TREES OF SIERRA LEONE p. S. S AV ILL B.So. JED FOX B.Sc., MF

TREES OF SIERRA LEONE 

by 

p. S. S A V ILL B.So. 

J. E. D. FOX B.Sc., M. F.

CONTENTS Page 

INTRODUCTION • • ·. ·. 1 

·. ·. 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 3 

·. ·. 

·. ·. 

CHAPl'ER I 4 

Geography 4 

Topography 4 

Drainage ·. ·. ·. ·. ·. 4 

Geology ·. ·. ·. 

5 

Soils ·. ·. 5 

Climate 5 

Population 7 

CHAPl'ER II. Vegetation 8 

CHAPl'ER Ill. Exploitation and Regeneration 15 

·. 

·. ·. 

CHAPl'ER IV. Keys 17 

·. ·. ·. 

·. ·. 

·. 

·. ·. 

·. 

·. ·. 

·. 

CHAPl'ER V. Description of families in alphabetical order 

Anacardiaceae 

*Annonaceae 

36 

40 

Apocynaceae ·. ·. 46 

·. ·. ·. ·. 

Avicenniaceae 51 

• Bignoniaceae 52 

Bombacaceae ·. ·. • • ·. ·. ·. 55 

* Boraginaceae ·. ·. 

59 

Burseraceae • • 

• 

·. 61 

Caesalpiniaceae • • ·. ·. 

64 

Capparidaceae ·. ·. ·. ·. ·. 97 

Chailletiaceae ·. 

98 

* Combretaceae 99 

Ebenaceae ·. ·. ·. ·. 

105 

Erythroxylaceae 108 

Euphorbiaceae ·. ·. 

110 

Flacourtiaceae ·. 

128 

• Guttiferae ·. ·. 130 

Humiriaceae 136 

Hypericaceae ·. 138 

Icacinaceae 140 

Irvingiaceae 141 

Ixonanthaceae 144 

Lauraceae ·. ·" 

·. 145 

Lecythidaceae 146 

Loganiaceae 148 

Medusandraceae 150 

Melastomataceae ·. 151 

* Meliaceae 152 

Melianthaceae 164 

* Mimosaceae 165 

Moraceae 186 

Myristioaeeae ·. 

194 

Myrtaceae ·. ·. ·. 197 

Ochnaceae ·. 

198 

Octoknemataceae 201 

Olacaceae ·. ·. ·. ·. 202 

* Papilionaceae 205 

Passifloraceae ·. 

209 

• Rhamnaceae ·. ·. ·. ·. 210 

*Rhizophoraceae 212 

* Rosaceae ·. ·. ·. ·. 

215 

* Rubiaceae ·. ·. ·. ·. ·. ·. 221 

Rutaceae 229 

i 

·. ·. ·.

CONTENTS Page 

Samydaceae 232 

Sapindaceae 233 

Sapotaceae 236 

Scytopetalaceae 247 

Simaroubaceae 248 

Sterculiaceae ·. 

251 

Tiliaceae •• 264 

Ulmaceae •• • • ·. .. 265 

Verbenaceae • • ·. ·. 

267 

Violaceae 268 

·. ·. 

·. 

·. ·. 

·. 

·. 

·. 

• ·. ·. ·. 0 ·. 

·. 

·. 

APPENDIX. Details of two enumeration surveys 269 

REFERENCES .. 272 

INDEXES OF VERNACULAR NAMES: 273 

Botanical-Vernacular o. ·. • • 273 

Mende •• ·. ·. • • 283 

Temne •• ·. 290 

Kisi 293 

Kono ·. ·. 296 

Koranko 299 

Sherbro ·. 301 

Loko 302 

Creole ·. .. • • 303 

·. ·. 

INDEX OF SCIENTIFIC, TRADE AND COMMON ENGLISH NAMES 304 

MAP IN REAR POCKET. 

• The accounts of families marked with an asterisk were prepared 

by J.E.D. Fox, the others were prepared by P.S. Savill. 

ii

INTRODUCTION 

The la.st publication to deal specifically with the flora of 

Sierra Leone was C.E. Lane Pool's "Trees, Shrubs, Herbs and 

Climbers of Sierra Leone". It was written fifty years ago and has 

been out of print for a long time. A growing need has been felt 

in recent years for a general handbook on the trees of the country 

for use by Forestry Division staff and for teaching purposes. 

Several West African countries have similar works containing much 

information relevant to Sierra Leone, but the country has its own 

particular forest flora not adequately described elsewhere; in 

addition some of the floras are in French, a language not widely 

understood in Sierra Leone. This book has been written in an 

attempt to provide an appreciable amount of information specifio 

to Sierra Leone. 

The field work which forms the basis for the book was undertaken 

between 1962 and 1966 when the authors were employed by the 

Sierra Leone Government as Forest Officers. This includes the 

field descriptions and observations on growth and silviculture, to 

which has been added such information as it was possible to obtain 

from Forestry Division records. Literature is quoted for most of 

the botanical descriptions, timber properties and a few of the 

local uses. 

ILLUSTRATIONS 

The line drawings were made by J.E.D. Fox in the field from 

freshly collected material, run down with the keys in the Flora of 

West Tropical Africa, second edition. Photographs were taken with 

fine grained llford HP3 film. 

VERNACULAR AND TBADE NAMES 

Vernacular names are based mainly on F.C. Deighton's 

''Vernacular Botanical Vocabulary", the standard work on the 

subject in Sierra Leone. Deighton's lists of Mende, Kisi, Kono 

and Koranko names have been added to, and corrected to some 

extent. Creole, Temne, Sherbro and Loko names are also given but 

these are almost unchanged. Names of trees in the other languages 

spoken in Sierra Leone (Vai, Susu, Yalunka, Krim, Mandingo, FUla, 

Limba and Gola) are omitted as they have such limited application. 

The main productive forests lie in Mende country and this is the 

most important language for the forester. Notes on the pronounciation 

of characters used in the vernacular alphabets are given in 

the preface to Deighton's book. 

The trade names included are, with a few exceptions, the 

British Standard names prepared under the authority of the U.K. 

Timber Industry Standards Committee. 

ENUMERATIONS 

Frequencies of trees given for various forests are based on 

the results of enumeration surveys made since 1947. The data are 

presented as the number of stems per 100 acres for various girth 

classes so that comparisons between one forest and another can be 

made at a glance; the figures are rounded to the nearest whole 

number. The areas actually enumerated, from which these figures 

are produced are as follows: 

1

Forest 

Acres 

enumerated 

Bojene Hills 128 

Colony 40 

Dodo Hills 715 

Gola North, East Wepe Block 262 

Lower Makpoi Block 100 • 

Golama North 189 

Kambui Hills, Gengelu Block 100 • 

Neaboi Block 100 • 

Plateau Block 634 

Waanje Block 100 • 

Lalay 50 

Malal Hills 80 

Nyagoi 66 

Tonkoli, A.S.F. Section 65 

Balea Section 127 

Falima Section 98 

Farewa Section 91 

Gbangbaria Section 317 

Kindea Section 96 

L.S.F. Section 121 

North Section 189 

North-West Section 110 

Worombaria Section 37 

• Details of 100 acres extracted from enumeration 

data of more extensive areas. 

In the text tables, the symbol •• mea.n.s that trees of 

the girth class in question were ignored in the enumeration; 

it should not be confUsed with the number 0 which indicates 

that no trees of that girth class were present in the area 

enumerated. 

NOMENCLACTURE AND BOTANICAL TERMS 

The botanical nomenclacture, with very few exceptions, 

follows that used in the second edition of the Flora of West 

Tropical Africa. Synonyms are given only where revisions in the 

names of important species have been made since its publication. 

Definitions of the botanical terms used in this book can be 

found in the glossary to the Flora of West Tropical Africa, 

volume 1, part 1, page 17. 

ABBREVIATIONS 

C.A.I. Current annual increment 

er Creole 

F.F.C .1. La Flore Forestiere de la Cote d'Ivoire 

F.W.T.A. Flora of West Tropical Africa. 

a.re. Hoppus cubic foot (= 1.27 true cubic feet) 

Ki Kisi 

Ko Kono 

Kor Koranko 

Lo Loko 

M.A.I. Mean annual increment 

Me Mende 

P.A.I. Periodic annual increment 

Sh Sherbro 

Te Temne 

2

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 

The field work for this publication could not have been 

undertaken without a great deal of help from other people and for 

this we should like to record our thanks to those members of the 

Forestry Division Staff, servants and others in Sierra Leone who 

so willingly co-operated. They are too many to name individually 

but we should like to mention in particular our tree-spotter, 

Brima Musa, whose unrivalled knowledge of the forest proved 

invaluable, and S.K. Samai who collected and sent us herbarium 

material while we were working on the manuscript in the United 

Kingdom. We are indebted to the Chief Conservator of Forests, 

J. S. Sawyerr for his help and encouragement. 

For permission to quote from the Flora of West Tropical 

Africa, our thanks are due to the Director of the Royal Botanic 

Gardens, Kew and the Crown Agents. 

The Professor of Forestry, Oxford and the Director of the 

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew very kindly made available the 

faoilities of their libraries and herbaria; we are grateful for 

this and for the advice so freely given by their staffs. 

Thanks are also due to the Timber Research and Development 

Association for permission to quote from "Timbers of West Africa" 

for the more important timber species, and to the Dean of Forestry, 

Yale University for permission to quote from "Evergreen Forests of 

Liberia" for some of the minor species. 

Dr. C. J. Taylor and Dr. A. G. Voorhoeve kindly checked parts 

of the manuscript and permitted us to quote from their publioations 

on the trees of Ghana and Liberia, respectively. 

We are most grateful to Professor D. Arnott of the Department 

of Oriental and West African Languages at London University who 

arranged for some of the vernacular lists to be cheoked for 

oonsistenoy in spelling. 

Miss M. Managh and Mrs. R. Brion are to be thanked for typing 

the manusoript. 

Finally, we thank the Governments of Sierra Leone and the 

United Kingdom who have financed this work. 

Omagh, 

Co. Tyrone. 

15th November, 1967. 

3 

P.S.S. 

J.E.D.F.

i 

Sierra Leone SWAMP 

CLOSED FOREST \', c 

Vegetation 5 0 , 30 

MIL£S SAVANNAH 'f./OODlA 

10 10 20 , ..... I 

FOREST RESf:RVES 

Figure 3. "Reproduced by permission of the Director of Lands 

and Surveys of Sierra Leone". 

., 

' ..

and the Kangari Hills. The Sewa and its tributaries rise in the 

Loma Mountains and Tingi Hills and also drain much of Tonkoli, the 

Tama Forest and the west of the Nimini Hills. The Moa drains the 

east of Tingi Hills, the east of Nimini Hills, the Gori Hills and 

Lhei Hills and part of Gola West. The Mano River drains the 

remainder of the Gola Forests. 

GEOLOGY 

Approximately two-thirds of the country is granite, including 

ninety per cent of the high plateau area where large protruding 

inselbergs are common. Scattered through the granite are narrow 

strips of metamorphic rocks known locally as the Kambui schists 

which occur as steep hilly outcrops. The major one runs from the 

Kangari Hills towards Lake Sonfon; similar outcrops occur as the 

Kambui, Nimini and Gori Hills. Most of the important metal ores 

such as gold, iron and chromite are found in these schists. A 

narrow tongue of granite mixed with metamorphic rock known as the 

Marampa schists runs north-west from Sumbuya to the Guinea border 

at Kukuna. A belt of crystalline schists and gneisses, about 

twenty miles wide, runs from the south-east corner of the country 

to Kambia, this is known as the Kasila series. The Marampa schists 

are separated from the main granite mass by a belt of shales, 

conglomerates and other minor volcanic rocks known collectively as 

the Rokel River series. This belt stretches from near Sumbuya 

through Batkanu to the Guinea border; the rocks are predominately 

quick weathering. The coastal strip extending to twenty miles 

inland consists principally of recent sediments and is composed of 

beds of sand and clay. The hills of the Western Area are unique 

in composition and consist of a complex of basic igneous rocks, 

gabbros, niorites etc. 

SOILS Fig.1. 

Soils derived from the granite are generally young and are 

associated with hilly topography. They are usually free draining 

sands and gravels with a varYing proportion of lateritic gravel. 

The soils derived from the schists are characterised by 

lateritic and gravel pans which are the results of prolonged 

weathering, and exist mainly on ridges occupied by forest reserves. 

The soils derived from the crystalline schists are of relatively 

low fertility particularly where laterite is most abundant, and 

Lophira savanna is the predominant vegetation. 

Soils of the Rokel River series vary according to parent 

rock material, but a characteristic feature is the presence of a 

layer of ground water laterite which, on higher land has been 

exposed by erosion. The sand and silt fractions of the soil are 

largely deposited in the hollows. Such soils like other highly 

weathered soils are infertile, although not totally incapable of 

production. 

Soils of the coastal strip are often practically pure sand, 

though in the central and northern parts they contain a proportion 

of finer material and are relatively more fertile. These soils 

are deep, but not as free draining as would be expected, possibly 

owing to loss of structure by over cultivation. 

CLIMATE 

GENERAL 

Sierra Leone in common with its neighbours on the west coast 

of Africa experiences two pronounced seasons, a rainy season from 

May to October and a dry season from November to April. The onset 

and cessation of the rains are due to the movement of the Inter 

Tropical front and are accompanied by frequent thunderstorms with 

5

torrential showers. July, August and September are the months of 

heaviest rainfall, when some rain falls nearly every day, and there 

are often periods of two or three days of continuous rain. The 

sky is usually cloudy though periods of two or three days with no 

rain are also not uncommon. Most of the rainfall is concentrated 

into short periods of very heavy rain. As the season falls off 

the rainfall becomes more regular and usually falls in the late 

afternoon or night. Towards the end of October the rain is small 

in amount, but for a period of up to two weeks, the night sky is 

alive with lightning and thunder claps fill the air. 

At the end of the rainy season Sierra Leone often experiences 

up to two weeks or more of the harmattan wind; this usually occurs 

during the period from the middle of December to the middle of 

January. This cold dry wind is accompanied by clear night skies 

which depress the night temperatures and gives rise to early 

morning mists and haze. Haze often occurs throughout January and 

February. The harmattan is very variable in duration both from 

year to year and from place to place. Very little rain falls in 

January and February but rather more in March and April. Most dry 

season rain falls at night and is of limited value for crops as it 

is rapidly lost to the atmosphere through the action of the sun. 

Thunderstorms are again frequent for a period of up to two weeks 

in May and thereafter the rain becomes more frequent and more 

prolonged. 

Agricultural crops are usually sown at this time. Plantation 

trees are put out rather later, towards the end of June or beginning 

of JUly when daily rain is certain. The rains of Sierra 

Leone are not subject to failure though dates of onset and 

cessation vary from year to year, as does the total fall and its 

chronological distribution. 

TEMPERATURE 

There is very little variation in mean temperature, which is 

around 800F. all the year. Mean monthly temperatures are lowest 

in August and highest in March and April (74-780F. and 78-840F. 

respectively). Mean monthly values for minimum temperatures are 

70o-750F. of the year but fall to 650-680F. for most during 

January at inland stations and reach their highest values, 72 0 

75°F. during April or May. Mean monthly maximum tempera.tures go 

up to 96°F. in March at inland fairly low lying stations, but do 

not exceed 90 0 on the coast. 

SUNSHINE 

Cloud is more frequent during the rainy season and 

consequently the number of hours of sunshine is lowest during 

August. Even in August the average length of daily sunshine is 

around two hours. February has the most sunshine, averaging 

seven to eight hours per day. 

HUllIDITY 

The climate of Sierra Leone is often spoken of as humid. 

Relative humidity measured in the early morning (0900 hours), as 

mean monthly values, varies from seventy-seven per cent (at 

Musaia in April) to ninety-seven per cent (at Njala from July to 

September). Early morning relative humidity is lowest at most 

stations in April and highest in August. Relative humidity 

measured in the mid afternoon (1500 hours) is more variable. 

Mean monthly values are highest (74-90 per cent) at all stations 

in August, with a marked decrease from the coast to inland 

stations. They reach their lowest values (30-71 per cent) in 

February with a similar decrease from the coast to inland stations. 

6

RAINFALL Fig. 2. 

Annual rainfall varies from over 200 inches in the Freetown 

area to eighty inches in the extreme north of the country. Three 

rainfall belts are usually distinguished: a coastal strip five to 

twenty miles wide receiving 125 inches and above: the area of 

country between this coastal strip and a line between the Kuru 

Hills in the north-west and Segbwema in the east, running in a 

north-west to south-east direction, which has 100-125 inches, and 

the area to the east of that line which receives less than 100 

inohes. Total annual rainfall varies from year to year quite 

considerably and to some extent from place to place. Most of this 

variation is due to heavier or lighter falls than average during 

one or more of the months from July to September. 

Histograms of mean monthly rainfall are given in fig. 2. 

Heaviest monthly falls are often in July near the coast, in 

August in the north and in September in the east of the country. 

Januar,y is universally the month with least rain. There are no 

significant exceptions to the general pattern of climate as seen 

through rainfall, only differences of degree. Thus stations to the 

east of the central rainfall belt tend to have more rain in the dry 

season months compared with stations to the north-west of that bel;t, 

whose total annual rainfall is similar. This is sometimes con- . 

sidered to be an important factor influencing the distribution of 

high forest. 

R>PULATION 

The population in 1963 according to a census was approximately 

2.18 million, or a mean popUlation density of seventy-six per 

square mile. Over the country there is considerable range in the 

population density, from twenty-seven persons per square mile in 

Koinadugu District, mostly savanna country in the north-east and 

including the very sparsely populated Loma Mountains, to over 100 

per square mile in Port Lako, Kambia and Bo districts. In terms 

of regions the Eastern Province is the most populous, apart from 

the Freetown area, with ninety persons per square mile. 

7

In the semi-deciduous forests the effect of the harmattan is 

greatero Relative humidity is lower in the dry season and there 

are four months with only two inches of rain. 

Two principal types are recognised: 

(i) Tonkoli type. This type is found only in Tonkoli 

Forest Reserve which extends to the northern limit of the high 

forest zone. The forest is thought to be relatively young and is 

characterised by an abundance of the following species: 

Antiaris africana 

Chlorophora regia 

Parinari excelsa 

Parkia bicolor 

Piptadeniastrum africanum 

Pycnanthus angolensis 

Terminalia ivorensis 

(ii) Kasewe type. The second type of semi-deciduous forest 

is found in the central south-western part of the country including 

Kasewe, Moyamba and Singamba Forest Reserves. The most important 

characteristic species is Nesogordonia papaverifera. The following 

are also abundant: 

Brachystegia leonensis 

Bridelia grandis 

Cordia platythyrsa 



SERAL COMMUNITIES IN THE HIGH FOREST ZONE 

The present distribution of vegetation owes much to agricultural 

aotivity. Extensive bush fallow farming, mainly for upland 

rice, has resulted in a patchwork of woody bush whioh depends on 

its age and the fertility of its soil for height and speoifio 

oontent. All over the oountry the forms of bush are known by 

their age and condition in terms of suitability for farming. 

In this seotion the ways in which farm bush can revert to 

high forest are desoribed first, and then the ways in whioh it can 

be changed to more or less permanent and unproductive savanna. 

(i) Development of farm bush to high forest 

Early farming in Sierra Leone oonsisted of felling patohes of 

forest whioh were seldom more than ten aores in extent. The out 

vegetation was subsequently burnt, then the ground was cultivated 

and the crop sown. After the harvest at the end of the next rainy 

season, the farm was usually abandoned. 

Today there is praotically no natural forest available for 

farming, in faot there is a negligible amount of farm bush with a 

twenty-year fallow, and very little with a fallow more than 

fifteen years. It is well known that land bearing tropical forest 

more often than not loses its fertility rapidly when it has been 

cleared for agrioulture. The forest largely depends for its 

growth upon the rapid decomposition of org&Pic matter which it 

returns to the soil, supplemented by supplies obtained by tree 

roots from the mineral soil at oonsiderable depths. 

10

When the forest is cleared this cycle is broken, but the 

farmer has overcome the difficulties associated with loss of 

fertility, by the use of the bush fallow which not only restores 

fertility but also reduces weed growth. Provided that the fallow 

does not fall below a limit, which varies with soil and climatic 

conditions, shifting cultivation can be continued with safety; in 

most upland areas a fallow of eight to ten years appears to be 

required to produce reasonably good rice crops. 

Where the fallow has been kept at a satisfactory level to 

maintain fertility the following changes in vegetation take place 

after a farm is abandoned: 

First many herbaceous plants, climbers, shrubs and small 

trees invade the area. The razor grass, Sceleria barteri, is 

often common in the early stages and makes access difficult; small 

trees include: 

Albizia zygia 

Anthocleista spp. 

Canthium 

Cleistopholis patens 

Elaeis 

Funtumia spp. 

Harungana 

HOlarrhena 

Morinda 

Ochthocosmus 

Phyllanthus 

Ricinocendron 

Samanea 

Trema 

Xylopia spp. 

In many cases the species listed above form more or less pure 

stands which may develop into forty-feet high bush. 

If the farm were made in high forest the first stage may be 

a pure pole crop of Musanga. A few relic trees of the original 

forest are usually present, especially those with particUlarly 

hard wood such as Klainedoxa, for the farmers do not destroy all 

of them. 

The Malal Hills Forest Reserve is an example of an area in 

this stage of development. 

The second stage is a pole crop of potentially larger trees, 

mainly light demanders such as: 

Amphimas 

Bombax 

Bridelia 

Ceiba 

Chlorophora 

Fagara 

Nauclea 

Pycnanthus 

Terminalia 

The young secondary forest has now been formed and is easily 

recognised by the fairly uniform structure, the preponderance of 

light demanders and normally the presence of oil palms. 

The final stage results from the unequal growth rates and 

potentialities of the various species; for example Ricinodendron 

and Bridelia die out quite early and new species, especially shade 

bearers are recruited. Eventually a heterogeneous mixture that is 

11

typical of high forest is brought about. It is more of less 

similar to primary forest according to its age. 

