly provinces, especially in Sokoto, where it
grows in dense thickets. It branches low down and is often shrub-like
in its young stages, later producing a bole some 6 feet in length.
The branches, ascending at an angle of about 60 degrees, repeatedly
fork and form an open, flat-topped crown from which some of the long
straight twigs protrude some feet above. It is a source of gum-arabic.
=The Bark= of young trees is very light in colour with a creamy tint,
that of older trees, especially those which grow in the open, is purple
on the bole, with patches of the lighter tint here and there. All over
it are minute, whitish scales, so fine that they rub off in the hand as
a fine powder, like that of _Acacia Seyal_. Here and there, according
to season, are larger, thicker grey scales, chiefly about wounds or on
the swollen forks. The bark is very thin and if scratched with the nail
shows the bright green cambium layer just under the surface. The slash
is mottled red.
=The Thorns= are in threes at the swollen nodes. The centre thorn is
sharply recurved like a claw, the two side thorns being almost straight
and pointing forward towards the tip of the twig. All are short, very
sharp, with broad bases, like rose thorns, dark brown to almost black
in colour, with a greyish bloom.
=The Wood= is white, but of such small dimensions that it is not used.
=The Leaves= are bipinnate, 3-4 inches long, with some six pairs of
pinnae, each with some 20 pairs of leaflets, blue-green in colour and
paler below than above. The ribs are covered with very short hairs.
=The Flowers= which appear in April are in 3-4 inch long spikes, one or
two at the nodes. From ½-1 inch of the spike is flowerless, the rest
densely covered with small creamy-white flowers, each having a pale
green 5-lobed calyx, five pale green petals and a large mass of short,
white stamens with a pistil indistinguishable amongst them.
=The Fruits= are pods, varying in size according as they contain 1-6
seeds. They ripen in November and remain on the tree till April, often
a very heavy crop on the leafless tree. They are 1½-4 inches long and
an inch broad, flat, slightly shiny, embossed at the seeds, sometimes
the same width throughout, sometimes indented on the margin between
one seed and another, sandy in colour, with often blotches of a darker
colour. They split either whilst on the tree or fall entire and open
on the ground, the seeds remaining attached to each half alternately
and the two halves attached at the stalk. The seeds are round, flat,
green-brown, with a U-shaped scar on each side and attached to the pod
edge by a short, thick stalk. The pod is prominently cellular veined.
=Uses.=—The bark of the roots is twisted into ropes which are of great
strength.
[Illustration]
=ACACIA SEYAL= Del.—_Dushe, Dussa, Jimshi, Erafi, Gishishiya_.
“_Talh_.” LEGUMINOSAE.
This very common species is noted for its occurrence as pure forest
over large areas of country. It can be distinguished at a glance from
_A. Sieberiana_, which it resembles in small trees, by its powdery
orange or rust-coloured bark, or in the case of the variety _A.
fistula_, by the colour being a milky white. It is generally a small
tree from 15-30 feet in height, resembling _A. arabica_ in form, with
an umbrella-shaped or flat-topped crown formed by the ascending and
spreading branches. Sometimes the secondary branches are practically
horizontal and the crown wide and quite flat on the top. It bears a
profuse mass of bright yellow flower-balls, highly scented and very
conspicuous. It occurs in clumps or isolated examples on stony ground,
not in loose sand, but where the ground is broken up and barren looking.
=The Bark=, the most distinguishing feature, is powdery and comes off
in the hand with the appearance of minute flakes like bran. It is a
rust-red or orange colour and in the case of the variety _A. fistula_
the bark is green with the powder milk-white in colour. A clear white
or yellow gum exudes from the slash, which is light red and white, with
brown edges. _A. fistula_ is light red with green edges.
=The Thorns= are similar to those of _A. arabica_, but shorter, 1-2
inches long, white with black points, straight, strong and sharp and at
an angle of about 100° to each other. The base is frequently largely
swollen. Near the tips of the twigs little recurved thorns occur in
place of the long, straight ones.
=The Wood= is whitish, a brown colour being given it by the lines of
hard tissue. It is apt to discolour with mould. In transverse section
the close concentric rings of hard and soft tissue are very distinct,
the pores are very numerous in the bands of soft tissue of varying
width, the alternating bands of hard tissue being almost free of pores.
The rays are straight, the larger plainly visible, the finer often
closer together, showing as light-reflecting bands in radial section.
In tangential section the hard tissue makes a well-defined grain of
light brown. The wood is soft, the grain coarse; it works easily with
tools, the plane giving a rough finish. Weight 50 lbs. a cubic foot.
=The Leaves= are bipinnate, about 2 inches long with 6-8 pairs of
pinnae cut up into some 15 pairs of leaflets. There are typically three
in the angle of each pair of thorns and they are dark green when full
grown.
=The Flowers= are in yellow balls about ½ inch in diameter, 1-4 in the
axil of a leaf. They have 1½ inch stalks, are sweet scented and appear
from January onwards in masses which make the tree all yellow at a
distance. The young leaves appear just as the flowers are going.
=The Fruits= are slightly curved, flat, jointed, embossed pods, 3-5
inches long, light brown with green tinges and finely veined. When ripe
the pod splits up both edges, and the seeds, 6-10 in number, remain
fastened to the edges by the long twisted attachments, from which they
break loose gradually, the pod sections remaining attached to the
tree for some time before this occurs. Many pods fall with the seeds
still attached to them. The clusters of curved, split pods are most
conspicuous and they contract considerably during the ripening stages.
[Illustration]
=ACACIA SIEBERIANA= DC.—_Fara kaya, Bauji_. LEGUMINOSAE.
This common and widely distributed species has, when full-grown, some
similarity to _Acacia campylacantha_, especially when the species occur
in the open. Its long, white thorns distinguish it from the latter. It
is occasionally met with as pure forest, but should not be confused
with _Acacia Seyal_, the “Talh” acacia, which is very like the small
_A. Sieberiana_ and has yellow flower-balls and ochrey bark. Old trees
are a height of about 50 or more feet with girths of 5-6 feet. They
have large round crowns and sometimes rather persistent lower twigs,
though 20 feet boles are not uncommon. It grows well in dry situations
and frequently occurs, mixed with _A. Seyal_, in open, dry country.
=The Bark= of young trees is yellowish and smooth, this feature
persisting on the branches of older trees, which have rough, small,
square scales, grey in colour on the stem and larger limbs. The bark
exudes a gum which is white, clear and brittle when dry, making a fair
mucilage. The slash is yellow, with dark red edges.
=The Thorns=, persistent everywhere except on the bole and largest
limbs, are fine, straight and white, with very acute points. They are
in pairs at about 120° to each other, pointing slightly forward, up to
3 inches long. On new shoots they are green and soft, hardening as the
shoot ages. Quite small thorns are found at the tip of the shoots.
=The Wood= is a dull yellow colour, very subject to bluish
discolorations, due to mould. In transverse section the rings are
indistinct and inseparable from the numerous concentric lines of hard
and soft tissue which are clearly marked. The pores are open, very
numerous, of different sizes, the large ones plainly visible, mostly
single with little soft tissue, except along the rings where the pores
are in rows, each separated by a ray. There are a few double pores,
nests and small chains. The rays are slightly waved, fairly evenly
spaced except where the finer rays are closer together. The rays show
as light-reflecting bands in the radial section. The wood is soft,
rather coarse in grain, easily worked, planing to a rather rough,
untidy surface. The weight is 45 lbs. a cubic foot.
=The Leaves=, which spring from between the thorns, are bipinnate,
about 5-6 inches long with 10-25 pairs of pinnae, the numerous and dark
green leaflets being ⅛ inch long with rounded tips.
=The Flowers= are in white balls slightly over ½ inch in diameter, with
¾ inch stalks, in loose bunches. Their colour distinguishes them from
those of other species similar and likely to be confused. They are
sweet-scented and visited by bees.
=The Fruits= are large, brown pods, from 6-7 inches long, 1 inch wide
and ½ inch thick, straight or slightly curved. They are not very
numerous, but conspicuous by their size. The seeds, about 12 in number
are quadrangular, rounded, flattened, very hard and dark and light
brown.
=Uses.=—The young trees and the branches of the old are used for
handles of implements, the angle of branching being especially suited
to the shape of the large hoe (galma) handle.
The gum, in solution, is applied to turban and gown cloth and a sheen
produced by beating.
[Illustration]
=ADANSONIA DIGITATA= B. Juss.—_Kuka_. “_Baobab_.” MALVACEAE.
The Baobab tree is so well known as hardly to need description. The
enormous girth up to some 50 feet, large white flowers and pendulous
fruits are familiar. From its earliest years it assumes the shape, in
miniature, of the older trees. Though nature plays the largest part in
the shaping, the cropping of leaves for food, the stripping of bark for
rope and the ringing of large branches by beetles till they fall to the
ground, all help to accelerate the abnormal form. Widely distributed,
it is locally more than generally common, and abounds in groups. The
majority of large native towns are full of it. Occasionally it can be
seen without the usual stunted appearance, with slender branches and
well-formed crown. An association with _Tamarindus indica_ (Tsamiya) is
fairly common, the latter growing long slender stems about the former
and partly embracing its trunk.
=The Bark= is grey, with all shades of purple and a sheen. It has great
callus-growing properties and appears vigorously alive in its power to
cover up wounds. The outer bark is soft, spongy and full of sap, and
it is the inner layers which are stripped off for the rope making. The
slash is mottled red and white.
=The Wood= is not used. It is very light, soft and crumbling, rotting
rapidly under exposure.
=The Leaves= are digitate with some six or seven lobes, 2-3 inches
long, borne on a 4-5 inch leaf-stalk. They have sinuous margins and a
tongued tip; the mid-rib is sunken and the veins regular. The surface
is dark green above and smooth, but downy beneath. The leaves appear
soon after the flowers.
=The Flowers= are solitary and pendulous on 9-10 inch stalks, and
appear in May before the leaves. They are some 6-8 inches in diameter
with five leathery sepals covered densely on the inside with straight
hairs; five white petals nearly twice the length of the sepals,
recurved at the tip and with wrinkled edges; a stout, shiny, white,
tubular stamen column from which the mass of white stamens with light
brown anthers radiate and bend up towards the vertical position and
from which emerges the long shiny white pistil with spiral bend and
outward growth, bearing at its tip the flattened, lobed, sticky stigma.
All the flower parts tend to assume the vertical position. The Hausa
calls them “kumbali.”
=The Fruits= are large, oval or round, 5-15 inches long and 3-7 inches
in diameter, covered with brittle, bronze hairs which break off when
handled. The stalk is long and stout and the calyx remains at the base
are broken and hardened. There is a short woody “nose.” A number of
kidney-shaped seeds are embedded in a white, crisp, acid and slightly
refrigerant pulp, pleasant to taste when fresh, and fibres separate
the rows of seeds. The seeds are grey with a brown patch, intricately
veined. They are very hard. The pulp is called “garin kuka,” the seeds
“guntsu.”
=Uses.=—The leaves are used as a sauce in soup and food, called “Miyan
(or) Garin Kuka.” They are given also, with bran and salt as a horse
medicine, called “chusar doki.”
The inner bark is stripped and twisted into strong ropes “kista,”
tethering ropes “gindi,” and strings of musical instruments. The acid
pulp is eaten fresh.
[Illustration]
=ADINA MICROCEPHALA= Hiern.—_Kadanyar rafi_. RUBIACEAE.
This is a large tree inhabiting stream banks which extends as far
north as 12°. It attains a height of 60 feet with a girth of 6-8 feet,
occasionally more. It has a habit of growing right in the beds of small
streams where it is washed annually by the flood waters. In these
situations the trunk will assume almost a horizontal position at the
base and survive severe damage. Except in dense stream bank vegetation
the bole is rarely clean, but is covered with slender shoots down to
the ground level. The erect willowy shoots are a marked feature of the
tree. It has a large dense crown with heavy limbs, and the rosette-like
growth of the long narrow pointed leaves distinguishes it.
=The Bark= is grey and deeply fissured, often spirally, with long
fibrous ridges and ragged scales which fall in large pieces. The slash
is a deep dull red, with thick spongy fibres, and a sticky sap exudes.
=The Leaves= are some 9 inches long and 1½ inches broad, with tapering
base and long pointed tip. The stalk is an inch long. The upper surface
is a dark, shining green, paler beneath with the mid-rib prominent.
They are whorled and appear like rosettes.
=The Flowers= are borne on 3-inch stalks in the leaf axils from
February to June. Each stalk has a pair of bracts in the middle, or
nearer the head of flowers. These flower-heads are spherical, 1-1¼
inches in diameter, greenish and perfumed. Each separate flower is
tubular, with a short 5-lobed calyx, a long tubular 5-lobed corolla, 5
stamens inserted on the corolla throat and a long, knobbed pistil. The
corolla tube is pinkish, the tips of the lobes mauve, and the calyx is
green, red inside at the base.
=The Fruits= are in spherical heads, greatly resembling those of
_Mitragyne africana_. Each is a small capsule which parts down the
middle into two cocci which contain a number of minute seeds, winged at
both ends.
=Uses.=—The timber is suitable for all kinds of furniture and joinery
work.
[Illustration]
=AFRORMOSIA LAXIFLORA= Harms.—_Makarfo, Kariye gatari_. LEGUMINOSAE.
A small or medium-sized tree very common in bush or tree savannah,
averaging 30 feet in height, but attaining 50 feet, with girths of 3-6
feet. The bole, though frequently of good length, is rarely straight,
in fact it is a characteristic of this species that the bole is bent
and twisted and that the branches show this feature to the tips. It is
like a large edition of _Stereospermum Kunthianum_ (Sansame). The crown
is high, rounded and open, giving little shade. The bark is the most
ready means of identification.
=The Bark= is all colours, grey, green, bluish and brown in patches,
the large scales falling entire like those of the plane tree and
leaving deeply indented scars which gradually change colour. The slash
is a rich yellow with a thin green bark edging.
=The Wood= is very dark brown. In transverse section the rings are
clearly marked dark lines of varied width, rarely circular. The pores
are small, in chains and festoons connected by soft tissue which
shows as flecks in the dark hard tissue. The rays are fine and almost
straight, invisible to the unaided eye and visible as short light bands
in radial section, in which section the grain is banded and straight.
In tangential section the grain is mottled, almost figured. The wood
is hard, not easy to saw or plane but capable of being worked up to a
rather oily finish which takes a polish. It has a not unpleasant smell.
In seasoning it has been noticed that numerous radial and concentric
cracks occurred but that these closed up and became quite invisible
even under a lens. The weight is 50 lbs. a cubic foot.
=The Leaves= are pinnate, 9 inches long with an average of 11 alternate
leaflets which are oval, slightly cleft, 2 inches long and 1 inch
broad, increasing in size upwards, with shiny surface and short stout
stalks.
=The Flowers= are in small racemes amongst the leaves at the twig
ends. They are inconspicuous and appear from May to July. Each has 4
green sepals, 5 greenish-white petals, 10 stamens in the keel, not all
fertile and a prominent, flattened pistil. They are ½ inch long.
=The Fruits= are pods from 2-4 inches long and an inch broad, brown
with a paler edge, shiny, with veined surface and slightly embossed
seeds. The 1-3 seeds are round, flat, light brown and have a white
hilum, and are ⅜ inch long. The pods are persistent on the tree till
the following rains.
=Uses.=—The wood is used for axe and hoe handles, its excessive
hardness giving it the name of “kariye gatari” or “break the axe.”
Concoctions of the bark and roots are used medicinally.
[Illustration]
=AFZELIA AFRICANA= Smith.—_Kawo_. LEGUMINOSAE.
A species which is more locally than generally common and in some
forests found very evenly distributed throughout large areas. Large
timber specimens, as found in the south, are rarely met with, as the
form of the typical northern specimens is one having a short, thick
bole with a girth of 6-10 feet, large spreading limbs forming a wide,
rather flat-topped crown with dense foliage and good shade. Forty feet
is an average height for such full-grown trees. It is comparatively
rare in the extreme north, but especially common in parts of the
central and southern provinces of the north. At a distance it can be
distinguished by the brilliant green of its foliage, which, though
apparently dense, is actually very superficial and can be seen through
in somewhat the same manner as can _Chlorophora excelsa_. It attains
its full size in “kurmis” or on the slopes of well-watered hills.
=The Bark= is grey and flakes off in large, uneven-edged scales which
leave distinctive, light patches. The slash is pale red and of a
crumbling composition.
=The Wood=, when freshly cut is a light brown with distinct orange
tint, which always remains, even when the timber has darkened to the
deep red brown after seasoning. The sapwood is white or yellowish,
generally the latter, the orange of the pores enhancing this. In
transverse section the rings are indistinctly marked, but the soft
tissue, in unusual quantities, is clearly seen, as are the pores,
which are large, rather far apart, some single, or in small nests,
or in lines. The rays, not visible to the naked eye, are continuous
and regularly spaced, readily visible in radial section. The grain is
inclined to pick up in bands, it being by no means an easy wood to work
with, but the resulting finish is well worth the trouble required. It
is hard, durable and strong, and weighs from 55-60 lbs. a cubic foot.
=The Leaves= are pinnate, about a foot long with 6-8 pairs of opposite,
shiny, dark-green leaflets, 3½ inches long and 2½ inches broad. They
are a most brilliant green when new.
=The Flowers= are in stiff, flat panicles and appear in March.
Each flower has four dark-green cupped sepals, one long petal,
cream-coloured with red lines, seven fertile stamens, two infertile
stamens and a long, dark-green style.
=The Fruits=, which ripen about December or January, are large, hard,
black pods, 5-6 inches long, 2½ inches broad and an inch thick, with
a point at the tip. They split in half to disclose about eight large,
black beans, set in a red aril in large, white cells. The pods are
numerous and conspicuous on the trees.
=Uses.=—Planks and mortars are made locally from the wood. Furniture in
small quantities has been made, and except for the weight of the wood,
it is admirably suitable, in colour and texture for this purpose. The
seeds are sold as a charm (fasa daga) and used in the game of “dara.”
The idea is held, in some parts of the country, that if the seeds be
picked from the pod while it is still on the tree and made into “tuwo”
the eating of them will make one safe from an attempted blow with a
stick, which will remain poised, or break with the blow.
The leaves are eaten as fodder by cattle.
[Illustration]
=ALBIZZIA BROWNEI= Oliv.—_Madobiar rafi_. LEGUMINOSAE.
This is a large species of the tree savannah, extending generally by
way of the streams and “kurmis” up to above 11° N. On suitable soils
it can be found in large groups forming a high forest with the crowns
meeting over 60 feet overhead. The bole length is considerable, often
30 feet and the stem is slender and straight. Enormous isolated trees
inhabit the more sheltered “kurmis” and reach a height of 80 feet with
a girth of 12 feet. Such specimens have small root flanges and the
crown is low and of great size, not affording very much shade owing to
the spreading limbs. The large bipinnate leaves of distinctive form and
the big, flat pods are readily recognised.
=The Bark= is greyish-brown, fairly smooth, with square or rectangular
close-fitting scales, larger and rougher in old trees, especially at
the base. The slash is light orange in colour.
=The Wood= is a light red, with streaks and areas of darker and lighter
red and white. In transverse section the rings are well marked and wide
apart, the pores are large, mostly twins or small groups and imperfect
festoons, the soft tissue not linking them up in long lengths. The
rays are fine, wavy and irregular in their spacing, closing up and
separating, showing as red bands in radial and fine stippling in
tangential section. The wood is soft, easy to saw and plane, the finish
being smooth, with a sheen and able to take a polish. The weight is 42
lbs. a cubic foot.
=The Leaves= are 12-18 inches long, with an average of three opposite
pairs of pinnae 6-7 inches long bearing four, five and six pairs of
leaflets on the lower, middle and upper pinnae respectively. The
leaflets are roughly rectangular in shape due to the curving forward
of the mid-rib and the blade of the leaflet being wider on the inside
at the base and on the outside at the middle. The leaflets increase in
size from the lowest pair to the topmost pair, varying from 1-3 inches
long. They are practically the same dark, rich green above and beneath,
being reddish when young. The mid-rib and nerves are prominent on both
surfaces.
=The Flowers= appear in March and April just as the new leaves are
maturing. They are of both sexes on the same tree and the same shoot,
borne in small heads at the end of numerous long stalks in the leaf
axils, the whole shoot being some 12 inches long. The female is
solitary in the middle of the head in a circle of male flowers which
open slightly later. The female is white and has a corolla of 5-6 lobes
in a tubular 5-lobed calyx, and a large number of radiating styles,
white with black stigmas, like a Sea Anemone in form. The male is much
smaller, with a minute calyx, small tubular corolla of five points,
and a long slender column of bright red stamens with black anthers
radiating in a tuft at the top of the column.
=The Fruits= are large, flat, light mahogany brown pods, up to 8 inches
long and 1½ inches broad, shining and veined, and embossed at the 9-12
seeds which are ⅜ inch long, flat, oval, sharp-edged and dark brown,
with a prominent “horse-shoe” mark. The pods fall and split and the
seeds remain attached alternately to the two halves till blown or
washed out.
[Illustration]
=ALBIZZIA CHEVALIERI= Harms.—_Katsari_. LEGUMINOSAE.
A small tree up to 30 feet in height with a girth of 2-3 feet, common
throughout the northern provinces. Owing to the similarity of its pods
to those of _Acacia macrostachya_, it may be confused with this species
in the dry season when the tree is leafless. The larger leaves, absence
of thorns, corky bark and balls of flowers distinguish it at once on
examination. It has an erect stem, often three or four stems from a low
level, which repeatedly fork and form an open spreading crown, some of
the branches extending widely and inclined to droop with the weight of
the large leaves. The twigs are softly hairy.
=The Bark= is pale grey with a light brown tinge due to the patches
left by the falling scales. It is thickly covered with very soft, corky
scales, rectangular in shape and of greater length than breadth. The
horizontal cuts are very straight and seem to have been done with a
sharp knife. The fallen scales show a reddish colour beneath, which
rapidly turns light brown and finally grey. The surface of the bark
scales is very smooth and silvery.
=The Wood= is medium weight, rather light yellow, with a marked, long,
straight grain, alternate yellow and white. The pores are very long,
the rings very close. Planes and saws well, with a sheen in places.
=The Leaves= are about 9 inches long, bipinnate with some 10-15 pairs
of pinnae, each having from 10-20 leaflets. The leaflets are broad,
sharply pointed and uneven in shape, the inner portion being much
narrower than the outer, whilst the inner edge is almost straight and
the outer curved to the tip; they overlap and are inclined towards the
tip of the pinna, whose main rib has a small extension between the
top-most pair. The leaves are slightly sensitive and close at night
and very shortly after they are gathered. The main rib of the leaf has
purple blotches on its upper surface and is covered with very short
hairs. The leaf is smooth with a waxy surface and much darker above
than below.
=The Flowers=, which appear in April are in spherical heads of about
thirty together, borne on a 2½ inch stalk. Each flower has a small
5-lobed reddish calyx, 5 small reddish petals and some 18 stamens which
are an inch long, very slender, white, gradually becoming green towards
the anthers. There is a 1½ inch long pistil, also becoming green
towards the tip. The flowers are sweet scented, blooming at night.
=The Fruits= are pods from 3-6 inches long and ¾ inch wide, and vary in
size according to number of seeds and in colour from a very light brown
with a pinkish tinge to an uniform light red-brown colour. They are
flat and the seeds embossed, the edges of the pod being straight and
not indented between the seeds. The whole surface is covered with very
short hairs and is velvety to the touch. The pods open on the tree or
on the ground, splitting up to the stalk. The seeds are small, round,
flat, and green-brown in colour, and are attached to each half of the
pod alternately by a long stalk, part of which is straight and part
tightly curved into an S next the seed. The pods are ripe in November
and remain, a light crop, till April. There is a fine cellular veining
on the surface.