(ii) Derivation of Savanna 

Demands for food and cash crops are causing increasing demands 

on the land. There are now few chiefdoms with any appreciable area 

of unreserved bush which is more than ten years old, and in many 

parts the fallow period is below five years. Shortening the 

fallow period causes a loss in productivity which has to be made 

up by a corresponding increase in the area oultivated, and thus 

the position is aggravated. 

As the fallow period decreases the tree speoies ohange and 

there is an inorease in the number of oil palms and herbaoeous 

plants. In the southern part of the country steady degeneration 

of the bush generally ooours, but in the drier north and on the 

Rokel sands there is a rapid invasion of grass. In faot it is 

said that an appreciable area whioh now bears savanna has been 

covered with bush within living memory. 

The ohange from bush to grass results in a deterioration of 

farming oonditions, particularly where the savanna is burnt 

annually as so often happens. When conditions of Savanna woodland 

or orohard bush have been aohieved oommon tree speoies include: 

Hannoa undulata 

Anisophyllea laurina 

Daniellia oliveri 

Erythrina senegalensis 

Parinari exolesa 

Parkia biglobosa 

Bombax oostatum 

Piliostigma thonningii 

Fterooarpus erinaoeous 

Synzygium guineense var. macrocarpum 

Terminalia albida 

Uapaca togoensis 

In areas where savanna or grassland adjoin bush, persistent 

annual fires, ocourring late in the dry season, oause a gradual 

retreat of the bush, thus the area subject to fires is progressively 

increased and a considerable degradation of the soil ooours. 

The more valuable grazing grasses suoh as Andropogon teotorum and 

Chasmodium caudatum. are replaced by Imperata oylindrioa and 

elephant grass, Pennisetum. subangustum.. In areas where Lophira 

savanna is found farming and fire are said to encourage its spread. 

When this stage is reaohed the degradation of vegetation and 

soil is for practioal purposes irreversible and such land oannot 

be used sucoessfully at present. 

Throughout the savanna oountry, small relics of the former 

forest are dotted about, either as sacred bush or patches on 

moister land whioh is not easily burnt, or as the gallery forests 

on the lower slopes of mountains. In Eastern Kono and the Loma 

mountains area a typical species of these relics is Triplochiton 

soleroxylon. 

The exposure of the soil by farmers at the time of the early 

rains, which are torrential, oauses erosion to an extent depending, 

among other factors, on the type of soil and the steepness of the 

slope. Farmers often choose to oultivate hillsides which have 

slopes greater than forty-five degrees and from these the soil is 

rapidly washed away during a single farming season. Huge boulders 

and rocks are exposed. 

12

Enoroaohing savanna also oauses erosion as the trees, whose 

roots hold the soil, are killed. Large areas of the Loma 

mountains have been denuded in this way during the last ten years. 

INLAND FRESH-WATER SWAMP FOREST 

This type of forest is subjeot to periodio inundation of fresh 

ground. water. It is found wherever the surfaoe soil is waterlogged 

and where free water aocumulates on the surfaoe of the soil for 

some period of the year. A similar type is also found on the 

ridges of watersheds, such as Nimini North, where lateritic pans 

near the surface hold water during the rains. 

The most oommon species in the fresh-water swamps is Mitragyna 

stipulosa and in the rain forest this is usually associated with 

Nauolea vanderguchtii. Other less frequent speoies which are more 

oommonly associated with the edge of the swamp are: 


Gilbertiodendron splendidum 

Symphonia globulifera 

Kaoaranga heudelotii 

If the period of inundation is lengthened or if the swamp is 

permanently waterlogged or farmed regularly, palms replaoe other 

tree species and the ground vegetation consists of shrubs, ferns, 

and other hygrophilous plants, but grasses are absent. 

lIANGROVE WOODLAND 

)(a.ngrove woodland is found in the saline tidal areas, below 

the high tide mark in the estuaries of the main rivers, and to 

some extent along the coast. The mangroves are: 

Avicennia afrioana 

Conocarpus ereotus 

Laguncularia racemosa 

Rhizophora spp. 

LITTORAL WOODLAND 

In the coastal belt, partioularly in the extreme south of the 

country, where the soil is practically pure sand, the climax 

vegetation is a type of open savanna. It occurs on sites which 

are very wet, often flooded during the rains, and very dry during 

the dry season. The trees are widely spaced, singly, or in groups, 

and are stunted. Between them the ground is covered by a turf of 

short grasses. The vegetation is under constant maritime influence. 

Common tree species include: 

Cassia mimosoides 

Chrysobalanus ellipticus 

Anthostema senegalense 

Napoleona vogelii 

Parinari macrophYlla 

The areas less liable to prolonged flooding are often farmed 

and the resulting farm bush is oharacterised by the great abundance 

of the olimbing shrub Habropetalum dawei, a plant which is unique 

to this particular part of Sierra Leone. 

13

The lower lying sites liable to prolonged waterlogging or 

flooding during the rains carry low crooked trees, including: 

Afrolicania elaeosperma 

Hymenocardia spp. 

Ochna multiflora 

RIVERSIDE FOREST 

Riverside forests are edaphic formations on river banks and 

are dependant upon a constant supply of soil moisture. Typical 

species include: 

Cathormion altissimum 

Cynometra leonensis 

Plagiosiphon emarginatus 

Myriantus spp. 

Pterocarpus santalinoides 

Uapaca heudelotii 

Didelotia afzelii 

Dialium dinklagei 

Gilbertiodendron bilineatum 

Paramacrolobium coeruleum 



Newtonia elliotii 

UPPER MONTANE FOREST 

This type of forest is seldom found at altitudes below 5,000 

ft. It is subjeot to mist and cloud and is evergreen. Such 

forest is found in small areas of the Loma mountains and Tingi 

Hills. 

14

EXPLOITATION AND REGENERATION 

EXPLOITATION 

CHAPl'ER III 

Those high forests which are, or could be made accessible, 

and which are adequately stocked are exploited by two saw-mills. 

The larger of the two is situated at Kenema and is a state 

corporation; its total annual log intake is in the region of 

600,000 hoppus feet. The other mill is situated near Panguma and 

has an annual log intake of about 300,000 hoppus feet. Within the 

next five years it is planned to build a third mill to exploit 

Tonkoli and Tama reserves. 

The minimum acceptable stocking for exploitation is 325 

hoppus cubic feet per acre, and the average exploited is 415 

hoppus cubic feet. 

At least thirty common species are regUlarly felled but as 

many as eighty local tree names are listed as having been felled. 

REGENERATION 

Regeneration follows exploitation at about the same rate. 

Briefly, the method is first to decide whether the area should be 

regenerated naturally or artificially. 

(i) Natural regeneration 

If natural regeneration is to be done, all weed trees and 

defective economic trees are poisoned as soon as possible after 

logging. This gives rise to a dense shrub thicket, or in many 

instances a pole crop of young economic trees. 

When the thicket has grown so that access is possible by 

silvicultural gangs, and in any case not later than ten years 

after the initial poisoning, diagnostic sampling is carried out in 

order to determine whether to carry on with natural regeneration 

treatments or not. The minimum stocking required for an area to 

be considered worth while is ten or more trees over one foot in 

girth per acre. 

All that is usually necessary in the second treatment is 

poisoning weeds and defectives which exceed the smallest of the 

relied upon leading dominants, plus climber cutting. 

It is thought that the crops so treated are unlikely to need 

more than limited thinning before the end of the rotation. If so 

this is planned for about twenty to thirty years after felling. 

If a compartment is particularly well stocked with the more 

valuable species (those on list A below), then they alone are left 

unpoisoned in the second treatment, but in the majority of cases 

in the Eastern Provice trees are encouraged in natural regeneration 

if they appear on either of the following lists: 

15

LIST A LIST B 

Brachystegia leonensis Albizia ferruginea 

Chlorophora regia Berlinia spp. 

Cordia platythyrsa Bridelia grandis 

Detarium senegalense Canarium schweinfurthii 

Didelotia idae Daniellia spp. 

Entandrophragma spp. Hannoa klaineana 

Fagara macrophylla Lophira alata 

Guarea cedrata Oldfieldia africana 

Heritiera utilis Ongokea gore 

Khaya spp. pycnanthus angolensis 

Lovoa trichiliodes Sacoglottis gabonensis 

Mitragyna stipulosa Terminalia superba 

Nauclea diderrichii Xylia evansii 

Nesogordonia papaverifera 

Piptadeniestrum africanum 


Tieghemella heckelii 

(ii) Artificial regeneration 

In most Protected Forests (which are usually low secondary 

forest), in savanna and increasingly in selected areas of high 

forest in Forest Reserves, planting is being carried out by the 

taungya method. 

The most common species planted are Terminalia ivorensis and 

Gmelina arborea, although many others have been tried and are still 

planted on a small scale. These include teak, various eucalypts, 

Terminalia superba, Heritiera. Cordia alliodora, Hannoa klaineana 

and Nauclea diderrichii. Pinus carribaea has recently shown 

itself to be very promising and will probably be used on a greater 

scale in savanna areas. 

Until 1965 all planting was done at close spacings which 

varied between 7 ft x 7 ft to 15 ft x 15 f't but recently much 

wider line planting methods are being introduoed with certain 

species in the high forest areas. Spacings of about 45 ft x 15 ft 

are employed. 

16

CHAPl'ER IV 

- 

KEY 

The scientific classification and nomenclacture of trees is 

based on fertile material, and the positive determination of a 

species is often only possible on this basis. However, the 

following key for the more common large trees is based mainly on 

vegetative features of varying complexity, because flowers and 

fruits of tall trees are virtually inaccessible and in most cases 

only available seasonally. It is not claimed that the key will 

give absolutely certain determinations; results should be 

checked by means of descriptions and illustrations in this, and 

other publications. When fertile material is available the keys 

in the F.W.T.A. should be consulted. 

Before using the key, a mature leaf-bearing branch should be 

collected and notes made on the overall appearance and slash of 

the tree; in particular, more unusual characters such as the 

presence of stilt-roots, thorns, large buttresses or latex should 

be noted. The use of fallen leaves, flowers or fruit should be 

treated warily as it is easy to pick up material from a 

neighbouring tree of a different species. 

With only a few exceptions the key is dichotomous. Each 

number on the left gives the alternatives, a or b, and each 

alternative leads either to a new number or group, or to a 

determination, or sometimes another minor key in the text. 

KEY TO GROUPS 

1. a. Leaves simple 2 

b. Leaves compound 10 

2. a. Leaves opposite or whorled 3 

b. Leaves alternate 6 

a. Leaves whorled Group A 

b. Leaves opposite 4a. 

Coloured sap absent in the slash Group B 

b. Coloured sap or latex or gum present in the 

slash 5 

5. a. White latex present in the slash Group C 

b. Red or yellow sap or sticky gum present in 

the slash Group D 

6. a. Leaves palmately nerved Group E 

b. Leaves pinnately nerved 7 

a. White latex or coloured sap present in the 

slash Group F 

b. White latex or coloured sap absent in the 

slash 8 

8. a. Leaf margin not entire Group G 

b • Leaf margin entire 9 

9· a. Stilt roots present Group H 

b. Stilt roots absent Group I 

10. a. Leaves digitately compound or trifoliolate Group J 

b. Leaves (bi-) pinnately compound 11 

11. a. Leaves with two leaflets Group K 

b. Leaves with more than two leaflets, but not 

trifoliolate 12 

(For leaves with three leaflets see Group J) 

17

Key - G-roup BjC/D 

9. a. Leaves long, obovate-oblanceolate, cuneate at the 

base, in tufts; branchlets often with prickles; 

bole sometimes with stilt roots Anthocleista spp. 

b. Leaves different 10 

10. a. Nerves inconspicuous even on the lower surface, 

leaves often serrate, elliptic to oblong, up to 

10 cm. long Cassipourea congoensis 

b. Nerves distinct on the lower surface 11 

11. a. Leaves elliptic, up to 20 om. long, coriaceous and 

markedly recurved, fragrant when crushed; leaves 

sub-opposite or alternate Beilschmiedia mannii 

b. Leaves oblong to obovate-elliptic, up to 20 cm. 

long; stipules up to 1 cm. long and 4 mm. broad, 

early deciduous, leaving transverse scars at the 

nodes Pausinystalia lane-poolei 

c. Leaves different; check G-roup D 

G-ROUP C: Leaves opposite. White latex present in the slash 

1. a. Leaves and branchlets verticillate; leaves 8-24 cm. 

long with 8-16 pairs of lateral nerves and a 

narrowly triangular acute tip; latex from young 

branchlets only Rauvolfia vomitoria 

b. Branchlets not verticillate 2 

2. a. Leaves mostly ovate-acuminate, 5-18 cm. long, with 

6-12 pairs of lateral nerves; slash characteristically 

layered; latex abundant 

Holarrhena floribunda 

b. Leaves elliptic or elliptic-oblong, acuminate, 

12-28 cm. long, with 6-12 pairs of lateral nerves; 

slash not layered; latex abundant Funtumia spp. 

c. Leaves different; check other Apocynaceae 

GROUP D: Leaves opposite. Coloured sap or gum present in the 

slash 

1. a. Leaves densely covered with stellate hairs, at least 

beneath 2 

b o Leaves not covered with stellate hairs 3 

2. a. Leaves ovate to ovate-elliptic; the whole tree 

(except the bark) covered with fine stellate hairs; 

sap plentiful, brilliant orange 

Harungana madagascariensis 

b. Leaves elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate, with 

stellate hairs beneath Vismia guineensis 

3. a. Leaves usually with up to twenty pairs of lateral 

nerves; sap clear or yellow; fruit 40 cm. long, 

15 cm. broad Allanblackia floribunda 

b. Leaves usually with more than twenty pairs of 

lateral nerves 4 

4. a. Leaves often punctate, or with resinous lines 

oblique to the lateral nerves; small dots of yellow 

latex in the slash G-arcinia spp. 

b. Resin ducts, if present, between the lateral nerves 5 

50 a. Resin ducts between the lateral nerves; leaves 

elliptic to obvate, 10-20 cm. long; fruit 15 cm. 

long, 11 cm. broad Pentadesma butyracea 

b. Resin ducts absent, fruit smaller 6 

19

Key - Group DIE 

6. a. Tree with stilt roots; leaf oblanceolate, 5-10 cm. 

long Symphonia globulifera 

b. Tree without stilt roots; leaf oblong elliptic, 

15-25 cm. long Mammea africana 

GROUP E: Leaves simple, alternate, palmately nerved 

1. a. Leaves with stellate hairs, at least when young 

(Sterculiaceae and Tiliaceae) 2 

b. Leaves without stellate hairs 8 

2. a. Leaves palmately 5-7 lobed Tripl'Ochiton scleroxylon 

b. Leaves not lobed 3 

3. a. Leaves cordate at base 4 

b. Leaves not usually cordate 7 

4. a. Leaves 6-7 nerved at the base 5 

b. Leaves with five nerves at the base; fruits large, 

containing water and edible seeds 

Cola lateritia var. maclaudi 

5. a. Leaf margin denticulate, 15-30 cm. long, 8-15 cm. 

broad Mansonia altissima 

b. Leaf margin entire 6 

6. a. Leaves 10-38 cm. long and broad; tree with well 

developed buttresses pterygota macrocarpa 

b. Leaves about 20 cm. long and 15 cm. broad; hairs 

persistent and dense on both surfaces; a riverside 

tree Christiana africana 

7. a. Leaves with persistent hairs beneath; rounded at 

the base, 10-18 cm. long, 5-11 cm. broad 

Sterculia tragacantha 

b. Leaves very minutely hairy when young, up to 11 cm. 

long and 5 cm. broad; tree with large buttresses 


8. a. Leaf margin entire, leaf not lobed 9 

b. Leaf margin not entire and/or leaf lobed 12 

a. Leaves 3-6 cm. long 10 

b. Leaves more than 6 cm. long 11 

10. a. Leaves with three rather indistinct nerves from the 

rounded base; bark smooth; slash red and sticky; 

tree of Gola Forests only Didelotia idae 

b. Leaves obovate, with a faint pair of false nerves 

from the base and curved intrapetiolar stipules 

Erythro:xylum mannii 

11. a. Leaves 7-15 cm. long, 2.5-7 cm. broad, with 1-2 main 

longitudinal nerves on each side of midrib; young 

branchlets hairy AnisophYllea spp. 

b. Leaves broadly rounded, 10-20 cm. long, 8-15 cm. 

broad, with 4-5 pairs of lateral nerves, the lower 

pair from the base Cordia platythyrsa 

12. a. Leaves not lobed, dentate on the upper part only, 

with three nerves from the base and a pair of hairy 

glands at the base on the upper surface; petiole 

2.5-6 cm. long Discoglypremna caloneura 

b. Leaves lobed and/or dentate along the whole of the 

margin 13 

20

Key - Group ElF 

13. a. Tree with white latex; leaves broadly elliptic, 

7-11 cm. long, cordate at base, hairs in the axilis 

of nerves beneath Morus mesozygia 

b • Tree without white latex 14 

14. a. Leaves usually bilobed at the apex; margin entire 

Piliostigma spp. or Bauhinia spp. 

b. Leaves ovate, not lobed, distichous, closely 

serrulate, hairy; a small tree of farm regrowth 

Trema guineensis 

c. Leaves very deeply lobed, (sometimes 5-7-foliolate, 

or simple, or shortly 3-10bed); small trees, often 

by water Myrianthus spp , 

GROUP F: Trees with white latex or coloured sap in the 

slash. Leaves simple, alternate, pinnately nerved. 

1 0 a. Red or reddish sap in the slash 2 

b. White latex in the slash 3 

2. a. Leaves markedly distichous and drooping, up to 30 cm. 

long, with 20-35 pairs of lateral nerves 

b o 

pycnanthus angolensis 

Leaves similar but with only 6-9 pairs of slender, 

curved lateral nerves Coelocaryon oxycarpum 

3. a. Leaves cordate at the base, usually broadly elliptic 

or sub-orbicular 4b. 

Leaves cuneate or rounded at the base, elliptic to 

narrowly ovate 7 

4. a o Leaves assymetrical at the base, glabrous, with 

9-15 pairs of lateral nerves; stipules leaving 

annular scars; bole fluted; tree often of 

river banks Treculia africana 

b. Leaf and tree different 5 

5. Leaves scabrid, venation strongly reticulate 

beneath, with 6-12 pairs of lateral nerves; petiole 

2-12 mm. long Antiaris africana 


6. a. Leaves with 6-10 pairs of lateral nerves which are 

sparsely covered with hairs; petiole 3-6 cm. long 


b. Leaves large, up to 30 cm. long, emarginate at apex; 

branchlets fleshy Elaeophorbia grandifolia 

c. Leaves different; check Fious app. 

7. a. Leaves oblong-elliptic, obtuse or rounded at the 

base, up to 15 om. long; margin toothed; a pair of 

sessile glands at the base Sapium aubrevillei 

b o Leaves different; margin not toothed 8 

8. a. Leaves up to 13 cm. long; elliptic with rounded 

margins and numerous lateral nerves spreading at 

right angles; leaves markedly distichous; tree 

common on river banks Anthostema senegalense 

b , Leaves different (Sapotaceae) 9 

9. a. Leaves hairy, sometimes densely so, at least 

beneath and when young 10 

b. Leaves glabrous, or nearly so beneath 12 

10. a. Nerves indistinct; leaves variable in shape, often 

glaucous below when mature Manilkara obovata 

b. Nerves prominent 11 

21

Key - Group FIG 

11. a. Petiole longer than 1 cm. (ChrysophYllum) see key p.238 

b. Petiole up to 1 cm. long, leaves with rusty yellow 

hairs, dense beneath 

Aningeria robusta (check also Chrysophyllum) 

12. a. Petiole shorter than 1 cm. 13 

b. Petiole longer than 1 cm. 15 

13. a. Nerves very numerous, obscure, leaves oblong, very 

shortly cuneate at the base 

Chrysophyllum pruniforme 

b. Nerves up to about 25 pairs 14 

14. a. Leaves large, obovate, attenuated to base; subsessile 

fruits very large, borne on stem; tree of 

moist sites Omphalocarpum spp. 

b. Leaves smaller (not exceeding 16 cm. long), 

oblanceolate, narrowed from well above middle of 

base and there obtuse; petiole stout and hairy 

Afrosersalisia afzelii 

(check also Pachystela brevipes) 

15. a. Nerves prominent beneath; leaves oblanceolate, 

8-16 cm. long, apex elongated, 10-15 pairs of 

lateral nerves; petiole 1-2 cm. long, hairy 

Chrysophyllum subnudum 

b. Nerves inconspicuous beneath 16 

16. a. Leaves clustered in pseudo-whorls at the ends of 

branchlets; lanceolate-elliptic with about ten 

pairs of indistinct lateral nerves; short, sharp 

stipules present at least at end of branchlets 

Neolemmoniera clitandrifolia 

b. Leaves glabrous clustered in groups at the ends of 

branchlets; without stipules; lateral nerves 

numerous and indistinct Tieghemella heckelii 

c. Leaves not distinctly clustered; without stipules; 

lateral nerves numerous and indistinct; leaves 

siDcy beneath when young, often glaucous-grey when 

older Manilkara obovata 

GROUP G: Leaves simple, alternate, pinnately nerved, margins 

not entire. Trees without white latex or coloured sap in the 

slash. 