[Illustration]
=AMBLYGONOCARPUS SCHWEINFURTHII= Harms.—_Tsege, Kiriya ta mata, Kolo_.
LEGUMINOSAE.
This strikingly handsome tree, with a strong resemblance to the
Mountain Ash, is found on poor soils as far as 12½° N., but in the
belts where the soil is better than that of the surrounding country.
Elsewhere further south it occurs throughout the higher savannah
forests, often near streams, where it will grow 60 feet high, but with
a small girth in proportion, not exceeding 5 feet. It averages 30 feet
high, with a long clean bole and high, wide, flat crown of great beauty
from the filtering of light through its bipinnate leaves whose small
round leaflets are set apart, the leaves lying in the horizontal plane.
A 30-feet bole on the larger trees is not uncommon. It gives little
shade. It seems to be very local and where found, occurs over a small
area of country in fair numbers.
=The Bark= is grey or brown, rough, with uneven sized scales, rounded
or polygonal. These leave red scars on falling.
=The Wood= is a rich red-brown, more red than brown. The sapwood is
grey. In transverse section the rings show as darker bands of varied
width and the colour is darker in this section. The pores are numerous,
in festoons of various lengths, or single, and a few nests, the whole
densely and evenly distributed and the soft tissue plainly visible
to the unaided eye as waves and specks in the dark hard tissue. The
rays are straight, unevenly spaced, some being only the width of a ray
apart, others far apart, some visible to the naked eye. The vertical
section shows bands of colour and long dark pores. The wood is very
hard, difficult to saw and picks up in bands under the plane, but the
finished surface is smooth and will take a high polish. The weight is
60 lbs. a cubic foot.
=The Leaves= are bipinnate, 10 inches long, with 2-5 pairs of opposite
or sub-opposite pinnae bearing 8-16 alternate leaflets, broad oval,
flat tipped, pale blue-green, on light brown stalks, each ¾ inch long
and ½ inch broad. They spring from the ends of erect twigs and lie in
the horizontal plane. The leaflets are set apart and do not touch or
overlap.
=The Flowers=, which appear in March, are in spikes, 2-3 inches long,
crowded with white, scented flowers. Each flower has five small white
petals with acute tips, ten white stamens with yellow anthers and a
white pistil. They are not very conspicuous as they are partly hidden
amongst the foliage.
=The Fruits= are large four-angled pods, the suture angle rounded.
They are 4 inches long and 1½ inches broad, brown, pendulous on a 3
inch long stalk. They contain 6-10 seeds, roughly four-angled, pointed
at one end. These lie across the length of the pod and ripen about
December. They are ¾ inch long.
[Illustration]
=ANDIRA INERMIS= H. B. K.—_Gwaska, Madobia_. LEGUMINOSAE.
A large tree occurring near streams in Bauchi, Sokoto and Zaria
provinces. It is also found in the forests where the conditions are
moist enough, and is not at all uncommon amongst the rocks on the
Bauchi plateau. It rarely has any length of bole, the crown almost
reaching the ground and the stem being bent or leaning. The crown is
dense and the branches droop at the end. A height of 30-40 feet with a
girth of 4-5 feet is usual. The foliage much resembles that of _Khaya
senegalensis_, from a distance, but has a brilliant sheen.
=The Bark= is brown or grey-brown, roughish, with scales an inch or two
in diameter fitting close together.
=The Leaves= are pinnate, 10-18 inches long with 5-7 pairs of opposite
or nearly opposite leaflets and a terminal leaf. The smallest at the
base are 1½ inches long and ¾ inch wide; the largest in the middle
are 3½ inches long and 1½ inches wide. The edges are parallel and
there is a sharp taper to a cleft tip. The basal lobes are uneven and
the leaflets vary much in shape. The terminal leaflet is broader in
proportion to its length than the lateral leaflets and the margins
are not parallel. There are small stipules at the base of each stalk.
The surface on both sides is shining and the new leaves are a most
brilliant green. The mid-rib is below the upper surface but raised
beneath.
=The Flowers= which bloom from March to May are in loose panicles up to
2 feet in length and in such numbers as to show up from a considerable
distance. The blossom is very ornamental. The flower is papilionaceous
with a large pink standard and white keel. A species of small black ant
swarms over the flowers at times.
=The Fruits= resemble large walnuts and hang in bunches on long stalks
like mangoes. They are ovoid, 2-3 inches long and 2 inches across, with
a thick, fibrous, green-brown case containing two white kernels one
above the other. They ripen about September. There is the line of a
suture down one side, and the surface is uneven.
[Illustration]
=ANOGEISSUS LEIOCARPUS= Guill. & Perr.—_Marike_. COMBRETACEAE.
This is perhaps the most evenly and widely distributed of all trees,
extending from the southern rain belt to the extreme north of Nigeria,
and over the border into French territory north of Sokoto, where some
of the largest examples of the northern provinces are to be found. A
height of 70 feet with girths of 6-8 feet is common. As regards the
situations most favourable to this species, level country with deep
soil and average rainfall is preferred, and considerable areas of such
country are found occupied almost entirely by it, both as full grown
trees and saplings in dense thickets. These latter are especially
valuable for the production of forked poles (gofa) for building
purposes, and are transported great distances owing to their great
durability and comparative resistance to White Ants. The species is
readily distinguished at a distance by its feathery, birch-like foliage
and drooping branches, which, at first acutely ascending, bend over and
droop in graceful curves. A light-demander, its branches are extremely
persistent on the stem and only where it is very densely grown,
preferably with an admixture of shade-bearing species, will clean boles
be found. Examples grown in the open, or suddenly freed from the forest
by the clearing for cultivation, are covered with small twigs and the
foliage extends almost to ground level. Large specimens in forest have
clean boles, generally forking at no great height, with wide-spreading,
open crowns.
=The Bark= varies according to habitat. That of specimens in dense
forest is fairly smooth with small, brown scales, but as generally seen
in the north is a very light grey with long scales which turn up at the
ends before falling, giving the tree a ragged appearance, with large,
lighter patches. A dark gum exudes from the bark, very inferior as an
adhesive as it is cloudy when made up into solution. The slash is pale
yellow with thin dark lines.
=The Wood= is a dark, dull, smoky brown, sometimes almost black, with
reddish streaks. The sapwood is grey or dirty white. In transverse
section the rings are seen as dark bands, the pores are minute and
densely distributed in small groups, chains and festoons of various
sizes, with single pores between, the soft tissue sparse and hardly
connecting the pores. The rays are extremely fine and close together.
In vertical section the grain is very fine and the pores have
glistening contents. It is a very hard wood, difficult to work with all
tools, often knotty, picking up in bands, but will polish, even on the
transverse section. The weight is 64 lbs. a cubic foot.
=The Leaves= are on long, slender, drooping twigs, and are oval,
slightly darker above than below with a silky pubescence which is most
marked in the young foliage. They tend to assume one plane. Length 2-3
inches, breadth 1 inch.
=The Flowers= are little cream-coloured, scented balls, ⅜ inch diam.,
from February on. Each has a 5-pointed calyx, 10 erect stamens, a
short, straight pistil, round the base of which is a ring of reddish
hairs. They are very inconspicuous.
=The Fruits= are small, rough, cone-like balls of irregularly
serrated-edged seeds, packed horizontally. They are green in the seed
and brown in the wing portion. They ripen about December and are about
¾ inch.
=Uses.=—The wood is burnt entire and the fine, white ash used for
fixing dyes. The ash is also used for washing white garments. The
roots are used as “Chew-sticks” for cleansing the mouth and teeth. The
saplings and branches produce forked poles (gofa) for building. The
bark yields a dark, inferior gum. The seeds are a cure for worms in
horses. The leaves, mixed with salt, make a yellow dye.
[Illustration]
=ANONA SENEGALENSIS= Pers.—_Gwandar daji_. “_Custard Apple_.” ANONACEAE.
A very common shrub, averaging some 10-12 feet in height, sometimes
a small tree, in suitable situations exceeding 20 feet; very widely
distributed and found everywhere except in the extreme north. The
distinguishing features are the oval, bluish leaves, the waxy, yellow
flowers and the familiar orange-coloured fruits. It has no particular
form.
=The Bark= is normally light, silvery grey, smooth, with marked
horizontal cuts round the stem, having the appearance of joints. Older
or exposed stems, especially those subject to fire, become darker and
roughly scaly. The slash is a dull, pale pink.
=The Wood= is greenish-grey. The transverse section shows indistinct
rings, minute single pores scattered in between the fine waved rays
which reach from the centre to the edge of the wood and show as small
dark bands in radial section. In vertical section the grain shows as
slight variations in colour. It is soft and easy to saw and plane.
Weight 40 lbs. a cubic foot.
=The Leaves= are oval, some 6 inches long and 3 inches broad,
bluish-green, with a short stalk, the lateral nerves inclined well
forward and the small connecting veins parallel, numerous and at right
angles to the mid-rib. The leaves stand erect and are apt to fold up
along the mid-rib. When crushed they are fragrant.
=The Flowers= appear from January to April, single or in pairs, ¾ inch
long, pale yellow and waxy. Each has three small green sepals and six
petals in two rows, the outer three large, with broad flat edges which
meet tight together in bud, the inner three smaller, thick and pale
yellow, their tips meeting over a mass of stamens round the ovary and
stigmas. The flowers do not open wide and last for a long time.
=The Fruits= are rounded, 2-3 inches long, composed of fleshy carpels
each containing a seed, green at first with a resemblance to cones,
ripening to a rich orange colour. They are pleasant but unsatisfactory
eating owing to the large number of seeds embedded in the juicy flesh.
Birds are very partial to them, hollowing them out before they ripen.
=Uses.=—The fruit is eaten fresh.
[Illustration]
=BALANITES AEGYPTIACA= Del.—_Aduwa_. “_Desert Date_.” SIMARUBACEAE.
In the north this is one of the commonest trees on loose sand or
barren, stony wastes, where it is often the only species to survive
the extreme conditions. It averages 15-20 feet high, but 30 feet is
not uncommon, with a girth of 4-5 feet. The long green thorns and
small dark leaves distinguish it. The form is roughly spherical, with
a tangled mass of long thorny twigs, whose ends droop or protrude here
and there some feet from the main thicket. It extends northwards to the
limits of tree growth, affording fodder for camels and goats.
=The Bark= is grey, with long, wide, deep, vertical fissures in which
the yellow of the new bark can be seen. The scales are long, thick,
prominent and ragged. The branch bark is distinctive. Dark green and
smooth, the cream-coloured lenticels of various lengths cover it ever
more thickly from the tip downwards till the green colour is completely
obscured and the grey of the branch bark is reached. The slash is pale
yellow.
=The Thorns= are modified shoots borne spirally round the long slender
twigs in the leaf axils, 2-3 inches long, tapering evenly to a strong,
sharp point. They incline slightly forward and barely curve. They are
dark green and persist on the branches.
=The Wood= is light yellow with sometimes greyish discolorations. In
transverse section the rings are distinct in wavy light lines; the
pores are small, open and in little groups in concentric rings and the
rays are clearly visible as light lines of various overlapping lengths.
In radial section the rays add a figure to the wood in lines up to an
inch long. In vertical section the wood is of even colour and texture,
close grained and sound. It is easy to carpenter and planes smoothly
without picking up. Weight 48-50 lbs. a cubic foot.
=The Leaves=, with the thorns in their axils, are really paired
leaflets on a short, common stalk; 1½-2 inches long, over 1 inch wide,
a very dull, dark green, they are unequal lobed, as illustrated, with
a tendency to close up along the mid-rib. They assume a vertical
position, even when the twig droops, the stalks bending to adjust
themselves to this position.
=The Flowers=, in the leaf axils, are found from November to March, in
spikes up to 3 inches long, often shortened to resemble round clusters.
Each flower is ½ inch across, with five small green sepals, five longer
and darker green petals, ten short yellow stamens and a shining dark
green ovary with short, blunt pistil. The tree sometimes flowers out of
season.
=The Fruits=, which ripen from February onwards, are 1¼ inches long and
about an inch wide on a short stalk. At first green with a wrinkled,
nipple-like tip, they turn yellow on ripening, when they have a thin
hard skin, a light brown, sticky, edible flesh and a large, hard,
pointed stone. There is a space between the flesh and the skin.
=Uses.=—The fruits are edible, particularly appreciated by beasts. The
wood makes excellent axe and hoe handles. Planes have been made of it,
it being similar to beech in quality. The branches are used for hedging
farms.
[Illustration]
=BALSAMODENDRON AFRICANUM= A. Rich.—_Dashi_. BURSERACEAE.
This shrub or small tree is locally plentiful and is found in all
situations, in the driest sandy soils, on the tops of rocks where it
grows stout and stunted in the crevices, and in loamy soils. It is
frequently seen planted as a live hedge from cuttings and forms an
impenetrable barrier after the habit of the Blackthorn. The slender but
rigid twigs shoot out in all directions and with its trifoliate leaves
on the purple twigs, the plant is readily identified. As a small tree,
a form met with on hills or in better soils in the forest, the stem is
short and stout, dividing low down and quickly branching into a light
rounded crown. The height is rarely over 15-20 feet.
=The Bark= of old examples is green and shining, covered with little
papery scales which flake off. That of the branches and twigs is red or
purple. A resinous gum with a pleasant scent exudes from the slash.
=The Thorns= are branches whose tips are modified in the form of
spines, which will bear leaves, and in the dormant season are dotted
with buds.
=The Leaves= are trifoliate, often very small, but when full-grown some
3-3½ inches long, of which one inch is stalk, red above, green beneath.
The middle leaflet is broadest slightly over half-way up, tapering
gradually to the base and more suddenly to the tip, with irregularly
serrated edges. The lateral leaflets are unequal in size, the right
hand one usually considerably larger than the left, both rounded and
serrated in the same manner as the middle leaflet. The surface is shiny
waxy green, very bright when young. The venation is prominent beneath,
the lateral nerves much branched and zig-zag. The leaf is scented.
=The Flowers= appear in October on the leafless tree and are in small
clusters all along the twigs, up to about 10 in a cluster, each on a
minute stalk. The flower is ¼ inch long with a 4-lobed tubular corolla
deep red with green lobes, the petals separate but overlapping and
close together in the tubular portion which is held in the 4-lobed,
cup-shaped calyx. There are 8 stamens, 4 just appearing in the corolla
mouth, 4 shorter, and a pistil wholly below the corolla mouth.
=The Fruits= are small irregularly pear-shaped drupes a little over ¼
inch long, greyish with a purple bloom which is easily rubbed off. They
have a highly resinous flesh and white kernel and ripen in the early
spring. They grow in clusters along the twigs and the crop is often a
heavy one.
=Uses.=—The resin is used as a scent on garments and medicinally, taken
internally.
[Illustration]
=BAUHINIA RETICULATA= DC.—_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 Bark= is 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 Wood= is 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 Leaves= are 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 Flowers= are 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 Fruits= are 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.
[Illustration]
=BAUHINIA RUFESCENS= Lam.—_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 Bark= is 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 Thorns= are 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 Wood= is 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 Leaves= are 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 Flowers= are 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 Fruits= are 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.
[Illustration]
=BERLINIA AURICULATA= Benth.—_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 Bark= is 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 Leaves= are 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 of _Isoberlinia doka_ gives
it its native name.
=The Flowers= are 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 Fruit= is 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.
[Illustration]
=BOMBAX BUONOPOZENSE= Beauv.—_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 Bark= of 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 Wood= is 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 Leaves= are 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 Flowers= are 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 Fruits= are 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.”
[Illustration]
=BORASSUS FLABELLIFER= Linn. _var._ =AETHIOPUM= Warb.—_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 Wood= is 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 Leaves= are 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 Flowers= appear 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 Fruits= are 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.
[Illustration]
=BOSWELLIA DALZIELII= Hutch.—_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
of _B. 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 Bark= is 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 Leaves= are 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 Flowers= appear 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 Fruits= are 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.
[Illustration]
=BRIDELIA FERRUGINEA= Benth.—_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 and
_B. scleroneura_ are 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 Bark= is 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 Wood= is 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 Leaves= are 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 Fruits= are 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.
[Illustration]
=BRIDELIA SCLERONEURA= Müll. 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 Leaves= are 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 Flowers= are 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 Fruits= are 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.
[Illustration]
=BURKEA AFRICANA= Hook. 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 to _Amblygonocarpus 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 Bark= is 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 Wood= is 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 Leaves= are 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 Flowers= appear 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 Fruits= are 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.
[Illustration]
=BUTYROSPERMUM PARKII= Kotschy.—_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 Bark= is 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 Wood= is 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 Leaves= are 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 from _Lophira alata_ which 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 Flowers= are 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.
[Illustration]
=CASSIA AREREH= Del.—_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 resembles _Cassia Sieberiana_ only 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 where _C. Sieberiana_ abounds.
=The Bark= is 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 Leaves= are 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 Flowers= are 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 Fruits= are 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.
[Illustration]
=CASSIA GORATENSIS= Fres.—_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 with _Cassia occidentalis_, “rai dore,” which latter is a
shrubby herb with similar flowers and leaves.
=The Bark= is 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 Leaves= are 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 Flowers= are 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 Fruits= are 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.
[Illustration]
=CASSIA SIEBERIANA= DC.—_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 Bark= of 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 Wood= is 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 Leaves= are 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 Flowers= are 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 Fruits= are 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.
[Illustration]
=CELTIS INTEGRIFOLIA= Lam.—_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 Bark= is 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 Wood= is 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 Leaves= are 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 Flowers= which 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 Fruit= is 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.
[Illustration]
=COMBRETUM ABBREVIATUM= Engl.—_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 Leaves= vary 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 Flowers= are 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 Fruits= are 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.
[Illustration]
=COMBRETUM HYPOPILINUM= Diels.—_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 the _Terminalia_ species abound. It is not
unlike _C. 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 Bark= is grey or brown, smooth in young stems and later showing
long, vertical, narrow ridges and stringy fissures. The slash is
red-brown.
=The Leaves= are 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 Flowers= which 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 Fruits= are 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.
[Illustration]
=COMBRETUM LECANANTHUM= Engl. & 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 shrubby _Combretum_
species 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 Bark= is 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 Wood= is 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 Leaves= vary 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 Flowers= are 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 Fruits= are 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.
[Illustration]
=COMBRETUM LEONENSE= Engl. & 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 of _Combretum_ and 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 Wood= is 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 Leaves= are 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 Flowers= are 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 Fruits= are 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.
[Illustration]
=COMBRETUM MICRANTHUM= Don.—_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 other _Combretum_ species or with _Guiera senegalensis_. It
is distinguished by its generally smaller leaf, smaller fruits (seeds),
lighter green foliage and the masses of highly perfumed flowers.
=The Leaves= are 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 Flowers= are 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 Fruits= are 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.
[Illustration]
=COMBRETUM VERTICILLATUM= Engl. & Diels.—_Farin Taramniya_.
COMBRETACEAE.
This is one of the commonest of the larger _Combretum_ species,
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 Bark= is 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 Wood= is 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 Leaves= vary 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 Flowers= are 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 Fruits= are 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.
[Illustration]
=CORDIA ABYSSINICA= R. 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 Bark= is 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 Leaves= vary 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 Flowers= which 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 Fruits= are 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.”
[Illustration]
=CRATAEVA ADANSONII= DC.—_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 Bark= is 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 Wood= is very soft and of a rich yellow colour. It has a strong
not unpleasant odour. It is of no practical use.
=The Leaves= are 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 Flowers= are 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 Fruit= is very like that of _Strychnos_ (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.
[Illustration]
=CROSSOPTERYX KOTSCHYANA= Fenzl.—_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 of _Mitragyne 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 Bark= is 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 Wood= is 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 Leaves= are 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 Flowers= are 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 Fruits= are 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).
[Illustration]
=CROTON AMABILIS= Müll. 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 Bark= is grey or light brown with small, close-fitting, even-sized
polygonal or rectangular scales.
=The Wood= is 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 Leaves= are 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 Flowers= are 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 Fruit= is a capsule, 3-lobed, one seed in each lobe. They ripen
about November onwards, but may be found for many months in the year.
[Illustration]
=CUSSONIA NIGERICA= Hutch.—_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 Bark= is 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 Wood= is 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 Leaves= are 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 Flowers= appear 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.
[Illustration]
=DETARIUM SENEGALENSE= Gmel.—_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 Bark= is 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 Wood= is 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 Leaves= are 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 Fruit= is 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.
[Illustration]
=DICHROSTACHYS NUTANS= Br.—_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 Thorns= are modified branches, each twig ending in a thorn which
bears leaves, and is almost black in colour.
=The Leaves= are 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 Fruits= are 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.
[Illustration]
=DIOSPYROS MESPILIFORMIS= Hochst.—_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 Bark= distinguishes 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 Wood= of 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 Leaves= are 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 Flowers= are 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 Fruit= is 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.
[Illustration]
=EKEBERGIA SENEGALENSIS= A. 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 Bark= is 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 Leaves= are 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 Flowers= are 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 Fruits= are 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 of _Khaya_ but contain
brilliant red oval seeds set in a bright yellow aril, embedded in the
thick walls of the capsule, in a vertical position.
[Illustration]
=ENTADA SUDANICA= Schweinf.—_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 unlike _Parkia_. It is of no use as a
forest species except from its frequency.
=The Bark= is 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 Wood= is 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 of _Parkia 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 Flowers= are 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 Fruits= are 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.
[Illustration]
=ERIODENDRON ORIENTALE= Steud.—_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 Bark= is 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 Wood= is 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 Leaves= are 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 Fruits= are 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.
[Illustration]
=ERYTHRINA SENEGALENSIS= DC.—_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 Bark= of 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 Leaves= are 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 Flowers= readily 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 Fruits= are 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.
[Illustration]
=EUGENIA GUINEENSIS= DC.—_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 Bark= is 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 Leaves= are 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 Flowers= are 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 Fruits= are 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.
[Illustration]
=FICUS CAPENSIS= Thunb.—_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 Bark= is 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 Leaves= are 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 Figs= are 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.
[Illustration]
=FICUS GNAPHALOCARPA= A. 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 Bark= of 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 Leaves= are 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 Figs= are 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.
[Illustration]
=FICUS ITEOPHYLLA= Miq.—_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 unlike _F. Kawuri_, whose leaves are, however, slightly broader
and whose figs are hairy and reddish.
=The Bark= is 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 Leaves= are 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 Figs= are 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.
[Illustration]
=FICUS KAWURI= Hutch.—_Kawuri_. MORACEAE.
This is perhaps the largest fig tree with the exception of _Ficus
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 Leaves= are 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 Figs= are 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.
[Illustration]
=FICUS PLATYPHYLLA= Del.—_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 Leaves= are 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 Figs= are 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.
[Illustration]
=FICUS POLITA= Vahl.—_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 from _F. Thonningii_ in 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 Bark= is 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 Leaves= are 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 Figs= are 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.
[Illustration]
=FICUS THONNINGII= Blume.—_Chediya_. MORACEAE.
This species, somewhat similar to _F. polita_, is also commonest met
with in towns, where it is grown for its shade. In form it differs
from _F. polita_ in 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 of _F. 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 Bark= is light grey and smooth and a copious flow of milky sap
will pour from a cut.
=The Leaves= are 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 Figs= are 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.
[Illustration]
=FICUS VALLIS-CHOUDAE= Del.—_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 Bark= is light grey with large polygonal scales that leave light
patches. The slash is pink, with a flow of milky sap.