1 • a. Leaves cordate at the base 

b. Leaves not cordate at the base 

2 

3 

2. a. Leaves large, 12-30 cm. long, 5-14 cm. broad, 

markedly coriaceous and distichous, tertiary nerves 

prominent Homalium letestui 

b. Leaves up to 11 cm. long, slash with a hot pepperlike 

taste Drypetes spp. 

c. Leaves 7-16 cm. long, 4-7 cm. broad, denticulate 

towards apex, with a thin cottony felt beneath when 

young Parinari aubrevillei 

3. a. Leaves indistinctly 3-nerved from the base, toothed 

only towards the apex Discoglypremna caloneura 

b. Leaves not 3-nerved from the base 4 

4. a. Bole with spines; leaves rather variable, undulate 

but seldom toothed; usually auriculate at the base; 

small tree Macaranga barteri 

b. Bole without spines 5 

5. a. Slash with a distinct smell 6 

b. Slash without a distinct smell 7 

22

Key - Group GIn 

6. a. Slash smelling strongly or boiled chicken; leaves 

rounded at the base, 6-15 cm. long, 3-5 cm. broad 

with a small gland on each tooth and in the axil of 

each nerve Maesopsis eminii 

b. Slash smelling similar to bitter almonds; leaves 

toothed in the upper third only, each with 3-4 pairs 

of nerves about 8 cm. long Scottelia coriacea 

7. a. Blade acutely narrowed at the base on to the 

petiole; leaves with up to 12 pairs of much 

divided nerves; bole heavily fluted 

Sacoglottis gabonensis 

b. Blade not narrowed on to the petiole 8 

8. a. Teeth with black glands; leaves acute at the base, 

8-11 cm. long, 2-4 cm. broad, with few lateral 

nerves; a small tree Ochthocosmus africanus 

b. Leaves cuneate or obtuse at the base; a pair of 

small glands present at the base of the blade; 

slash very bitter Mareya micrantha 

GROUP H: Trees with stilt roots, leaves simple, alternate, 

pinnately nerved, margin entire. Trees without white latex or 

coloured sap in the slash. 

(Numbers 6-9 in the key include trees which do not fall into 

this group, except that they also have stilt roots). 

1 • a. Leaves simple, alternate 2 

b. Leaves not simple, a1ternate 6 

2. a. Stilt roots usually more or less cylindrical 3 

b. Stilt roots very distinctly laterally flattened 5 

3. a o Stilt roots low, bole often with spines; petiole 

less than 1 cm. long; see key p .112 Bridelia spp. 

b o Stilt roots usually high; petiole more than 1 cm. 

long, leaves often in clusters at ends of 

branchlets 4 

4. a. Leaves up to 20 cm. long or more, not glandular, 

stilt roots often up to 6 ft. high Uapaca spp. 

b. Leaves 7-16 cm. long, 4-9 cm. broad, minutely and 

closely glandular beneath, slightly auriculate, 

petiole 2-10 cm. long Macaranga barteri 

(If leaves are palmately nerved; lobed or toothed 

check other Macaranga spp.) 

5. a. Slash with a strong aromatic scent; leaves with 

about 8 pairs of lateral nerves and a densely 

reticulate surface Xylopia staudtii 

b. Slash not aromatic; leaves densely scaley beneath 

with 10-15 pairs of lateral nerves, petiole long, 

some leaves digitately 5-7 foliolate 

Heritiera utilis 

6. a. Leaves simple, opposite 7 

b. Leaves compound, alternate 8 

7. a. Leaves 5-10 cm. long, with numerous lateral nerves; 

tree of wet places Symphonia globulifera 

b. Leaves much longer, in tufts, branchlets often with 

prickles Anthocleista spp. 

8. a. Leaves digitately compound Musanga cecropioides 

b. Leaves pinnately compound 9 

23

Key - Group H/r 

9. a. Leaves paripinnate, with 3-4 pairs of leaflets; 2-4 

black pointed excrescences above, in axil leaf 

b o 

Koue stapfiana 

Leaves imparipinnate, with 5-7 leaflets; slash 

fragrant Santiria trimera 

GROUP I: Leaves simple, alternate, pinnately nerved, margins 

entire. Trees without white latex or coloured sap in the 

slash, and without stilt roots. 

1. a. Leaves normally at least 15 cm. long and at least 

three times as long as broad 2 

b. Leaves usually smaller but in any case less than 

three times as long as broad 8 

2. a. Leaves emarginate or rounded at apex, with numerous 

fine parallel nerves joining a marginal nerve 

Lophira spp. 

b. Leaves not emarginate at apex 3 

3. a. Leaves with more than 15 pairs of lateral nerves 4 

b. Leaves with less than 15 pairs of lateral nerves 5 

4. a. Petiole distinctly jointed at both ends; leaves 

hairy on midrib and nerves beneath, with 15-35 pairs 

of nerves; small tree of wet forest 

Protomegabaria stap:ri.ana 

b. Leaves with stipules up to 20 cm. long, or annular 

scars left by fallen stipules, leaves finely 

reticulate on both surf'aces; juvenile form of 

Klainedoxa gabonensis 

5. a. Leaves strongly undulate, rounded to cuneate at base, 

with 10-15 pairs of steeply ascending lateral nerves; 

distichous; slash strongly scented 

Pachypodanthium staudtii 


6. a. Leaves hairy in axils of nerves beneath, with 9-11 

pairs of lateral nerves with parallel tertiary 

nerves; slash very gummy Strephonema pseudocola 


7. a. Leaves cuneate and slightly decurrent at base, 

recurved, arcuate, coriaceous, with 5-10 pairs of 

lateral nerves; leaves often sub-opposite; slash 

scented Beilshmiedia mannii 

b. Leaves deltoid at base, rigidly coriaceous, with 

8-10 pairs of lateral nerves, slightly raised below 

Amanoa bracteosa 

c. Leaves different; oheck Ochna spp. and Ouratea spp. 

8. Small trees; leaves subsessile; slash strongly 

aromatic; check Xylopia spp. and other Annonaceae 

b. Generally larger trees; slash not aromatic 9 

9. a. Leaves with persistent stipules or when caducous 

leaving annular scars 10 

b. Leaves without stipules, or stipules inoonspicuous 

and falling early 15 

10. a. Stipules 1.5-10 cm. long, linear, caducous, leaving 

a distinct annular scar at the node 11 

b. Stipules generally persistent, smaller and not 

linear (or when caducous not leaving annular scars) 12 

11 • a. Leaves with over 20 pairs of nerves; stipules up to 

10 cm. long; tree with very well developed 

buttresses Klainedoxa gabonensis 

b. Leaves with 5-11 pairs of nerves; stipules about 

1.5 cm. long; tree with buttresses 

Irvingia gabonensis 

24

Key - Group I 

26. a. Branchlets flattened 27 

b. Branchlets not flattened 28 

27. a. Leaves with a pair of false nerves from the base 

and a pair of curved intrapetiolar stipules 

Erythroxylum mannii 

b. Leaves vdth 4-10 pairs of nerves; petiole 

caniculate Ongokea gore 

28. a o Bole with thorns 29 

b. Bole without thorns 30 

29. a. Petiole 3-14 cm. lone Calonocoba gilgiana 

b. Petiole shorter than 3 cm.; leaves distichous; 

nerves 10-13 pairs, joining a marginal nerve; tree 

occasionally with stilt roots Bridelia spp. 

30. a. Leaves with stellate or scaley hairs 31 

b. Leaves with simple hairs, or glabrous 37 

31. a. Leaves with dense scaley hairs beneath; midrib 

slightly raised above with 10-15 pairs of lateral 

nerves; tree always with buttresses and sometimes 

stilt roots Heritiera utilis 

b. Leaves with stellate hairs 32 

32 0 a. Petiole very short; stellate and simple hairs 

present; slash bright yellow and scented 

Enantia polycarpa 

b. Petioles over 1 cm. long 33 

33. a. Nerves less than 10 pairs 34 

b. Nerves more than 10 pairs 35 

34. a. Blade vdth minute stellate hairs when young, 

especially in axils of nerves beneath; up to 11 cm. 

long, acuminate and mucronate at apex; slash pink 


b. Hairs bushy; petiole swollen at top; blade up to 

30 cm. long; slash yellow Octoknema borealis 

35. a. Leaves ovate-elliptic, obtusely and shortly 

acuminate Sterculia tragacantha 

b. Leaves elongate-elliptic long caudate-acuminate, 

petiole caniculate above Coula edulis 

36. a. Leaves hairy beneath 37 

b. Leaves glabrous or glabrescent beneath 38 

37. a. Leaves elliptic-obovate, distichous, up to 14 cm. 

long; midribs and nerves prominent beneath, 

joining a marginal nerve Bridelia spp. 

b. Leaves oblong-oblanceolate, up to 25 cm. long with 

stellate and simple hairs beneath; slash bright 

yellow and scented Enantia polycarpa 

c. Leaves elliptic with indistinct glands on petiole or 

base of blade (Parinari spp.) see key p.216 

38. a. Leaves cordate or sub-cordate at base 39 

b. Leaves not cordate at base 40 

39. a. Leaves unequally rounded and sub-cordate at base; 

ovate with 3-5 pairs of nerves; petiole usually 

less than 1 cm. long Okoubaka aubrevillei 

,b. Leaves rounded or slightly cordate at base, ovate 

with about 4 pairs of nerves; petiole 1.3-2.5 cm. 

long Baphia nitida 

26

Key - Group L/!l 

17. a. Pinnae 4-7 pairs, each with 8-12 pairs of leaflets 

15-35 mm. long, 5-20 mm. broad; rhachis with a 

shallow, broad groove above Aubrevillea platycarpa 

b. Pinnae about 10 pairs, each with about 12 pairs of 

leaflets 2.5 cm. long, 1 cm. broad, unequal sided 

at base, emarginate and shortly mucronate at apex 

Pentaclethra macrophYlla 

18. a. Pinnae 3-6 pairs, each with 10-14 pairs of leaflets 

on two distal pairs of pinnae, fewer on basal pairs; 

leaflets oblong, 11-23 mm. long Albizia ferruginea 

b. Pinnae 4-9 pairs, each with 9-17 pairs of leaflets, 

terminal pair smaller than others; leaflets 

obliquely rhombic, quadrate, 7-17 mm. long; 

rhachides and pinnae densely hairy 

Albizia adianthifolia 

19. a. Tree armed with spines, generally small growing in 

scrub and savanna; pinnae about 10 pairs with a 

rod-like gland between each 

Dichrostachys glomerata 

b. Tree unarmed; leaf different 20 

20. a. Leaves with up to 8 pairs of pinnae 21 

b. Leaves with more than 8 pairs of pinnae 22 

21. a. Pinnae 5-8 pairs, each with 16-30 pairs of leaflets, 

10-20 mm. long Aubrevillea kerstingii 

b. Pinnae 5-7 pairs, each with 12-25 pairs of leaflets, 

10-15 mm. long; a waterside tree often with 

spines Cathormion altissimum 

22. a. Petiole 5-10 cm. long 23 

b. Petiole less than 4 cm. long 24 

23. a. High forest tree; pinnae 10-26 on each side of 

rhachis; leaflets 20-55 on each side of rhachis of 

each pinna Parkia bicolor 

b. Savanna tree; pinnae 8-16 on each side of rhachis; 

leaflets 35-55 on each side of rhachis of each 

pinna Parkia biglobosa 

24. a. Pinnae 10-20 on each side of rhachis; leaflets 

numerous, each up to 8.5 mm. long and auriculate at 

the base; petiole without a gland 


b. Pinnae 20-30 pairs, leaflets numerous, each up to 

4 mm. long; rhachides with a gland at base and 

between some of the upper pinnae Samanea dinklagei 

GROUP M: Leaves imparipinnate. (If imparipinnate with only 

three leaflets see GROUP J). 

1. a. Leaves opposite (Bignoniaceae) 2 

b. Leaves alternate 3 

2. a. Leaflets 9-17, each with a large gland or pair of 

glands at the base, on upper surface; flowers red 

Spathodea campanulata 

b. Leaflets 11-13 without glands; flowers pink 

Stereospermum acuminatissimum 

c. Leaflets 7-14, glandular at base and minutely 

punctate beneath; small tree with purple and white 

foxglove-like flowers Newbouldia laevis 

3. a. Leaflets alternate 4b. 

Leaflets opposite or sub-opposite 10 

4. a. Leaves with persistent stipules 5 

b. Stipules not persistent 6 

30

Key - Group N 

4. a. Leaflets about 6 pairs, small, up to 3 cm. long 

and 1.5 cm. broad Cynometra leonensis 

b. Leaflets larger 5 

5. a. Leaflets 5.5-12 cm. long, 3-6.5 cm. broad, 

obliquely cuneate at base, with stiff spreading 

hairs Berlinia spp. 

b. Leaflets 3-4 pairs, 5-8 cm. long, obliquely-oblong, 

glabrous; tree usually growing by water 

Didelotia afzelii 

c. Leaflets 5-10 cm. long, 2.5-5 cm. broad; petiole 

and rhachis up to 20 cm. long Cassia sieberiana 

6. a. Tree with blunt spines; leaflets small, 6-18 mm. 

long, 2.5 mm. broad; tree often by water 

Plagiosiphon emarginatus 

b. Tree without blunt spines and with larger leaflets 7 

7. a. Leaflets with strong marginal nerve, petiolules 

twisted; tree with scented slash 

Copaifera salikounda 

b. Leaflets unequally rounded at base, 2-3 cm. long, 

0.8-1 cm. broad, glabrous and rather strongly 

reticulate beneath Tamarindus indica 

c. Leaflets 8-10 pairs, the largest in the middle, 

asymetrical at base, minutely emarginate; rhachis 

with short stiff spreading hairs 


8. a. Leaves with 1-2 pairs of leaflets 9 

b. Leaves with 2-6 pairs of leaflets 11 

c. Leaves with more than 6 pairs of leaflets 26 

9. a. Leaflets two pairs, the upper pair about twice as 

long as the lower and falcate 

Cryptosepalum tetraphyllum 

b. Leaflets different 10 

10. a. Leaflets 1-2 pairs; lower pair if present about 

3 cm. long, ovate-rhombicj upper pair obliquelyovate, 

7-10 cm. long, glabrous; rhachis winged 

Hymenostegia afzelii 

b. Leaflets 1-5 pairs, usually hairy, branchlets 

sometimes distinctly ridged; trees usually small 

Blighia spp. or other Sapindaceae 

11. a. Persistent intrapetiolar stipules present 12 

b. Stipules absent or not persistent 13 

12. a. Leaflets each with a strong marginal nerve, unequal 

at base; petiolules twisted 

Paramacrolobuim coeruleum 

b. Petiole short, forming a joint with the first pair 

of leaflets; leaflets small Giblertiodendron spp. 

13. a. 2-4 black pointed excrescences above, in axil of 

leaf; leaflets glabrous, wIth 5-8 pairs of nerves; 

stilt roots sometimes present Kaoue stapfiana 

b. Leaves different; tree without stilt roots 14 

14. a. Leaflets with nerves distinctly impressed above 15 

b. Nerves not impressed above 16 

15. a. Nerves 14-22 pairs, very prominent below; petioles 

winged, with rusty hairs; leaflets usually galled 

Entandrophragma candollei 

b. Nerves about 10 pairs; branchlets, petioles, 

rhachides and petiolules hairy; petioles flattened 

or slightly winged Blighia sapida or B. welwitschii 

160 a. Leaflets prominently hairy on whole of lower surface 17 

b. Leaflets glabrous, or with scattered hairs, or hairs 

on nerves only 18 

33

Key - Group N 

17. a. Leaflets 3 pairs, up to 20 cm. long, 9 cm. broad 

with stellate-scaley hairs beneath and 9-12 main 

pairs of nerves; petiole long; slash scented; 

(leaves are more often imparipinnate with 7 

leaflets) Dacryodes klaineana 

b. Leaflets 2-5 pairs, with 12-24 prominent pairs of 

nerves beneath; leaflets and branchlets with dense 

rusty hairs Anthonotha fragrans 

c. Leaflets 3 pairs, hairs silvery, nerves only 

slightly prominent; always a small tree 

Anthanotha macrophylla 

18. a. Leaflets about 6 pairs, up to 3 cm. long and 1.5 cm 

broad Cynometra leonensis 

b. Leaflets mostly larger 19 

19. a. Leaflets more than twice as long as broad, drying 

glaucous green, with 8-16 pairs of nerves; tree of 

savanna regions Khaya senegalensis 

b. Leaflets usually less than twice as long as broad 20 

20. a. Trees without well developed buttresses 21 

b. Trees with well developed thick buttresses 22 

21. ao Leaflets 5-10 cm. long, 2.5-5 cm. broad; petiole 

and rhachis up to 20 cm. long; small tree of farm 

bush or savanna Cassia sieberiana 

b. Leaflets 3.5-25 cm. long, 1.5-10 cm. broad, usually 

hairy in axils of main lateral nerves beneath; 

petiole and rhachis up to 12 cm. long 

Blighia unijugata 

c. Leaves different 24 

22. a. Slash with a pronounced cedar scent, reddish or 

pinkish 23 

b. Slash not normally cedar scented or red 24 

23. a. Leaflets 3 pairs, 8-15 cm. long, 4-8 cm. broad, 

leathery with 5-9 pairs of nerves; tree glabrous 

Khaya anthotheca 

b. Leaflets 5-9 pairs, smaller, asymetrical at base 

with 6-12 pairs of nerves and closely reticulate 

venation; petioles flattened and slightly winged 

Entandrophrat@a cylindricum 

24. a. Leaflets 4-6 pairs, lowest pair ovate, others more 

elliptic, 4-12 cm. long, 2-5 cm. broad, oblique at 

base and abruptly long-acuminate, with 5-7 pairs of 

nerves; long (60 cm.) elastic fruits persistent on 

ground under trees; tree glabrous 

Chidlowia sanguinea 

b. Leaf and tree different 25 

25. a. Leaflets glabrous, conspicuously reticulate on both 

surfaces; typical fruit usually persisting on 

ground under trees Af'zelia spp. 

b. Leaflets glabrous or slightly hairy, not 

conspicuously reticulate; check Berlinia spp. 

260 a. Leaves with persistent intrapetiolar stipules 27 

b o Stipules absent, or not persistent 28 

27. a. Leaflets about 20 pairs, mucronate at apex, 

1.5-3 cm. long, up to 1 cm. broad; stipules 

3 cm. long Monopetalanthus pteridophyllus 

b. Petiole short, forming a joint with the first pair 

of leaflets Gilbertiodendron .pp. 

28. a. Leaflets about 20 pairs, up to 1.5 cm. long, 4 mm. 

broad Monopetalanthus compactus 

b. Leaflets fewer, or if as many then much larger 29 

.34

Key - Group N 

29. a. Leaflets up to 3 cm. long, 1.5 cm. broad, seldom 

more than 6 pairs Cynometra leonensis 

b. Leaflets 2-3 cm. long, up to 1 cm. broad, 12-15 

pairs, reticulate, glabrous; savanna tree 

Tamarindus indica 

c. Leaflets more than 3 cm. long 30 

30. a. Leaflets 6-12 pairs, sub-opposite or alternate; 

margins inrolled on lower surface Aporrhiza urophYlla 

b. Margins not inrolled on lower surface 31 

31. a. Leaflets 8-10 pairs, the largest in the middle, 

asymetrical at base, minutely emarginate; rhachis 

with short stiff spreading hairs 


b. Leaflets 5-9 pairs, glabrous, unequal at base, 

acuminate with translucent points; 6-9 cm. long, 

205-3.5 cm. broad in crown; tree never buttressed 

in any way Daniellia thurifera or D. ogea 

c. Leaf and tree different 32 

32. a. Leaflets 5-10 cm. long, 2.5-5 cm. broad; petiole 

and rhachis up to 20 cm. long; small tree of farm 

bush or savanna Cassia sieberiana 

b. Tree generally much larger; probably Meliaceae 

see key P.152 

35

Figure 4. Antrocaryon micraster a) Leaf b) Fruit.

Figure 5. Lannea nigritana var. nigritana a) Leaf b) Fruit.

Figure 6. Leaf 

Spondias

Figure 7. Cleistopholis patens a) Leaves b) Fruits c) Carpel 

and seeds. 

Enantia polycarpa d) Leaves e) Fruits.

ANACARDIACEAE - Spondias!Trichoscypha 

DISTRIBUTION Spondias is thought not to be a native of West 

Africa and has probably been introduced from America. It is 

found all over Sierra Leone, especially near villages where it. 

is often grown for the fruit. In parts of the north cuttings 

are planted round villages to form live cattle fences. The 

tree is fairly common in farm regrowth, especailly in savanna 

areas, and the hard bark protects it against grass fires. 

Spondias is rare in more advanced secondary forests. 

USES The plum-like fruits and the seeds are edible. The wood 

ash is used in making soap and also in the preparation of an 

ingredient in native snuff. Dalziel records that young leaves 

are used both as an infusion internally, and as a warm astringent 

lotion, by women in confinement. 

Trichoscypha arborea (A. Chev.) A. Chev. 

Vernacular names: Me. Kpomaluwei; Te. An-ThalJka. 

BOTANY Leaves pinnately compound with 6-8 pairs of coriaceous 

leaflets, each oblong-elliptic, oblong-oblanceolate or oblonglanceolate, 

cuneate to rounded and sometimes subfalcate at the 

base, acuminate, up to 25 cm. long and 8 cm. broad, quite glabrous, 

with 10-18 pairs of main lateral leaves. The leaves are clustered 

at the ends of branchlets. 

Inflorescence up to 80 cm. long, covered with reddish hairs, 

lax. Flowers red. 

Fruits ellipsoid, about 2.5 cm. long, glabrous, red and 

sweet. 

FIELD NOTES Trichoscypha is a medium sized tree growing to 

a maximum of eighty feet high and five feet girth. The bole 

is generally long and clear with small buttresses; the crown is 

small with dense foliage; branches are more or less whorled. 

The bark is dark grey and slightly £1akey; slash is brown and 

fibrous; small dots of light brown caustic latex appear a 

few moments after cutting. 

PHENOLOGY Flowers have been recorded in May and ripe fuits 

collected from November to May. The tree is evergreen, but 

flushes of new dark red leaves appear at the end of the rains. 

DISTRIBUTION The tree is found mostly in rain forest, and is 

never very common. 

39

ANNONACEAE 

A family of trees, shrubs, and climbers with aromatic 

wood BJld leaves. Leaves are alternate, entire and without 

stipules. Flowers are mostly hermaphrodite and usually 

trimerous. The stamens have very short filaments, often overtopped 

by the truncate enlarged connective. Carpels are 

usually stipitate in fruit and free. 