=The Leaves= are 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 Figs= are 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.
[Illustration]
=GARDENIA ERUBESCENS= Stapf & 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. ternifolia_ may 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 with _G. ternifolia_ shows _G. erubescens_ to 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 Bark= is smooth, grey-brown, with a powdery surface and small,
thin scales which leave lighter scars. The slash is yellow, with green
edges.
=The Wood= is 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 Leaves= are 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 of _G. ternifolia_.
=The Flowers= are 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 Fruits= are 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.
[Illustration]
=GARDENIA TERNIFOLIA= Thunberg.—_Gauden kura_. RUBIACEAE.
This species, similar to _G. 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 of _G. erubescens_, in fact, the straight
twigs of this species are very distinctive.
A comparison with _G. erubescens_ shows _G. ternifolia_ to 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 Bark= is 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 Wood= is yellow, close-grained, tough and hard to cut with the axe.
=The Leaves= are 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 Flowers= vary 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 Fruits= are 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.
[Illustration]
=GREWIA MOLLIS= Juss.—_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 Bark= is black and rough, deeply fissured and fibrously scaled. It
presents a rough, shaggy appearance.
=The Leaves= are 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 Flowers= appear 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 Fruits= are blackish when ripe, green with a pubescence before
ripe, 2-lobed, with a cell in each lobe. They are edible.
[Illustration]
=GUIERA SENEGALENSIS= Lam.—_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 smaller _Combretum_ species “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 Bark= is grey, and that of the young stems and branches is brown
and covered with loose, brown fibres running vertically.
=The Wood= is 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 Leaves= vary 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 Fruits= are 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.
[Illustration]
=GYMNOSPORIA SENEGALENSIS= Loes.—_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 Bark= of 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 Thorns= are 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 Wood= is 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 Leaves= vary 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 Fruit= is a capsule, ½ inch in diameter, with 3 cells each
containing 2 seeds. They are conspicuous in clusters, turning from pale
green to red.
[Illustration]
=HANNOA UNDULATA= Planch.—_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 Bark= is 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 Wood= is 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 Leaves= are 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 Flowers= appear 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 Fruits= are 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 that _Bombax buonopozense_
is, namely basins, stools and cattle troughs, and occasionally drums.
[Illustration]
=HYMENOCARDIA ACIDA= Tul.—_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 of _Combretum_ species.
=The Bark= is 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 Wood= is 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 Leaves= are 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.
[Illustration]
=HYPHAENE THEBAICA= Mart.—_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 Bark= is 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 Wood= is very fibrous and has no local use beyond that of roof or
door supports. It has been used as fuel.
=The Leaves= are 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 Flowers= which 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 Fruits= are 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.
[Illustration]
=ISOBERLINIA DALZIELII= Craib & Stapf.—_Fara doka_. LEGUMINOSAE.
This species is very similar to _I. doka_, the outstanding difference
being its generally paler colour in all its parts, especially in the
leaves which are covered with a grey bloom. Its habit is the same and
its form similar, though it differs in having a higher and rounder
crown when small, the leaves not drooping so markedly as those of
the other species. The bole is longer and the tree attains a greater
height than does _I. doka_. A height of over 60 feet with a girth of 8
feet is not uncommon in forests of this species as well as in single
examples. Long, clean boles with short, rounded root-flanges and high,
flat-topped crowns are typical. It regenerates with the same profusion
and is as susceptible to fire as _I. doka_, hollow stems in old trees
being the general rule. This species seems to prefer stony and shallow
soils and over large areas of such it grows pure, often to the total
exclusion of _I. doka_.
=The Bark= is light grey, smoother than that of _I. doka_, and has
rather large, oval scales which leave light brown scars. The slash is
pale crimson.
=The Wood= is light red in colour with open grain of this colour and
silvery streaks. The sap is dirty white. Weight 50 lbs. a cubic foot.
=The Leaves= are large, very variable in size and averaging some
18 inches. They have usually 7 leaflets covered with a soft grey
bloom which gives them a bluish appearance. They are rounder, paler
and softer in texture than those of _I. doka_, and the bloom is
particularly marked in young leaves which pass through the same grades
of colouring from pink to green as do those of _I. doka_.
=The Flowers= are in large panicles and appear in December. Each is
composed of 5 irregular white petals and 5 narrow, pointed sepals, and
10 long stamens, the whole enclosed in a blackish-green, hard, rounded
case which splits into two halves in the axil of which the flower sits.
=The Fruit= is a long, broad, flat pod, covered with a green velvet.
It is about 12 inches long and 3 inches wide and splits with a report,
the two halves curling up and the seeds being violently projected. This
occurs in May and June.
=Uses.=—The young poles are used for local building purposes, but they
are very soft and liable to attacks from white ants and borer-beetles
and last only one season. Larger trees are locally cut into planks, and
provide an inferior timber.
[Illustration]
=ISOBERLINIA DOKA= Craib and Stapf.—_Doka_. LEGUMINOSAE.
This species, with its congener _I. Dalzielii_, is a type tree of the
Tree savannah and the most common of all trees in that formation. It
occurs as high-crowned forest over many hundreds of square miles of the
northern provinces, though it does not extend to the extreme north. It
is found in all stages according to age, from the dense covering of the
cleared farm land to the 40-50 feet high-crowned forests with little
undergrowth except that of its own shoots or seedlings. It grows long
straight boles, usually forking at 10-15 feet, and its wide-spreading
limbs form a high open crown which closes the roof of the forest.
Trees in a 25 feet forest have girths of, as a rule, not more than 2-3
feet, and the crown is ¾ of the total height, and narrow, the branches
ascending vertically. A girth of 5-6, or more, feet is common in trees
50 feet high. The species is very susceptible to fire and the majority
of large trees have hollow centres from this cause. The stem is often
a mere shell, filled with the earth of white ants or with a copious
volume of reddish sap which flows out and bubbles up from the base when
felled. This species seems to be more exacting as to soil conditions
than _I. Dalzielii_, the latter predominating on higher or more stony
ground, the change from one species to the other often being very
marked. As a rule the species are mixed indiscriminately, especially on
level country.
=The Bark= is dark grey with large, even-sized, rather shaggy scales.
It is darker and rougher than that of _I. Dalzielii_. The slash is
light red, the sap sticky.
=The Wood= is red, varying from bright red to greyish-red, with long,
silvery streaks. In transverse section the pores are large, in rows,
festoons and small groups, and the rays are extremely fine and close
together, showing as small red bars in radial section. In the plank the
pores are long, open red lines, the grain often being strikingly waved.
The sapwood is silvery with a reddish tinge. The timber saws and planes
well, with a smooth finish and no polish. The weight is 50-55 lbs. a
cubic foot.
=The Leaves= are large and pinnate with an average of 7 leaflets,
dark-green and shiny. The young leaves are bright red and glistening
and pass through every shade from this to the ultimate brilliant green
of the new mature leaf. This is most noticeable after a fire when the
forest is a blaze of colour. The leaves vary very considerably in size
and average some 15-18 inches, those of smaller trees being much larger.
=The Flowers=, which are similar in both species, are in large
panicles, and each consists of 5 white, uneven-sized petals and 10 long
stamens. The sepals are small, narrow and white, and the whole flower
is enclosed in a hard, round, blackish-green sheath which splits into
two portions in which the flower rests. They appear in February.
=The Fruit= is a large, broad, flat pod some 12 inches long and 3
inches wide, a dull green in colour with a smooth surface. It contains
some 4 or 5 large oval, flat, pale-brown seeds which are distributed
by the violent splitting of the pod, the two halves separating with a
report and curling up into a spiral.
=Uses.=—The young trees are used for house-building poles, but only
last for a season as they are very soft and readily attacked by white
ants and borer-beetles. Large trees are cut into planks for local use,
but the timber is very inferior.
[Illustration]
=KHAYA SENEGALENSIS= Juss.—_Madachi_. “_Mahogany_.” MELIACEAE.
This common and well-known Dry Zone Mahogany occurs more or less
plentifully all over the north and has a distribution from the rain
forest to the French boundary. Its habitat is the banks of streams but
its soil and water requirements are comparatively modest and any little
valley or moist hollow is sufficient. It abounds in the more northerly
“kurmis,” and on the edges of “fadammas” often shows a gregarious
habit, clumps of a dozen or so growing close together. Normally it is
a small tree some 50-60 feet high with a girth of 6-8 feet, but 70-80
feet and a 10 feet girth are common. Usually not more than 20 feet of
its height is clean bole, but no rule can be laid down, as the stem may
or may not divide into 2 or 3 large limbs which ascend vertically and
form the characteristic open, wide-spreading crown. In the gregarious
clumps the tree may have as many as 5 or 6 of these false stems and
form an enormous crown. The bole and main limbs show a wavy habit,
especially noticeable in smaller trees. The base of the bole is often
much swollen by the repeated bark chipping for the bitter tonic.
=The Bark= is dark grey and covered with small, thin scales. A red sap
exudes from the bright crimson slash.
=The Wood= is a deep red-brown, generally with a pronounced purple
tinge which distinguishes it from _K. grandifolia_, the typical
mahogany hue being absent. In transverse section the rings are
indistinct colour variations; the pores are small, open, single and
scattered about between the long wavy rays which are close together
and visible to the naked eye. In vertical section the pores are open
and dark coloured, the grain showing as waved bands of varying depth
of colour speckled with the pores. The wood is very hard, sometimes
badly cross-grained and tough, but at others sound and fairly straight,
enabling it to be sawn and planed fairly easily. It is very apt to pick
up, but the finished surface takes a good polish. The pore contents
glisten. The sapwood is grey with a purplish tinge. The weight is up to
60 lbs. a cubic foot.
=The Leaves= are pinnate with 4-6 pairs of leaflets. The leaves of
young trees will bear as many as 10 leaflets. The leaf is bright and
shiny when young but darkens and dulls and the greyish under surface is
typical.
=The Flowers= are in lax panicles amongst the end leaves and are found
from December to April, earlier in some parts. The panicles are 6-8
inches long and the small flowers are white with 4 sepals and petals
and 8 stamens whose filaments are united to form a crown round the
knobbed pistil. The tree often flowers out of season.
=The Fruits= are capsules, grey, and erect and conspicuous on the top
of the tree. They are from 2-2½ inches in diameter and split into 4
sections in each of which the flat, winged, mahogany-brown seeds are
tightly packed one above the other. They ripen from March onwards of
the next year, the seeds falling from the split capsule on the tree.
=Uses.=—The wood for furniture, canoes and mortars.
The bark as a bitter tonic after boiling with water, and powdered as a
cure of sore backs of horses.
The leaves are gathered for camel and cattle fodder.
The seeds, dried, fried, beaten up and boiled to extract the oil, are
used for anointing the body, by pagans.
[Illustration]
=KIGELIA AETHIOPICA= Decne. _var._ =BORNUENSIS= Sprague.—_Rawuya,
Rahaina, Nonon Giwa_. “_Sausage Tree_.” BIGNONIACEAE.
A large tree up to 50 feet in height with a girth of 6-7 feet. It
occurs in the north mostly in “kurmis” up to 11° N. or more. It is not
a savannah tree but has penetrated a great distance into them by way
of the streams. It is low-branching or forking, and has large limbs
forming a high or wide crown of great spread and dense foliage. Either
in flower or fruit it is unmistakable.
=The Bark= is grey or light brown with small, soft, corky scales,
rather scattered and leaving lighter brown patches.
=The Leaves= are 12-15 inches long, pinnate, with 3-5 pairs of opposite
leaflets and a terminal leaflet. The leaflets are obovate with broad
tip and small point, and are increasingly longer and larger from below
upwards, the lowest pair about 2½ inches long and 1½ inches broad,
the upper pair 4-5 inches long and 2-2½ inches broad, the terminal as
broad, but not so long. The nerves are prominent beneath but grooved
above. The colour is light green and shining, smooth beneath. The
margins may be serrate, the teeth quite sharp, or may be quite entire.
=The Flowers= are in panicles up to 4 feet in length hanging from
the branches in February to April. The short flower stalks are
curved, the calyx is fleshy, 4-lobed and pale green, and the corolla
has a trumpet-shaped tube some 3 inches long, ending in a large,
reddish-purple, wrinkled and lobed mouth on the lower side of which
lie the 4 stamens and pistil with flattened stigma. The outside of the
curved tubular portion is white with reddish lines, and the shape and
length of this tube decides the species. There is an unpleasant odour
to the flower. The corolla falls entire with the stamens attached.
=The Fruit= is like an elongated marrow, 12-20 inches long and 3-4
inches broad, greyish in colour with a slightly rough skin. The apex
is pointed. Scattered about in the fibrous pulp are a number of small
seeds which are let loose by the rotting of the fruit, which takes a
long time to mature.
[Illustration]
=LONCHOCARPUS GRIFFONIANUS= Dunn.—_Tuburku_. LEGUMINOSAE.
This is a large deciduous tree which extends up to 11° by way of the
streams and “kurmis” and which, below that latitude will grow away,
though not far, from their influence. It attains a height of 60 feet
with a girth of 8 feet or more and has an enormous spreading crown with
drooping twigs and delicate pinnate foliage which gives heavy shade.
Bole lengths of 30 feet are seen in close forest and in the open there
may be a number of stems from the ground level or near it. The pods,
like strips of tanned leather, are the most distinctive feature, as
they persist for some time.
=The Bark= is smooth, with small, very thin, close-fitting scales which
remain attached by their centres before falling. The colour is grey or
light brown. The slash is pale yellow, soft and thick.
=The Wood= is whitish-grey. In transverse section the rings are
indistinct lines, the pores are very irregular festoons, dense on some
zones and single and scattered in the rings. The rays are very fine and
close and much waved, and are visible as a fine stippling in vertical
sections. In vertical section the pores are open and their brown colour
adds a tint to the wood. It is soft, very easy to work with all tools,
the planed surface having a slight sheen. Weight 40 lbs. a cubic foot.
=The Leaves= are pinnate, 9-10 inches long with three to four pairs and
a terminal leaflet. The main stalk is very slender and those of the
leaflets very short. The leaflets are obovate, with a tongued tip, the
lowest pair rounded, the intermediate pairs narrower and the terminal
larger and broader. The upper surface is dark and shiny, the under side
paler and smooth. The mid-rib is prominent beneath and slightly sunken
above. There is a marked contrast between the colour of the leaflet
stalks and the under side of the leaflets when viewed from beneath.
=The Flowers= appear on the leafless tree in February or March. They
are on 6-7 inch long spikes all over the bare twigs, and are a delicate
blue or mauve colour and pleasantly scented. They are “pea-flowers,” ¾
inch long, the calyx reddish-purple, the standard petal with a cream
centre splash and the keel white. The flowering period is very short
and the leaves follow and cover the tree in a few days.
=The Fruits= are flat pods, 3-5 inches long and ¾ inch broad, very
slightly embossed at the seeds, light brown with a grained surface,
very like tanned leather, containing up to 3 flat, bean-shaped, dark
brown seeds. A large number of pods fall entire without producing seeds.
[Illustration]
=LONCHOCARPUS LAXIFLORUS= G. & P.—_Farin Sansame, Shunin Biri, Halshen
Sa_. LEGUMINOSAE.
A small tree some 15-20 feet high, occasionally 30 feet, occurring
commonly throughout the drier savannahs, often in small patches or
clumps. It resembles _Stereospermum Kunthianum_ (Sansame) in form and
leaf but in no other detail. The form is stunted and similar to the
majority of the trees in the northern bush savannah, though larger
examples with big oval crowns and a 10 foot bole are not uncommon. A
curious branching habit is noticed where the main stem grows partly
round the base of the side limb forming an enlarged joint. The branches
are markedly drooping. The pale bark, purple flowers, narrow flat pods
and greyish-green leaves are distinctive features.
=The Bark= is light grey or yellowish and fairly smooth, the scales
being small, close together and corky. Narrow ridges of cork form on
the branches and that of the stem thickens for protection against
fires. The slash is yellow with black streaks, very distinctive.
=The Wood= is light yellow, of uniform colour. In transverse section
the rings are marked and the concentric lines of hard and soft tissue
very plainly seen. The pores are large and small, few, scattered
about in the lines of soft tissue in festoons. The rays are straight,
variable in width, some visible, others not, to the unaided eye.
The areas of hard tissue are clearly divided into rectangles by the
sharp lines of soft tissue and the rays. The wood is hard, heavy, not
difficult to saw and planing to a smooth finish with a slight sheen.
The weight is 55 lbs. a cubic foot.
=The Leaves= are a foot long with 5-7 leaflets, the terminal longest,
the lowest pair shortest. They are grey-green and waxy to the touch and
with the exception of the mid-rib the venation is raised on the upper
and not on the lower surface. They are 3-4 inches long and tapering to
both ends.
=The Flowers= are in numerous panicles at the twig ends, a mass of
purple at first erect, then drooping. The panicles are up to a foot
long and the flowers are papilionaceous with a white splash on the
face of the standard petal. The calyx is dark purple. They appear from
January to March and are fertilised by bees, flies and wasps and other
insects.
=The Fruits= are pods, from 2-5 inches long according to the number
of seeds, generally 2, rarely 3, and an inch in width. They are flat,
light brown or whitish in colour, in pendulous masses, very conspicuous
and the seeds are chestnut brown, ½ inch long, shiny, flat and with a
deeply indented hilum. They remain on the tree for a long time.
=Uses.=—An infusion of the roots with water is used as a tonic.
[Illustration]
=LOPHIRA ALATA= Banks.—_Namijin Kadai, Mijin Kadai_. “_Meni Oil Tree_.”
DIPTEROCARPACEAE.
This is one of the type species of the tree savannah and strongly
resembles at first sight the Shea, since both have strap-shaped
leaves. This is the only close resemblance and even they are easily
distinguished from one another, see below. It attains a height of some
40 feet with a girth up to 6 feet, and has a tall, regular, rather
open crown occupying at least two-thirds of the height and often more.
The branches ascend at an acute angle to the stem so that the form is
narrowed, another distinguishing feature between it and the Shea. It
prefers good deep soils and its northern limit is about 12° N.
=The Bark= is light grey with even-sized scales 1-2 inches long, 1 inch
wide and ¼ inch thick. That of the smaller branches is softly corky.
The scales are not prominent, nor is there a milky sap, two other
features distinguishing it from the Shea. The slash is crimson with
bright yellow edges.
=The Wood= is a dull reddish-brown. The transverse section shows
indistinct light rings, close together, the pores small and scattered
singly and widely throughout the hard and soft tissue which is clearly
separated in thin, wavy concentric dark and light lines. The rays are
exceedingly fine and invisible to the naked eye. In vertical section
the pores show as if filled with some chalky matter and the grain is
straight with the hard and soft tissue marked in fine lines, and the
rays as numerous small bands in radial section. The wood is hard to saw
and plane, picking up in places, but elsewhere finishes smooth. It is
tough and strong and weighs 65 lbs. a cubic foot.
=The Leaves= are strap-shaped, some 12 inches long, 3-4 inches broad,
with an inch stalk. The margin is waved, the mid-rib alone prominent on
both surfaces. The venation is extremely delicate, visible when held to
the light. The new leaves are bright red, the red colour fading from
the base upwards. The surface is shining, the texture soft. Clustered
round the end 3-4 inches of the twigs, they appear like rosettes. The
delicate venation, short stalk and red tips distinguish it from the
Shea.
=The Flowers= are in clusters on long stalks amongst the leaves and
resemble Apple blossom. They are white, cup-shaped, 1½ inches across,
with 5 notched white petals and a ring of numerous yellow stamens round
a stout bifid pistil. The calyx consists of 5 sepals, 3 small and
round, 2 larger and red tipped, the latter enlarging to form the wings
of the seed. They are scented, visited by bees and appear from November
to February.
=The Fruits= are winged seeds, the wings formed by the enlargement of
the 2 sepals. At first red, they become light green and leathery, the
larger 4 inches, the smaller 2 inches long. The fibrous-coated seed
elongates till it is a pointed cone an inch long, light brown as are
the now dry wings. The seed contains a single kernel, loose when ripe,
about March. Few natives will allow that this tree has any seeds, even
when shown them, a popular obstinacy.
=Uses.=—The wood is too tough to carpenter satisfactorily, but is
suitable for building posts. The seed contains some 45 per cent. of
oil, said to be suitable for soap after testing, but this is not
extracted locally.
[Illustration]
=MAERUA ANGOLENSIS= DC.—_Chichiwa_. CAPPARIDACEAE.
A small tree, widely distributed throughout savannahs of both types,
flourishing equally well in dry sandy soils and richer loamy soils. It
is straggling, often growing in the shade of other trees and partly
supporting itself by them. In the open it is a slender tree about 15
feet in height, the stem dividing and the open low crown with drooping
branches. Occasional examples will reach 25 feet with a 2 feet girth.
It extends up to 13° N.
=The Bark= is dark grey to almost black. That of the smaller branches
is dark brown, profusely spotted with small white lenticels which give
it a mottled appearance, a most distinctive character. Galls on the new
twigs and on the stem are very common.
=The Leaves= are simple, ovate, but variable in length to breadth,
averaging 2 inches long and 1 inch broad. The tip is rounded or
slightly cleft with a small projection of the mid-rib. The colour
is pale and the surface smooth. The mid-rib is prominent beneath,
otherwise the venation is practically unnoticeable. The stalks are ½-1
inch long and the last ¼ inch is thickened and bent at an angle and
when the leaf is plucked the stalk nearly always parts at this bend.
=The Flowers= can be found from November to April and the individual
flowers for a long time, almost ripe fruits and new flowers occurring
at the same time. They are in leafy racemes of large size. Each has a
slender stalk, a long column-like torus, 4 sepals which bend right back
and finally fall off, no petals and a number of long white stamens, in
the middle of which is the long slender style with the ovary at the
tip. The lower part of the calyx is tubular, with the torus inside, and
round its mouth is a toothed ring.
=The Fruit= forms at the end of the pistil, the sepals having fallen,
the calyx tube shrunk and the toothed disc being exposed. It enlarges
up to 6 inches in length and is constricted at intervals so that it
looks like a string of irregular-sized beads. Sometimes two seeds
lie alongside, and there may be as many as 30. The fruit is yellow
and finally brown when ripe, and is similar in appearance to that of
_Cassia goratensis_, though the restrictions are not so narrow as those
of that species.
[Illustration]
=MAERUA CRASSIFOLIA= Forsk.—_Jiga_. CAPPARIDACEAE.
A medium-sized tree from 15-30 feet high and up to 4 feet in girth,
which grows in dry localities as far north as 14°. It is quite common
in N.E. Sokoto. It has a short bole, up to 12 feet, with ascending
branches and can be at once distinguished by its heavily pruned
appearance, the lateral branches being very short and resembling
_Randia nilotica_, the rosettes of leaves being borne on stunted shoots
on long, straight, tough branches. The form varies from the short tree
with wide, compact crown to the tall, narrow growth of larger specimens.
=The Bark= is dull grey, smooth in young trees and longitudinally
scaled in older trees.
=The Leaves= are in tufts at the end of short woody shoots and are ¾
inch long and ⅓ inch wide, tapering at the base, with a broad tip, in
the shallow cleft of which projects the mid-rib. They are a dull, dark
green and limp and leathery in texture.
=The Flowers= which appear in February rise from the leaf-bearing
shoots on ½ inch stalks. Each has a calyx of 4 sepals, light green,
which fall back to the stalk with maturity, some 30 white stamens with
green anthers, all rising from a short column, and a long pistil with
thickened stigma. There is a faint perfume.
=The Fruits= are like those of _Maerua angolensis_; long, jointed pods
formed by the growth of the clubbed pistil. They are brown when ripe
and break into sections. The seeds are 10-20 in number and ripen about
April.
[Illustration]
=MIMOSA ASPERATA= Linn.—_Gumbi, Kaidaji, Kardaji_. LEGUMINOSAE.
A very common shrub which inhabits marshes, the banks of rivers and the
fringes of lakes, in fact, any low-lying, inundated ground, forming
dense, impenetrable thickets, often of large extent. On the banks of
rivers it is frequently associated with a species of _Salix_ or willow.
It has numerous stems and long erect or drooping shoots, 10 to 12 feet
in length. The whole plant is covered with hairs.
=The Thorns= on the stems are in three’s, below each leaf, one thorn
directly under the leaf, with a pair a little higher up on either side.
The thorns on the stems are all the same size and shape, but those on
the leaves differ as described below.
=The Leaves= are 3-5 inches long with 6-8 pairs of pinnae, bearing up
to 40 pairs of long, narrow leaflets. The leaf is sensitive and folds
up tight in the evening, the leaflets falling back under the mid-rib.
On the upper side, between each pair of leaflets, is a short, slender
and very sharp thorn, pointed well forward, and between the lower 4 or
5 pairs is a pair of sharp thorns with broad bases in the same plane as
the leaflets. These thorns are absent in the upper part of the leaf.
The young leaf is hairy.
=The Flowers= are in spherical heads about ½ inch in diameter, either
white or mauve. Each minute flower has a calyx of 4 sepals, 8 stamens
with white or mauve filaments and white anthers, and a long pistil.
=The Fruits= are pods, 2-2½ inches long, ½ inch wide and ⅛ inch thick,
slightly curved. They are covered with erect, bristly hairs whose tips
curve forward. On the green pod these hairs are golden brown; on the
ripe pod they are unpleasantly penetrating. The pod splits transversely
into 15-20 segments, each containing a small bean. The outer rim of the
pod remains intact, the sections dropping out in the same manner as
those of _Entada sudanica_.
=Uses.=—It is used as a fence round farms for protection against
grazing, and in places where there is an acute shortage of fuel demands
a price in the markets.
[Illustration]
=MITRAGYNE AFRICANA= Korth.—_Giyeya_. _Giyaiya_. RUBIACEAE.
A large tree which inhabits “fadammas,” “tabkis” or annually inundated
areas. It has several erect, straight stems ascending to a height of
60 feet in large specimens and the foliage reaches almost to ground
level. From the branches, especially noticeable when one of these is
horizontally inclined, are a number of slender erect shoots, like those
of pollarded willow. The crown is the same width throughout with a
narrowed or pointed top. The tree coppices very well and would provide
a rotation crop if properly worked. It will not stand drought and a
succession of dry years will kill the tree, subsequent wet years only
serving to rot the dead trees. This is of frequent occurrence in the
farthest north.
=The Bark= is light brown or grey and smooth, a few scales showing on
the lower part of the stem in season. The slash is light brown, rapidly
darkening.
=The Wood= is a very light brown. In transverse section the rings
show broad bands of a darker colour, a purple tinge which is clearly
seen in vertical, especially radial sections. The pores are minute,
quite invisible to the naked eye, and with difficulty seen with the
lens, in rows between the extremely fine rays which are waved and very
close together. The grain is very close and fine; seasons well and is
slightly liable to borer beetle attacks, works well with all tools, the
plane producing a nice clean finish of a velvety nature. It is one of
the best all-round timbers for many purposes and its small sizes are a
great misfortune. The weight is 40 lbs. a cubic foot.
=The Leaves= vary somewhat in shape from a narrow oval to a broad,
rather square oval, both shapes with a pointed tip. They are 3-4 inches
long and 2-2½ inches broad with ½-¾ inch stalk. They are in opposite
pairs as is so typically seen at the base of the flower or seed head.
They are paler beneath than below, very soft and thin in consistency
and the venation appears almost white by contrast.
=The Flowers= are in yellowish balls an inch in diameter, sweet-scented
and appearing at the beginning of the rains, though a few blooms may
be found at odd seasons. Each flower is about ½ inch long with 5 long
sepals narrow at the base, broad at the tip (obconical); a tubular
corolla with 5 lobes between each of which protrudes the anther of a
stamen, grey in colour; and a long pistil terminating in a reddish
stigma, shaped like a bee-hive. The flowers are at first white and then
turn yellow.
=The Fruits= are in spherical heads ¾ inch in diameter and dark brown
in colour. Each fruit is what is called di-coccous, _i.e._, the fruit
is formed of two separating carpels, containing seeds. The fruiting
heads are most conspicuous and enable the tree to be identified from
some distance.
=Uses.=—The timber has been used lately by the Industrial Schools with
great success, and in Sokoto it has been found one of the best for
all purposes where large sizes are not necessary. The native makes
bowls and spoons from it and it is a good source of poles for building
houses. It is supposed to rot rapidly if exposed to wet.
[Illustration]
=MONOTES KERSTINGII= Gilg.—_Wasani, Gasa kura, Farin Rura_.
DIPTEROCARPACEAE.
A small tree of the better types of savannah not extending much north
of 11°, and very locally distributed. In certain localities, _e.g._,
S.E. Sokoto and W. Bauchi, it is very abundant and over hundreds of
square miles will be found pure in patches and elsewhere composing
40-50 per cent. of the growth. It is slender, erect, up to 30 feet
in height, with a stem of 1½-2 feet in girth, with the stem bare of
branches up to 10 feet and the crown high, open and narrow. Trees in
the open will grow large, round, compact crowns. The distinguishing
features are the very light under surface of the leaf and the enlarged
sepals which surround the fruit. The species resembles _Parinarium_.
=The Bark= is grey with light patches and fairly smooth, with small,
close-fitting, not very prominent scales. The slash is dark red.
=The Wood= is a light brown-pink. In transverse section the rings are
distinct as numerous very close fine lines, the pores are minute,
numerous and crowded in small festoons interspersed with numerous
single pores, the soft tissue being poorly developed. The rays are so
fine and close as to be only just visible with the lens. The grain is
very close and wavy and the planed surface reflects the light so as to
produce a “shot” appearance, with a sheen. The wood is very hard to
work with saw and plane and very cross grained. The weight is 64 lbs. a
cubic foot.
=The Leaves= are oval, some 4 inches long and 3 inches broad, slightly
cordate at the base, broad at the tip, with a ½ inch long downy stalk.
The upper surface is dark green, shining and rough to the touch, with
the venation below the surface, and the mid-rib bends at each lateral.
The under surface is grey and velvety, the whole venation being
prominently marked. At the base of the leaf there is a curious oval
space where the blade of the leaf meets over the stalk at the bottom
and again at the third lateral, leaving a gap through which the base of
the mid-rib seems to appear.
=The Flowers=, which appear in the rains, are in small axillary
clusters, each about ½ inch in diameter, with a 5-pointed calyx, 5 long
white pointed petals, a mass of long stamens filling the corolla and a
short straight pistil. They are very inconspicuous.
=The Fruits= are capsules, ½ inch in diameter, roughly round and
wrinkled when ripe, with 3 cells in each of which is a small seed
loose in the cell. The capsule is hard, fibrous and loosely porous
in transverse section. Round it are the 5 greatly enlarged sepals,
modified into wings, bright red at first, then drying pale brown. The
fruits are very persistent on the tree, many not falling till the new
leaves appear. The red wings are conspicuous from a great distance.
[Illustration]
=MORINGA PTERYGOSPERMA= Gaertn.—_Zogalagandi, Bagaruwar Makka_.
MORINGACEAE.
This is a very familiar little tree, an exotic from India, which is
planted in compounds in the north. It grows some 15-25 feet high with a
single stem often forking or dividing into 2 or 3 stems at or near the
ground. It is distinguished by its tripinnate leaves, white flowers and
long triangular, pointed pods.
=The Bark= is a deep bluish grey and smooth.
=The Wood= is white, very soft and of no use whatever.
=The Leaves= are tripinnate, about a foot long, with some 6 pinnae,
each with some 2-5 pinnules, some again with one or two pairs of
leaflets and a terminal leaflet. The terminal leaflets are generally
larger than the others and all are variable in size and shape from
small oval to large spear-shaped leaflets. The foliage is very sparse
and graceful.
=The Flowers= are white, in loose panicles, in flower for many months
in the year, during the dry season. Each has a 5-parted calyx with
unequal sepals, 5 white petals, the 2 upper ones smaller than the
others, 5 stamens with and 5 stamens without anthers, and a slender
style. The flowers are sweet-scented.
=The Fruits= are long, triangular capsules up to 18 inches long,
slightly jointed, with 2 grooves down each side, a sharp beak at the
tip, light brown in colour and splitting down the 3 edges to release
the seeds. These are blackish with 3 papery wings so shaped as to
overlap and fit into one another, the bottom of the one seed touching
the top of the wings of the one below it. The white pith, with a sheen,
is indented to hold the seeds.
=Uses.=—It is commonly used as a fencing to compounds, the mats or
cornstalks of which the fence is composed being tied to the growing
trees. The roots are eaten as horse-radish and the leaves fresh as a
vegetable. The seeds yield a very fine oil (oil of Ben) which has been
pronounced as suitable for watch lubrication.
[Illustration]
=OCHNA HILLII= Hutch. OCHNACEAE.
This is a small tree, common locally in parts of Zaria, Bauchi and S.
Sokoto, not extending north of 12°. It is as a rule slender and erect,
up to 15 feet in height, older trees forming a round crown, younger
ones often shrub-like. The yellow flowers and red and black fruiting
stage are very conspicuous and the serrate obovate leaves are typical.
=The Bark= is smooth, a dull grey or brown, with small scales. The
slash is yellow, rapidly darkening on exposure.
=The Leaves= are obovate, 3-4 inches long, 1½-2 inches broad, with
cleft tip and finely serrate edges. The venation is prominent on the
upper surface. The young leaves are shiny and tinted red, and the
mature leaf is tougher and grey-green with a waxy bloom.
=The Flowers= are borne on a short woody shoot, 4 or 5 together with
1-2 inch, slender stalks. Each has a calyx of 5 pale green overlapping
sepals, 5 yellow petals smaller than the sepals and a ring of numerous
stamens round an erect pistil. The flowers appear in February or March
and the petals sometimes only remain 24 hours on the flower.
=The Fruits= are drupes, or small plums, in a ring round the much
swollen torus or disc. The sepals enlarge and turn crimson, as does the
disc, and the seeds, at first green, turn black and shiny, shrivelling
when the surrounding pulp dries up. The branches are often borne down
by the weight of the large crop of fruit which is a most conspicuous
feature. The elongated pistil and the remains of the stamens appear
like bristles on the torus. Most of the seeds are destroyed by a grub.
[Illustration]
=ODINA ACIDA= Walp.—_Farun mutane_. ANACARDIACEAE.
A large tree, similar in flowers, fruits and leaves to _O. Barteri_,
but differing in the absence of hairs on leaves and flower spikes to
the extent of those on _O. Barteri_, and distinguished from it at once
by the very smooth bark. It reaches large sizes, but not great heights,
the average proportion being some 30 feet high with a girth of 6-8
feet. A very short, stout bole divides into a number of large, widely
spreading limbs, the twigs drooping down to near the ground. The crown
is open and rounded and of great width, affording little shade. Its
habitat is the granite country, where it grows in large quantities on
the plains or up in the rocky hills, stunted specimens flourishing on
almost bare rock with the roots in the smallest cracks. The branches
are very flexible and can be bent almost double without snapping. It
is called “Farun mutane” as against the “Farun doya” of _O. Barteri_,
because it is used for food and medicine.
=The Bark= is silvery grey, smooth to the point of shining, with
occasional scales and a few lenticels. Very old trees cast large
scales from the lower trunk. The bark frequently shows a marked spiral
twisting round the stem and there are folds and creases like a skin.
Resin exudes from the slash which is light red and of crumbling texture.
=The Wood= is practically the same as that of _O. Barteri_, q.v., for
the most part consisting of a soft, dirty white wood, readily sawn and
planed and of little value, the small heartwood being red-brown. The
weight is about 25 lbs. a cubic foot.
=The Leaves= are pinnate, 18 inches long with some 4 pairs of leaflets
and a terminal leaflet. These are broad at the base, narrowing towards
the tip, the margins sinuous, the basal lobes unequal, the short stalks
flattened, the upper surface light green, shining, with a few hairs and
a pronounced stickiness to the touch. They appear after the flowers.
Young leaves are very slightly tinged red.
=The Flowers.= The spikes of both sexes appear from January to April.
The male spikes are up to 9 inches in length, the flowers in irregular
clusters with gaps, especially on the lower part of the spike, without
flowers. Each has a small, 4-part calyx, 4 petals and 8 short, erect
stamens. A few hairs are scattered about the spike, which is scented.
The female spikes are some 3 inches long and sparsely flowered. Each
has a small, 4-part calyx, 4 petals, the rudiments of 8 stamens and a
rounded ovary with 4 stigmas. There is no scent. Though the spikes of
both sexes appear well before the leaves, they may persist till the
leaves are practically full grown.
=The Fruits= are similar to those of _O. Barteri_ but very shiny.
They hang in dense clusters of spikes, ripening from green to red to
a purplish black, resembling cherries. There is a thin skin and juicy
flesh round a large, hard stone containing a white kernel attached to
the top and not filling the cavity. The fruits ripen in June and the
crop is often prolific.
=Uses.=—The fruits are eaten fresh. The bark is boiled in water and the
infusion taken as a medicine for stomach troubles.
[Illustration]
=ODINA BARTERI= Oliv.—_Farun doya_. ANACARDIACEAE.
A very common tree in open savannahs, flourishing in deep or shallow
soils, preferably of granite composition, and plentiful amongst rocks.
It is a large tree up to 40 feet in height with girths of 6-8 feet
and its characters are a short bole, rarely over 10 feet, and large
spreading limbs forming a wide open crown. The branches are very
pliant and the twigs droop. This and _O. acida_ occur over large areas
together, the rough bark and hairy leaves distinguishing the former.
=The Bark= is almost black and very rough, with deep, vertical fissures
and long heavy scales which fall in large ragged lengths. The stem is
thus often very shaggy. The slash is salmon pink with paler streaks.
=The Wood= is dirty white, with bluish and brown discolorations. In
transverse section the rings are indistinct; the pores are very small,
numerous, single and fairly evenly distributed; the rays fine and close
together, hardly visible to the unaided eye. In vertical section the
grain is rather coarse, there are no bands of colour and often a number
of small knots. The wood is soft, of poor quality, easily worked and of
the quality of _Bombax_. The weight is only 25 lbs. a cubic foot.
=The Leaves= are some 18 inches long, pinnate, with some 4 pairs and
a terminal leaflet. These are spear-shaped, about 4 inches long and
2 inches wide, with very short, thick stalks. They are dark green,
densely covered with short hairs and limp and flaccid. The young leaf
shoots are a reddish-brown and densely pubescent.
=The Flowers= are in spikes, the male and female on separate trees.
The male are in 5-6 inch spikes, up to a dozen spikes at a twig tip,
often so numerous on the leafless tree as to render it conspicuous from
a great distance. They appear from January to April, and are scented.
The flowers are in clusters round the spike, not completely covering
it. Each has a 4-lobed calyx, 4 small petals, 8 erect stamens and the
rudiments of an ovary with 4 stigmas. The flowers fall from the spikes,
leaving them bare. The female flowers are on shorter spikes, the
flowers are fewer in number and evenly distributed on the spike. Each
has a 4-lobed calyx, 4 small petals and an ovary with 4 stigmas. They
are not scented. Both spikes are very pubescent.
=The Fruits= are nuts, flattened ovoids with the stigmas prominent at
the tip. They ripen about March to May and are reddish purple, the
flesh very resinous and the white kernel attached to the top. They are
½ inch long and are borne in heavy clusters of spikes, generally erect
and stiffer than those of _O. acida_.
=Uses.=—No part of the tree is edible as in the case of _O. acida_.
[Illustration]
=ORMOCARPUM BIBRACTEATUM= Baker.—_Faskara giwa_. _Tsa_. LEGUMINOSAE.
A small, erect tree up to some 25 feet in height with 1-2 feet girth,
locally very plentiful but otherwise infrequent, _e.g._, in the Anka
district of Sokoto it occurs in vast numbers, but nowhere else in
the province, and in one or two places in Bauchi small clumps of it
are seen. At first sight it is very like an _Acacia_, with its erect
branches and pinnate leaves. The stem branches generally low down,
occasionally at a height of 8-10 feet, and the branches are vertical,
so that the tree has no width of crown. Owing to the scarcity of the
smaller branches the vertical ones are crowded with leaves, and from
February to April with flowers, for several feet, there being no side
twigs, these being replaced by small shoots covered with bracts.
=The Bark= is silvery grey with a soft sheen, smooth and very thick,
large scales peeling off in season. The effect of fire on young stems
is to produce great bosses of light brown cork, often charred. The
slash is yellow.
=The Leaves= are about 2-3 inches long, pinnate, with some 6-8
opposite or sub-opposite leaflets and a terminal leaflet. These are
¼-⅜ inch long and about ³⁄₁₆ inch broad, oval, with or without a
slightly notched tip in which the mid-rib protrudes slightly. They are
grey-green and hairy and each springs from between a pair of bracts on
the twig.
=The Flowers= are very handsome “Pea-flowers” in small clusters on long
stalks, branched, with a bract at each branch, springing from small
clusters of bracts on the woody stems. The stalks are purple and hairy,
the calyx is irregular, purple and green, and the corolla is a delicate
pink with a pale green keel. The flowers are generally in great masses
and a curious characteristic is that they dry up and retain almost
their original shape, the pod ripening meanwhile.
=The Fruits= are small black jointed pods 1-1½ inches long with some
4-5 joints, oval, flattened and hairy, each containing one seed, pale
brown in colour. The pod will often bend right round and its tip enter
the mouth of the flower.
[Illustration]
=OSTRYODERRIS CHEVALIERI= Dunn.—_Durbi_. LEGUMINOSAE.
A large tree some 40 feet or more high, common in some parts of Sokoto,
Zaria and Katsina, but very local in its occurrence and extending as
far north as 13°. The girth is up to 7 feet, more often 5 feet. It
closely resembles _Paradaniellia Oliveri_ in bark and leaf and form,
especially in young trees of the latter species. The bole may be clean
and straight for 20 feet and the crown is high and flat-topped in full
grown trees. It does not grow on poor soils and its extension to 13° is
by way of moister valleys and pockets of alluvial soil. The pods and
flowers are the distinctive features.
=The Bark= is light grey with a strong resemblance to that of
_Paradaniellia Oliveri_, the scales being even-sized, polygonal but
not so large as those of _P. Oliveri_. Nor has it the red tinge of the
latter. The slash is most distinctive, being a mixture of fibres of
white, dark brown and crimson, like strands of wire.
=The Wood= is whitish or cream-coloured. In transverse section the
rings are indistinct but the concentric lines of hard and soft tissue
are well marked. The pores are single or in small groups, unequally
scattered. The rays are invisible to the unaided eye, and waved
slightly. In vertical section the pores are long and open, the hard and
soft tissue well marked in parallel lines and the rays show as long,
fine bands on the radial section. The wood is soft, medium weight,
shows red streaks, is easily worked and the planed surface is smooth.
It has a curious smell, The weight is 45 lbs. a cubic foot.
=The Leaves= are pinnate, 10-15 inches long with some 6 pairs and a
terminal leaflet. The leaflets are opposite or nearly so and increase
in size towards the top pair, the largest 3 inches long and 1½ broad,
with cordate base, unequal lobes and an even taper to a rounded, cleft
tip. The upper side is bluish-green with a bloom, the underneath pale
grey-green. The venation is prominent beneath.
=The Flowers=, from February to April, are in erect panicles on the
stout twig ends, some dozen or so on each twig. Each flower is white,
papilionaceous, ¾ inch long. The calyx is covered with brown hairs, as
are the flower-stalks and there is a green splash in the centre of the
standard petal. The panicles are 6-8 inches long, gradually drooping.
=The Fruits= are pods, at first limp and green, then brittle and
dark brown. They are 3-6 inches long, 1¾ inches broad, flat and
strap-shaped, the surface veined, and a prominent ridge runs round the
outside a little way from the edge, outside which ridge there is no
veining. The seeds, more often 1 than 2, are slightly embossed, and
are flat, brown, round beans with a white hilum. The pods ripen from
May onwards and numbers of them persist on the tree till the following
flowering season.
[Illustration]
=PARADANIELLIA OLIVERI= Rolfe.—_Maje, Kadaura_. “_Copaiba Balsam
Tree_.” LEGUMINOSAE.
This is one of the largest trees of the savannahs and gives an enormous
volume of timber. It reaches a height of 80 feet and girths of 12 feet
are common. A girth of 26 feet combined with a 40 feet bole has been
measured. It has a gregarious habit similar to _Khaya senegalensis_ on
the edges of “fadammas” and in flat country where water lies during the
rainy season. Hundreds of saplings may be found round these clumps. It
is most readily distinguished from other species, at a distance, by
the straight, light-grey stem, which is generally tapering in form,
and by the shape of its crown which is triangular with a flat top. The
crown is dense and dark, the limbs at an angle of about 30 degrees to
the bole and the bulk of the foliage being on the summit. The bole is
generally swollen at the base. It is a very fast growing species.
=The Bark= is very light in colour, this being emphasised at a
distance. It is rough with large even-sized scales. The bark of
saplings, owing to the annual fires, is very thick and scaly, cracking
in horizontal rings round the stem. This forms a highly protective
covering. An oleo-resin, or balsam, exudes from the slash, which is
dark crimson with small white streaks.
=The Wood=, of which a great volume is yielded by the tree, is
red-brown with darker streaks. In transverse section the rings
are fairly well defined dark, regular lines, the pores are large,
mostly single, widely and fairly evenly distributed, the rays fine,
continuous, unevenly spaced but 3 to 4 to each pore, bending in
a curious manner where they cross the lines of soft tissue, just
visible with the naked eye. In radial section the rays are small
light-reflecting bands and in the tangential section are clearly
visible as fine ripples. The sapwood is whitish with a faint brown or
pinkish tinge, and the rays are very clearly marked on the two vertical
sections. This is a very good light-weight timber, very easily worked
and not very durable or strong, but its large sizes, soundness and
appearance enhance its value. It has a most pleasant cedar-wood smell.
Weight 44 lbs. a cubic foot.
=The Leaves= are 18 inches long, pinnate with some 6 pairs of large,
pointed, dark-green, shiny leaflets. The young leaves are soft and pink
in colour.
=The Flowers= are conspicuous, chiefly at the top of the tree, in
large, flat panicles, in December. The flowers stand erect on the
horizontal panicle and consist of a 5-lobed, imbricate calyx, one
sepal being smaller than the others, greenish-white in colour; 10
white stamens, 2 inches long and a long, white pistil which swells to
form the seed-pod. The flower parts are borne on a stout club-shaped
receptacle.
=The Fruit= is a flat pod, about 3 inches long and 2 inches wide,
whitish in colour. It splits by the curling up of the inner layers and
frees one oval, flat, dark-brown seed, the rudiments of 3 or 4 others
being visible attached to the suture. The open pods with large brown
seeds hanging from their edges are a conspicuous feature in masses
on the tree tops, the seeds and pods remaining some time in position
before being blown down.
=Uses.=—The timber is made into planks, mortars, canoes and
cattle-troughs. The resin is burnt in houses as a fumigating incense.
In times of extreme famine, the young leaves are appreciated as a
vegetable, being eaten with the addition of salt and pepper.