In addition to the species described in detail the 

following members of the family Annonaceae are found in 

Sierra Leone: 

Xylopia acutifora (Dunal) A.Rich. (fig. 10) is a small tree 

with thin leathery leaves and up to ten short, fat, purplish 

carpels in a bunch. This is an understorey species found 

in rain forest and riverside high bush, and is often confused 

with X. quintasii. Flowers have been recorded in April and 

December and fruits have been collected in October. It is 

called ngele-hewei by Mendes, a name also given to another 

species with stilt roots and thin papery leaves which are 

greyish-green beneath, and with larger but fewer carpels. 

It may be 10 ia rubescens Olive recorded from Liberia 

(see fig. 10. It is found in the Gala forest BJld Kambui 

Hills. 

Xylopia elliotii Engl. & Diels is a small tree recorded from 

the north of Sierra Leone in fringing forest but it is 

probably more widely distributed. The Mende name gbeloi 

(= yellow fever) is a general one which includes also 

EnBJltia polycarpa, Polyalthia oliveri, Neostenanthera hamata, 

and Isolona campanul.a'ta, All are small trees. 

Enantia polycarpa (DC.) Engl. & Diels (fig. 7) is BJl understorey 

tree of the rain forest with grey bark, stringy-fibrous 

bright yellow slash and yellow wood. The carpels are black, 

cylindrical, with red stalks, in large bunches and are found 

from November to February. Flowers have been recorded in 

November. A decoction of the bark is used to cure ulcers 

and jaundice ("yellow fever"). 

Neostenanthera hamata (Benth.) Exell (fig. 8) has similar 

fruits to Enantia but is more widely distributed. Flowers 

have been recorded from December to April and fruits in August. 

Polyalthia oliveri Engl. (fig. 8) has small globular carpels, 

yellowish-white slash and is widely distributed in forest 

areas. Flowering has been recorded during April and May and 

fruiting in December. 

Isolona campanulata Engl. & Diels has a yellow fruit which 

is an ovoid tubercular mass of numerous seeds in a yellow pulp, 

found from October to January. Flowers have been recorded 

from April to November. This species is also widely distributed 

in forest areas. 

Hexalobus crispiflorus A.Rich., a riverside or swamp tree, is 

often confused with Iylopia parviflora. It has larger leaves 

and larger yellow flowers with the petals arranged in one 

whorl. The bole is fluted at the base. Flowering has been 

recorded in February and fruiting in March. 

Uvariopsis guineensis Keay is a small tree of the rain forest, 

growing up to thirty-five feet high. 

40

'0 CM$. 

Figure 8. Pachypodanthium staudtii a) Leaves b) Fruit and 

section of fruit. 

Neostenanthera hamata c) Leaf. 

Polyalthia oliveri d) Leaves.

A 

5c.l'r1s. 

Figure 9. Xylopia aetbiopica a) 

Xylopia quintasii d) 

60'15. 

Leaves be) Fruits c) 

Leaves ) Fruits. 

1> 

Flower bud.

IOCMS. 

Figure 11. Alstonia boonei a) Leaves b) Fruits.

ANNONACEAE - Iylopia 

The carpels are borne in bunches of 3-5; each is about 

5 cm. long, rather fat, curved and constricted between the 

2-4 black seeds which are 1.5 cm. long and have a cupular 

aril. 

FIELD NOTES X. staudtii is a small to medium sized tree, 

occasionally reaching eight feet in girth and ninety feet in 

height. The bole is slender, straight and cylindrical with 

a distinct axis bearing a small conical crown of whorled 

branches. The base has stilt roots and the bole seldom 

reaches the ground. The bark is light brown and flakey with 

shallow cracks. The slash is thick, soft, stringy-fibrous, 

striped yellowish-brown to pink and has a sweet aromatic 

scent. 

PHENOLOGY Flowers appear during the rains from July to 

August and fruits are ripe by October. New leaves are 

produced at various times. 

DISTRIBUTION The tree has only been recorded from the 

Kambui Hills and Bojene Hills and shows a preference for 

moist valleys, but is occasionally seen on upper slopes. 

In the Neaboi Valley it was the most abundant tree species, 

with 600 stems of 2-3 ft. girth and twenty-one of 4-6 ft. 

girth per 100 acres. Elsewhere in the Kambui Hills it is 

less frequently encountered. In the Dambaye Valley X. staudtii 

was the eighth most common weed species and was found in 

sixty-five per cent. of the natural regeneration sample plots. 

It is resistant to hormone poison but arsenite poison gives 

a seventy-five per cent. kill. The tree is often gregarious 

and is an important regrowth species in silviculturally 

treated areas. 

TIMBER The wood is hard, light in colour and weight (31 lb. 

per cu. ft. at twelve per cent. moisture content), brittle and 

of no commercial value. 

45

APOCYNACEAE - Funtumia 

At the beginning of the century F.elastica, which has 

a superior latex to F.africana, was tapped for rubber. 

Plantations were established in several parts of the country. 

BOTANY Leaves of F.africana are opposite, without pits in 

the axils of the lateral nerves, elliptic or elliptic-oblong, 

acuminate, 12-28 cm. long, 3.5-12 cm. broad, with 6-12 pairs 

of lateral nerves. 

Flowers are in dense axillary clusters; flower-buds are 

conical, acute; corolla tube 6-8 mm. long, lobes 3-5 mm. long, 

overlapping to the right. Corolla fleshy, yellowish to 

greenish -white. 

Fruits are dry follicles, and seeds are produced into a 

plume-like basal beak. 

FIELD NOTES Funtumia is normally a small tree, not exceeding 

three feet girth and thirty leet in hieght, but occasionally 

it grows up to 100 ft. tall and eight feet in girth. The 

crown is deep, narrow and dark green; the bole straight and 

cylindrical with smooth brown bark, which is normally blotched 

with large patches of white lichen. There are numerous lenticels, 

most of which are arranged in horizontal rows. The fine even 

textured slash, composed of brittle fibres, is green outside and 

white inside. There is an abundant flow of white sticky latex 

from fresh wounds. 

PHENOLOGY The tree is evergreen. Flowering and fruiting 

specimens can be found throughout the year, but flowering is 

most common towards the end of the rainy season and fruiting 

from November to March. The seeds, which are produced abundantly, 

are wind dispersed. Follicles open on the trees. 

DISTRIBUTION Funtumia is one of the most ubiquitous trees in 

the country. It is found in the middle and lower canopies in 

forest, (most commonly in young forest), and is an early coloniser 

of farm bush. It is not found in savanna. 

Enumeration surveys give the following frequencies for 

F.africana and F.elastica together: 

Forest 

Number of trees per 100 acres by 

girth classes in feet 

2 - 4 4 - 6 6 - 8 8 - 10 

Bojene Hills 367 57 2 2 

MalaJ. Hills 24 8 0 0 

Lalay 710 376 40 0 

Bafi Sewa 506 36 2 0 

SILVICULTURE Taylor states there are about 650 seeds of 

F.elastica per ounce (= 23 per gm.) and the germination period 

is approximately twelve days. 

Because of its light seed, the tree is well distributed. 

It prefers open conditions, but is a very common weed in logged 

forest. In Dambaye block the tree was eliminated at the first 

poisoning treatment, but at the time of the second poi8oning in 

1960 several more had grown up both from seedlings and coppice;

Figure 12. Funtumia af'ricana a) Leaves and flowers b) Fruits 

c) Seed. 

c

10 C""5, 

Figure 13. Holarrhena floribunda a) Leaves b) Fruits c) Seed.

10C-MS. 

Figure 15. Newbouldia laevis a) Leaf b) Flower c) Fruit.

BIGNONIACEAE - SEathodea 

DISTRIBUTION Spathodea is common all over the former high 

forest areas; it is perhaps most abundant in farm bush and 

forest remnants in Port Loko and Bombali Districts, but extends 

into savanna areas and is occasionally seen in the rain forest. 

The tree is conspicuous from the roadside in many areas and is 

occasionally planted as an ornamental. 

USES The seed is said to be edible, and the bark to have 

medicinal properties. The wood is soft, white, and has no 

known uses. 

54

c 

.B 

J,t.o.F. 

Figure 16. Spathodea campanulata a) Leaf b) Flower. 

Stereospermum acuminatissimum c) Leaf d) Flower.

J.t.OF 

I 

I 

/ 

Figure 17. Rhodognaphalon brevicuspe a) Leaf b) Fruit. 

Bombax buonopozense c) Leaf d) Flower. 

A

Figure 20. Canarium schweinfurthii a) Part of leaf b) Fruit and 

seed. 

Santiria trimera c) Leaf d) Young fruits.

Figure 21. Afzelia africana a) Leaf b) Flower c) Pod with one 

valve missing, showing seeds. 

A.bracteata d) Fruit e) Flower f) Leaf g) Seed.

Santiria trimera (Oliv.) Aubrev, Fig. 20. 

BURSERACEAE - Santiria 

Vernacular names: !!. Kafei; Te. An-Tha1Jka; !2. Domboe j 

Q!. Damzin. 

BOTANY Leaves quite glabrous with 2-3 pairs of leaflets, 

plus the odd terminal leaflet; lateral leaflets oblongelliptic 

or rarely ovate-elliptic, cuneate to obtuse or rarely 

rounded at the base, abruptly long-acuminate, 7.5-22 cm. long, 

3-9.3 cm. broad, with 6-10 main lateral nerves on each side of 

midrib, prominent on both surfaces. 

Axillary panicles are quite glabrous up to 13 cm. long; 

flowers are yellow in fascicles, or solitary, pedicels 1-7 mm. 

long. 

Fruits are purplish-black, ellipsoid, flattened, excentric 

with the remains of the style on one side; 2-2.5 cm. long and 

about 1.5 cm. broad. 

FIELD NOTES Santiria is an understorey tree which seldom 

grows much taller than seventy feet or exceeds six feet girth. 

The crown is not spreading, but is deep and finely branched. 

It has many laterally flattened stilt roots and a straight, 

slender, cylindrical bole. The bark is normally quite smooth 

and grey; slash is thin, hard, gritty-granular and mottled 

yellowish-white. The slash and fruits have a turpentine-like 

smell. Santiria can be confused with X,ylopia staudtii which 

has similar stilt roots and aromatic bark, but Santiria is 

distinguished by the pinnately compound leaves. The Kendes call 

Sorindea collina and some other shrubs with thick pirmate leaves 

by the same name, kafei. 

PHENOLOGY The tree is evergreen. Flowering has been recorded 

in September and fruiting in September, November and March. 

DISTRIBUTION Santiria has been observed throughout the rain 

forests and semi-deciduous forests where it grows in the lower 

canopy. It occurs commonly, especially in the smaller size 

classes of two feet girth and below. 

TDIBER The timber is fine grained and of a very even texture. 

It is greyish or brownish-yellow, and is occasionally felled 

for carving. 

63

G 

Jigure 22. tjPhim8S pterooarpoides a) Leaf b) Stipels c ) Leaflet 

d Jruit e) Seed f') Part of inflorescence g) Swollen 

base of rachis.

Figure 23. Anthonotha fragrans a) Leaf b) Inflorescence 

c) Flower d) Fruit.

CAESALPINIACAE - Amphimas/Anthonotha 

SILVICULTURE The tree is a common weed in natural regeneration 

areas, one or two isolated specimens being able to send windborne 

seed over large areas. It is resistant to hormone 

poisoning but not to sodium arsenite. 

TDmER The sapwood is white; heartwood yellowish-brown, bard 

and heavy (50 lb. per ou, :£'t. at twelve per cent. moisture 

content) • The grain is fairly straight but is not easy to work, 

it finishes smoothly. The wood is susceptible to stain and 

borers. The tree was formerly cut but is not now preferred. 

Q§!§. The inner bark is chewed as a cough medicine. 

Anthonotha fragrans (Bak. f.) Exell &Hillcoat Fig. 23.Plate 4. 

Vernacular names: !.2.. Dua1]gulE-i (dua = fear); !2.. Duasane, 

In addition to the two species of Anthonotha. described 

a further four species have been recorded. A.crassifolia 

(Baill.) J. Leonard is a medium sized tree of savanna woodJ.and 

with fruit like that of A.fragrans, but leaves are silvery 

beneath. A second rain forest species is found in the Golas 

described as A. (Hoyle) J. Leonard in F.W.T.A. (P.473), 

1vignei 

but described as A.e:mlicans (Baill.) J. Leonard by Voorhoave 

(P.143) which F.W.T.A. describes as a scandent shrub or small 

tree. 

A.elongata (Hutch.) J. Leonard, a small branching tree 

found only at Pujehun, is the fourth species. 

OOTANY Leaves of A.fragrans are paripinnately compound, with 

2-5 pairs of leaflets. Leaflets elliptic to oblong with a 

shortly acuminate apex or rounded; base rounded; 5-38 cm. 

long, 3-14 cm. broad. Petiolules are short and thick. 

Branchlets, rhachis, petiolules and under surface of leaves are 

densely covered with short rusty brown hairs. There are 12-24 

pairs of prominent nerves on each leaflet. The rhachis is up to 

35 cm. long. 

Flowers are borne on stout, short1y branched panicles up 

to 15 cm. in length; the panicles are axillary or more often 

from the old wood. The small fragrant flowers have reddishbrown 

hairy bracts, one large bilobed yellow petal, four 

rudimentary petals and three fertile stamens. 

The fruit is a tough oblong swollen pod with a velvety 

brown surface covered with prominent anastomosing ridges; it is 

up to 12 cm. long, 6 cm. broad and 1.5-3 cm. thick. The pod 

contains 1-3 large brown seeds, each about 3 cm. in diameter. 

FIELD NOTES A. fragrans is a medium sized to large tree reaching 

a rare maximum girth of twelve feet and a height of 140 ft., with 

a clear bole of sixty feet, and yields up to 420 HSt. of timber. 

Trees up to six feet girth are not buttressed; larger specimens 

are variable, having swollen boles with root claws or narrow 

buttresses to eight feet high and six feet or more wide. The 

crown is dense, dark brown, usually umbrella-like, rounded, but 

occasionally elongated when the tree is emergent. The bark is 

68

CAESALPDUACEAE ... Antho.no tha 

greyish-brown to chocolate coloured, somewhat smooth, thin 

and soaley, with shallow longitudinal fissures. The slash 

is hard, light to reddish-brown, darkening on exposure; the 

outer layer is gritty, the inner fibrous, tearing into long 

strips. A sticky white juice collects in drops in the slash 

after some time. 

PHENOLOGY :Flowering has been recorded between November and 

May, and fruiting from November to April; fallen seeds have 

been collected in May and June. Old fruit may be found 

under mature trees all the year. Most trees stand leafless 

for a short period, and new leaves are produoed from the end 

of November to Januar,y, but occasional leafless trees have 

been observed as late as May. 

DISTRIBUTION Antho.notha fragrans is relatively oommon in 

the rain forest areas of the Eastern Provinoe but is rare 

elsewhere. It usually oocurs in widely separated small stands, 

each of about 2-5 trees of 5-7 ft. girth, and constituting 

1-2 per cent. of the trees over six feet in girth. Enumeration 

surveys give the following frequencies: 

Forest 



2 .. 4 4 - 6 6 - 8 8 - 10 10 ... 12 

Bojene Hills 8 16 3 5 1 

Lalay 6 0 0 0 0 

Tama .0 1 1 0 

Gola North (Lower Makpoi) .. 12 1 0 

Kambui Hills (Gengelu) 

Kambui Hills (Waanje) 

12 

11 

15 

14 

• Fewer than one tree per 100 acres. 

SILVICULTURE Seed is produced frequently and fairly abundantly 

but many pods remain closed on the ground; the seed. deteriorates 

quickly so that poor germination is the rule. Regeneration is 

usually confined to the immediate vicinity of the parent trees. 

Formerly favoured in natural regeneration the tree was found in 

seventy per cent. of regeneration plots in Dambaye valley, and 

in one plot of half' an acre twenty-two stems were found. They 

constituted 5.4 per cent. of the regenerated stand and in it 

there were fourteen trees over five feet girth per 100 acres. 

TIMBER The wood is moderately heavy (40 lb. per eu, ft.), 

soft and easily worked, it is white in colour with dark lines. 

FOrlMrly taken as a light construction timber, it is not now 

out. Log ends become gul1llllY and the sawn wood attracts a 

thick layer of surface mould. The wood is not durable. Large 

logs often have a spongy brown heart. 

69 

4 

2 

* 

• 

0 

0

Figure 24. Anthonotha macrophylla a) Leaf b) Fruit c) Seeds.

Figure 25. Berlinia confusa a) Leaf' b) Fruit c) Flower d) Seed.

IOCms. 

JE./).F. 

Figure 27. Bussea occidentalis a) Part of leaf, showing details 

of one pinna. This specimen was unusual in having 

opposite leaflets. b) Fruit c) Buds on inflorescence 

d) Flower. 

.J

,(cm. 

c. 

Figure 28. Cassia sieberiana a) Leaf b) Fruit 0) Flower. 

A 

-

Figure 29. Chidlowia sanguinea a) Leaf b) Fruit c) Flower.

:Figure 31. Crudia senepjalensis a) Leaf b) Fruit.

CAESALPINIACEAE .. Cryptosepalum 

Cr.yptosepalum tetrapAyllum (Hook. f.) Benbh, Fig. 32. Plate 6. 

Vernacular names: h. Kpavii (= louse, referring to fine 

foliage). 

IDTANY Leaves paripinnately compound, borne is a zigzag pattern 

on slender twigs, each with two pairs of small opposite leaflets, 

the upper pair larger than the lower. Upper leaflets are 

obliquelY elliptic, obtusely pointed, sessile, up to 5 cm. long 

and 2 cm. broad, with the midrib nearer the rhaohas , The leaves 

are slightly hairy. 

The flowers are white, in short axillary racemes borne on 

slender pedicels; each nower has two petaloid white bracteoles J 

a single slightly bilobed pinkish-white petal, and three stamens 

with purple anthers. 

The fruit is a small flat, smooth, suborbicular pod 5-6 cm. 

long, 3 cm. broad, containing one or rarely two round seeds 

2 cm. broad. The seedling is very like that of Cynometra 

leonensis, but the midribs are nearer the inner edge of the 

leaflets. 

FIELD NOTES CEYptosepalum is a medium sized or occasionally 

large tree reaching a rare maximum of twelve feet girth and 120 ft 

in height, but is usually six or seven feet in girth and 100 ft. 

tall. The bole is long, cylindrical and straight with a crown 

of rising branches which bear fine foliage. The base has 

pronounced root spurs but no buttress. Bark is smooth, green and 

brown due to fine brown horizontally lengthened lenticels, faint 

horizontal ridges are often present. The slash is hard, red, 

scented, thick and fibrous; it tears and breaks easily, and goes 

brown on exposure. 

PHENOLOGY Flowers are found from Februaxy to June. The tree 

does not flower gregariously and ripe fruits have been recorded 

from September to January. The tree is leafless for a short 

period at the end of the rains, between October and November; 

new leaves are red. 

DISTRIBUTION CEYPtosepalum is well distributed in the closed high 

forest and extends into the areas of secondary forest and outliers 

well into the Northern. Province. Enumeration surveys give the 

following frequencies: 

Forest 



2 ... 4 4 - 6 6 .... 8 8 .... 10 10 ... 12 12+ 

Bojene Hills 49 34 15 1 1 2 

Lalay 20 6 8 0 0 0 

Bafi Sewa 15 5 2 0 0 0 

Kambui Hills 

(Waanje) 130 86 8 2 0 0 

Gola North 

(E. Wepe) 66 12 2 1 

In parts of the Colony Forest Reserve and Gola North, 

CEYptosepalum is locally the most frequent species occupying the 

upper canopy in the absence of larger trees such as Lophira alata, 

Erzthrophleum ivorense and Oldfieldia africana, but with 

Heritiera utilise It is often an associate of blia evansii. 

79

-- 

5C.MS 

, Co h'\.. 

Figure 32. Cryptosepalum tetraphYllum a) Leaves and flowers 

b) Fruit• 

.£1nometra leonesis c) Leaves and flowers d) Fruit 

e) Flower. 

c

8 

5(..1\'\5. 

c 

Figure 33. Daniellia thurifera a) Leaf b) Fruit c) Flower. 

Daniellia ogea d) Flower.

Ic.m 

IOCMS. 

Figure 34. Dialium aubrevillei a) Leaf. 

D.guineense b Leaf. 

D.dinklagei c Leaf d) Flower.

Figure 35. Didelotia afzelii a) Leaf and inflorescence b) Fruit 

c) Flower. 

D.idae d) Leaves.

Figure 36. Distemonanthus benthamianus a) Leaf b) Fruit.

Figure 37. a) Leaf b) Fruits

Icm, 

IOcms 

Figure 38. Guibourtia copallifera a) Leaves and inflorescence 

b) Flower c) Fruit. 

G.leonensis d) Leaf.

A 

5 Crv15. 

1£·D.F. 

Figure 39. Kaoue stapriana a) Lear b) Fruit c) Inflorescence.

Figure 41. Strephonema pseudocola a) Leaves and inflorescences 

b) Young fruit c) Mature fruit. 

Dichapetalum toxicarium d) Leaves and fruit&.

CHAILLEI'IACEAE 

A family of small trees and shrubs; leaves are alternate, 

simple and with stipules. Flowers are small, mostly hermaphrodite, 

actinomorphic or slightly zygomorphic; sepals five, 

petals five and mostly two-lobed; stamens five; fruit a drupeo 

Dichapetalum toxicarium (G. Don) Baill. Fig. 41. 

Vernacular names: Me. Magbe.vii; Te. Ka-Nunk; &. Makpafi, 

Koli-tomda; Ko. Magbavi; Cr. Broko-bak, 

BOTANY Leaves oblong or elliptic, cuneate at the base, 

obtusely acuminate, 10-15 cm. long, 4-6 cm. broad, glabrous. 

Axils of main lateral nerves beneath often with small glands and 

tufts of hair. Branchlets are hairy. 

The inflorescence is a hairy cyme, the lower inflorescences 

are often borne on short axillary lateral shoots with small leaves, 

hence appearing free from the petioles. Cymes are short and 

dense, the peduncle is less than 4 mm. long and flowers at least 

4 mm. long; sepals are densely covered with white hairs. 

Fruits ellipsoid, 3-4 long and hoary. 

FlEW NarES AND DISTRIBUTION Dichapetalum is a small tree 

growing to about 50 ft. tall and is found over most of the country 

as an understorey species. 

PHENOLOGY Flowering occurs mostly in April and fruits mature 

in August and September. 

USES The pulp round the seed is edible, but the kernel yields 

a poison which is sold in Freetown as "Broko-bak" and is used to 

destroy vermin. 

98

Figure 43. Terminalia superba a) Leaves and fruits.

COMBRErACEAE - Terminalia 

The following are sample measurements from different plantations: 

Location Mean girth M.A.1. girth Planting distance 

Age 

of plot inches inches feet 

Moyamba 20 52 2.60 30 x 30 

Moyamba 20 48 2.40 30 x 30 

Kenema 10 31.7 3.17 • • •• 

Nongowa 16 32.7 2.05 20 x 20 

Nongowa 9 24.6 2.73 12 x 12 

In wide line plantations at Kasewe seventy-five per cent. 

of the trees planted at 30 x 90 ft. (with Afzelia africana and 

Nauclea diderrichii between) were over three feet in girth, twenty 

years from planting. Heavy emphasis is placed on sufficient 

freedom to grow, trees whose crowns overlap quickly stagnate and 

are generally incapable of a response to delayed thinning. A 

filler crop of shade bearing species between wide lines is not 

detrimental to increment. 

PESTS Plantation trees are occasionally defoliated just after 

flushing by an, as yet, unidentified caterpillar two inches long, 

with purplish stripes on its flanks. The trees flush a second 

time 2-3 weeks later when a second attack has been known to occur. 

A leaf gall is common on plants in the nursery but does not unduly 

retard growth. Larger galls often fall in great quantities from 

older trees and are known as "male" fruits. Seed collected late 

is generally completely spoiled by a borer. Exposed stems have 

occasionally been found infested with a ? Cerambycid larva, a 

black slimey jelly is exuded from the wounds caused by this insect. 

Exposed plantations have been severely damaged by gales which 

are a feature of the termination of the rains in late September 

and early October; large trees lose the leader and principal 

branches, or are occasionally snapped off below the crown; young 

trees may be bent out of the vertical plane or blown right over. 

Lightning has caused some damage to individual trees with the 

leading shoot projecting well above the general canopy. A 

pathogen, possibly Armellaria mellea, has killed several isolated 

trees at Kasewe and Moyamba. 

TIMBER The wood is pale yellow to light brown, moderately hard 

and heavy (47 lb. per cu. ft. when fresh, drying to 32-34 lb. per 

cu. ft. at twelve per cent. moisture content). It is COarse 

textured with a straight grain, fairly strong and easy to work, 

and takes a good polish. 

In Sierra Leone the wood is used for joinery and general 

construction of a light nature. The sapwood is liable to infestation 

with pin hole borer and the wood is said to be resistant to 

penetration by preservative. Trees of 12-14 ft. girth yield 

300-500 H.ft. of timber. 

!!.§1f:1 A yellow dye is made from the bark. The juice obtained by 

squeezing young leaves is applied to cuts. The bole is used 

locally to make a long drum, and for canoes which have a life of 

three years. On the coast both T. ivorensis and T. scutifera are 

used to make knee pieces for sea going boats. 

101

EBENACEAE 

The family Ebenaceae is represented in Sierra Leone, only 

by the genus Diospyros Idnn, It is a family of trees and shrubs; 

leaves are nearly always alternate, exstipulate and entire. The 

flowers are actinomorphic, usually unisexual, but frequently with 

rudiments of the other sex present. The number of floral parts 

is very variable and inconsistent both between and within species. 

The calyx is united and entire to deeply lobed, always persistent 

in the fruit and usually increases in length or thickness. The 

corolla is also united, and shortly or deeply lobed, with the tube 

often fleshy and constricted at the throat. Stamens are very 

variable in number, from two to 100 or more, either inserted on 

the corolla or on the receptale. The filaments are often very 

short and the anthers end abruptly in a short tip, often two or 

more arise from a single filament. The ovary is syncarpous and 

styles distinct or joined at the base; the stigmas are usually 

large and conspicuous. The fruit is a berry with large seeds 

that contain abundant endosperm. 

Flowers are grouped in fascicles in the axils of leaves, or 

sometimes in very short cymes; they are occasionally cauliflorous 

or in short false racemes. Female flowers are often solitary. 

The determination of species within the genus is very difficult 

but is dealt with fully in the F.W.T.A. and by Aubreville. 

The genus Diospyros produces the ebonys of commerce. The 

source of the true Gaboon ebony is D. crassiflora Hiern, but this 

species is not found in Sierra Leone. Most of our species are 

small understorey trees in which the dark heatwood comprises only 

a very small central core or may be completely lacking. The 

light coloured sapwood is usually rather broad, and the heartwood., 

if it is present, varies in colour from jet black, to brownishblack 

or striped. It is widely variable in weight (45-70 lb. per 

ou, ft.) but is usually excessively hard and heavy. It is difficult 

to work, but finishes smoothly and takes an excellent polish. 

The wood is mainly used for turnery and inlaid work but there is 

no demand for it in Sierra Leone. 

Diospyros is an important weed in natural regeneration. 

In Dambaye Block there were 188 stems of one foot girth and over 

in fifty-four half acre plots. Hormone sprays are not effective 

in killing it, but ninety per cent. success was achieved with 

sodium arsenite in Plateau Block. 

About forty species of Diospyros have been recorded in West 

Africa, ten of which have been found in this country. The 

following notes are taken mainly from the F.W.T.A. 

D. cooperi (Hutch. & Dalz.) F. White. A tree up to forty feet 

high with greenish-brown smooth bark. Mustard-yellow flowers are 

borne in clusters on the stem in October and November; the 

yellow fruits are ripe in April. It is a widespread species. 

D. elliotii (Hiern) F. White. A tree to about forty feet high 

with smooth dark brown bark and orange-yellow slash. Flowers are 

white and borne on the older parts of the branches below the 

leaves, in March or April; the bright orange fruits are mature 

in about July. The tree is confined mainly to the semi-deciduous 

forests, and can be recognised by the hairy branchlets. . 

105

EBENACEAE - Diospyros 

D. ferrea (Willd.) Bakh, A forest shrub or small tree up to 

forty-five feet high with spreading, ascending and arching 

branches covered along their whole length with small erect leaves. 

The leaves have characteristic lateral nerves which are slightly 

prominent beneath in a large web-like arrangement. The young 

shoots are densely covered with rusty hairs. The bark is dark 

grey and slash black outside and red inside. Flowers are white. 

The tree is said to be found in the woods along the sea-shore. 

D. gabunensis Gurke (fig. 45). A tree up to sixty-five feet 

tall, very similar to D. sanza-minika. The bole is long, straight 

and slender, without buttresses; the bark is black, smooth, 

brittle and very hard. The slash is black outside and pale 

biscuit-brown inside, yellow towards the inner edge. The sapwood 

is pale yellow and heartwood sometimes has black veins. Flowers, 

which appear in September are fragrant, with blackish-brown calyx 

and white corolla. The fruits are ripe in December, and are 

sometimes borne on the stem. The tree is found mainly in rain 

forests, and is characterised by the dense velvety black hairs on 

the branchlets, petioles, calyx and fruits. 

D. heudelotti Hiern (fig. 45). A shrub or small tree up to 

sixty feet high, sometimes cauliflorous; flowers are white or 

pale yellow and appear about November; fruits are yellow or 

orange when they ripen early in the new-year. The leaves are 

glaucous, and very finely hairy beneath except at the apex where 

they are glabrous. The slash is black outside and the wood pink. 

This species is wide-spread in Sierra Leone. 

D. mannii Hi.erri, A medium sized tree up to sixty feet tall, with 

branchlets which are densely covered in brown hairs; leaves are 

pale and glaucous beneath. The bark is smooth and hard, black 

outside and yellow inside and the sapwood is lemon-yellow. The 

heartwood sometimes has a black centre. Fruits, which are ripe 

in January, are orange. The tree is more or less confined to the 

rain forests. 

D. piscatoria Gurke. One of the larger species, growing to ninety 

feet high with a long, straight slender bole, often fluted and 

sometimes with very small buttresses. The bark is rough and 

exfoliates in large scales; the slash black outside and yellOW or 

orange inside. The sapwood is white or pinkish, and the heartwood 

often black, sometimes with greenish-brown streaks. The tree is 

almost glabrous. Flowering has been recorded in April and June 

and the fruits, which are dull crimson when ripe, have been seen 

in October and January. The tree is most common in the semideciduous 

forests and mountains of the north. 

D. thomasii Hutcho & Dalz o This is one of the smallest species, 

seldom exceeding thirty feet tall. The bark is dark green and 

finely fissured and the leaves bluish-grey beneath. Flowers 

appear in October and November, and are white; the yellow fruit 

is ripe in January. The tree is wide-spread. Branchlets are 

sometimes used in making spring-traps. 

D. sanza-minika A. Chev. (fig. 45, plate 10). A medium sized tree 

to about eighty feet high; it is quite easily recognised by the 

black bark which has narrow, but deep longitudinal fissures and 

ridges. It is very hard, like glass, and when slashed only a few 

chips splinter off. The inner slash is reddish-brown. The bark 

is more resistant to decay than the wood and occasionally one 

aomes across a hollow cylinder of bark standing in the forest, 

which is all that remains of a long-dead tree. The bole is long 

and slender, without buttresses. The leaves are greyish beneath; 

flowers white and fruits yellow, with a mucilagimous white pulp. 

106

A 

IOc-m::>. 

Figure 41+. Terminalia scutifera a) Leaves. 

T.albida b) Leaf.

A 

10'Ms. 

j.E:.D.F 

Figure 45. DiospyroS sanza-minika a) Leaf b) Fruit. 

D.heudelotii. c) Leaves and flowers. 

D.8abunensis d) Leaf e) Fruit.

EBENACEAE - Dioapyroa 

Flowering has been recorded in April and fruits are ripe in 

January. In certain conditions the heartwood may blacken to 

ebony. The flexible stems are used for spring and cage traps. 

The tree is found mainly in the rain forest. 

D. viridicans Hi.er-n, A fairly small tree, up to sixty feet high, 

with a straight clear bole and black bark which is smooth at first, 

becoming scaley. Fruit, which has been seen in November, is 

yellow at first, turning red, then black. The tree has been 

recorded only at Njala. 

107

Figure 46. Ery-throxylum mannii a) Leaves b) Fruit. 

B 

t

A 

Figure 47. Anthostema senegalense a) Leaves and fruits. 

Amanoa bracteosa b) Leaf. 

Antidesma laciniatum c) Leaves and young fruits. 

Tetrorchidium didymostemon d) Leaves and inflorescences.

ERYTHROXYLACEAE - Erythroxylum 


girth ola.sses in feet 

2 - 4 4 - 6 6 - 8 8 - 10 10 - 12 

Tonkoli 

• • •• 6 1 

Kambui Hills 

(Plateau) 26 6.8 1 1 

Dodo Hills 3 6 1 .. 

.. Fewer than one tree per 100 acres. 

TIMBER The timber of' Ez:ythro;xylum is similar to that of Guarea. 

in appearance. The heartwood is pale brown and even textured 

with straight to interlocked grain. A broken stripe or mottled 

figure is fairly common. The wood is moderately hard and heavy 

(42 lb. per cu. ft. at fifteen per cent. moisture content). It 

is characterised by numerous pith flecks. 

The tree is normally felled by the sawmills, and is a 

popular firewood. 

109 

1 

0 

0

Figure 48. Bridelia micrantha a) Leaves and young fruits b) Leaf. 

B.grandis c) Leaf.

Figure 49. Claoxylon hexandrum a) Leaf and inflorescence. 

Discoglypremna caloneura b) Leaf and inflorescence 

c) Fruit. 

Drypetes aubrevillei d) Leaves and flowers.

Figure 50. H enocardia 1 ata a) Leaves b) Fruits. 

Macaranga barteri cLeaves. 

M.hurifolia d) Leaf.

Figure 52. Oldfieldia africana a) Leaf b) Fruits c) Seeds. 

Phyllanthus discoideus d) Leaves and fruits.

Figure 53. Protemegabaria stapfiana a) Leaf b) Fruit. 

Ricinodendron heudelotii c) Leaf d) Fruit.

EUPHORBIACEAE - Uapaca 

fissured and scaley, but is sometimes smooth. The slash is 

hard, granular outside, more fibrous inside and brittle. When 

freshly cut it is yellowish-pink to red, oxidising quickly to 

brown; fresh slash is wet with a slightly resinous smell. Only 

the be st tree spotters can distinguish between U. guj,ne9nsis and 

U. esculenta in the field. 

PHENOLOGY Flowering and fruiting are rather irregular and may 

occur throughout the year, but the maJority of trees nower about 

January and bear mature fruit between June and October. The 

tree is evergreen. 

DISTRIBUTION U. guineensis is found throughout the rain forests 

and semi-deciduous forests of the country, most commonly on 

moist sites including seasonal swamps. On moist sites it may be 

gregarious. It is frequently associated with U. esculenta, but 

is more common than that species. Over quite large areas it may 

be the dominant species; for example in the Lower Kakpoi Block 

of Gola North Forest Reserve it comprises 17.8 per cent. or all 

trees over six feet girth, but in the nearby East Wepe Block only 

half a per cent. 

Enumeration surveys give the following frequencies of 

U, guineensis and U. esculenta combined: 

Forest 



2 - 4 4 - 6 6 - 8 8 - 10 10 - 12 12+ 

Kambui Hills 

(Plateau) 249 92 32 3 .. .. 

Gola North 

(Lower Makpoi) .. 86 12 0 0 

Tonkoli ., 91 2 .. .. 

.. Fewer than one tree per 100 acres• 

SILVICULTURE U. guineensis was felled for timber in Sierra Leone 

for a few years, but in 1965 was re-classified by the Porestr,y 

Department as a weed tree. There are now hundreds of acres of 

exploited forest which have received initial regeneration 

treatments favouring this species. It is an expensive tree to 

kill because if it is to be eliminated successfully, it must be 

girdled and poisoned above the stilt roots, which may be high 

above the ground; the tree is particularly abundant in the 

larger girth classes in many natural regeneration areas. 

In the Upper Neaboi sample plot, the M.A.I. of tre9S over a 

six year period varied between 0.7 and 1,7 inches in girth on 

trees averaging 3-5 ft. girth above buttress, 

TI!B!m The wood is reddish to brown with wavy lines, or figures 

from the insertion of the stilt roots, with a grain like that of 

mahogany, but more open, It is hard, durable, and of medium 

density, (47 lb. per ou, ft. at twelve per cent. moisture content). 

The tree was felled for several years by the sawmills in 

Sierra Leone. The expense of cutting trees with such high stilt 

roots and short merchantable boles had made this impracticable 

since 1960. 

126

Figure 54. Ua aca esculenta a) Leaf and flowers. 

U.guineensis b Leaf c) Fruit and section of fruit 

revealing seed. 

U.togoensis d) Leaf. 

.B

Figure 55. Caloncoba il iana a) Leaf b) Flower. 

C.echinata c Leaf and fruit.

FLACOURTIACEAE 

A family of trees and shrubs with simple alternate leaves, 

and deciduous stipules. Flowers are hermaphrodite or more 

frequently unisexual, often dioecious or polygamous. Sepals 

are not always distinguishable from the petals; petals are 

sometimes not arranged regularly in relation to the sepals; 

they are large, small or absent. Stamens are numerous, 

hypogynous, free, or in bundles opposite the petals. The fruit 

is indehiscent, mostly a berry or drupe. 

Besides the species described below, the following small 

trees have been recorded in Sierra Leone: 

Flacourtia vogelii Hook. f. 

Lindackeria dentata (Oliv.) Gilg 

Oncoba branchyanthera Olive 

Oncoba spinosa Forsk. 

Caloncoba gilgiana (Sprague) Gilg Fig. 55. 

Vernacular names: Me. Kenyei, GenE-i. 

Two other species of Caloncoba are found in Sierra Leone. 

C. echinata (Oliv.) Gilg (fig. 55) is usually a shrub, sometimes 

a small tree found in the understorey of high forest; the 

yellowish-orange sea-urchin-like fruits are conspicuous from 

January to April. Oil from the seeds is extracted to cure 

pustuler eruptions of the skin. C. brevipes (Stapf ) Gilg is 

similar to C. gilgiana and is known by the same native names. 

BOTANY Leaves of C. gilgiana are hairy, ovate to broadly elliptic, 

broadly cuneate at the base, acuminate, 8-18 cm. long, 4-12 cm. 

broad and rather thin, with 5-7 pairs of lateral nerves. 

Petioles 3-9 cm. long. 

Flowers are large and white in short axillary inflorescences. 

Sepals three, greenish, 2 cm. long; petals 12-13, about 5 cm. 

long; pedicels 1.5-2.5 cm. long. Stamens numerous. 

Fruits ovoid, globular, flattened at the apex, sometimes 

apiculate 3.5-4.5 cm. long, yellowish-orange. 

FIELD NOTES C. gilgiana is normally a small tree but occasionally 

grows to about eighty feet tall and 5-6 ft. in girth. The crown 

is narrow and dense. The bole is straight, but low-branched; it 

is fluted and has narrow plank buttresses up to nine feet, and is 

thorny. The bark is greyish-brown with fairly large scattered 

lenticels and the slash red and brittle outside, light brown 

inside and very fibrous; it has a musky smell. Branches droop, 

especially in small trees. The wood is light brown. 

PHENOLOGY Flowering has been recorded in August, October and 

March, and fruiting in April and May. 

DISTRIBUTION The tree is fairly common in the understorey of 

high forest. 

128

GUTTIFERAE 

A family of trees and shrubs with resinous juice; leaves 

are opposite, simple and without stipules. Flowers are 

actinomorphic, unisexual, polygamous or dioecious, rarely 

hermaphrodite. Sepals and petals usually 2-6; calyx imbricate, 

stamens mostly numerous and collected into bundles opposite the 

petals. Fruits sometimes large and globose. 

Allanblackia floribunda Olive Fig. 56. Plate 4. 

Vernacular names: Me. Njolei or Sold (-I£1ii or -de.lii); 

£,. Njaili1}; Kor , Mbrembra. 

BOTANY The simple opposite leaves are oblong-elliptic, acuminate, 

10-25 cm. long and 3.5-8 cm. broad. They are thick and glossy 

above, with sixteen or more pairs of lateral nerves, joined by a 

marginal nerve, and a stout petiole 1.5 cm. long. 

Flowers are unisexual; the male flowers are borne in pairs, 

in whorled terminal bunches; they are pinkish-white with five 

unequal greenish-pink sepals, five thick pink petals and five 

thick bundles of united anthers, opposite the petals. The female 

flOwers have a one celled ovary with parietal placentation; they 

are borne lower down the branch. 

The fruit is thick, spindle shaped and pendulous from a 

stout stalk; it is yellowish-brown and lenticellate on the surface, 

up to 40 cm. long and 15 cm. across, five-lobed with many large 

oily seeds in a clear jelly. 

FIELD NOTES Allanblackia floribunda is a small to medium sized 

tree reaching eighty feet in height and a rare maximum girth of 

eight feet. It has a distinct straight axis and a small crown of 

whorled horizontal branches which droop at the ends. The bole is 

usually unbuttressed but occasionally has short narrow buttresses 

up to three feet high on large trees. The bark is smooth to 

scaley, grey to reddish-brown. The slash is hard, brittle-fibrous 

with thin layers, pinkish-brown to yellow near the wood; drops of 

pale yellow juice appear in the slash. The long pendulous fruit 

is often a useful distinguishing feature between this species and 

Pentadesma butyracea. The slash of both species is said to smell 

of old fish. 

PHENOLOGY Flowers are found from April to June, occasionally 

later; fruits become conspicuous from August and are ripe by 

January or February. The tree is evergreen and new reddish leaves 

are seen throughout the rainy season. Trees of 15-20 feet high 

are capable of bearing fruit. 

DISTRIBUTION Allanblackia is a common understorey tree of the 

closed high forest, reaching its largest size in the Gola Forests. 

It is often locally abundant as a small pole sized tree in old 

farmed areas which formerly carried high forest. In the Gala 

Forests there is generally one tree of six feet girth or more per 

100 acres, occasionally occurring in small groups, but more often 

scattered. 

130

Figure 57. Garcinia afzelii a) Leaves. 

G.kola b) Leaves c) Fruit. 

Symphonia globulifera d) Leaves and buds.

GUTTIFERAE - Pentadesma/Symphoni.a. 

FIELD NOTES Pentadesma is a medium sized tree, up to ninety 

feet in height and eight feet in girth, with a long straight 

bole surmounted by a compact crown of whorled horizontal branches 

like the spokes of a bicycle wheel. The bole is straight or 

with slight butt flares on larger trees. The bark is dark 

reddish-brown to black, horizontally and vertically fissured with 

rectangular plates. The slash is soft, brittle, pinkish-red and 

layered, yellow near the cambium. Drops of yellow juice appear 

in the slash shortly after cutting. 

PHENOLOGY The flowers usually appear between April 

but occasionally as late as September or November. 

fall from December to )(ay. The tree is evergreen; 

green leaves are seen throughout the rainy season. 

and June, 

The fruits 

new yellowish- 

DISTRIBUTION The tree is found; in high. forest and in older farm 

bush in forest areas; it is probably more widely distributed than 

Allanblackia floribunda. The tree is locally dominant in moist 

valleys in Kambui South Forest Reserve, probably representing 

advanced secondary forest following farming on a small scale. 

lUsewhere in the high forest it is generally scattered with one or 

two trees over six feet girth per 100 acres. 

TIJ4BSR The wood is hard and heavy, (about 53 lb. per cu, ft. at 

twelve per cent. moisture content), pinkish-red and easily worked. 

The tree has occasionally been logged but quantities are small and 

the timber has no special applications. 

USES Roasted crushed leaves are given to children to relieve 

"CQii';'tipation. Though the seeds are edible they have little 

reputation. 