[Illustration]
=PARINARIUM CURATELLAEFOLIUM= Planch.—_Rura, Gwanja kusa_. ROSACEAE.
A small and very common tree averaging 15-20 feet high with a girth of
1-2 feet. It has no form or special characteristic of growth, being
similar to the many other species with which it occurs in open savannah
forests. Its only importance lies in its occurrence in large quantities
over considerable areas. It is readily distinguished from other species
by its flowers and fruits, which latter may be seen for several months
in the year.
=The Bark= is very dark, sometimes almost black, with small, prominent,
corky scales up to 1 inch square. The slash is a dull, dark red.
=The Wood= is light brown, with a slight orange tinge. In transverse
section the rings show as slightly darker lines, the pores are small,
oval, with their length radial, single, not numerous, and connected
by continuous waved concentric lines of soft tissue. The rays are
extremely fine and very close together, quite invisible to the naked
eye. In vertical section the pores are open and slightly darker, the
grain close. It is a soft, sound wood, easily worked, planing with a
dull, smooth finish, not picking up much. The weight is 48 lbs. a cubic
foot.
=The Leaves= are about 5 inches long and 2½ inches broad. They are
alternate, pale green and smooth above and greyish beneath.
=The Flowers= are in long, dense or open, terminal panicles, a number
together. They are greenish in colour, the whole panicle covered with
a light pubescence. Each flower consists of a grey-green, 5-pointed
calyx, 5 minute white petals and 10 stamens, some with pink anthers.
They appear about December or January, and are conspicuous by their
numbers on the leafless tree.
=The Fruits= are reddish-brown drupes, about an inch long, the skin
covered with a number of small, grey lenticels. They have a reddish,
sweet, edible flesh and a large, hard stone. They ripen towards the end
of the year and are the readiest means of identification of the species.
=Uses.=—The fruits are eaten fresh.
The young trees are cut for poles for building (gofa).
[Illustration]
=PARINARIUM MACROPHYLLUM= Sabine.—_Gawasa_. “_Ginger-Bread Plum_.”
ROSACEAE.
A common tree locally in parts of the more northerly provinces. It is
not found distributed evenly through the forests but in numbers over
small areas here and there. It is very highly valued by the native for
its fresh fruit and protected on farm lands. It is a thick-set, squat
tree with a short, heavy stem and wide-spreading, crooked branches
forming a round or flat crown. It is from 15-25 feet high, sometimes
more, with a girth up to 8 feet. The foliage, owing to the size of
the leaves, is dense. It is somewhat similar to its congener, _P.
curatellaefolium_, but the leaves are larger, the flowers heavier and
the whole tree on a larger scale. It grows in dry, sandy soils.
=The Bark= is grey and not rough, covered with small even-sized scales.
=The Wood= is a light brown colour, frequently with large grey
discolorations darkening the colour. In transverse section the rings
are obscure bands, the pores are small, few and distributed rather
unevenly, single, connected by very faintly marked and poorly developed
soft tissue lines. The rays are exceedingly fine and very close
together. In vertical section the pores are few and fine and the grain
is close. It is a fairly hard wood, sawing well and planing with little
picking up to a hard, smooth finish which polishes well. Weight 45 lbs.
a cubic foot.
=The Leaves= are some 5 inches long and 3-4 inches wide on the average,
but may be as much as 8 inches long and 5 inches wide, with a stout
stalk not above ¼ inch long. They are slightly cordate at the base and
broad at the tip with a small point. There are some 15-20 straight
veins on each side of the mid-rib, sunken on the upper surface and very
prominent on the underneath. The upper surface is a brilliant light
green gradually darkening with age, the under side grey. There is a
dusty brown covering of hairs on the upper surface, which rubs off
readily in the hand and exposes the smooth green surface. The stalk is
densely covered with brown hairs.
=The Flowers= are in terminal racemes from 3-9 inches long, all parts
except the petals covered with the hairs. Each flower has a 5-lobed
calyx, 5 white petals in 2 groups of 3 and 2, 10-20 white stamens
with yellow anthers and a curved, white pistil. The flower in bud is
enclosed in 2 bracts which are pushed up by expansion of the flower and
then fall off the end. The flowers are found on the tree every month of
the year, a continual succession of flowers and fruit occurring.
=The Fruits=, which are found all the year round, are plums,
reddish-brown with an orange tint, rounded or oblong, 1½-2 inches
long and 1-1½ inches broad, the surface roughened with numerous grey
lenticels. The sweet, edible flesh is whitish, moist and mealy, about
½ inch thick round the very tough, thick stone which has one or two
“kernels.” The ripe fruit has a sickly sweet smell.
=Uses.=—The wood of large specimens makes very good mortars.
The fruits are highly appreciated and eaten fresh. They are brought to
the big towns from long distances in some places and will sell for as
much as a penny each in the markets.
[Illustration]
=PARKIA FILICOIDEA= Welw.—_Dorowa_. “_Locust Bean Tree_.” LEGUMINOSAE.
This is the type tree of the Park formations and a very common and
well-known species with a wide distribution. Owing to its great value
as a food and its uses by the natives, it is often the sole occupant
of extensive areas of cultivation. It grows to large sizes, 50-60 feet
high with girths of 10 feet or more. The bole, in the case of trees
which are grown in the open, is short, not, as a rule, above 10 or 12
feet, and several large, spreading limbs form a very wide crown which
appears dark and dense at a distance, but which, in fact, gives only
average shade. There are small, rounded root-flanges. All trees near
habitation are owned by the individual. Those in the forests have a
different habit of growth, the bole being longer, the branches more
erect and the crown less spreading. The large crowns of the park trees
are generally due to the cutting of the branches for fuel. _See_
USES. The tree pollards well and shoots readily from the stool. It is
liable to attack from white ants when young, and to the ravages of
caterpillars which may completely defoliate the tree.
=The Bark= is dark brown or dull grey, with small, regular scales of
varying roughness. The branches and the stems of young trees are a
light grey, almost silvery, and smooth. The bark at the base of the
tree is often much chipped about by the natives who make an infusion
of it, drunk as a tonic. The slash is brick red, spongy and fibrous in
thin layer formation.
=The Wood.= The heartwood is a dull brown colour, the sapwood a dirty
yellow. Even the largest stems, 3-4 feet in diameter, cut in the north,
show none of this heartwood. In transverse section the rings are faint
and wide apart, the pores are large, open, fairly regularly distributed
in the well-marked soft tissue festoons, with nests of 3 or 4 here and
there. The rays are straight, continuous, evenly spaced, not all the
same thickness, and show as long, light-reflecting bands in radial
section. In vertical section the grain is fairly open, the hard and
soft tissue giving a mottled appearance in tangential section. The wood
is most easily worked with all tools, planes with a dull finish and
though liable to crack a little is on the whole a sound, though weak,
timber. The weight is only 32 lbs. a cubic foot.
=The Leaves= are bipinnate, 15-18 inches long, with opposite, pinnate
leaflets bearing numerous dark green pinnules, oblique, ¾ inch long,
alternate but nearly opposite towards the tip. They have a shining
surface, and the young leaf is reddish.
=The Flowers= are pendulous balls some 2½ inches in diameter on a 7
inch stalk. They appear in March before the new leaves or with them
and are dark red in colour and sweet-scented. They consist of 10 long,
red stamens with black anthers and a simple style, in a 5-lobed calyx
with honey glands. The flowers are visited both by bees and flies.
Called “tutu” by the native, boys suck the balls for the honey. The
flower-buds are called “gundar tutu.”
=The Fruit= is a bean, some 9 inches long, dark brown in colour, in
pendulous clusters on the tree in July. When young they are called
“sabada”; when brown, but before ripening, they are called “garda.” The
ripe seeds are black and embedded in a yellow, mealy pulp. They are of
great value as an annual food-crop.
=Uses.=—The timber is used for making mortars and basins. The seeds are
fermented and made into cakes called “daudawa.”
The husks are soaked in water till fermentation takes place and the
resulting liquid spread over earth floors and on the walls of dye-pits
to bind the surface. The liquid is called “makuba” and is also used as
a fish poison.
The branches are cut for fuel for the boiling of the water used in the
purification of women after child-birth.
The mealy pulp round the seeds (garin dorowa) is used in soup.
An infusion of the bark is a tonic.
[Illustration]
=PARKINSONIA ACULEATA= Linn.—_Sasabani, Sharan labbi_. “_Jerusalem
Thorn_.” LEGUMINOSAE.
A small exotic tree introduced by Arabs and planted in most of the
Northern towns to such an extent that it is worthy of inclusion here.
It is a delicate and graceful shrub-like tree up to 25 feet high. It
has a single stem branched a foot or two above ground level; in some
cases there is a stem over 6 feet in length before the branches, erect,
with their ends spreading out and drooping down, occur. It grows best
in an open position and does not thrive in the shade, where it grows
very weak and straggling, without the vivid green of trees in the open.
=The Bark= is bright green and smooth.
=The Thorns= are straight and sharp, ¼ inch long, light red in colour
with thickened, fleshy green bases from which spring the leaves. The
scars of fallen leaves can be seen on this thickened base.
=The Leaves= are bipinnate with one or two pairs of pinnae which
consist of a broad, flat mid-rib some 9 inches long from which little
oval leaflets under ¼ inch long spring alternately. These are sensitive
and at night, or when gathered, fold inwards and lie flat on the
mid-rib. The rib and leaflets are dark green and smooth.
=The Flowers= are in pendulous, sparse spikes amongst the leaves. Each
is an inch in diameter and has 5 pale green sepals, 5 crinkly yellow
petals, one of which is more prominent than the rest and forms a throat
covered with small red spots. There are 10 short stamens with red
anthers and a short brown pistil. The flowers are found most months of
the year.
=The Fruits= are jointed pods, varying in length according as they
contain 1-6 seeds, the longest being 6-7 inches long. They are jointed,
light brown and veined, and when ripe are very light and brittle. The
seeds are ⅓ inch long, black, oval, round in cross section, very hard
and smooth and rattling loose in the pod. They may be found for some
months in the year, particularly in February.
=Uses.=—Ornamental and shade providing.
[Illustration]
=PROSOPIS OBLONGA= Benth.—_Kiriya_. LEGUMINOSAE.
A large tree attaining a height of over 60 feet with girths of 6-7
feet. In good forest it may have a bole length of 30 feet, but in the
open savannahs it is branched to within a few feet of the ground, as a
rule, and its crooked limbs form an irregular, rather open crown. The
finer twigs droop considerably and the tree may bear some resemblance
to _Tamarindus_. In old trees in good forest there is a high, wide
crown, open, and giving little shade. There are small rounded root
flanges. The features which most readily distinguish it are its bark,
colour of foliage and pods, q.v. It likes good, open soils.
=The Bark= is almost black, with ragged, crisp, curling scales which
are concave on the outer surface and leave light brown patches where
they fall. Sometimes the bark has a bluish tint. That of the smaller
branches is light grey or brownish and smooth. The slash is reddish,
darkening to orange and red-brown.
=The Wood= is a rich red brown. The sapwood is grey. In transverse
section the rings are indistinct, the pores are open, regularly
distributed, mostly single, a few double. The rays are very fine, waved
and unevenly spaced, not visible to the naked eye. In vertical section
the pores are seen to have dark resin contents, the grain is open, and
there are bands of colour, the lighter soft wood picking up and the
darker hard tissue planing smooth, according to direction of planing.
There is a marked reflection of light from these bands. It blunts axes,
is hard to saw, must be finished with glass-paper after planing, when a
fine surface is obtained, oily to the touch. It will not take nails. A
very tough, strong, durable timber. Weight 65 lbs. a cubic foot.
=The Leaves= are bipinnate with 2-4 opposite pairs of pinnae each
bearing some 6-10 leaflets ¾-1 inch long and ¼ inch or more wide, with
a pointed tip and the rib not in the middle. They are light green and
softly pubescent. The pairs are inclined to the top side of the main
stalk and between each pair of pinnae there is a little gland. The base
of the stalks is much enlarged.
=The Flowers= are in short pedunculate spikes, the latter 1½-2½ inches
long and densely composed of small yellowish flowers, which appear in
May. Each flower has a 5-lobed calyx, 10 stamens with yellow anthers
and a short hairy pistil. The flowers are sweet-scented.
=The Fruits= are large pods from 4-6 inches long and an inch in
diameter, slightly flattened in one direction, pointed at the tip, a
dark, purple-brown colour. The hard, shiny, brown seeds, oval and ⅓
inch long, are embedded in a dry, cream-coloured, spongy-looking pulp,
each separated from the other by a thin, transparent membrane. The
seeds rattle loose in the pod. The pods are very persistent on the tree.
=Uses.=—The natives use the wood for tool handles and burn it for
charcoal, the quality of which is very fine and much valued by
blacksmiths.
The wood is also used for making pestles for large mortars and the
manufacture of tobacco pipes.
[Illustration]
=PSEUDOCEDRELA KOTSCHYI= Harms.—_Tuna(s)_. MELIACEAE.
This species, which is closely allied to the mahoganies (_Khaya_), is
a large and valuable timber tree and occurs particularly in groups,
or singly here and there in the Tree savannah. It is a handsome tree,
regular in shape, with a straight stem and a bole of often 20 feet
in length with a girth of 5 or 6 feet. The total height may be 40
feet. It is rather slow growing and though the crown is fairly dense,
is essentially light-demanding and not much of a soil-improving
species. It can be seen reproducing itself from root-suckers and very
rarely from seed, since the latter is destroyed by fire. The crown is
cylindrical and regular and the limbs ascend vertically.
=The Bark= is very conspicuous by its light grey, almost silvery,
colour. It is regularly fissured and the scales are of equal size and
soft and thick. The base of the stem is often swollen and the bark
charred by repeated firing. The slash is bright crimson and shows a
layer formation.
=The Wood= is a red-brown colour, flecked with black and dark brown
of a most distinctive pattern, rather open grained, scented, hard and
weighs 50 lbs. a cubic foot. It carpenters well and polishes. The pores
are small and open, scattered rather thinly along and between the rays
which are long and evenly spaced and straight. A useful and ornamental
wood if large sizes could be obtained.
=The Leaves= are pinnate, about 1 foot long with 4 or 5 pairs of
leaflets which have wavy edges so that the leaf resembles that of the
oak. The leaflets may be opposite or not and a terminal leaflet is not
always in evidence. In colour the leaf is dark and shiny on the upper
surface and soft and grey with rough venation beneath. They are in a
rosette-like formation like the mahoganies.
=The Flowers= are in panicles in the axils of the end leaves and are
white and sweet-scented. Each is about ¼ inch across, with 5 petals, a
knobbed pistil and 10 stamens whose filaments are united and surround
the pistil. They appear in February.
=The Fruits=, which ripen in February of the following year, are
capsules about 4 inches long, shaped like a club and standing erect.
They are brown in colour and split from the apex into five sections
which curl back and release the seeds. These are packed, about six in
each section, round a pith centre, the wings, 1¼ inches long, pointing
downwards, one over the other. The split capsule remains some time
on the tree after the seeds have fallen. The capsules are very few
in number on a tree considering the enormous number of flowers which
bloom, but are very conspicuous and a ready means of identification.
The mahogany coloured seeds will blow 200 yards away.
=Uses.=—An infusion of the bark is used as a cure for digestive
trouble. The timber is used for furnishings and is an excellent wood
for all articles, owing to its being so easy to work.
[Illustration]
=PSOROSPERMUM SENEGALENSE= Spach.—_Kashekaji_. _Kaskawami_.
HYPERICACEAE.
A common shrub in the Bush savannahs, not extending very far north, but
abundant in secondary growth after cultivation. It is common amongst
the rocks on the Bauchi plateau almost up to the 4,000 feet level. It
is equally common all through Zaria and S. Sokoto, in fact, anywhere
up to 12° N. It forms a large, compact, round shrub some 15 feet high
with dense foliage, generally on a single, low-branched stem. The
distinguishing character is the rusty-coloured underside of the hairy
leaves.
=The Bark= is light brown and has small corky ridges and fissures.
=The Leaves= are from 3-5 inches long and 1½-2½ inches broad, in pairs,
ovate, with wavy margins, tapering tips, very short stalks, downy on
both surfaces, that on the upper surface rubbing off to expose a light,
shiny green. The under surface is densely covered with rust-coloured
down, readily rubbed off and exposing a fine network of veins with a
minute black dot in almost every cell and a pronounced row of dots all
round the margin. The mid-rib is recurved causing the leaf to fold up
along it. The shoots are covered with orange-coloured hairs.
=The Flowers= are in dense clusters 3-4 inches in diameter, from
January onwards. Each is ¼ inch across, has a 5-pointed calyx with
vertical purple lines on the inside, 5 white petals densely covered
with white hairs, 5 columns of stamens with some 9 anthers each and a
pistil with 5 lobes each with a globular stigma, shining brown.
=The Fruits= are capsules with 5 cells, one generally maturing at the
expense of the rest. They are a little over ¼ inch in diameter, purple,
shiny and fleshy. The sepals clasp them close, and the stigma remains
are persistent.
=Uses.=—A concoction of the leaves and bark is applied for skin
diseases.
[Illustration]
=PTEROCARPUS ERINACEUS= Poir.—_Madobia_. LEGUMINOSAE.
A medium-sized tree of the savannahs, averaging some 40 feet in height
with a girth of 4-6 feet. Timber producing examples considerably
larger are common enough and good, clean, straight boles 20 feet or
more in length are found. It has a wide distribution up to 14° N., but
is a small tree at this latitude. The crown is high, open, wide and
rounded, not giving much shade. Larger examples have short buttresses.
The species is susceptible to fire which hollows the stems. The long
pinnate leaves, masses of yellow flowers and winged, hairy seeds on
the leafless tree are characteristic features. Over many miles of the
better types of savannah it is the type tree amongst others and occurs
in quantities.
=The Bark= is very dark and rough with scales which curl up at the ends
and make the bole appear shaggy. The scales fall in pieces 3-4 inches
long. The bark of the branches is light grey and smooth. The slash is
brown with fine red lines and a blood-red resin exudes from it.
=The Wood= is a rose-red or rich brown colour with a wavy grain of
darker streaks. It might almost be called figured, especially in
tangential section. In transverse section the pores are small, single
and scattered and connected by fine, wavy lines of soft tissue; the
rays are extremely fine and closely spaced, not visible to the unaided
eye, and the rings are indistinctly marked darker lines, generally
varying in width apart and rarely concentric. The radial section has
a marked banding of dark and light. The wood is hard, liable to split
in seasoning, difficult to saw and the planed surface smooth, slightly
oily and taking a high polish. The weight is 60 lbs. a cubic foot.
=The Leaves= are pinnate, a foot long, with some 11-13 pinnae,
alternate, and wide apart. The upper surface is shiny, the lower
grey-green, the mid-rib prominent beneath and grooved above. The leaves
are pendulous.
=The Flowers= appear from December to February on the leafless tree,
and are in such numbers as to be conspicuously yellow from a great
distance. The flowering tends to be patchy, that is, part of the
tree may be smothered in flowers on one side and not on the other.
The flowers are in short spikes with a bright green calyx and a
papilionaceous corolla of much-wrinkled yellow petals, which turn pale
when fertilised.
=The Fruits= are winged, round, 2 inches in diameter with the wing much
waved and the embossed seed portion covered with short, bristly hairs
which lie in all directions. They are often so numerous as to give the
tree the appearance of being in leaf. They dry light brown.
=Uses.=—Larger specimens yield timber suitable for construction and
furniture. Smaller trees are used for building posts.
[Illustration]
=RANDIA NILOTICA= Stapf.—_Chibra_. RUBIACEAE.
A shrub or small tree, readily recognised by its stiff, spiny stems
densely covered with the small leaves. The stems spring from the base
and are either erect or finally bent out and down. Occasionally it
forms a dense shrub of large size, but usually is light and open. It
occurs as far north as 13°, and is common in open high savannah forests.
=The Bark= is light grey, sometimes almost white, with black scales
scattered about in patches.
=The Thorns= are above the leaves and are short, sharp, very strong and
woody, with bark at the base and smooth tips.
=The Leaves= are about 1½ inches long, narrow at the base, broad at the
tip, and smooth; the veins slightly raised on both surfaces. They are
borne in rosettes at the ends of very short twigs, above which is a
thorn, and densely cover the branches.
=The Flowers= spring from amongst the rosettes of leaves and may be so
numerous as to cover the twigs with a mass of bloom. They are white,
changing to yellow and are slightly scented. Each has a short-stalked
tubular calyx with 5 unequal-sized sepals with cleft tips, a tubular
corolla about ¾ inch in diameter with 5 petals, bent back, 5 stamens in
the angles between the petals, consisting of dark brown anthers only,
and a yellow, protruding, clubbed pistil. The flowers appear in May.
=The Fruits=, ripening in June, and often persisting for several
months, are oval, 5-8 inches long and ½ inch in diameter, brown, shiny,
hard, with thin “skin” vertically ribbed and cellular veined. It is
2-celled and the partition is vertical, each cell containing a number
of small black wedge-shaped seeds packed close and cemented together.
The fruit falls entire and rots.
[Illustration]
=RAPHIA VINIFERA= P. Beauv.—_Tukuruwa_. PALMACEAE.
This very common palm grows in swamps, where it forms impenetrable
thickets often of large extent. It is readily distinguished by its very
long erect leaves growing from ground level, there being no stem. It
reaches a height of over 30 feet, the girth of the base being some 8
feet. The leaves spread out from a growing centre, visible as an erect
shoot in the middle.
=The Leaves= are upwards of 30 feet in length with long leaflets whose
edges and mid-rib at the back are armed with small sharp spines. The
mid-rib is an orange colour, turning grey with age.
=The Flowers= are in a loose branched spadix up to 6 or 8 feet long,
the male and female on the same palm and on the same spadix. The males
on the lower part of the branches of the spadix have a tubular calyx, a
corolla of 3 petals, long and narrow and a number of stamens, varying
from 10-12 inside the base of the petals, attached to them. The female
flowers, situated at the end of the branches of the spadix, are larger
than the males, the calyx tubular, the corolla bell-shaped with 3 sharp
lobes, the rudiments of the stamens forming a cup attached to the
corolla and a 3-celled ovary.
=The Fruits= are like cones, some 3 inches long and 1½-2 inches broad,
smooth and shiny, with a number of broad, pointed scales, varying in
colour from chestnut to red-brown. They contain one kernel, loose in
the shell.
=Uses.=—The leaflets are used for plaiting into mats, &c. The mid-rib
is used for roofing material, beds, canoe poles, and split into
lengths, the inner portion makes mats. The sap is used for wine. The
inside of the fruit (outside the kernel) is eaten, expressed for oil,
used as a medicine or for dressing the hair in various parts of Nigeria.
[Illustration]
=RHUS INSIGNIS= Del.—_Kasheshi_. ANACARDIACEAE.
A small tree of the open Bush savannah, some 15-20 feet high. There
is either a single stem or several. The crown is distinctive with its
long, straight, slender branches and light appearance. It is very
susceptible to fire and is frequently met with in coppice form owing
to the destruction of the stems. The distinguishing features are the
drooping leaves in threes and the small black, wrinkled fruits.
=The Bark= is grey or light brown, vertically, but not deeply, ridged.
=The Leaves= are borne in threes at a node and the short stalk bends
back, allowing the leaves to hang vertical. They are 3 inches long and
an inch broad, a rich, dark green above, silvery below, with the dense
covering of silky hairs. The venation is parallel on either side of the
mid-rib, short and long nerves alternating. The leaf is inclined to
fold up along the mid-rib.
=The Flowers= appear in the rains and are in large, erect sprays. Each
flower is about ¼ inch in diameter with 5 sepals, 5 white petals and
10 stamens. Owing to their numbers and prominent position at the twig
ends, they are conspicuous.
=The Fruits= are numerous, flattened, single-seeded ovals, shiny black
with wrinkled skins and persistent for many months on the leafless
tree in the dry season. They are very hard and are a ready means of
identification.
[Illustration]
=SARCOCEPHALUS RUSSEGERI= Kotschy.—_Tafashiya_. RUBIACEAE.
This common species is often more of a shrub than a tree, but in the
more favourable localities which it inhabits, chiefly “fadammas” or
wet soils among rocks, 30 feet is by no means an unusual height. Older
trees generally have several large, crooked stems rising from a common
stock or a short, stout bole some 5 feet in girth. Smaller, shrub-like
specimens are very straggling with open growth and long, drooping and
interlacing branches. The crown, in spite of the size and thickness
of the leaves, is fairly open. It is easily identified by either the
flowers or fruit which latter can be found for several months of the
year.
=The Bark= is grey, or brown and dull in older trees, with very deep,
wide and long fissures and thick, soft ridges. The scales are up to 12
inches in length. The slash is yellow, with crimson streaks.
=The Wood= is a deep red-brown colour, but is not used owing both to
the small sizes and the lack of bole in the tree.
=The Leaves= are large and rounded with a tongued tip. They average 7
inches long and 3 inches wide, but reach as much as 10 inches long and
5 inches wide. The upper surface is a dark, shining green with pale
venation; the under surface pale green with the venation raised. There
is a short, red leaf-stalk.
=The Flowers= are in balls about 2 inches in diameter and appear in
February. They fade very quickly. The flower-balls are composed of
some hundreds of small flowers which seem white, as each is a yellow,
tubular, 5-lobed corolla with a shiny white pistil with an acorn-shaped
stigma which is very long. There are 5 small stamens attached to
the inside of the corolla, which do not appear. The flowers are
sweet-scented.
=The Fruits= vary somewhat in size and shape but are roughly round or
oval, 2-3 inches in diameter and dark red-brown with the surface pitted
with the pentagonal scars of the flowers. There is a crimson flesh
surrounding a mass of small seeds round a pith centre. They are edible
and have a not unpleasant, sweet, acid flavour. They ripen towards the
end of the year but can be found for many months on the tree and fall
to rot on the ground.
=Uses.=—A medicine for stomach pains is made from the fruits.
[Illustration]
=SCLEROCARYA BIRROEA= Hochst.—_Danya_. ANACARDIACEAE.
This very common tree was, until 1922, considered a species of
_Spondias_, from its resemblance to _S. lutea_, a species occurring
commonly further south. It is of medium size, up to 40 feet in height
with girths of 6-8 feet. It grows on almost any soil and flourishes
in loose sand or dry barren situations where it can be found almost
as pure forest. The short heavy bole gives a large volume of timber,
but the bole length rarely exceeds 12 feet from which point the much
bent branches form a large, round, open crown giving little shade. The
pinnate foliage, red flower-spikes or yellow plums distinguish it.
Owing to its use for native mortars enormous waste takes place, one
mortar being carved from trees which will provide three or four, the
rest being allowed to rot or burn. Quite large limbs can be pulled off
by hand as they snap very readily. It is not very fast growing and
seedlings branch at ground level. Seedlings, however, are very hardy,
sending a thickened tap-root several feet into the ground the first
year.
=The Bark= is light grey, sometimes smooth and silvery, and large
scales, which turn up at their edges and give the stem a ragged
appearance, leave the stem smooth again after falling. The slash is
salmon pink to red and spongy and fibrous in composition.
=The Wood= has a dirty white ground colour with a well-marked reddish
grain in bands and streaks, with dark brown patches. In transverse
section the pores are small, not very numerous, evenly distributed,
mostly single with a few double pores and small nests, in oblique
rows, the soft tissue very poorly developed as fine lines imperfectly
connecting the pores. The rays are fine, closely and regularly spaced
and fairly straight, and they show as light-reflecting bands in radial
section, and as a fine stippling in tangential section. The wood is
soft, coarse-grained, sawing roughly and picking up, often full of
small knots and liable to small borer-beetle attacks. It is fairly
durable if well seasoned and weighs 36 lbs. a cubic foot. Good sizes
are obtainable.
=The Leaves= are pinnate, some 9 inches long with 8-9 pairs and
a terminal leaflet, rounded, with the venation much branched and
prominent on both sides. They are bluish-green with a slight bloom and
tend to fold up along the mid-rib.
=The Flowers= appear from January to April and even in May in the
extreme north, on small, 2-3 inch long, erect spikes on the leafless
twigs. They are slightly scented. Each has 4 small red sepals, 4 petals
recurved, green with red tips, 16 yellow stamens and a red pistil. Each
flower is in the axil of a small, red bract.
=The Fruits= ripen from April to June and are light yellow or pale
green plums 1½ inches in diameter, with a tough skin and a juicy,
mucilaginous flesh which is with difficulty separated from the rough
stone.
=Uses.=—The wood is greatly in demand for mortars. The fruit is eaten
fresh but its amenability is increased by stewing, the flesh being full
of fibres attached to the stone.
[Illustration]
=SECURIDACA LONGIPEDUNCULATA= Fres.—_Uwar magunguna, Sainya_.
POLYGALACEAE.
This common shrub or small tree is very familiar in open bush and scrub
country, growing in the driest localities up to the extreme north of
the country. As generally met with it is a small, erect and delicate
shrub, some 12-15 feet high, but trees up to 25 or 30 feet are not
uncommon, especially in Sokoto province, where a girth of 3 feet is
attained. It is readily distinguished by its flowers and by its seeds,
and the slender, erect branches are distinctive. It is common amongst
the broken rocks of the Bauchi Plateau.
=The Bark= is fairly smooth and light brown, yellowish or grey, with
very small dark-coloured scales at certain times. The slash is yellow.
=The Wood= is light yellow in colour and the annual rings are very
distinctively marked in dark brown, the dry wood parting at these rings
into a series of concentric cylinders. Weight 55 lbs. a cubic foot.
=The Leaves= are small and elliptical in shape, about 2½ inches or less
in length, and under ½ inch wide. They are a light grey-green on both
surfaces and are set spirally round the long twigs, erect and nearly
parallel with the twig.
=The Flowers= are irregularly shaped, of an uniform red-purple, in
small loose spikes. Two of the sepals are modified and appear to be
petals. There is a concave lower petal with an appendage and two small
petals. There are 8 stamens with peculiar-shaped anthers. The flowers
appear from February to April and are very decorative and highly
perfumed.
=The Fruits= are winged seeds, 2 inches long, the seed portion being
prominently ridge-veined and the wing with close parallel venation.
They become red before drying to pale yellow and are conspicuous.
=Uses.=—The root, which has a rank odour, is made into a concoction
and taken as a purge. Bits of it are also worn as a charm. The seeds
are crushed and used as a substitute for soap and a concoction of them
taken as a cure for colds. The roots are sometimes an ingredient of
arrow poisons. The name “Mother of Medicines” is given it from the
number of medicinal properties possessed by the plant.
[Illustration]
=STERCULIA TOMENTOSA= G. & P.—_Kukuki_. STERCULIACEAE.
A common tree which inhabits granite country and may be found in
quantity on hills or in valleys amongst rocks. It does not occur in
the extreme north on laterite formations. There is rarely any length
of bole, the stem branching low down and the large, crooked limbs
spreading wide apart to form a very open crown of irregular form. It
can be distinguished at once by its purple bark. Amongst rocks the
roots are above ground for several feet, clasping the boulders or
creeping between the crevices. Root flanges are common. The branches
are so soft in the wood that they, or even the whole of a fair-sized
tree may be swayed to and fro by the hand, without difficulty.
=The Bark= is purple and quite smooth except for occasional large grey
scales which leave yellow patches of very distinctive appearance. A gum
exudes from the crimson slash and a watery sap flows at certain seasons.
=The Wood= is white and so soft as to be useless.
=The Leaves= are about 4-5 inches long and 3½-4 inches broad, cordate
with the lobes overlapping the stalk, roughly 3-lobed, the middle lobe
being the most prominent and the outline of two other lobes at the base
being sometimes visible. There are 5 main veins corresponding with
these lobes. The leaves are light green and downy on both sides, the
nerves prominent on the under surface. There is a stalk about 3 inches
long. The leaves are soft in texture.
=The Flowers= which spring from old as well as young wood are in small
erect panicles 2-3 inches long, appearing February to April. The calyx
is ½-¾ inches across, pale green with reddish lines from base to near
tip, 5-lobed and downy. There are no petals. The stamens are on a
column which is divided into 5 branches, each bearing 3 anthers. The
anthers surround the style which is curved and finally the stamens drop
off and leave the style exposed.
=The Fruits= are pods about 3-4 inches long and 2 inches in diameter.
There are 4 or 5 together radiating from a twig end and they are the
readiest means of identification. They are rounded in the middle and
pointed at the end with a groove on the under side along which the pod
splits. They are covered with greenish hairs like plush, in a manner
similar to the fruits of the Baobab tree. About December the fruit
ripens and splits, the seeds falling and the pod remaining on the tree.
The seeds, about a dozen, are purplish with a horny, yellow aril at the
base and they are attached to both edges of the pod, sitting on small
bosses which are covered with short stiff brownish hairs that penetrate
the skin of the fingers. There is a large roomy space in the pod, the
seeds being small in proportion.
=Uses.=—The watery sap which exudes from a slash in the spring is drunk
in extremity of thirst.
[Illustration]
=STEREOSPERMUM KUNTHIANUM= Cham.—_Sansami, Jiri_. BIGNONIACEAE.
This is, as commonly met with, quite a small tree, some 20 feet high,
with a girth of 2 feet. Larger specimens up to 60 feet in height with
a girth of 4 feet are occasionally seen, these dimensions showing the
slender proportions of the species. It occurs in clumps, specially
fine examples of which are to be seen in Sokoto where they are spread
by root suckers. The stem is nearly always waved or spiral, this
peculiarity persisting in the larger trees. The stem forks early
and the twisted branches form a high crown and the clumps a light
canopy under which little grows. Twin stems are common and root
suckers abound. The power to grow these suckers is very persistent,
as evidenced by cases of them appearing on land which has been farmed
for many years and on which there has been no sign of the tree being
allowed to grow. Great difficulty has been experienced in growing the
tree by artificial means though the seed has been germinated, but the
seedlings would not stand transplanting.
=The Bark= is pale grey or greenish with very large scales which expose
contrasting light patches after the manner of the Plane tree. The slash
is white with green edges.
=The Wood= is white or cream-coloured, with tinges of yellow and pink.
In transverse section the rings are indistinct darker lines, the pores
are very small, in festoons with a large percentage of soft tissue
plainly visible as flecks and long concentric lines. The rays are not
very closely or evenly spaced, seen as light-reflecting bands in radial
section. The grain is fairly straight, following the waved stem of the
tree, and coarse with the numerous open pores. The rings show as bands
in radial section. The wood is fairly hard, easily sawn, not so readily
planed, picking up a little, the finished surface being rather coarse.
The weight is 60 lbs. a cubic foot.
=The Leaves= are pinnate with 2-3 pairs of leaflets and a terminal one.
The whole is about a foot long and the leaflets 3-4 inches long. They
darken and toughen with age and are greyish-green beneath and much
darker above. The lower pair are often rounded at the tip. The mid-rib
is almost white in contrast to the upper surface, and the venation is
raised on the underneath.
=The Flowers= are in large, drooping panicles of beautiful, pale pink,
funnel-shaped blossoms, which appear in March and bloom till the leaves
are grown. They are sometimes much darker on individual trees. They
have a small 5-lobed calyx, dark at the base, a pink, tubular, 5-lobed
corolla with the lobes crinkled and covered on the inside with hairs
and darker lines on the inside of each petal. They have four stamens,
grouped on each side of the pistil, 2 longer and 2 shorter, with the
appearance of a lyre.
=The Fruits= are pods about 18 inches long and ¼ inch thick,
cylindrical and spirally twisted with a long tapering tip. The pod is
filled with a whitish pithy substance into which the seeds with wing
above and below are embedded, the wings shaped concavely to fit against
the pith. The pods are dark brown and split down both sides throughout
their length, the seeds sliding down and falling out. The pods are so
persistent that their halves are found on the twigs at the same time as
the next year’s pods are fully grown.
=Uses.=—In large sizes in Bornu it is used for mortars, and cut for
fuel and “gofas,” being most conveniently forked. Locally, pagans will
lay a length of it across the house door to prevent thieves entering.
There is a superstition that smoke from it will cause leprosy and in
Sokoto it is called Dan Sarkin Itache as a mark of respect.
[Illustration]
=STRYCHNOS SPINOSA= Lam.—_Kokiya_. LOGANIACEAE.
This is the best known and most familiar of the Strychnos species and
can be distinguished from the others by the large size of its fruits.
It is usually a small tree about 15-20 feet high but will grow over 30
feet in height with a girth of about 3 feet. The stem branches low, the
branches ascending at first and then bending over and drooping low,
especially when borne down by the weight of the fruits. This drooping
habit distinguishes it from the other species which occur in the
open. Often the branches interlace after the manner of the _Zizyphus_
species. The species occurs everywhere in open situations and on the
most barren soils.
=The Bark= is smooth and light brown in colour, and small, grey scales
form and leave light patches when they fall. The slash is yellowish,
with green edges.
=The Thorns= are in pairs at rather wide intervals along the branches
and twigs, and are white with black tips. They are sharply recurved.
=The Wood= is whitish with grey streaks, hard, close grained and sound,
picking up a little under the plane, finishing with a smooth surface,
and weighs 65 lbs. a cubic foot. In transverse section the pores are
very fine, numerous in the many chains and festoons of soft tissue
which are clearly visible to the unaided eye and form almost a herring
bone pattern. The rays are long, nearly straight, and variable in
thickness.
=The Leaves= are oval and about 2½ inches long and 1½ inches broad with
a short stalk. They are shiny on the upper surface, lighter beneath,
and have palmate venation of a distinct type.
=The Flowers=, which appear in February, are in little clusters,
and are green. Each is ¼ inch long and has 5 narrow sepals and a
bell-shaped corolla of 5 lobes, whose mouth is closed by a ring of
hairs. They are slightly perfumed.
=The Fruits=, which distinguish this species from the others, are
large, yellow, round berries, some 4 or 5 inches in diameter, green
when unripe, bright yellow and resembling an orange when ripe. The hard
rind encloses a number of round flat seeds in a brownish, sweet, edible
pulp. The seeds themselves are poisonous. The fruit is very slow in
maturing and may be found on the tree for about six months in the year.
=Uses.=—The pulp of the fruit is eaten, the seeds being rejected as
poisonous.
[Illustration]
=STRYCHNOS TRICLISIOIDES= Baker.—_Kokiya_. LOGANIACEAE.
A small, erect tree, from 12-20 feet high, or more, with a girth of
1-2 feet. The branches are vertical, and do not spread, there being no
crown as such. The stem may be free of branches for some 10 feet, or
there may be more than one stem, forking near the base. It does not
occur far north, and is particularly common on rocky soils in granite
country. It is in form very dissimilar to the other well-known species,
_S. spinosa_, and unlike it has no thorns. It can be determined by its
flowers, fruits and leaves, which are all typical of the genus.
=The Bark= is smooth in all shades of pale greys and greens, with a
powdery surface. The small scales leave light, concave scars like the
Plane tree. The bark is so distinctive that when recognised, it will
identify the tree alone. The slash is cream-coloured, with green edges.
=The Wood= is yellow, hard, coarse and stringy, difficult to plane,
cracks when drying and weighs 55 lbs. a cubic foot. In transverse
section the rings are indistinct, the pores large, closed and strung
rather widely apart between or on the rays which are long, fine and
wavy and close together, varying much in thickness.
=The Leaves= are in pairs, each pair at right angles to the next above
and below though a twisting occurs to enable the leaves to turn their
faces to the light. The leaf is 2-3 inches long and 1-1¼ inches wide,
oval in shape, narrow at the base, broad at the tip, a dull, smooth
pale green above, paler beneath, the venation prominent on the under
side only and composed of 3 main nerves, the laterals leaving the main
rib about a third of the way up. The secondary venation is cellular and
delicate. The stalk is dorsally flattened.
=The Flowers= are typically in threes on short stalks and are borne in
small clusters, especially on last season’s wood below the new season’s
leaves, in April-June. Each has a cup-shaped 4-lobed calyx, a tubular,
4-lobed, yellowish corolla, 4 stamens with anthers which protrude
slightly from a ring of hairs closing the mouth of the corolla and a
pistil whose black stigma also protrudes.
=The Fruits= are a small edition of those of _S. spinosa_. They are
spherical, 1½-2 inches in diameter, ripening from a shiny blue or
grey-green to a bright yellow, with a thick “shell” in which are some
6-9 seeds, each in its own sweet, sticky, orange-coloured pulp. The
seeds are ½ inch in diameter, rounded, flattened, concave one side,
convex the other, not hard, and readily cut in two. The fruit has a
small, blunt “nose,” and ripens about June.
[Illustration]
=SWARTZIA MADAGASCARIENSIS= Desv.—_Gamma fada, Bayama, Bogo zage,
Gwazkiya_. LEGUMINOSAE.
This is generally quite a small tree, some 15-20 feet high, but will
attain a height of 35-40 feet with girths of 4-5 feet or more. It is
erect, with straight stem and ascending branches which in older trees
terminate in pendulous twigs from which hang the long, soft, pinnate
leaves. Its range does not extend very far north and it is particularly
common in Bauchi, both on the plateau at some 4,000 feet altitude and
in the lower plains.
=The Bark= is dark grey and shaggy with long ragged scales which fall
in large pieces. That of small trees is light grey and smooth. The
slash is yellow.
=The Leaves= are pinnate, with alternate or opposite leaflets,
averaging 11 in number, the whole some 6-8 inches long, the
short-stalked leaflets oblong with rounded base and rounded, slightly
cleft tip, 2-3 inches long and an inch or more wide. The upper surface
is smooth, the lower covered with silky hairs. The colour is rather
pale green.
=The Flowers= are most distinctive with a large rounded, wavy-edged
petal, white, with greenish-yellow base and silky hairs on the back.
The globular calyx splits into cupped sections as the flower expands,
the stamens, varying in number, some 15 or so, are yellow and the ovary
and pistil is curved. The whole is on a stalk up to 2 inches in length.
The flowers are solitary or in small racemes.
=The Fruits= are pods from 6-12 inches long, straight, curved or
bent, and about ¾ inch thick. They are cylindrical and have a smooth,
shining, hard shell, dark brown in colour. The interior is divided
transversely into a number of cells in which the brown, flattened seeds
lie with their width in the direction of the pods’ length. The space
on each side of the seeds is full of sticky matter and the pod has an
objectionable odour, and persists for a long time on the tree, not
splitting.
=Uses.=—A concoction from the pods is used as a fish poison.
[Illustration]
=TAMARINDUS INDICA= Linn.—_Tsamiya_. “_Tamarind Tree_.” LEGUMINOSAE.
One of the commonest species of the north, in park formations, farm
lands and open country round towns. It thrives on poor soils, big
specimens growing on loose sand and shallow laterite. It is readily
identified from a distance by its very dense, dark, compact crown,
which may be oval or cylindrical with a pointed top, and uniformly
dense down to within a few feet of the ground. It has as a rule a
short, stout bole, 6-8 feet in girth, often divided a few feet from the
level of the ground into two or three large limbs, with short, gnarled
and crooked branches and a dense thicket of twigs. This compact form is
more common farther north, southern specimens showing a higher, wider,
and more umbrella-shaped crown. It averages 40-50 feet high. It is to
be seen at times growing in a curious manner in small clumps of four
or five stems on a raised earthy mound, possibly an old ant hill or an
accumulation of earth held up by the close-growing stems. There is a
very considerable leaf-fall and little grows beneath its shade. A quite
common association is that of this species with _Adansonia digitata_,
the Tamarind in this case embracing the other with long, sinuous limbs
to a considerable height, and having no main stem.
=The Bark= is light grey with even-sized, thick scales about 1 inch
square. These scales extend to the ends of the branches, getting
smaller and more regular, still thick and hard, with a considerable
resemblance to the bark of the Shea Butter Tree. The youngest trees
show this bark. The slash is pale red with a yellow outer layer.
=The Wood.= The heartwood is dark brown, almost purple-brown, the
sapwood pale yellow. In transverse section the pores are large, in
groups and festoons, the contents nearly filling them, and they are
numerous and the soft tissue occupies a large percentage of the wood.
The rays are very fine and close, not visible to the naked eye. The
wood is tough, very hard, heavy, cross-grained, blunts axes, saws with
difficulty and picks up under the plane, which will give a hard finish,
taking a polish. It is liable to crack in seasoning. The weight is 58
lbs. a cubic foot.
=The Leaves= are pinnate, from 4-6 inches long with 10-12 pairs of dull
dark green leaflets, strap-like and notched at the tip. They have a
grey bloom and are waxy to the touch.
=The Flowers= are in slender, drooping panicles and are 1 inch across
with 4 yellow sepals, 3 orange-veined petals, 3 stamens and a hairy
ovary and pistil. They appear from December onwards.
=The Fruits= are pods which may be any shape from a single-seeded,
round knob to a sickle-shaped, or straight, fleshy pod containing, when
dry and ripe 6 or more hard shiny, brown seeds varying in shape from
flat and oval to rounded cubes. The ripe pod is yellowish and falls
entire. They ripen at the end of the year or later.
=Uses.=—The wood is used for implement handles and fuel.
The flowers are eaten fresh or as sauce.
The pods are used for making a bitter, not unpalatable drink, which is
a laxative.
The young saplings of this species are those used by the Filani for the
tests of endurance by flogging undergone by their youths.
In hollows in the trunk are found cocoons of a silkworm, _Anaphe_ sp.
(tsamiya) which are boiled with water and ashes, dried in the sun and
spun into the silk thread used for ornamenting the best gowns.
[Illustration]
=TERMINALIA AVICENNIOIDES= Guill. & Perr.—_Baushi_. COMBRETACEAE.
This is one of the commonest trees in a certain type of savannah, of
medium quality and height, and it is associated with other species of
the same genus, confusingly alike, over hundreds of square miles of
forest, especially round about the parallels of 11° and 12° N. The
leaf, though it is one of the means of identification, is very variable
in width, so that more than one species seems to be included under the
single name. With other _Terminalia_ species it often forms over 50 per
cent. of the forest and occurs pure in small groups. Usually a small
tree, 15-20 feet high, it attains over 30 feet, with a short bole and
widely spreading branches forming a large and very open crown. The
distinguishing feature is the cottony felt covering of both sides of
the leaf, the unequal basal lobes, and the downy fruit.
=The Bark= is grey or blue-grey, with very deep fissures and prominent
vertical, wavy ridges of hard cork, typical of the genus. The slash is
yellow, rapidly darkening on exposure.
=The Wood= resembles that of Oak in colour and hardness and often in
grain, being light brown with splashes of lighter tone, specially
noticeable on the tangential section, with a bright sheen. In
transverse section the rings are clear and the pores are clearly
visible to the unaided eye as lighter than the ground colour, grouped
in concentric rings of soft tissue, or evenly distributed in numerous
festoons. The rays are very fine, closely spaced and slightly wavy. The
wood is hard, sound, carpenters well and weighs 55 lbs. a cubic foot.
=The Leaves= are 7-9 inches long and 2-5 inches broad, either elliptic
or long and narrow, the upper surface dark green and softly cottony,
the under side almost white with the nerves very prominent and the
network of veins clearly outlined. The basal lobes are often unequal
and the tip more often rounded. The type illustrated is twice as broad
as the other extreme found.