S;ymphonia tdobulifera Linn. f. Fig. 57. 

Vernacular names: !!. Njolei or Sol&i (-lelii or -de.lii). 

BOTANY The simple opposite leaves are oblanceolate, obtusely 

acuminate 5-10 cm. long and 2-4 cm. broad. They are leathery, 

have short petioles and numerous parallel lateral nerves. 

The flowers are borne on long pedicels at the ends of short 

shoots, in umbels. The buds are red with folded petals which 

are black on the covered part; there are five petals, and five 

short mauve sepals. The anthers are yellow, borne in five 

bundles of three each on a red staminal tube which is divided at 

the top and arches over a thick five-pointed green style. 

The fruit is a small globular berry containing one or more 

small flattened seeds. 

FIELD NOTES Symphonia globulifera is generally seen as a small 

to medium sized tree of swamps. It may become a large tree of 

ninety feet in height and six feet in girth. The bole is straight, 

and narrow, with a distinct axis and a crown of a few whorled, 

horizontal branches giving a shallow angular spreading crown. 

The bole has stilt roots arched out to six feet from the tree, 

and originating 8-10 feet from the ground on large trees. The 

bark is greyish-brown and smooth; the slash is thin, yellow, 

hard and brittle towards the bark, fibrous towards the wood. 

Tiny drops of yellow juice gather rapidly in the slash. 

134

5e-WlS 

Figure 58. Mammea af'ricana a) Leaves b) Fruit.

GUTTIFERAE - Symphonia 

PHENOLOGY The trees are conspicuous between April and June 

with abundant masses of dark red flowers. The fruits are found 

from September to November. The tree is evergreen; abundant 

new leaves are seen towards the end of the rains. 

DISTRIBUTION Symphonia is found as a freshwater swamp tree all 

over Sierra Leone, extending in wooded swamps right through the 

savanna areas. It is commonly seen in swamps that have been 

cultivated and may be capable of coppice regrowth. It is rare 

in the high forest. 

TIMBER The sapwood is whitish-yellow and heartwood pale reddishbrown, 

moderately hard and weighs about 35 lb. per cu. ft. at 

twelve per cent. moisture content. The wood is rather coarse, 

straight grained and moderately resistant to decay; it works 

and polishes well. 

135

HYPERICACEAE 

A family of herbs, shrubs but rarely trees or climbers, 

with resinous juice; leaves simple, opposite or verticillate, 

often gland-dotted; stipules absent; indumention often 

stellate; flowers hermaphrodite, actinomorphic; stamens 

numerous, hypogynous, often united into bundles; fruit a capsule, 

berry or drupe. 

Two small trees are found in Sierra Leone; Harungana 

madagascriensis Lam. ex Poir. and Vismia guineensis (Linn.) 

Choisy 

Harungana madagascariensis Lam. ex Poir. Blood tree. Fig. 60. 

Vernacular Names: Me. Mbelii, YOl')goei; Te. Ka-Pel; g. s», 

Yulery, Wowa; Ko , KU1]gbali-kone, SU1}gbali; Sh, Pel-Iv; 

!e. Mbei; f!:. Blod-tri, Pam-oil-tik. 

BOTANY Leaves opposite, ovate or ovate-elliptic, rounded or 

sometimes cuneate or subcordate at the base, acute or shortly 

acuminate at the apex, 10-20 cm. long, 6-10 cm. broad, with 

rather numerous lateral nerves, which are prominent beneath; 

petiole 1.5-2 cm. long. 

Flowers very small and numerous in terminal corymbose cymes, 

whitish, fragrant, dotted with black glands. Petals hairy 

inside. Stamens united into five bundles. 

Fruit a drupe with a crustaceous pericarp enclosing the five 

pyrenes. Drupes 2-4 seeded. 

Most parts of the tree are covered with fine stellate hairs. 

FIELD NOTES Harungana is a small tree not usually more than 

thirty-five feet in height, but sometimes as tall as fifty feet. 

The crown is golden-green, deep and spreading with fine, almost 

whorled branches. The bole is often rather angular and forked 

low. The bark is rough with very small vertically arranged 

scales which flake off easily. Slash is thin, rather wet and 

turgid, but will peel off in long strips; when cut a brilliant, 

almost florescent orange latex flows abundantly and by it the 

tree can always be recognised immediately. It is often infested 

with ants. The tree coppices easilyo 

PHENOLOGY Flowering begins sparingly in May, reaches its height 

in August and September and then tapers off up to about December; 

flowering is always very profuse. Fruits are ripe from September 

up to January. The tree is usually evergreen. 

DISTRIBUTION Harungana is found all over Sierra Leone in young 

farm bush. It is usually associated with Trema, Musanga, and 

Nauclea latifolia. 

TIMBER The wood is orange-red to yellow and can have most 

attractive colouring in larger specimens. The tree is not used 

commercially because it so seldom grows to a merchantable size. 

USES Many medicinal uses have been recorded for Har-ungana , Bark 

is boiled and the water drunk as a remedy for jaundice 0 The young 

leaves are sometimes used as a medicine for asthma and Dalziel 

records that the fruits are occasionally used in cases of 

abortion in the belief that the red juice averts bleeding. 

The stems are commonly used for house poles. 

138

5 c:...VY\:j5. 

Ic.I'V\, 

Figure 60. Sacoglottis gabonensis a) Leaves and inflorescence 

b) Fruit. 

Harungana madagascariensis c) Leaves and fruits 

d) Fruit.

Ceiba oentandra Lower 

part of bole. Note 

spines and swellIng 

above buttresses (see 

page 56). 

PLATE: 3 

Ceiba pentandra A 

mature tree about 170ft. 

tall growing in farm 

bush. Note well 

developed buttresses 

(see page 56).

Anthonotha fragrans An 

except i onally l arge 

buttr essed spe c imen ( see 

page 68) . 

PLATE 4 

Al l anbl ack ia floribunda 

No t e fine dr oopin g 

br-anche s and lar ge 

frui ts (s ee page 130) .

Dideloeia idae No te 

sLraighL unbueeressed 

bol e (see page 88) . 

PLATE 6 

Cl'ytcosepalwn 

cecr a phyl l wn NOL0 root 

spurs or "claw" rooes 

(see page 79).

ErYLhr ophl eum iv ore ns e 

Note t ypi cally t hic k , 

shaggy , pi Lced bar k 

(s ee page 90) . 

PIAT'. t, 

Dis Gemonanthus 

benthamianus NOve 

t ypic a l l y irregular 

bol e (see page 89) .

Ric inodendron heudelotii 

A large specimen with 

r oot spurs and surface 

ro ots (s ee page 123) . 

PLATE 11 

Uapaca gui neensis 

Lower part of t r ee 

showing Wi de-spreading 

cyl Indr ical stIltr 

oots (see page 125) .

Anthocleista nobilis 

Note stilt roots. 

Sp1rally arranged rows 

of spines are vi sibl e 

on t he bole (see 

page 148). 

PLATE 13 


A lar ge s pec imen at a 

log- l oad ing site. Note 

tuft ed folia ge (s ee 

page 142).

Aubrevillea ker st 1ngii 

Lower part of bole showing 

high convex 

buttresses (see 

page 169). 

PLATE 15 

Aubr evi l l ea kersting11 

Upper part of bole and 

crown showi ng tufted 

foliage (see page 169).

Samanea dinklage1 A 

small, but typically 

Iow-branched specimen. 

Note young Brldelia sp. 

in the background 

(left) (see pages 182 

and 112). 

PLATE 16 

Cathormion altisslmum 

Tree on river bank. 

Note short bole and 

small buttresses (see 

page 172).

Parkla bicolor Note 

buttresses and 

typically bent bole 

(see page 177). 

PLATE 17 

Plptadeniastrum . 

a fricanum A tree wIth 

l arge buttresses being 

felled (see page 180).

Lophira al a ta Bol e 

showing t ypi ca lly 

scal ey bark (see page 

198) • 

PLATE 18 

Pycnant hus angolensls 

Note dist 1nct ax i s of 

tree (see page 194) .

Parlnari excel sa 

Upper part of bole and 

cr own (see page 217). 

PLATE 19 

Smeathmannla pUbescens 

Two large specImens 

(s ee page 2(9).

Hannoa klaineana A 

mature tree (see 

page 248). 

PUTE 20 

Nauclea dlderrlchl1 

Note root spurs and 

narrow bark scales 

(see page 224).

Fagara macropgylla 

Note large woody thorns 

(see page :230). 

PUTE 21 

Mitragyna stipulosa 

A tree growing in a 

roadside swamp. Note 

straight clear bole 

(see page 222).

PLATE 2J 

Nauclea diderrichil 

Note whorled arrangement of fine branches (see page 224). 

Tieghemella heckelii 

A particularly large moss-covered bole (see page 245).

Her l t l era utl11s Two 

large specimens showing 

but t ress and stilt -root 

devel opment (see page 

253) • 

PLATE 24

A 

Figure 62. Combretodendron macroc um a) Leaves and young 

inflorescencesb Fruit. 

Napoleona leonensis c) Leaves and flower buds d) Fr.lit. 

D

Figure 63. Anthocleista voselii a) Leaf b) Young fruits. 

Soyauxia floribunda c) Leaves and inflorescence.

LOGANIACEAE - Anthocleista 

TDIBER .AND USES The wood of all species is white, soft, 

perishable and light, (about 26 lb. per cu. ft. at twelve per 

cent. moisture content). A decoction of the roots is commonly 

taken for oonstipation and also as a cure for gonorrhoea. Dry 

fallen leaves are boiled and drunk as a oure for jaundice.. 

149

MELASTOMATACEAE 

A family of herbs, shrubs and small trees, wi th opposd,te 

branohes. Leaves simple, opposite or verticillate, mostly with 

three to nine longitudinally parallel nerves, without stipules. 

stamens the same, to double the number of the petals, filaments 

free, often geniculate (i.e. bent like a knee). Fruit a oapsule 

or berry. Seeds are usually minute. 

The family is not of great interest to the forester; the 

following small trees have been found in Sierra Leone: 

Sakersia africana Hook. f. A tree up to about fifty feet high 

which grows in moist places in rain forest. It is characterised 

by its bristly branchlets and leaves; the branchlets of the 

inflorescence are especially bristly. 1flowers, wi th rose-pink 

glabrous petals, are produced in profusion in December and 

January. 

Memecylon Linn. Several shrubs or small understorey trees in 

this genus have been recorded in Sierra Leone but the determination 

of species is very difficult without fiowera, which are small 

and usually blue in colour and are grouped in small a:xillary 

cymes. The genus is distinguished by the ovary which is onecelled 

and completely adnate to the calyx-tube; seeds are large, 

often solitary and anthers very short, opening by along!tudinal 

slit, not a pore as in other genera. In most species the opposite 

leaves have three or five prominent long!tudinal nerves. Fruits 

are small berries, black or violet in colour. The Mendes call 

the various species "samakui", a name which is also applied to 

Ouratea spp. 

While most species seldom exceed thirty feet high, there is 

at least one unidentified species in Sierra Leone, possibly 

'M. blakeoides, which quite commonly grows to ninety feet tall and 

to five f'eet girth. It has very distinct, but finely fissured 

brown bark, and a thin granular reddish slash with horizontal 

lines. The tree usually has claw roots, and fiowera are said to 

be white. 

The f'ollowing species are recorded in the F.W. T. A. for 

Sierra Leone: 

M, afzelii G. Don 

K. aylmeri Hutch. &: Dalz. 

:M. normandii Ja.c.-Fel. 

M. poLyanthemos Hook. f. 

M. laterifiorum (G. Don) Brem, 

M. blakeoides G. Don 

M. gOlaense Bak. f. 

M. cinnamomoides Go Don 

'M. fasciculare (Planch. ex Benth.) Naud , 

Kemceylon is regarded as a weed in natural regeneration and 

most of' the trees are either f'elled or poisoned. 

151

MELIACE.AE 

8. a. Upper leaflets with 14-20 pairs of main, looped, 

secondary nerves averaging much less than 1 cm. 

apart, very prominent beneath and strongly sunk 

above, making the leaflets look corrugated; intermediate, 

weaker nerves absent or very rare 

Entandrophragma candollei 

b. Upper leaf"lets with only 5-10 pairs of main, looped, 

secondary nerves mostly 1 cm. or more apart, 

prominent beneath, not much sunk above; intermediate 

weaker nerves frequent; hairs rare in the 

axils of secondary nerves, sometimes in those of the 

their branch-nerves Entandrophragma cylindricum 

9. a. Petiole obviously winged or ridged and obviously 

f"lattened and broadened, at least in the lower half 10 

b. Petiole cylindrical, inconspicuously ridged and 

broadened, if at all, only near the base 11 

10 0 

a. Secondary nerves many, arising at a wide angle and 

running straight to near the margin, with intermediate, 

weaker, secondary nerves frequent; leaves 

quite glabrous Lovoa trichilioides 

b. Secondary nerves few, arising obliquely and curving 

toward the margin; intermediate nerves absent or 

very rare; midrib beneath usually densely :furry, 

rarely glabrous or nearly so 

Entandrophragma angolense 

11 • a. Leaves imparipinnate; leaf"lets usually pubescent, 

narrow, the terminal one oblanceolate with a longer 

petiolule; secondary nerves 12-20 

Trichilia heudelotii 

b. Leaves normally paripinnate , glabrous 12 

12. a. Leaves very large; upper leaf"lets at least three 

times as long as broad, normally much more than 

20 cm. long; secondary nerves 10-18 Carap$. prooera 

b. Leaves small, upper leaflets less than three times 

as long as broad, usually much less than 20 cm. 

long; secondary nerves 6-10 Khaya spp. 

Key to the Fruit 

1 • a. Capsule spherical 2 

b. Capsule not spherical 4 

2. a. Seeds flat and winged all round Kha:ra spp. 

b. Seeds not winged 3 

3. a. Axis of fruit persistent in the middle Guarea spp. 

b. Axis of fruit not present Trichilia spp 0 

4. a. Capsule oblong ellipsoid, strong beaked; seeds 

large, roundish, not winged Carapa procera 

b. Capsule fusiform or oblong or slightly pear shaped; 

seeds winged at one end 5 

5. a. Fruit valves dehiscent from the apex first (or from 

the apex and base simultaneously in Entandrophragma 

cylindricum 6 

b. Fruit valves dehiscent from the base first 9 

153

MELIACEAE - Carapa 

6. a. Fruit valves detached from the base along a definite 

straight transverse line of separation; capsule 

oblong with 5 valves, 10-12 cm. long 

Entandrophragma cylindricum 

b. Fruit valves remain attached at the base either 

strongly or weakly (without a clear, normal line of 

separation) 7 

7. a. Fruit valves remain interconnected after dehiscence 

by a framework of woody veins 

Pseudocedrela kotschyi 

b. Fruit valves not interconnected after dehiscence by 

veins 8 

8. a. Columella (thick axis of fruit) fusifonn. Valves 

thin, scarcely woody, narrow towards the base, 

easily breaking away Entandrophragma candollei 

b. Columella club shaped, thicker towards the apex. 

Valves very thick and woody, broad at the base, 

remaining firmly attached Entandrophragma utile 

9. a. Fruit valves fairly thick and woody, at least 12 cm. 

long and 5 in number, remaining attached at the apex 

and falling united (like a shuttlecock), the 

columella remaining naked on the tree; seeds 

attached by the seed-end Entandrophra6!a angolense 

b. Fruit valves thin and leathery, only 4 or 5 cm. long 

and only 4 in number, falling away as above but very 

easily breaking apart; seeds attached by the end of 

the wing to the apex of the columella 

Lovoa klaineana 

In addition to the species described below two other 

trees in the Meliaceae are worth mentioning: 

Ekebergia senegalensis A. Juss. is a spreading savanna 

tree up to fifty teet high, it has not been reported from 

Sierra. Leone, but is possibly present in the far north. 

Pseudocedrela kotschyi (Schweinf.) Harms is a tree of 

the savanna woodlands with grey, crocodile-skin type of bark. 

Leaflets mostly 10-12 cm. long, nonnally with a distinctly 

wavy or toothed margin; secondary nerves 10-12 pairs, spreading. 

lruit a woody capsule 10-12 cm. long, opening at the 

apex by :five woody valves which remain :firmly attached at the 

base, and interconneoted by fibrous veins after dehiscence; 

fruits are held erect on the tree. 

Carapa Rrocera DC. Fig. 64 

Vernacular names: Me. Kowei, Kovei; h. Ka-Yut, Ka-Kundi; 

Xi. Kowo; Cr. KunaI: 

- - 

BOTANY Leaf pinnately compound with about six pairs of very 

variable leaflets, usually elongate-elliptic to oblong, shortly 

acuminate, narrowed at the base, each leaflet is up to 30 

cm. long and 10 cm. broad with about twelve pairs of secondary 

nerves. 

!'he inflorescence is a panicle 60 cm. or more long with 

white or pink flowers on short lateral branches. Sepals short, 

five; petals five, up to 7 mm. long, brownish; staminal tube 

white with ten sessile anthers over an orange or red disc. 

The fruit is ridged, oblong-ellipsoid up to 15 cm. long, 

containing 15-20 hard seeds. 

154

l 5c.V\'\s 

Figure 64. Carapa procera a) Leaflet b) Part of inflorescence 

c) Fruit.

MELIACEAE - Entandrophragma 

trees. The slash is variable in colour, generally red, sometimes 

light brown with orange fibres or red and white striped; it is 

faintly scented. 

PHENOLOGY Fruits have been collected in June and :rebruary but no 

other phenological records are confirmed. The trees stand leat"less 

in the dry season. 

DISTRIBUTION Entandrophragma angolense is the most widely 

distributed species of the genus in Sierra Leone. It is found at 

Baf'odea in Koinadugu District, in the Kuru Hills, Kasewe, Tonkoli, 

Kambui Hills, Gola :rorests and the Nimini Hills. Enumeration 

surveys (combining this species with E. utile and probably 

E. cylindricum) give the following frequencies: 

:rorest 



2 -4 4 - 6 6 - 8 8 - 10 10 - 12 12+ 

Nyagoi 11 2 3 6 1 7 

Kambui Hills 

(Gengelu) 2 1 1 • • • 

Tama •• •• 1 1 • • 

Dodo Hills 8 4 2 1 2 3 

• :rewer than one tree per 100 acres. 

The abundance of this tree in the Nyagoi Forest is coincident 

with high frequency of Khaya anthotheca. It has been suggested 

this indicates that the forest in the area is of some 

antiquity. Between four and twenty trees of six feet girth and 

over are found per square mile in the Gola North Forest Reserve. 

SILVICULTURE Transplants are shaded and mulched during the dry 

season and are put out as striplings. E. anfiolense has been 

planted at llakeni, Kasewe and elsewhere. Survival is good in 

open plantations but growth is scarcely above one inch V.A.I. in 

girth. This species is not considered as suitable for taungya 

plantations and is not planted at present because, in common with 

other trees in the family, it tends to be attached by shoot 

borers when grown in open conditions. 

E. angolense and E. utile are poorly represented in areas 

under natural regeneration, apart from the Nyagoi :rorest, where 

the abundance of seed trees has given some fair stands of regeneration. 

One tree of two feet girth in the Neaboi sample plot 

had a P.A.I. of 1.4 inches girth over a six year period. 

There are 2-4,000 seeds per kilogram, the germination 

period of fresh seed is about twenty days. 

TIMBER llost trees cut in the Gola J'orests fall in the sizes 

8-10 feet girth and yield 180-300 H.ft. of timber. A tree of 

twenty-seven feet girth yielded 1 ,900 H.ft. of timber in the 

Nyagai Forest. The red wood is light (35 lb. per cu , ft. at 

twelve per cent. moisture content), fairly hard, it works and 

finishes well and has a highly decorative grain. It is favoured 

for furniture making. 

156

Entandrophragma candollei Harms Fig. 65. 

Vernacular names: 

Trade name: Omu , 

MELIACEAE - Entandrophragma 

BOTANY The pinnately compound leaf has 5-9 pairs of leaflets 

4-15 cm. long and 2-6 cm. broad, oblong elliptic to obovate, 

rounded at the base, unequal with an obtusely pointed apex. The 

leaflets are leathery, usually galled, with a wavy edge and 14-22 

pairs of well marked lateral nerves which are impressed above. 

The flowers are greenish white, petals 8-9 mm. long. 

The capsular fruit is about 20 cm. long, 3-5 cm. across with 

a rough spotted surface, and 3-10 seeds on each face of the 

central column. The frui.t opens from the top; the valves are 

thin and narrow at the base; the columnella is narrow, fusiform 

and is stalked inside the capsule. 

FIELD NOTES and DISTRIBUTION This spacies is only recorded from 

Nyagoi Protected Forest where a small stand of very large trees 

was found on a rocky slope. The maximum girth is twenty-seven 

feet above the buttresses and the trees are up to 140 ft. in 

height. Heavy buttresses extend ten feet up the bole and spread 

fifteen feet. The bark is dark brown with dark pits about two 

inches across, and half an inch deep. The slash is thick, dark 

red, granular outside, more fibrous within, not scented. 

PHENOLOGY The tree is leafless from October to January or 

longer. Flowers appear during this period, and fruits ripen by 

the end of September. 

TIMBER The wood weighs about 40 lb. per cu, ft. at fifteen per 

cent. moisture content. 

Entandrophrawna cylindricum (Sprague) Sprague Fig. 65. 

Vernacular names: As for E. a.ne;olense. 

Trade name: Sapele • 

OOTANY The pinnate leaf has 5-9 pairs of opposite or subopposite 

glossy leaflets, each oblong to oblong-lanceolate (but 

variable in shape), 8-13 cm. long and 3-5 cm. broad. The leaflets 

are obtusely acuminate, cuneate to rounded, but unequal at 

the base with 6-12 pairs of lateral nerves; venation is closely 

reticulate. 

The flowers are yellowish-white and unscented. The 

flowers of this species are the smallest in the genus, the petals 

only 4 mm. long. 

The fruit is a small capsule about 10 cm. long with 3-4 

seeds on each face. It is short and blunt at both ends; valves 

are rather thin, dehiscing from both ends simultaneously or from 

the apex first. 