=The Flowers= are in spikes about 4 inches long, loosely grouped, white
or pinkish in colour, the pink on the tips of the sepals. The calyx is
pubescent, and there are 8 erect stamens. The flowers are scented and
appear from February to May.
=The Fruits= are winged seeds 2-2½ inches long and 1 inch broad,
tapering at the ends and covered with a purplish or grey bloom.
=Uses.=—The roots are used for bows and walking sticks.
[Illustration]
=TERMINALIA GLAUCESCENS= Pl.—_Baushi_. COMBRETACEAE.
This is a large tree, sometimes as much as 60 feet in height with a
good clean bole 6-8 feet in diameter, especially on stream banks. The
crown of large trees is high, rounded and open, and a bole length of 30
feet is not uncommon. The distinguishing feature is the smooth under
surface of the leaf, which has only a slight pubescence, and the dark
smooth surface of the upper side. It is a prominent feature of better
class savannah and one of the largest species.
=The Bark= is dark grey and has very prominent wavy ridges with deep
fissures, typical of the genus. The slash is yellow, darkening rapidly.
=The Wood= is not unlike that of _T. avicennioides_, but lighter
in colour and more twisted in the grain, carpentering badly. It is
heavier, up to 65 lbs. per cubic foot, and is much coarser.
=The Leaves= are about 6 inches long and 3 inches broad, oval or
elliptic, rounded at the base, variable at the tip. Both surfaces
are smooth, the under surface having a slight down. The nerves are
prominent beneath and the reticulation of the veins very fine and clear.
=The Flowers= are on spikes 4-5 inches long, white, with rather long
flower stalks, a 5-pointed calyx, pointed in bud, 10 erect stamens and
a long ovary. They appear in the leaf axils from February to May and
are highly scented.
=The Fruits= are the typical winged ones of the genus, some 2¾ inches
long and an inch wide, thus unusually long for their breadth. They
ripen through brilliant shades of red and white to brown, with a fine
mauve or grey bloom.
=Uses.=—The roots are used for bows and walking sticks.
[Illustration]
=TERMINALIA MACROPTERA= Guill. & Perr.—_Kandari_. COMBRETACEAE.
One of the largest-leaved species and more readily distinguished on
sight than most species. It reaches a height of some 40 or more feet
with a girth of 6-7 feet. The bole is short, the heavy branches crooked
and spreading wide to form a rounded crown, fairly regular in form.
The species forms gregarious clumps and is not so evenly distributed
through Terminalia forest as are the other species. In the open
savannah of the better type which it inhabits the contrast between the
large pale green leaves and the almost black stem is very marked. The
distinguishing features are the large leaf, smooth on both surfaces,
the very marked rosettes of leaves, the short or almost absent
leaf-stalk and the large fruits.
=The Bark= is dark grey or almost black on the bole. The scales are
large, varying from rectangular to square and in old trees form long
ridges and fissures in waved pattern. That on the branches is light
grey and the long vertical scales are sharply cut transversely. The
slash is a dark red brown.
=The Wood= is similar to that of _T. glaucescens_, light oak-brown with
an uneven grain, difficult to carpenter and weighing some 60 lbs. a
cubic foot.
=The Leaves= are a foot or more in length, larger on smaller trees,
obovate with tapering base, broad blade, sharp tip, wavy margins and
very short thick stalk. They are pale green, almost the same colour on
both surfaces, smooth above and below, the heavy mid-rib almost white
and prominent on both sides, as are the very pronounced nerves. They
grow in marked rosettes which face the light all round the tree and
thus form quite good, though superficial, shade. Their texture is tough.
=The Flowers= are found from February to May, in long spikes in the
axils of the new leaves. They are white with the usual 5-pointed calyx,
10 stamens and short pistil. The calyx is smooth but there is a slight
pubescence on the inflorescence as a whole.
=The Fruits= are the usual winged seed, a large and heavy crop of which
is borne on the lower part of the spike, the rest seedless. The seed is
4-5 inches long and 1-1½ inches broad, pale green at first and smooth,
turning a rich purple with a bloom, the wing slightly spiral twisted,
the seed itself tapering acutely at both ends. It dries brown.
=Uses.=—The roots are used for sticks and bows.
[Illustration]
=TRICHILIA EMETICA= Vahl.—_Gwanja kusa, Jan saye_. MELIACEAE.
A medium-sized tree occurring up to 11° N. in Tree or better-class
Bush savannah. In Zaria and Bauchi provinces gregarious clumps are not
uncommon. A height of 30 feet with a girth of 3-4 feet is an average
well-grown tree. The distinguishing features are the large, soft
pinnate leaves, green flowers and crimson capsular fruits, the last
very conspicuous. It is a low-branched, spreading tree, giving good
shade and apparently grows very slowly.
=The Bark= is pale grey and rough with large, thick, corky, rectangular
scales.
=The Leaves= are in terminal tufts on the thick twigs, at first erect,
then drooping, and are 15 inches long with a heavy stalk covered with
velvety hairs. The leaflets average 4 pairs with a terminal leaflet and
increase in size from below upwards, the basal pair being nearly round
and the others increasing in length, with a tapered base and broad
cleft tip. The mid-rib of each leaflet projects slightly just below
the cleft tip, not actually in the cleft. The upper surface is a rich,
smooth green, the underside paler, with prominent nerves, sunk on the
upper surface of the leaf.
=The Flowers= are nearly an inch in diameter, appearing from February
onwards. They are in short, stout racemes with a hairy bract at the
base of each flower. They appear before the leaves and flower till the
leaves are almost full grown. Each has a calyx of 5 sepals which cups
the corolla of 5 long greenish petals whose face is concave and tips
curved as in the bud. The stamens are joined for half their length and
form a ring round the pistil whose globular stigma surmounts them.
=The Fruits= are prominent capsules, ripening to a rich red colour
before drying brown. They are 4-segmented with an uneven surface and
a prominent “nose,” and contain 4 cells with a seed in each, not
always distinctly separated or fully developed. The fruits are most
conspicuous amongst the leaves.
=Uses.=—The local uses are few, the oil being rarely expressed, and the
root occasionally used as a mild purge, unpopular owing to its extreme
bitterness. The oil is, however, valuable from other parts of Africa,
and has been exported, the seeds containing some 60 per cent. of oil
suitable for soap and candles and has been valued at £9 10s. per ton of
seed.
[Illustration]
=UAPACA GUINEENSIS= Müll. Arg.—_Kafafogo_. EUPHORBIACEAE.
A large tree up to 40 feet high with 6-8 feet girth. It occurs as
almost pure forest in some localities, is very local, requires good
soils and rainfalls, and in such conditions does not, as a rule,
exceed 30 feet high with 3-4 feet girths. It is especially common in
S. Sokoto, Kontagora, on the escarpments of the Bauchi Plateau and in
parts of Zaria Province and on the Plateau itself attains large sizes
on the banks of small streams. It is most easily recognised by its
shining rosettes of leaves, wax-like yellow flowers or yellow fig-like
fruits. It has an erect stem, short bole, whorled branches and regular
rounded crown, not very dense from the shade point of view. Its leaf
fall covers the ground and little grows beneath it.
=The Bark= is black, with small, round, even-sized, closely packed
scales, often lichenous. Very old trees lose these scales at the base
and a brown, fibrous looking bark replaces them. The small black scales
are borne almost to the tips of the branches. The slash is red.
=The Wood= is pale red. In transverse section the rings show as fine
white lines between broader, darker bands. The pores are small,
numerous and in rows between the long fine rays which are visible as
small bands in radial section. In the plank the pores appear numerous
and short and the grain is marked faintly in dark and light lines. The
pores glisten with resin. The wood is not hard, easy to work and planes
to a soft finish with no polish. It is liable to radial cracks but is
otherwise a sound, clean timber.
=The Leaves= are up to a foot long and 6 inches wide, oval, rounded at
the tip and gradually tapering to the short, broad stalk. They are a
dark, brightly shining green, much paler beneath, covered with short,
erect, stiff hairs, feeling slightly rough to the touch. The mid-rib is
raised a little on the upper surface and is very prominent beneath. The
nerves are light in colour.
=The Flowers= are monoecious, male and female on the same tree, the
female situated below the male. Both are similar in appearance, grouped
in clusters round the thick shoots at the base of the leaves, and their
parts are surrounded by thick yellow bracts in place of petals. The
male has dense clusters of separate flowers, compressed into a ball,
each minute flower having 5 2-anthered stamens and a rudimentary ovary
amongst minute bracts. The female has 3 triple stigmas. The flowers
appear during the rains.
=The Fruits= are like figs at first sight, but very different in
structure. Borne in long clusters on the leafless twigs, or amongst the
leaves, they ripen in March or April and may persist till July. They
are ¾ inch in diameter, round or slightly pear-shaped, yellow and juicy
ripening to dry and red-brown. The remains of the stigma show at the
tip as three small black, shredded tufts radiating from the centre, and
the division of the fruit shows itself on the outside by three slight
ridges. A cross section through the fleshy fruit shows the design of
the curiously folded green cotyledons lying in the kernels. The fruit
coat is covered with short stiff hairs. The seeds are hard, ½ inch
long, oval and grooved.
[Illustration]
=VERNONIA AMYGDALINA= Del.—_Shiwaka_. COMPOSITAE.
A very common shrub or small tree, abundant on the banks of streams and
large rivers where it forms an impenetrable thicket. It has either a
number of stems from ground level or a single low-branched stem forming
a rounded crown up to 12 or 15 feet high.
=The Bark= is light grey and smooth with no distinctive character.
=The Leaves= are some 6 inches long and 1¾ inches wide, this being an
average, the largest reaching 8 inches in length and 3 inches in width.
They are alternate on the shoots, long and tapering at both ends with
an acute point and stalks about ½ inch long. The margins are waved. The
upper surface is a dull dark green, paler beneath with the venation
prominent. There are often hairs on the surface.
=The Flowers= are in large terminal panicles, sometimes nearly a foot
wide. The flowers are in composite heads about ½ inch long, with some
20 flowers in an involucre of pale green scales, the corolla and bifid
style white. The flowers are found mostly in the rains.
=The Fruit= is a seed, or achene, with the usual pappus or ring of
bristles by which it is distributed on the wind. The “thistle-down”
heads are about ½ inch in diameter.
=Uses.=—The root is used as a chew-stick for cleaning the teeth and as
tonic bitters. The leaves are used medicinally.
[Illustration]
=VITEX CIENKOWSKII= Kotschy & Peyr.—_Dinya, Dunya_. VERBENACEAE.
A large tree which occurs more or less evenly distributed throughout
the forests. It is rather exacting as a rule as to soil conditions and
will not flourish in poor situations, preferring deep soils. It grows
to a height of 30-40 feet with girths of 6 or 7 feet, and specimens 10
feet in girth are by no means uncommon. It can be distinguished at a
distance by its very large, dense, dark green and regular crown with
rounded top. The crown, in the case of trees grown in the open, comes
to within 6-10 feet of the ground. Examples growing in the forest
exhibit a distinct form, with longer boles and higher, more cylindrical
crowns, and the branches ascend at an acute angle to the stem. It is a
prolific fruiting species, but more often than not the fruits are burnt
on the ground by the grass fires which occur from December on, the
months when the fruits fall. It grows very well from the seeds which
retain their germinating qualities for some time.
=The Bark=, which is a very distinctive feature, is light brown or
grey, appearing smooth at a distance, and is fibrous in appearance
with very narrow and long, vertical fissures and stringy ridges. It is
often much darker on the limbs than on the stem. The slash is yellow,
darkening on exposure.
=The Wood= is light brown, rather like Teak. In transverse section the
rings are indistinct darker lines, the pores are large, open, mostly
single, with a few double pores. The rays are plainly visible, broad,
waved, unevenly spaced, with sometimes room for two pores between.
The soft tissue round the pores is very poorly developed. In vertical
section the pores are distinctive for their curves and the rays are
plainly visible as brown flecks in tangential and iridescent bands in
radial section. Some of the pore contents glisten. The wood is soft,
coarse but nicely grained, very easy to saw and plane, with a soft
finish and no polish. The weight is 53 lbs. a cubic foot.
=The Leaves= are digitate with usually 5, sometimes 6, lobes. They
are about 8 inches across, but vary considerably in size and have a 4
inch stalk. A round, pointed leaf-gall is common on the leaves, which
are dark green with a bloom on the upper surface and paler with raised
venation on the under surface. The young leaves are a deep red-purple.
=The Flowers= are in small, erect panicles which appear in January.
They are about ⅜ inch across, tubular with 5 petals, 4 of which are
small and white, the fifth larger and pink. There are 2 long and 2
short stamens.
=The Fruits= are in pendulous bunches which ripen from December on.
They are black and shiny with little brown lenticels on the skin, a
black or dark brown flesh and a large stone. They are ¾-1 inch in
diameter. The calyx, which enlarges and holds the unripe fruit, dries,
shrivels and recedes from the ripe fruit. Bees are greatly attracted by
it.
=Uses.=—The wood is used for making small canoes and large drums.
The fruits are used for making sweetmeats (alewa and madi) and have a
taste of honey.
The young leaves are eaten with groundnuts, pepper and salt: they are
also an ingredient of ink, being mixed with gum and boiled down to a
thickened extract.
Beehives are commonly placed in the branches of this tree.
[Illustration]
=VITEX DIVERSIFOLIA= Baker.—_Dunyar biri_. VERBENACEAE.
A small tree some 15 feet high, occasionally more, not very common
but occurring here and there in Tree savannah and with a very wide
distribution. It has little form, being erect and of open growth. Its
distinguishing character is the highly scented leaf and the fact that
some may be simple and others tri-foliolate. The leaves and branches
are in whorls of three, and the fruits like small, oblong editions of
those of the well-known _V. Cienkowskii_.
=The Bark= is light grey and very thick with soft cork and large
rectangular scales. This is, however, largely due to fires.
=The Leaves= are 4-5 inches long and 2-3 inches broad with a stalk 2-3
inches long. When there is a single leaf it is rounded ovate, with
slightly cordate base, but if tri-foliolate the leaflets are obovate
with tapering base. The margins are waved. The upper surface is dark
green with hairs scattered all over the surface and the under side is
densely covered, especially on the venation, with hairs, this being
far more marked when the leaf is younger, when the venation is very
prominent, though it is grooved on the upper surface. The leaves are
generally in whorls of three at each stem node. When crushed they give
off a strong sage-like odour.
=The Flowers= are in cymes in the leaf axils, on long stalks, either in
whorls of three or pairs. Each has a 5-pointed bell-shaped calyx, an
irregular tubular corolla, the lip large and mauve, the remaining lobes
greenish and pubescent, 4 stamens pressed up against the top of the
corolla and a small, curved white pistil with bifid stigma.
=The Fruits= are egg-shaped, about ¾-1 inch long, ripening from green
to black, spotted with lenticels and cupped for about one-third of
their length by the hairy enlarged calyx. They are fleshy drupes with a
hard “stone” containing 4 cells, each with one seed. The flesh is very
narrow.
[Illustration]
=XIMENIA AMERICANA= Linn.—_Tsada_. OLACACEAE.
A small shrubby tree some 10-15 feet high, widely distributed all over
the forests and sometimes found in great quantities over small areas.
It does not grow in the very dry sandy or rocky northern regions. It
has one or several stems from a common stock which spread out and form
an open low crown of no form. It can be readily distinguished in fruit
and flower.
=The Bark= is dark brown or almost black, with very small,
close-fitting rectangular scales. That of the branches is dark grey and
smooth. The slash is crimson and fibrous.
=The Thorns= are about ½ inch long, slender, very sharp, straight and
grey in colour.
=The Leaves= are 2 inches long and ¾ inch wide, tapering at both ends
and with pointed tip: sometimes rounded with slightly cleft tip. The
mid-rib has a tendency to curve back, the leaves folding up along it.
The surface is smooth and the stalk short and stout and curved.
=The Flowers=, which appear in January are in small axillary clusters
of a dozen or so, each having its own slender stalk growing from the
tip of a stouter main stalk. There are 4 small, slender, pointed
sepals, 4 petals whose tips are recurved and whose inside surfaces
are covered densely with soft, erect hairs, 8-10 stamens inside the
corolla, and a pleasant perfume which can be detected from a great
distance.
=The Fruits= are like yellow cherries, with thin skin, sweet flesh and
hard stone. The style remains as a prominent pointed tip to the fruit,
which is very subject to grubs that may destroy the whole crop.
=Uses.=—The fruit is eaten and is, with its acid sweet taste, very
refreshing.
[Illustration]
=ZIZYPHUS JUJUBA= Lam.—_Magariya_. RHAMNACEAE.
This species bears a marked resemblance to _Z. Spina-Christi_, but
differs essentially in the under-surface of the leaf having a dense
pubescence. It is, as a rule, a smaller tree, though examples may be
found almost as large as the other species, 40 feet high with a girth
of 5-6 feet. The crown is similar, with a dense tangle of armed twigs,
which interlace and droop to a considerable distance. The twigs are
very slender and zig-zag sharply at the nodes. This species, unlike the
other, is not often seen in towns, but occurs locally in plenty in the
forest, in the more open and drier localities especially. It is, like
the other, the favourite haunt of small birds, which build their nests
in association with those of a small wasp. The crown is not so dense as
that of _Z. Spina-Christi_, since the leaves are smaller and further
apart.
=The Bark= is a smoky grey colour with a brown tinge and has narrow
fissures and long stringy ridges and scales. The slash is cerise pink.
=The Thorns= are in pairs, the upper ¾ inch long and straight, the
lower shorter and sharply recurved. They are a pale orange colour, and
they and the light grey twigs are covered with a fine pubescence. The
upper, straight thorn differs from that of _Z. Spina-Christi_ in being
set at near right-angles with the twig, not sharply inclined forward.
=The Wood= is pale red, in transverse section darker. The sapwood is
white. In transverse section the rings show clearly as white bands in
the red ground, the pores are small and single and the rays extremely
fine, invisible to the naked eye. In vertical section the pores are
fine, the grain indistinct. The wood is fairly hard, saws well and
planes readily without picking up, to a smooth finish which will
polish. A good sound wood with occasional knots.
=The Leaves= are about 1½ inches long and ¾ inch broad, are alternate
and assume one plane with the upper surface outwards. They are dark,
shiny green above, with whitish venation, and thickly covered with a
grey pubescence beneath. The veins are palmate, three spreading from
the base, raised beneath. The margins are very finely serrate.
=The Flowers= are in small axillary bunches and are downy, greenish,
with a flat, 5-pointed calyx, 5 minute petals, and 5 minute stamens and
a bifid stigma. The clusters are not so numerous or large as those of
the other species. They appear about January.
=The Fruits= are small, reddish drupes about ½ inch in diameter, with a
crisp, whitish flesh, which is sweet and edible, and a stone which is
very large for the size of the fruit. The fruit is smaller and drier,
and the stone rounder and larger in comparison with it, than those of
the other species, _Z. Spina-Christi_. It ripens about December.
=Uses.=—The fruits are eaten fresh.
[Illustration]
=ZIZYPHUS MUCRONATA= Willd.—_Magariyar kura_. RHAMNACEAE.
This species is a small, irregular-shaped tree not, as a rule, above 20
feet in height with a girth of 2-3 feet. It is quite commonly met with
as a shrub-like plant, some 10-12 feet high with straggling branches
forming a tangle. There may be two or three stems springing at ground
level from a common stock. The crown is open and uneven, and the long
drooping branches extend to within a few feet of the ground.
=The Bark= is grey, with long, coarse fissures and rough scales.
=The Thorns= are in pairs, the dorsal one long and straight, the lower
shorter and recurved. They are brown in colour.
=The Leaves= are dark, dull green, soft on the upper surface, grey and
densely covered with velvety hairs beneath. They are about 2 inches
long and 1½ inches wide, with short stalks and have finely serrate
edges, which the other species have not. The venation is 3-palmate and
raised on the under surface. They are borne alternately on the twigs,
with a tendency to assume one plane, the upper surface outwards.
=The Flowers= are in small axillary clusters in the axil of the leaf
between the thorns, and are greenish-yellow with a 5-pointed calyx, 5
minute petals, 5 stamens, a bifid stigma and a yellow receptacle. They
appear in December.
=The Fruits= are similar, but larger than those of the other species
and are a rich red-brown, with a shiny, brittle skin, a white, mealy
flesh and a large stone. They are not edible.
=Uses.=—The fruits are chewed, but not swallowed, as a cure for
toothache. The wood is used for making bows of superior quality.
[Illustration]
=ZIZYPHUS SPINA-CHRISTI= Willd.—_Kurna_. RHAMNACEAE.
This species is generally found in and around towns where it attains a
height of over 40 feet with girths of over 6 feet. Closely resembling
_Z. Jujuba_, it can be distinguished at once from that species by
the absence of white on the underside of the leaf. The bright green
foliage and tangled crown, commonly spherical in young trees, are
readily recognised. Large trees have a great thicket of long, slender
twigs that intertwine and emerge here and there from the crown to a
distance of several feet, after the manner of the Bramble. It is a
good shade tree and this and its edible fruits are the reasons for it
being planted and preserved in towns. The tree is a favourite nesting
site for small birds which build their nests in association with a wasp
whose “honeycomb” guards the entrance to the nest.
=The Bark= is grey and deeply scoured with long fissures and ragged,
ridged scales which fall in large sections 6 inches long. The slash is
cerise.
=The Thorns= are in pairs on the white twigs. The upper thorn is long
and straight and the lower is shorter and sharply recurved. They are
light brown and the leaf rises between them with the flowers in the
leaf axil. The straight thorn points well forward.
=The Wood= is pale red, often with wide, brown discolorations; the
sapwood is white. In transverse section the rings are only faintly
marked; the pores are very small, numerous and single: the rays,
invisible to the unaided eye, are extremely fine and close together,
showing as small reddish bands in radial section. In vertical section
the pores are long and fine, the grain close, and the colour banded in
faint shades of the ground colour. The wood saws and planes well, is
sound, though liable to knots, fairly heavy and moderately hard. The
weight is 50 lbs. a cubic foot.
=The Leaves=, though they are arranged spirally round the twigs, tend
to assume one plane. The upper surface is bright green with a bluish
bloom and the venation roughens the underside. They are 1-2 inches long
and ¾-1 inch wide, the palmate venation composed of three principal
nerves, spreading from the base.
=The Flowers= are in small clusters in the leaf axils, on a common
stalk which divides into a number of more slender stalks each bearing
one flower. Each is ¼ inch in diameter, with a flat, 5-pointed calyx, 5
minute petals and 5 stamens, and a bifid stigma round which is a raised
disc which turns brown. The colour of the flower parts is green, and
the flowering season is from October to January.
=The Fruits= are small, light brown drupes about ¾ inch in diameter
with a sweet, edible flesh, juicy, then turning dry and mealy, and a
hard stone of large size for the fruit. There is often a very heavy
crop and they resemble cherries, ripening from November onwards.
=Uses.=—On account of its strength and supposed immunity from white
ants the wood is used for the rafters of flat-roofed mud houses.
The fruits are eaten fresh. The leaves, besides providing fodder for
goats and cattle, are crushed and applied to cure a skin disease.
[Illustration]
APPENDIX I.
NOTE ON THE TABLE OF FLOWERING SEASONS.