157

MELIACEAE - EntandrophrawaJGuarea 

scented. Orange lichenous patches are not found on the bole. 

PHENOLOGY Fruits have been collected from November to February; 

flowers are seen in October when the tree loses its leaves. It 

stands leafless for several months. 

DISTRIBUTION Enumerations have generally confused this species 

with E. angolense and possibly E. cylindricum as well. It has 

been recorded as present in Kasewe Forest, in Tama as a scattered 

tree accounting for 2.5 per cent. by volume of utilisable species, 

in Gola North and in the Kambui Hills. A record exists of its 

occurrence on Farangbaia Forest Reserve, an enclave in savanna 

country. 

SILVICULTURE As for Entandrophragma angolense. 

TIMBER Similar to that of Entandrophragma angolense but heavier 

(42 lb. per ou. ft.). This speoies is said to make a first-class 

canoe. 

Guarea cedrata (A. Chev.) Pellegr. Fig. 66. 

Vernacular names: !!:. Njawa-njilei; !2.. Njila. 

Trade name: Guarea. 

Another species of this genus is found in Sierra Leone; 

Guarea leonensis Hut oh, & DaLa , is an understorey tree of the 

Gola Forests whioh grows up to forty feet high with spreading, 

drooping branches. The cream ooloured f'lowers are found from 

December to April and the fruits are conspicuous from April. It 

has thin bark and light slash. 

Guarea thompsonii Sprague & Hutch. is a large tree reported 

from Liberia and is possibly present in the rain forest area. 

This species has a thin, granular yellowish slash with sticky white 

to coffee coloured juice. It is difficult to distinguish from 

Trichilia heudelotii without the fruit, but the inrolled edges of 

the petiole are said to be quite definite. 

BOTANY Guarea cedrata has an impipinnately compound leaf with 

3-7 pairs of opposite leaflets which are oblong, soarcely tipped 

to long acuminate, cuneate or rounded and unequal at the base. 

The leaflets are 10-30 cm. long, 4-9 cm. broad, leathery, markedly 

reticulate beneath with 16-22 pairs of lateral nerves. Margins 

are often undulate. 

The fragrant yellow flowers are borne in short axillary 

panicles; they have a short four-lobed calyx and four petals 

which are longer than the staminal tube. 

The fruit is a 3-4-lobed globular reddish, velvety, fleshy 

capsule containing up to four seeds. 

FIELD NOTES .AND DISTRIBUTION Guarea cedrata is a rare large 

tree reaching fifteen feet in girth and 120 ft. or more in 

height. It has been reported from the Kambui Hills, Nimini Hills, 

in part of the Colony Reserve and in the foothills of the 

Loma Mountains. 

159

MELIACEAE - Lovoa/Trichilia 

PHENOLOGY Flowers have been recorded from November to January; 

ripe fruits have been collected in March. The tree is leafless 

for a short period during April and May. 

DISTRIBUTION Lovoa is more widely distributed than the other 

Meliaceae timber trees. Eight to sixteen trees over six feet in 

girth are generally found per square mile in the Gala Forests. 

The tree is present in all rain forest areas and in the semideciduous 

forests of Tonkoli and Tama where enumeration surveys 

normally show between two and five trees over six feet girth per 

100 acres. 

SILVICULTURE There are about 16,000 seeds per kilogram. The 

seed is rapidly destroyed by seed borers, moulds, etc. and gives 

poor germination. The plants are difficult to raise in the 

nursery and only limited plantation trials have been attempted so 

faro Lovoa accounts for one per cent. of the natural regeneration 

in Dambaye Valley, and is found as a pole sized constituent of the 

filler crop in wide line plantations of Terminalia ivorensis at 

Kasewe. 

TIMBER The wood is light (54 lb. per cu. ft. fresh, drying to 

35 lb. per cu. ft. at twelve per cent. moisture content), it 

works and turns well. The golden-brown wood, streaked with dark 

gum lines is very decorative and is used for furniture and 

turnery 0 It is often full of small worm holes, and thin joints 

tend to be brittle. It is one of the most valuable timber trees 

of Sierra Leone and is in great demand. 

Trichilia Browne 

Trichilia heudelotii Planch. ex Olive (fig. 68), is a 

common understorey tree found in all forest areas and in ri.verside 

forest outside the high forest belt. It reaches a maximum 

height of 60-70 ft. and rarely six feet in girth. The greenishwhite 

flowers are found from January to May and the pink fruits 

from June. The imparipinnately compound leaf has 4-6 pairs of 

opposite leaflets which flush between September and December, they 

are 10-20 cm. long, more or less pubescent with appressed hairs 

and many curved secondary nerves. The bark is smooth and brown; 

slash is thin light brown, striped, darkening on exposure, brittlefibrous, 

scented and exudes a little white juice. The bole is 

slightly fluted, with small buttresses. The tree is generally low 

branched with a wide irregular crown. The ripe seeds are black 

with a scarlet aril, on very long stalks; they are used as bait 

in bird traps; the bark is used as an additive for raphia wine, 

and the Limbas use it to make a red dye. The wood is hard, 

reddish-brown, light in weight and fairly durable. 

Trichilia prieureana. A. Juss, is a small tree, occasionally 

up to sixty feet high, found in the north in forest remnants, in 

mountain forest and by rivers. It has a bent, often fluted bole, 

with grey-brown flakey bark: and thin fibrous yellowish slash. 

The greenish-white flowers are found from January to March and the 

pink fruits from March. 

Trichilia roka (Forsk.) Chiov. is a small savanna tree with 

corky bark, collected once in an unknown location. 

162

JfOC. 

Figure 66. Guarea oedrata a) Leaf b) Young fruits.

MELIACEAE - Trichilia/Turraeanthus 

Trichilia martineaui Aubrev. & Pellegr. is a large, very 

uncommon tree recorded from Moyamba and Nimini South Forest 

Reserves. It grows to eleven feet in girth and 100 ft. in 

height with no buttress and a long clear bole. The bark is 

grey, smooth to scaley, with horizontal fissures. The slash is 

unpleasantly scented, brown with white spots, fibrous, easily 

cut and yields a white guIIUD.Y latex. The flowers have been 

recorded in December. 

Trichilia lanta A. Chev, is a medium sized tree up to six 

feet in girth and 80...100 ft. in height; slightly buttressed with 

a long straight bole. The bark is smooth or a little scaley; 

slash thin. reddish-brown, sweetly scented, giving a small amount 

of yellowish juice. The leaflets have 15-25 pairs of prominent 

lateral nerves. Greenish-white flowers have been recorded in 

December. The tree is similar to T. heudelotii but is easily 

distinguished by the long dense hairs on the petiole and rhachis 

and underside of the leaflets. The fruits have longer hairs 

among the dense short ones. 

Turraeanthus africanus (Welw. ex C. DC.) Pellegr. Fig. 68. 

Vernacular names: 

Trade name: Avodire. 

IDTANY The pinnate leaf has 4-12 pairs of alternate or 

subopposite leaflets which are narrowly elongated, slightly 

apiculate at apex and unequal at the base. The leaflets are 

10-25 cm. long and 3-6 cm. broad with twelve or more pairs of 

lateral nerves. 

The creall\Y, fragrant flowers are borne on short branched 

lateral panicles. Calyx short and cupular, corrolla tube up 

to 2 cm. long, five lobed; staminal tube exceeding the corolla 

in length with ten sessile anthers; style white. long and hairy. 

The fruit is a :f'our valved spherical capsule, yellow when 

ripe. containing up to four seeds embedded in a soft pith. 

FIELD NOTES This is a rare tree in Sierra Leone, and has only 

been recorded :f'rom Kambui South and Nimini South Forest Reserves. 

It has a large bole up to ten feet or more in girth, it is 

swollen but not buttressed. The bole is excessively bent giving 

rise to heavy spreading branches, and a rather open crown with 

tu:f'ted drooping foliage. It reaches a height of 100 ft. The 

bark is pale grey to whitish, vertically fissured and scaley. 

The slash is pale yellow, moist, :f'ragrant and brittle-fibrous. 

PHENOLOGY The fruits are ripe in August; coIected seed is 

often heavily infested with white maggots. It sometimes 

germinates inside the capsules. 

TIMBER The wood weighs 35 lb. per cu. ft. at fifteen per cent. 

moisture content, is pale yellow, strong, tough, works well and 

has a pleasant grain. It is very rarely cut by sawmills in 

Sierra Leone as the :f'orm is invariably poor and the tree so 

uncommon. 

163

Figure 68. Trichilia heudelotii a) Lear 

Turraeanthus africanus b) Part of leaf c) Fruits.

H I 

Figure 70. Albizia adianthifolia a) Part of leaf b) Flowers 

c) Fruits j) Flower. 

Albizia ferruginea d) Part of leaf e) Fruits 

i) Flower. 

Albizia zygia f) Part of leaf g) Fruits 

h) Flower.

A 

/0 ems. 

Figure 71. Aubrevillea platycarpa a) Leaf b) Inflorescence 

c) Fruit. 

Aubrevillea kerstingii a) Leaf. 

c

:MDIOSACEAE ... Aubrevillea 

Aubrevillea kerstingii (Harms) Pellegr. Fig. 71. Plate 15. 

Vernacular names: !!!.. Larygoi. 

IDTANY The leaves are bipinnately compound, with 5-12 pairs of 

opposite pinnae, each bearing 13-30 pairs of opposite leaflets, 

which are narrowly oblong with an oblique base and a rounded or 

bluntly pointed apex; the leaflets are 1-3 cm. long, 0.2-1 cm. 

broad. The rhachis is 30-50 cm. long and the pinnae 7-20 cm.; 

the central ones are the longest. The pinnae and rhachides are 

often ridged. 

Flowers are similar to those of Piptadeniastrum africanum. 

The fruit is a flat, oblong, indehiscent pod 11-16 cm. long 

and 2 •.5-4- cm. broad.. 

FIELD NOTES A. kerstingli is a large tree reaching 120 ft. in 

height and fourteen feet in girth above the buttress. The bole 

is generally long and straight, with a heavy fork at sixty to 

seventy feet and supports a small, spreading, thin crown, with a 

lacey appearance due to the nature of the foliage. The bole 

always has high narrow convex plank buttresses reaching up to 

twelve feet high and spreading ten feet from the bole. The bark 

is grey to reddish-brown, thin, horizontally striated with 

lenticels, and scaley on large trees. Slash is thin, hard and 

light brown outside with white fibres; the inner slash is 

yellowish-brown, layered with yellow and white fibres which tear. 

The slash has an ammonia...like smell. 

PHENOWGY The tree almost becomes leafless ; new leaves replace 

the old ones during Octobez: or November. Old leaves turn red 

before they fall. Flowering and fruiting occur only very rarely; 

flowers are said to appear with the flush of new leaves. 

DISTRIBUTION Enumeration surveys give the following frequencies: 

Forest 

Nyagoi 

Tonkoli 

(Kindea) 

Gala North 

(Lower Jlakpoi) 

Number of stems per 100 acres by 


2-4 10 - 12 12+ 

19 

.. 

.. 

14 

.. 

A. kerstingii reaches its best development in Nyagoi Protected 

Forest; it is rare in the Kambui Hills and the Nimini Hills, 

scattered in the Gola Forest but is well represented in the older 

sections of Tonkeli. It is not found in farm bush or young 

secondar,y forest. 

TIlIBER The wood is moderately hard and. heavy, light to dark brown 

and striped. The grain is often interlocked, but the wood works 

fairly well giving a pleasing striped appearance, not unlike 

Entandrophragma. The wood tends to twist in long lengths, and 

large trees sometimes have a defective centre. 

169 

8 

3 

1 

2 

1 

1 

1 

0 

0 

1 

1 

0

Figure 72. Calpocalyx aubrevillei a) Pinnab) Fruit.

Figure 73. Calpocalyx brevibracteatus a) Pinna b) Inflorescence 

c) Fruit.

MDlOSACEAE - Newtonia 

FIELD NOTES N. duparguetiana reaches a girth of ten feet and a 

height of 120 ft., but is generally a medium sized tree. The 

bole is straight, forking high up with a compact, rather dense 

crown. The bole has angled flanges, with gaps beneath, sinking 

into the ground near the bole, but reaching up the bole as fluting 

for about eight feet. The bark is smooth, brown with red 

1entice1s, and reddish-brown with horizontal striations on the 

root flanges. The slash is thin, light brown, granular towards 

the bark; white and compact, fibrous and tears into strips near 

the wood. Globules of yellow-orange juice appear in the slash at 

once. The slash is wet, sticky and has a distinctive ammonialike 

smell. 

PHENOLOGY Flowers have been recorded in April, September and 

October, and fruits between February and May. The tree is 

evergreen; new leaves are produced at the end of the rains. 

DISTRIBUTION N. duparguetiana is encountered most frequently in 

the rain forest as scattered individuals; it reaches its greatest 

abundance in the Go1a Forests where it is more frequently 

encountered than N. aubrevillei. It is less common in the Kambui 

and Nimini Hills and very uncommon in the semi-deciduous forest. 

Enumeration surveys give the following frequencies. 

Forest 



2-4 4-6 6 - 8 8 - 10 10+ 

Gola North 

(E. Wepe) .. .. 12 4 1 

Golama North •• • • 1 3 1 

Nyagoi 19 6 0 1 0 

Kambui Hills 

(Gengelu) 12 6 0 0 

'" 

Fewer than one tree per 100 acres. 

SILVICULTURE Growth is slow, measured trees of 2-4 feet girth 

in sample plots grow 0.5 inches or less in girth per annum. 

TDlBIm The tree was fonnerly accepted as a general construction 

second grade timber by sawmills, but is not now preferred. The 

wood is hard, moderately heavy (64 lb. per cu, ft. fresh) and is 

difficult to work. The relative infrequency of the Newtonia 

species renders their use marginal, and only the straightest, 

longest stems are currently cut. Trees of 7-8 ft. girth yield 

100-140 £'t. of timber. 

176 

'"

5C.MS 

e: 

Figure 74. Newtonia aubrevillei a) Leaf b) Fruit c) Flower. 

N.duparquetiana d) Leaf e) Fruit.

Figure 75. Parkia bicolor a) Leaf b) Fruit c) Inflorescences.

KIKOSACRAE " Pentaclethra 

FIELD NOTES Pentaclethra is generalJy short boled, bent and 

gnarled with a heaviJy branched wide but compact deep crown, and 

leaves clustered in psuedo-whorls at the ends o-r the branchlets. 

In the forest it reaches a maximum girth of fourteen feet and a 

height of 110ft" The bole is straight or angled" with short 

root spurs" or low inconspicuous buttresses. The bark is dark 

brown and scaley with large circular lenticels arranged 

vertically, they are grey on young trees and branches. The slash 

is orange-red, darkening to brown on exposure; it is thiok and 

granular towards the bark, brittle-:t'ibrous towards the wood. 

PHENOLOGY The fragrant yellow nowers are seen between December 

and April. The fruits, which hang downwards, are long in 

developing and mature from September onwards and often persist 

after the following year's nowers. The tree is brie:t'l.y leaness 

between October and December after which the new foliage appears 

in conspicuous bronze coloured tufts at the ends of the branches. 

DISTRIBUTION Enumeration surveys give the following frequencies: 

Forest 



2 .. 4- 4-... 6 6.. 8 8.. 10 10 ... 12 12+ 

Gola North 

(Lower Jlakpoi) • • •• 38 2 3 0 

Nyagoi 6 5 1 1 0 0 

Bojene Hills 10 18 13 3 3 4 

Kambui Hills 

(Gengelu) 27 29 9 1 • 0 

Ba:t'i Sewa 4-5 25 18 11 5 0 

• Fewer than one tree per 100 acres• 

Pentaclethra is well represented in the rain forest but is 

less common in the semi-deciduous forest. In the Lower llakpoi 

Block of the Gola North Forest it is the fourth most abundant 

tree to Uapaca guinneensis" Parkia bicolor and XYlia evansM, 

comprising eight per cent. of the stand over six feet girth. In 

the Ba:t'i Sewa forest it is third to Uapaca guineensis and 

PiRta4eniastrwn africanum comprising seven and a half' per cent. 

of the stand over six feet girth. It shows some preference for 

moist sites and is also commonly seen in farm bush and disturbed 

land within the high forest zone. It does not extend into 

savanna country.. 

TIlIBlm The sapwood is grey and the heart wood reddish-brown. The 

wood is heavy (50 lb. per ou, ft. at twelve per cent. moisture 

content), it is moderateJy hard and difficult to work but is 

durable and finishes smoothJy. As trees of exploitable size are 

generally poorJy shaped or have defective hearts, this species is 

of no commeroial importance. 

USES The seeds are eaten roasted and are said to expel worms; 

they are sometimes used to prepare cooking oil. The bark is 

reported to be a fish poison, and the pods, in common with those 

of many other species, are used to prepare soap. 

179

Figure 78. Samanea dinklagei a) Leaves aDi fruits b) Inflorescences 

c) Flower. 

Cathormion altissimum d) Leaf e) Leaflet.

5cms. 

Figure 79. Fruit.

lIIMOSACEAE - Tetrapleura/Xylia 

USES The pulp from the pod is used as a fish poison. 

Xylia evansii Hutch. Fig. 80. 

Vernacular names: Me. Yilei, ?Tegai; Te. Ka-Buryga; Ko. Konja; 

Kor. Yale" Koro7]. 

BOTANY Leaves bipinnately compound with one pair of opposite 

pinnae, a large glad is present at the top of the 3-5 cm. long 

petiole. On each pinna there are 14-16 pairs of opposite, 

sessile, oblong-lanceolate leaflets, 2-9 cm. long and 1-2 cm. 

broad. The leaflets have ten or more pairs of lateral nerves 

and are dark green above; hairy beneath. 

The yellow flowers are borne in pedunculate globUlar heads 

2 cm. in diameter. 

The fruit is an elastic woody, obovate-elliptic pod, 

slightly bent, greyish-brown in colour, up to 20 cm. long and 

5 cm. broad containing 4-9 shiny black seeds. 

FIELD NOTES Xylia is a medium sized to large tree reaching a 

maximum of seventeen feet in girth and 120 ft. or more in height. 

The bole is often fluted and bent; in dense forest it is 

sometimes free of branches to sixty feet or more. The bole has 

large humped buttresses. Young trees have smooth bark but on 

older trees it is reddish-brown, rough with thick scales. The 

slash is brown to orange-brown, soft and brittle-fibrous. There 

are horizontal striations on the buttress wings and horizontally 

arranged lenticels. 

PHENOLOGY Flowering has been recorded in January and August; 

fruits are ripe between January and May but unopened pods may 

remain on the tree during the rains. Xylia is leafless for a 

short period between November and January. 

DISTRIBUTION Xylia is locally abundant in the rain forest on 

well drained alluvial sites, and on the upper slopes of hilly 

areas where there is deep soil. Elsewhere it is widely disseminated 

showing some preference for moist sites. It is most common 

in the Gola Forests where it is often the dominant tree over large 

areas, e.g. in East Wepe Block one area contained 110 stems of 

six feet girth and over, per 100 acres; elsewhere it is not 

encountered at all. It is less common and does not reach such a 

large size in the KambuiHills,Nimini Hills and in Tonkoli. 

Enumeration surveys give the following frequencies: 

184

10 ems I 

jEt> F 

\0 ,,"'s 

Figure 80. lia evansii a) Pinna b) Fruit c) In£lorescences 

d Flower.

MORACE.AE - Antiaris 

FJELD NOTES Antiaris can become an emergent tree 150 ft. tall 

and over fifteen feet in girth. Trees of twelve feet girth are 

common. The crown is rather small and dome shaped; the bole 

absolutely straight and cylindrical, and often clear to a great 

height (ninety feet or more) so that beautiful logs can be 

produced. The bole can either be unbuttressed or have large 

plank buttresses, or sometimes root spurs and surface roots. 

Buttressed trees are more common in the semi-deciduous forests, 

and unbuttressed ones predominate in rain forest. The bark is 

grey with large lenticels arranged in vertical rows, and very 

superficial vertical fissures showing green underbark. Sometimes 

the bark is distinctly warty, but more often it is smooth. The 

slash is thick, cream coloured to light brown, often with lighter 

stripes in it, but it oxidises very quickly; the outer slash is 

slightly granular, but it is very fibrous and layered inside. 

There is a copious flow of cream coloured latex as soon as the 

bark is cut, which rapidly turns to the colour of milky tea. 

Superficially, a buttressed Antiaris looks very like Ceiba. 

PHENOLOGY Antiaris is leafless for a short period between 

October and January. Flowers appear just before, or together 

with the new leaves. Large numbers of ripe fruits) are found 

about March. Some of the seed is eaten by birds. 

DISTRIBUTION Antiaris is found throughout the forests of 

Sierra Leone, but is much more common in the semi-deciduous zone, 

where it rarely forms less than three per cent. of the total 

number of trees over six feet in girth and may comprise up to 

eleven per cent. or more; in the rain forests it never 

comprises more than one per cent. of the crop. Antiaris is the 

fifth most common tree in Tonkoli; it is often distinctly 

gregarious, but may be solitary; it prefers well drained sites 

and can often be seen growing on steep rocky slopes. The crown 

is usually in the dominant canopy and is often emezgerrt , 

A. africana is the species of semi-deciduous forest and 

A. welwitchii the rain forest tree. 


Number of trees per 100 acres by %of 

Forest girth classes in feet Total all 

trees 

over 

6 ft. 

2-4 4-6 6-8 8-10 10-12 12+ girth 

Tonkoli 

(Farewa) .. .. 19 10 1 1 31 

Tonkoli 

(Kindea) .. 33 23 10 4 70 11.5 

Goloma North 2 1 1 1 5 0.8 

SILVICULTURE Taylor states that regeneration is prolific but 

quickly perishes if it does not have full light. The ripe 

fruits are eaten by duikers and monkeys. The seeds are dispersed 

by birds and regeneration may be plentiful in secondary forest. 

Young trees coppice readily. There are 59 seeds per ounce 

(2080 per kg.) and the germination period is about nineteen days; 

usually germination is good. 