The following list of Flowering Seasons has been compiled from 3 years’
observations between 9° and 14° North Latitudes. No account has been
taken of out-of-season flowering, which is of casual occurrence and due
to various causes. The lengths of the flowering seasons are due chiefly
to the wide distribution of the trees and do not necessarily represent
the lengths of time individuals will bear flowers. Few species, in
fact, bear flowers for longer than one month; many for only a few days,
but a journey from north to south will show the effects of varying
humidity on the flowering season. Such an influence may be counteracted
by the date on which a fire swept through the country, fires exerting a
quickening influence on the flowering to a marked degree.
The arrangement of the monthly columns so as to place the New Year
in the middle of the page is made for the purpose of grouping the
flowering period of those species which start flowering before January,
whose periods would otherwise be broken up. Comparatively so few trees
flower after June that the breaking of their periods is of little
account.
This list will illustrate, also, the effect of fires at various times
of the dry season on the different species, which may be more exactly
determined by making an allowance for the situation of a forest in
terms of degrees latitude. In this connection attention may be drawn
to the large number of species whose fruits or seeds persist on the
branches until the rainy season of the following year, and which will
be destroyed by such fires. Only those species whose fruit forms and
falls in the rains of the year in which it flowered will stand a fair
chance of germinating.
Any observed extension, before or after the periods given here can be
entered by extending the lines to correspond and suit the particular
case.
TABLE OF FLOWERING SEASONS.
No.| Name of Tree. |Jul|Aug|Sep|Oct|Nov|Dec||Jan|Feb|Mar|Apr|May|Jun
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
1|Acacia albida | | | |———|———|———|| | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
2|Acacia arabica | | | |———|———|———||———| | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
3|Acacia | | | | | | || | |———|———|———|———
|campylacantha | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
4|Acacia Dalzielii| | | | |———|———|| | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
5|Acacia nilotica | | | | | | || | |———|———|———|———
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
6|Acacia Senegal | |———| | | | || | | | |———|———
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
7|Acacia Seyal | | | | | | ||———|———|———| | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
8|Acacia | | | | | | || |———|———|———| |
|Sieberiana | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
9|Adansonia | | | | | | || | | | |———|———
|digitata | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
10|Adina | | | | | | || |———|———|———|———|———
|microcephala | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
11|Afrormosia | |———| | | | || | | | |———|———
|laxiflora | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
12|Afzelia africana| | | | | | || | |———|———| |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
13|Albizzia Brownei| | | | | | || | |———|———| |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
14|Albizzia | | | | | | || | |———|———|———|
|Chevalieri | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
15|Amblygonocarpus | | | | | | || | |———|———|———|———
|Schweinfurthii | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
16|Andira inermis | | | | | | || |———|———|———|———|
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
17|Anogeissus | | | | | | || |———|———|———|———|
|leiocarpus | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
18|Anona | | | | | | ||———|———|———|———| |
|senegalensis | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
19|Balanites | | | | |———|———||———|———|———| | |
|aegyptiaca | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
20|Balsamodendron | | | |———|———| || | | | | |
|africanum | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
21|Bauhinia | | | | | | || |———|———|———|———|———
|reticulata | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
22|Bauhinia |———|———|———|———|———|———||———|———|———|———|———|———
|rufescens | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
23|Berlinia | | | | | | || |———|———|———|———|———
|auriculata | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
24|Bombax | | | | | |———||———|———| | | |
|buonopozense | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
25|Borassus | | | | | | || | | |———|———|
|flabellifer | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
26|Boswellia | | | | | | ||———|———|———|———| |
|Dalzielii | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
27|Bridelia | | | | | | || | |———|———|———|———
|ferruginea | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
28|Bridelia | | | | | | || | | |———|———|———
|scleroneura | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
29|Burkea africana | | | | | | || | |———|———| |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
30|Butyrospermum | | | | | | ||———|———|———| | |
|Parkii | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
31|Cassia Arereh | | | | | | || |———|———|———| |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
32|Cassia | | | |———|———|———||———|———|———| | |
|goratensis | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
33|Cassia | | | | | | || |———|———|———|———|
|Sieberiana | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
34|Celtis | | | | | |———||———|———|———| | |
|integrifolia | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
35|Combretum | | | | | |———||———|———|———| | |
|abbreviatum | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
36|Combretum | | | | | |———||———|———| | | |
|hypopilinum | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
37|Combretum | | | | | |———||———|———|———|———| |
|lecananthum | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
38|Combretum | | | | | | || |———|———|———| |
|leonense | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
39|Combretum | | | | | | || | | |———|———|———
|micranthum | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
40|Combretum | | | | | |———||———|———|———| | |
|verticillatum | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
41|Cordia | | | |———|———| || | | | | |
|abyssinica | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
42|Crataeva | | | | | | || |———|———| | |
|Adansonii | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
43|Crossopteryx | | | | | | || |———|———|———| |
|Kotschyana | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
44|Croton amabilis | | | | |———|———||———|———| | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
45|Cussonia | | | | | | || |———|———|———|———|
|nigerica | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
46|Detarium | | | | | | || | | |———|———|———
|senegalense | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
47|Dichrostachys | | | | | | || |———|———|———|———|
|nutans | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
48|Diospyros | | | | | | || | |———|———| |
|mespiliformis | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
49|Ekebergia | | | | | | || |———|———| | |
|senegalensis | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
50|Entada sudanica | | | | | | || | |———|———|———|———
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
51|Eriodendron | | | | |———|———||———| | | | |
|orientale | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
52|Erythrina | | | |———|———|———||———| | | | |
|senegalensis | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
53|Eugenia | | | | | | ||———|———|———| | |
|guineensis | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
54|Ficus capensis | | | | | |———||———|———|———| | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
55|Ficus | | | | | |———||———|———|———|———| |
|gnaphalocarpa | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
56|Ficus iteophylla| | | | | |———||———|———| | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
57|Ficus Kawuri | | | | | |———||———|———|———|———|———|
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
58|Ficus | | | | | | || |———|———| | |
|platyphylla | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
59|Ficus polita | | | | | |———||———|———|———|———| |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
60|Ficus Thonningii| | | | | |———||———|———|———| | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
61|Ficus | | | | | | || |———|———|———|———|
|Vallis-Choudae | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
62|Gardenia | | | | | | ||———|———|———|———| |
|erubescens | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
63|Gardenia | | | | | | ||———|———|———|———| |
|ternifolia | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
64|Grewia mollis | | | | | | || | |———|———|———|———
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
65|Guiera | | | |———|———|———||———| | | | |
|senegalensis | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
66|Gymnosporia | | | | | |———||———|———| | | |
|senegalensis | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
67|Hannoa undulata | | | |———|———| || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
68|Hymenocardia | | | | | | || |———|———| | |
|acida | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
69|Hyphaene | | | | | | || | |———|———| |
|Thebaica | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
70|Isoberlinia | | | | | |———||———|———|———|———| |
|Dalzielii | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
71|Isoberlinia doka| | | | | | || |———|———|———| |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
72|Khaya | | | | | |———||———|———|———|———| |
|senegalensis | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
73|Kigelia | | | | | | || |———|———|———| |
|aethiopica var. | | | | | | || | | | | |
|bornuensis | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
74|Lonchocarpus | | | | | | || |———|———| | |
|griffonianus | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
75|Lonchocarpus | | | | | | ||———|———|———| | |
|laxiflorus | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
76|Lophira alata | | | | |———|———||———|———| | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
77|Maerua | | | | |———|———||———|———|———|———| |
|angolensis | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
78|Maerua | | | | | | ||———|———|———| | |
|crassifolia | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
79|Mimosa asperata | | | | | |———||———|———|———|———| |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
80|Mitragyne |———|———|———| | | || | | | | |———
|africana | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
81|Monotes |———|———| | | | || | | | | |———
|Kerstingii | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
82|Moringa |———|———|———|———|———|———||———|———|———|———|———|———
|pterygosperma | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
83|Ochna Hillii | | | | | | || |———|———| | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
84|Odina acida | | | | | | ||———|———|———|———| |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
85|Odina Barteri | | | | | | ||———|———|———|———|———|
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
86|Ormocarpum | | | | | | || |———|———|———| |
|bibracteatum | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
87|Ostryoderris | | | | | | || |———|———|———| |
|Chevalieri | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
88|Paradaniellia | | | |———|———|———||———|———|———| | |
|Oliveri | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
89|Parinarium | | | | | | || |———|———| | |
|curatellaefolium| | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
90|Parinarium |———|———|———|———|———|———||———|———|———|———|———|———
|macrophyllum | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
91|Parkia | | | | | | || |———|———|———| |
|filicoidea | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
92|Parkinsonia |———|———|———|———|———|———||———|———|———|———|———|———
|aculeata | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
93|Prosopis oblonga|———| | | | | || | | | |———|———
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
94|Pseudocedrela | | | | | | || |———|———|———| |
|Kotschyi | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
95|Psorospermum | | | | | | ||———|———|———| | |
|senegalense | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
96|Pterocarpus | | | | | |———||———|———| | | |
|erinaceus | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
97|Randia nilotica | | | | | | || | | |———|———|———
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
98|Raphia vinifera | | | | | | || | |———|———|———|
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
99|Rhus insignis |———|———| | | | || | | | | |———
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
100|Sarcocephalus | | | | |———|———||———|———| | | |
|Russegeri | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
101|Sclerocarya | | | | | | ||———|———|———|———| |
|Birroea | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
102|Securidaca | | | | | | || |———|———|———|———|
|longipedunculata| | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
103|Sterculia | | | | | | || |———|———|———| |
|tomentosa | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
104|Stereospermum | | | | | | ||———|———|———|———| |
|Kunthianum | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
105|Strychnos | | | | | | || |———|———|———| |
|spinosa | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
106|Strychnos | | | | | | || | | |———|———|———
|triclisioides | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
107|Swartzia | | | | | | || | |———|———|———|
|madagascariensis| | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
108|Tamarindus | | | | | | || | |———|———|———|
|indica | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
109|Terminalia | | | | | | || |———|———|———|———|
|avicennioides | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
110|Terminalia | | | | | | || |———|———|———|———|
|glaucescens | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
111|Terminalia | | | | | | || |———|———|———|———|
|macroptera | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
112|Trichilia | | | | | | || |———|———| | |
|emetica | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
113|Uapaca |———|———|———|———| | || | | | | |
|guineensis | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
114|Vernonia |———|———|———|———|———| || | | | | |———
|amygdalina | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
115|Vitex | | | | | |———||———|———|———| | |
|Cienkowskii | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
116|Vitex | | | | | | || |———|———| | |
|diversifolia | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
117|Ximenia | | | | | |———||———|———|———|———|———|
|americana | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
118|Zizyphus Jujuba | | | |———|———|———||———| | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
119|Zizyphus | | | |———|———|———||———| | | | |
|mucronata | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
120|Zizyphus | | | |———|———|———||———| | | | |
|Spina-Christi | | | | | | || | | | | |
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
| |12 | 9 | 7 |18 |24 |39 ||51 |78 |85 |67 |40 |26
---+----------------+---+---+---+---+---+---++---+---+---+---+---+---
APPENDIX II.
CLASSIFICATION UNDER FAMILIES.
_Anonaceae_.—Anona senegalensis.
_Capparidaceae_.—Maerua angolensis, M. crassifolia, Crataeva Adansonii.
_Polygalaceae_.—Securidaca longipedunculata, Psorospermum senegalense.
_Dipterocarpaceae_.—Lophira alata, Monotes Kerstingii.
_Malvaceae_.—Adansonia digitata, Bombax buonopozense, Eriodendron
orientale.
_Sterculiaceae_.—Sterculia tomentosa.
_Tiliaceae_.—Grewia mollis.
_Simarubaceae_.—Balanites aegyptiaca, Hannoa undulata.
_Ochnaceae_.—Ochna Hillii.
_Burseraceae_.—Balsamodendron africanum, Boswellia Dalzielii.
_Meliaceae_.—Khaya senegalensis, Pseudocedrela Kotschyi, Ekebergia
senegalensis, Trichilia emetica.
_Olacaceae_.—Ximenia americana.
_Celastraceae_.—Gymnosporia senegalensis.
_Rhamnaceae_.—Zizyphus Jujuba, Z. mucronata, Z. Spina-Christi.
_Anacardiaceae_.—Odina acida, O. Barteri, Sclerocarya birroea, Rhus
insignis.
_Moringaceae_.—Moringa pterygosperma.
_Leguminosae_.—Erythrina senegalensis, Ormocarpum bibracteatum,
Pterocarpus erinaceus, Lonchocarpus laxiflorus, L. griffonianus,
Ostryoderris Chevalieri, Andira inermis, Afrormosia laxiflora, Swartzia
madagascariensis, Parkinsonia aculeata, Cassia Sieberiana, C. Arereh,
C. goratensis, Bauhinia rufescens, B. reticulata, Berlinia auriculata,
Isoberlinia doka, I. Dalzielii, Paradaniellia Oliveri, Afzelia
africana, Tamarindus indica, Detarium senegalense, Burkea africana,
Parkia filicoidea, Entada sudanica, Prosopis oblonga, Amblygonocarpus
Schweinfurthii, Dichrostachys nutans, Mimosa asperata, Acacia albida,
A. Senegal, A. Sieberiana, A. arabica, A. nilotica, A. Seyal, A.
campylacantha, A. Dalzielii, Albizzia Chevalieri, A. Brownei.
_Rosaceae_.—Parinarium curatellaefolium, P. macrophyllum.
_Combretaceae_.—Guiera senegalensis, Anogeissus leiocarpus, Combretum
leonense, C. verticillatum, C. lecananthum, C. abbreviatum, C.
hypopilinum, C. micranthum, Terminalia glaucescens, T. macroptera, T.
avicennioides.
_Myrtaceae_.—Eugenia guineensis.
_Araliaceae_.—Cussonia nigerica.
_Rubiaceae_.—Sarcocephalus Russegeri, Adina microcephala, Mitragyne
africana, Crossopteryx Kotschyana, Randia nilotica, Gardenia
erubescens, Gardenia ternifolia.
_Compositae_.—Vernonia amygdalina.
_Sapotaceae_.—Butyrospermum Parkii.
_Ebenaceae_.—Diospyros mespiliformis.
_Loganiaceae_.—Strychnos triclisioides, S. spinosa.
_Boraginaceae_.—Cordia abyssinica.
_Bignoniaceae_.—Stereospermum Kunthianum, Kigelia aethiopica var.
bornuensis.
_Verbenaceae_.—Vitex diversifolia, V. Cienkowskii.
_Euphorbiaceae_.—Bridelia scleroneura, B. ferruginea, Uapaca
guineensis, Hymenocardia acida, Croton amabilis.
_Ulmaceae_.—Celtis integrifolia.
_Moraceae_.—Ficus capensis, F. gnaphalocarpa, F. Kawuri, F. Thonningii,
F. platyphylla, F. polita, F. Vallis-Choudae, F. iteophylla.
_Palmaceae_.—Raphia vinifera, Borassus flabellifer, Hyphaene Thebaica.
INDEX OF NATIVE NAMES.
+----------------+----------+--------------------+
| Hausa Names. | No. | Native Names. |
+----------------+----------+--------------------+
|Aduwa | 19 | |
| | | |
|Aliliba | 41 | |
| | | |
|Ararabi | 26 | |
| | | |
|Bagaruwa | 2, 5 | |
| | | |
| „ namiji | 5 | |
| | | |
| „ ta mata | 2 | |
| | | |
|Bagaruwar Makka | 82 | |
| | | |
|Bakin makarfo | 29 | |
| | | |
|Bakororo | 66 | |
| | | |
|Basamu | 26 | |
| | | |
|Bauji | 8 | |
| | | |
|Baure | 55 | |
| | | |
|Baushi | 109, 110 | |
| | | |
|Bayama | 107 | |
| | | |
|Bogo zage | 107 | |
| | | |
|Chediya | 60 | |
| | | |
|Chibra | 97 | |
| | | |
|Chichiwa | 77 | |
| | | |
|Chiriri | 37 | |
| | | |
|Dagera | 37 | |
| | | |
|Dakwora | 6 | |
| | | |
|Danya | 101 | |
| | | |
|Dashi | 20 | |
| | | |
|Dinya | 115 | |
| | | |
| „ biri | 116 | |
| | | |
|Doka | 71 | |
| | | |
| „ rafi | 23 | |
| | | |
|Dorowa | 91 | |
| | | |
|Dukki | 34 | |
| | | |
|Dulu | 61 | |
| | | |
|Dundu | 47 | |
| | | |
|Dunya | 115 | |
| | | |
|Dunyar biri | 116 | |
| | | |
|Durbi | 87 | |
| | | |
|Durumi | 59 | |
| | | |
|Dushe | 7 | |
| | | |
|Dussa | 7 | |
| | | |
|Erafi | 7 | |
| | | |
|Fara doka | 70 | |
| | | |
| „ Geza | 39 | |
| | | |
| „ kaya | 8 | |
| | | |
|Farichin Shafo | 3 | |
| | | |
|Farin baure | 54 | |
| | | |
| „ Rura | 81 | |
| | | |
| „ Sansami | 75 | |
| | | |
| „ Taramniya | 40 | |
| | | |
|Faru | 84, 85 | |
| | | |
|Farun doya | 85 | |
| | | |
| „ mutane | 84 | |
| | | |
|Faskara giwa | 86 | |
| | | |
|Gaba chara | 4 | |
| | | |
|Gabaruwa | 2 | |
| | | |
|Gamji | 58 | |
| | | |
|Gamma fada | 31, 33 | |
| | | |
|Gasa kura | 81 | |
| | | |
|Gaude | 62 | |
| | | |
|Gauden kura | 63 | |
| | | |
|Gawasa | 90 | |
| | | |
|Gawo | 1 | |
| | | |
|Geza | 39 | |
| | | |
|Giginya | 25 | |
| | | |
|Gishishiya | 7 | |
| | | |
|Giyaiya | 80 | |
| | | |
|Giyeya | 80 | |
| | | |
|Goriba | 69 | |
| | | |
|Gude | 42 | |
| | | |
|Gumbi | 79 | |
| | | |
|Gurjiya | 24 | |
| | | |
|Gwabsa | 45 | |
| | | |
|Gwandar daji | 18 | |
| | | |
|Gwanja kusa | 112 | |
| | | |
|Gwanno | 4 | |
| | | |
|Gwaska | 16 | |
| | | |
|Gwazkiya | 107 | |
| | | |
|Haguguwa | 54 | |
| | | |
|Halshen sa | 75 | |
| | | |
|Hano | 26 | |
| | | |
|Jan ganyi | 36 | |
| | | |
|Jan iche | 68 | |
| | | |
|Jan saye | 112 | |
| | | |
|Jan Taramniya | 36 | |
| | | |
|Jan Yaro | 68 | |
| | | |
|Jiga | 78 | |
| | | |
|Jimshi | 7 | |
| | | |
|Jirga | 22 | |
| | | |
|Jiri | 104 | |
| | | |
|Kadai | 30 | |
| | | |
|Kadanya | 30 | |
| | | |
|Kadanyar rafi | 10 | |
| | | |
|Kadaura | 88 | |
| | | |
|Kafafogo | 113 | |
| | | |
|Kaidaji | 79 | |
| | | |
|Kainya | 48 | |
| | | |
|Kaiwa | 48 | |
| | | |
|Kalgo | 21 | |
| | | |
|Kandari | 111 | |
| | | |
|Kardaji | 79 | |
| | | |
|Kargo | 21 | |
| | | |
|Kariya | 35 | |
| | | |
|Kariye gatari |38, 11, 29| |
| | | |
|Karki | 3 | |
| | | |
|Karo | 3 | |
| | | |
|Kasfiya | 43 | |
| | | |
|Kashekaji | 95 | |
| | | |
|Kasheshi | 99 | |
| | | |
|Kashin awaki | 43 | |
| | | |
|Kaskawami | 95 | |
| | | |
|Katambiri | 63 | |
| | | |
|Katsari | 14 | |
| | | |
|Kawo | 12 | |
| | | |
|Kawuri | 57 | |
| | | |
|Kiriya | 93 | |
| | | |
| „ ta mata | 15 | |
| | | |
|Kirni | 27 | |
| | | |
|Kisni | 27, 28 | |
| | | |
|Kokiya | 105, 106 | |
| | | |
|Kolo | 29, 15 | |
| | | |
|Koriba | 44 | |
| | | |
|Kuka | 9 | |
| | | |
|Kukuki | 103 | |
| | | |
|Kumbar Shafo | 3 | |
| | | |
|Kunkushewa | 66 | |
| | | |
|Kurdi | 29 | |
| | | |
|Kuriya | 24 | |
| | | |
|Kurna | 120 | |
| | | |
|Kurukubi | 64 | |
| | | |
|Madachi | 72 | |
| | | |
| „ n dutsi | 49 | |
| | | |
|Madobia | 96, 16 | |
| | | |
| „ r rafi | 13 | |
| | | |
|Magariya | 118 | |
| | | |
| „ r kura | 119 | |
| | | |
|Maje | 88 | |
| | | |
|Majiriya | 52 | |
| | | |
|Makarfo | 11 | |
| | | |
|Malga | 31, 33 | |
| | | |
|Malmo | 53 | |
| | | |
|Mangaladi | 66 | |
| | | |
|Marike | 17 | |
| | | |
|Matsagi | 22 | |
| | | |
|Mijin Kadai | 76 | |
| | | |
|Minjiriya | 52 | |
| | | |
|Namijin Kadai | 76 | |
| | | |
| „ Kiriya | 29 | |
| | | |
| „ tsada | 66 | |
| | | |
|Nonon giwa | 73 | |
| | | |
|Rahaina | 73 | |
| | | |
|Rawuya | 73 | |
| | | |
|Rimi | 51 | |
| | | |
|Rumfu | 32 | |
| | | |
|Runhu | 32 | |
| | | |
|Rura | 89 | |
| | | |
|Sabara | 65 | |
| | | |
|Sainya | 102 | |
| | | |
|Sansami | 104 | |
| | | |
|Sasabani | 92 | |
| | | |
|Sharan labbi | 92 | |
| | | |
|Shirinya | 56 | |
| | | |
|Shiriya | 56 | |
| | | |
|Shiwaka | 114 | |
| | | |
|Shunin biri | 75 | |
| | | |
|Tafashiya | 100 | |
| | | |
|Takalmin Biri | 81 | |
| | | |
|Takandar giwa | 45, 67 | |
| | | |
|Taramniya | 40 | |
| | | |
|Taura | 46 | |
| | | |
|Tawatsa | 50 | |
| | | |
|Tsa | 86 | |
| | | |
|Tsada | 117 | |
| | | |
|Tsamiya | 108 | |
| | | |
|Tsatsagi | 22 | |
| | | |
|Tsege | 15 | |
| | | |
|Tsibra | 97 | |
| | | |
|Tuburku | 74 | |
| | | |
|Tukuruwa | 98 | |
| | | |
|Tuna-s-m | 94 | |
| | | |
|Uwar magunguna | 102 | |
| | | |
|Uwar yara | 54 | |
| | | |
|Wasani | 81 | |
| | | |
|Wuyan damo | 38 | |
| | | |
|Zogalagandi | 82 | |
| | | |
|Zuwo | 34 | |
+----------------+----------+--------------------+
Transcriber's note:
pg x Changed: _Pardaniellia Oliveri_ to: _Paradaniellia_
pg 69 Changed: father north to: farther
pg 98 Changed: Palmacae to: Palmaceae
pg 111 Changed: so evely distributed to: evenly
pg 115 Changed: Kotchy to: Kotschy
Minor changes in punctuation have been done silently.
The month headers in the TABLE OF FLOWERING SEASONS have been
abbreviated.
The Index of native names includes an empty column in the printed
source, meant to be filled in with observations from the reader.
It has been kept in.
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