187

A 

Figure 82. Chlorophora regia a) Mature leaf b) Juvenile leaf 

c) Galled stem after attack of Phytoloma lata 

d) Female inflorescence e) Male inflorescence.

Figure 83. Musanga cercropioides a) Leaf b) Young fruits 

c) Leaf sheath.

MORACEAE - Chlorophora 

The infructescence is up to 8 cm. long, the receptacle of 

the female flower becomes fleshy in the fruit, which contains 

numerous small brown seeds. 

FIELD NOTES Chlorophora will grow to a height of over 150 ft. 

with a girth of up to fifteen feet. The crown is usually wide 

spreading and dome shaped; younger trees often have steeply 

ascending branches and are sometimes almost fastigiate, but they 

more often ascend and have drooping ends. The bole is usually 

more or less straight and cylindrical, though it may be a little 

angular and swollen where old branches have fallen; normally it 

is clear to at least seventy feet on large trees. The tree is 

unbuttressed, but has root spurs which may become very large and 

extend into large surface roots. The spurs sometimes extend 

up the stem as fluting. The bark varies from dark brown to black 

in the forest, to grey in the open. It is rough and shaggy with 

many long loose flakes. Lenticels are numerous and prominent, 

and when exposed by a newly fallen flake are almost white in 

colour. The slash is rather hard and thick, composed of soft 

white fibres in between hard yellow gritty fibres, giving it a 

striped appearance. It darkens on exposure and there is a very 

plentiful exudation of sticky white latex. 

PHENOLOGY C. regia usually flowers between January and March 

and the ripe pulpy fruits are found between March and May. The 

tree is leafless for about three weeks between October and 

February; before the leaves fall they turn yellow. New leaves 

are a beautiful fresh light green. 

DISTRIBUTION Like Antiaris, Chlorophora is found throughout the 

high forests of Sierra Leone, but is more common in the semideciduous 

forests, where it normally forms be tween three and four 

per cent. of all trees over six feet in girth; it is about the 

seventh most common species in Tonkoli. In rain forests the tree 

normally forms only half a per cent. of the crop. The tree is a 

light demander, and is frequent in farm regrowth, and also occurs 

as an isolated tree in the grasslands of Eastern Kono. To some 

extent it is reserved when farms are burnt. 


Forest 

Tonkoli 

(North-West) 

Tonkoli 

Dodo Hills 4 1 

* Fewer than one tree per 100 acres. 



2-4 4-6 6-8 8-10 10-12 12+ 

26 

20 

1 

6 

7 

1 

SILVICULTURE Chlorophora is a light demander which regenerates 

fairly readily in open places. Seedlings resemble those of 

Trema guineensis, a very common shrub or small tree which quickly 

invades farms. 

There are about 406,000 seed per kg. and germination takes 

between thirteen and eighteen days. Seedlings grow very slowly 

in the nursery. 

189 

0 

2 

* 

0 

1 

*

MORACEAE - Chlorophora!Ficus 

No satisfactory technique has yet been found for growing 

this species in plantations, but where the tree occurs naturally, 

even if it is in a plantation of other species, it is normally 

encouraged. Growth is reasonably fast; natural regeneration in 

plantations at Kasewe gave M.A.I.'s of about 1 0 5 inches over a 

period of fifteen years; but regeneration in logged forest in 

Neaboi Block averaged M.A.I.'s of only 0.4 inches over six years. 

PATHOLOGY A very serious pest of Chlorophora is Phytoloma lata 

Scott, a small gall-bug which attacks the leaves, and in more 

serious cases, the leading shoots of young trees causing a 

considerable slowing up of growth and deformation. 

TIMBER No detailed tests have yet been made on the timber of 

C. regia, but it is very similar to that of Co excelsa and is 

marketed under the same name, Iroko. 

The wood of C. excelsa is hard, strong, well figured and 

very durable; yellow when freshly cut, but on exposure to light 

it quickly becomes golden-brown. The texture is fairly coarse 

but even, with a tendency for the grain to be interlocked; the 

sapwood is very narrow and clearly defined. The wood seasons 

well, has excellent strength properties, is resistant to fungi 

and insects and works fairly well. Deposits of calcium carbonate 

tend to occur in the timber in the form of streaks, or sometimes 

as considerable lumps. It weighs about 44 1b. per cu. ft. at 

twelve per cent. moisture content. 

USES Natives uses are many and are described in detail by 

Dalziel. Women chew the bark, mixed with cola nuts to dissipate 

hunger and the latex is used as a glue. The timber is regarded 

as one of the best for canoes and mortars. 

At one time the latex was tapped as a rubber adulterant. 

Ficus Linn. 

About sixty species of fig have been recorded in West Africa 

of which the F.W.T.A. records over thirty in Sierra Leone. The 

genus is easily recognised when in flower, as the flowers are in 

a closed bag-like receptacle, the typical fig, which is hollow and 

closed at the top except for a small mouth. 

Aubreville describes many of the Sierra Leone species in 

detail. 

Most species of Ficus are of little economic importance. 

Some bear figs which are edible. The majority begin life as 

epiphytes, the seed being carried by birds. The aerial roots 

eventually embrace the stem of the host and in time replace it by 

their growth, uniting and forming a compound trunk of an eventually 

independant tree. Relatively advanced stages of the process can 

be seen in the strangling figs which stand out in farm regrowth. 

Some species may grow to maturity and even bear fruit before the 

aerial roots have established themselves on the ground. 

Some large trees, such as F. mucoso Welw. ex Ficalho, have 

short stout boles which are buttressed and fluted, and have hugh 

dense spreading crowns which make them popular shade trees; 

other species have stilt roots. 

190

MORACEAE - Treculia 

FIELD NOTES The tree will grow to a height of 150 ft. and ten 

feet girth. The crown is rather small and irregular, often 

broken in big trees. The bole is not usually buttressed but is 

heavily fluted all the way up to the first branches. 

After slashing there is an abundant flow of cream coloured 

latex. The slash is fairly thick, with brown and white stripes 

outside, cream coloured inside and composed of very fine fibres 

which when torn across look like threads of silk. 

PHENOLOGY Flowering has been observed in January and fruits 

are usually ripe at the end of the dry season in l4a.y and June; 

the tree is not deciduous but changes its leaves at the end of 

the dry season. New leaves are redo 

DISTRIBUTION Treculia is never common, but is found 

throughout the rain forest and semi-deciduous forest zones. 

There are usually 2-4 trees per 100 acres. It is usually 

found near river and stream banks, particularly in the semideciduous 

zone, and it is never found on sites which become 

dry for any length of time. 

TIMBER Dalziel describes the heartwood as golden-yellow or 

yellow-brown, with very narrow sapwood which is a little paler; 

it is very dense, fairly elastic and flexible, rather heavy and 

of fine even structure. There are very few records of the tree 

being felled• 

.!!§!§. The seeds, which taste similar to fresh groundnuts are a 

popular food. 

193

Figure 84. P cnanthus an olensis a) Leaf b) Young fruits. 

Coelocaryon sp. c Leaf d) Fruits.

MYRTACEAE 

A family of trees and shrubs; leaves are simple, mostly 

entire, usually opposite and with glands. Stipules are normally 

absent. Flowers are mostly actinomorphic, hermaphrodite or 

polygamous by abortion. The calyx-tube is more or less adnate 

to the ovary with three or more lobes. Petals 4-5 rarely 

6 or 0, inserted on the margin of the disc lining the calyx tube. 

Stamens are usually numerous, inserted on the margin of the disc 

in one or more series. 

The most important trees in this family are the exotic 

Eucalyptus species which are being more widely grown in the 

country, and Melaleuca leucadendron Linn. has been successfully 

employed in reclaiming part of the low lying land round Aberdeen 

Cr-eek, The Guava, Psidium guajava Id.nn , is well lmown for its 

fruit. 

Two genera are found native in Sierra Leone. Eugenia Ldrm, 

is recognised by the flowers which are axillary, solitary or 

fasciculate, with distinct sepals and petals which fall off 

separately. Most species of Eugenia are shrubs or very small 

trees. 

Syzygium Gaertn. has flowers in terminal cymes; the 

calyx is more or less truncate and petals lid-like, covering the 

flowers and falling off together. 

S. owariense P. Beauv. Benth. is a tree up to fifty feet 

high with stilt roots, found in freshwater swamp forest by creeks 

and rivers not far from the coast. 

S. rowlandii Sprague grows to fifty feet tall and is found 

on river banks in forest. 

s. guineense (Willd) DCo var. guineense is found in 

fringing forest and on streams banks in savanna regions. Its 

flowers are often galled. 

S. guineense var. macrocarpum Engl. is a small fire-tolerant 

savanna shrub or tree. 

197

OCHNACEAE - Lophira 

pores. The grain is interlocked, the texture course, and the 

wood extremely hard and heavy (about 83 lb. per cu. ft. fresh 

and 60-70 lb. seasoned). It is difficult to season as it shakes 

badly and is difficult to work. The wood is very strong and 

about the most durable of all in West Africa. 

Because of the great durability it is almost exclusively 

used in making wooden bridges and for prefabricated buildings in 

Sierra Leone. It is also used for fence posts and boat keels. 

200

OLACACEAE - Strombosia 

Pedicels 1.5 mm. long with small bracteoles. Flowers small 

and red in leafaxils, disc five-lobed, forming a cap on the top 

of the ovary. Flowers are pentamerous, calyx red, petals white, 

stamens the same number as petals, anthers not fused to the petals. 

Fruit wholly enclosed by the receptable, blackish-purple. 

FIELD NOTES Strombosia is a middle storey tree which may grow 

to 100 ft. in height and six feet in gorth. The crown is small 

and dense; the bole straight, slender and unbranched to about 

sixty feet on big specimens, small root spurs are often present. 

The bark is usually greyish-green, scaley and spotted with 

numerous lenticels. The slash is rather thin, hard and granular, 

brown in colour with narrow whitish stripes. 

PHENOLOGY Flowering occurs between September and November, and 

fruits are ripe from December to March. The tree is evergreen. 

DISTRIBUTION Strombosia has been recorded both in the rain 

forests and semi-deciduous forests, where it may sometimes grow 

large enough to form part of the dominant canopy, but is usually 

in the middle canopy. It is a rare tree, at least in the larger 

size classes. 

TIMBER The following description is for the timber of 

S. pustulata Olive which is said to be similar to that of 

S. glaucescens. 

The thick yellowish sapwood is sharply defined from the 

purplish-brown to brown, with purplish streaked heartwood. The 

timber is very hard and heavy, (62 lb. per cu. ft. at fifteen 

per cent. moisture content), close textured, with fairly straight 

grain, resistant to fungi and insects. It saws cleanly, but is 

rather flinty across the grain, finishes smoothly and will take 

a high polish. 

204

PAPILIONACEAE 

A family of trees, shrubs, climbers and herbs. Leaves are 

compound, (often imparipinnate or trifoliolate), or simple, 

usually stipulate. Flowers are zygomorphic, usually with five 

sepals, five petals and ten stamens. The petals are usually free; 

the upper (adaxial) exterior petal forms the standard (vexillum) 

and the two lateral petals form the wings (alae) which are more or 

less parallel with each other, the lower two petals are interior 

and. joined by their lower margins into a keel (carina). Of the 

ten stamens, nine are usually united into a bundle, and one is 

free. The flowers are very characteristic and have given the 

name to the family (Latin: papilio ""' a butterfly). 

In addition to the species described in more detail, the 

following smaller trees of the family Papilionaceae are also 

found: 

Millettia zechiana Harms (fig. 89) is a small tree or shrub 

common in secondary forests and occasionally in more open areas in 

the high forest. It has an imparipinnately compound leaf with 

6-8 pairs of leaflets, each 6-12 cm. long and 2.5 cm. broad. The 

purple flowers have been recorded from December to April. There 

are a number of other Milletia species found in Sierra Leone 

including the following which are all known by the Mende name 

"t:>lugb&lei":- M. rhodantha Baill. and M. lane-poolei Dunn (both 

with small leaflets) and M. Chrysoph)lla Dunn (with three pairs 

of leaflets which are silvery beneath • The flexible branches of 

these trees are used for hut frameworks. The bark of M. rhodantha 

is used as a cough medicine. 

Ai'rormosia laxiflora (Berrth, ex Bak , ) Harms is a savanna tree 

up to forty feet in height with 9-13 alternate leaflets. 

Ostryderris stuhlmannii (Taub.) Dunn ex Harms is a small tree 

of the savanna woodland with six pairs of leaflets, and white 

flowers which appear in the dry season when the tree is leafless. 

It has red sap and yellowish-white scented wood with red streaks. 

Lonchocarpus sericeus (Poir.) H.B. & K. is a small tree 

found on the coast and on riverbanks, with purple flowers. 

Lonchocarpus cyanescens (Schum.& Thonn.) Benth. is a small 

widely cultivated shrub from whose leaves an indigo dye is 

obtained. 

Haplormosia monophylla (Harms) Harms is a small to medium 

sized tree found on moist or swampy land, mainly near the coast. 

It has showy blue flowers, scaley bark, brittle-fibrous yellow 

slash. 

Baphia nitida Lodd. Fig. 88. 

Vernacular names: Me. Mbundod ; Te. A-Kam-kant, A-Kam; Ki. Bewo ; 

!9.. Bundue ; Kor. ya:bundE.. 

Trade Name: Camwood. 

205

A 

Figure 88. Er hrina mildbraedii a) Leaf' b) Fruit c) Thorn 

d Flower. 

E.addisoniae e) Flower. 

Baphia nitida r) Leaves g) Seed pod. 

F

Figure 89. Millettia zechiana a) Leaf' b) Fruit c) Flower. 

pterocarpus santalinoides d) Leaf' e) Young fruit.

f 

L Se-MS. 

Figure 90. Smeathmannia pubescens a) Leaf b) Flower c) Flower 

d) Fruit e) Fruit. 

Maesopsis eminii f) Leaves and fruit g) Seed.

Figure 91. Anisophyllea meniaudi a) Leaves and fruit b) Young 

inflorescences. 

A.laurina c) Leaves d) Fruit.

RHAMNACEAE - Maesopsis 

at Kasewe averaged thirty feet in height and the trees were 

between twenty-seven and thirty inches in girth. Maesopsis is 

being tried as a possible alternative plantation species to 

Nauclea diderrichii. 

TIMBER The sapwood is light coloured, the heart medium to 

reddish-brown with longpores giving the cut surface a decorative 

appearance. The wood is soft, light in weight (25-35 Ib per 

cu. ft. at twelve per cent. moisture content) and is easy to work. 

Provided that it can be successfully treated with preservative, 

plantation timber should prove a useful addition to the light to 

medium weight general purpose hardwoods available. 

USES A strong purgative can be made by soaking the bark in cold 

water. The root bark is beaten with clay and used to treat 

gonorrhoea. 

211

Figure 92. Anopyxis klaineana a) Leaves b) Fruit. 

B

5c..MS. 

Figure 93. Acioa. soabrifalia a) Leaves and inflorescenoe b) Flower. 

Parinari aubrevillei 0) Foliage.

13 

5c..WV's. 

Figure 94. Parinari excelsa (Large leaved variety) a) Leaves 

b) Fruit. 

P.excelsa (Small leaved variety) c) Leaves d) Fruit. 

c

Figure 95. Parinari glabra a) Leaves and inflorescence. 

P.macrophylla b) Leaves and fruits. 

P.chrysophylla c) Leaf d) Fruit.

ROSACEAE - Parinari 


girth classes in feet %of all 

Forest Total trees over 

6 ft.girth 

2-4 4-6 6-8 8-10 10-12 12+ 

Tonkoli 

Tama. 

Golama North 

Dodo Hills 

• 0 

·. 

·. 

2 

·. 

• • 

8 

38 

17 

3 

12 

21 

12 

9 

10 

5 

3 

5 

3 

* 

1 

1 

1 

64 

33 

18 

36 

8.5 

•• 

3.0 

7.2 

Kambui Hills 

(Plateau) 73 33 19 11 • 1 137 8.5 

Kambui Hills 

(Neaboi) 

123 68 42 12 1 0 246 17.0 

Lalay 

176 124 24 4 2 4 334 8.3 

Eafi Sewa 18 13 17 3 4 2 57 5.5 

Gola North 

(Lower Makpoi) ·. ·. 21 11 3 0 35 6.3 

• 

Fewer than one tree per 100 acres. 

SILVICULTURE In silvicultural operations prior to 1964 Parinari 

excelsa was regarded as a desirable timber tree. Subsequently 

it has been relegated to the status of an undesirable as the wood 

is hard, silicous, difficult to saw and is perishable. Areas of 

high forest regenerated in the Kambui Hills contain a large 

proportion of this species, partly representing large trees not 

removed during exploitation, and partly the advancement of pole 

sized trees and establishment of new regeneration. In Plateau 

Block it is the second species to Heritiera utilis forming nine 

per cent. of the regenerated stand; in Waanje Block it is third 

to Chrysophyllum pruniforme and Uapaca guineensis. It is very 

gregarious; up to twenty-five trees of two feet in girth and 

above are found in one acre sample plots. Studies have shown that 

a dense crop of Parinari excelsa often follows exploitation of 

Lophira alata and Erythrophleum ivorense especially on exposed 

ridges. 

The tree is capable of rapid growth, even when large. Small 

trees are able to withstand mutual suppression for some time. In 

those areas where Parinari has become dominant future silvicultural 

treatment is likely to be expensive. Initial studies have shown 

that it is difficult to poison and there is little advance growth 

of desirable species present under it. 

TIMBER This species was formerly logged. The sapwood is 

yellowish-white, the heartwood reddish-brown, hard and heavy (54 lb. 

per cu. ft. at twelve per cent. moisture content), difficult to 

work and inclined to brittleness. The wood is so silicious that it 

blunts saws very rapidly. 

USES The fruits are eaten. The bark is boiled to give a potion 

ta:k"en to relieve stomach ache. The roasted bark is added to palm 

wine to improve the taste. 

219

5c.MS. 

Figure 96. Canthium subcordatum a) Leaves and inflorescence 

b) Flower. 

Corynanthepachyceras c) Leaves and inflorescence. 

Craterispermum laurinum d) Leaf.

apidly darkens on exposure. 

RUBIACEAE - Mitragyna!Morinda 

PHENOLOGY Flowers have been recorded from November to April 

but flowering is irregular. Fruits have been recorded from 

January to July. The tree retains its leaves through the dry 

season; new pinkish-red foliage is seen throughout the rains. 

DISTRIBUTION This species is found only in swamps which do not 

completely dry out in the dry season. It occurs all over the 

country from the coast to the Guinea border. Occasionally in 

the closed high forest it may be found with Nauclea aff. 

vanderguchtii and Symphonia globulifera. Mitragyna is found in 

all Forest Reserves. Even hilly areas have swampy flushes or 

narrow valleys and. there are generally 3-10 trees over six feet 

in girth per 100 acres. 

The basis of agricultural policy is to utilise all freshwater 

swamps for rice farming, and in so far as this policy is successfully 

implemented, many stands of Mitragyna have been removed. 

The absence of repeated farming allows the regeneration of 

Mitragyna if the water table remains suitable. An increase in 

the amount of water results in the growth of Raphia species. 

A typical stand is more or less even aged and often dates from the 

last cultivation, or a change in water regime. Where the trees 

are large, regeneration is frequently common but the total basal 

area of a stand of this species is much lower than in ordinary 

forest, indicating low productivity. Plantations have been made 

at Lunsar and Kasewe in swamps but they have not been successful, 

survival is poor and growth very slow. 

TIMBER The wood is pale brown, rather soft and light in weight 

07 lb. per cu. ft. at twelve per cent. moisture content). It is 

not resistant to decay but can be impregnated; it works and 

machines well and is used for mouldings and on concealed parts of 

furniture and joinery. Large trees often have a rotten bole. 

Many trees are left in the forest as they tend to be difficult 

to extract. 

USES The leaves are used for wrapping, particularly for kola-nuts 

and agidi, a local meal made from maize. 

Morinda geminata DC. Fig. 97. 

Vernacular names: Me. Njasui; Te. Ka-Bombo, An-Wanda; Ki. Suka, 

Soka; Ko , Kadui; Kor. Karlule;-Sh. Gbilgbil-lE-; Lo. B0mb0; 

Cr. Brumston. 

Morinda is also represented by a small shrub, a climber, and a 

second tree, Morinda lucida Benth. in Sierra Leone. 

BOTANY The opposite leaves of M. geminata are broadly elliptic, 

pointed at the'apex, narrowed at the base; the blade curls onto 

the petiole. The blade is 14-20 cm. long, 6-12 cm. broad, curling 

at the edge; it is soft and has about seven pairs of lateral 

nerves. Branchlets are four angled and stout. 

The white flowers are borne in heads on stout axillary or 

terminal peduncles, elongate in bud. 

223

RUBIACEAE - Morinda/Na,uclea 

The globular fruit is fleshy, tugid, and reddish at maturity. 

FIELD NOTES and DISTRIBUTION Morinda geminata is a small branched 

tree up to thirty feet in height, common in young secondary forest 

and farm bush. The bark is grey when cut, revealing yellow wood 

and very thin slash. It is found all over the country. 

PHENOLOGY Flowers are found from December to June; the fruits 

from April onwards. 

USES A yellow dye is obtained from the wood, roots and bark. 

The cut roots are boiled and the liquid mixed with indigo to bring 

out the colour. A red dye is obtained from the root bark. The 

wood is hard and reputed to be insect resistant. 

Nauclea diderrichii (De Wild. & Th. Dur.) Merrill Fig. 98. 

Plates 20, 23. 

Vernacular names: Me. Bundui; Te. Ka-Tholena; Ki. Ndundo; 

Ko , Ndundu-kaima; Kor. Yadunde,Yabanda-yire; .§h. Gbilgbil-Ie.; 

Lo. Mbundu; Cr. Bru;S'ton. 

Trade name: Opepe. 

In addition to the species described Nauclea latifolia Sm. is 

a small straggling shrub with edible fruit, found all over the 

country in rather open regrowth bush, and in savanna woodland. 

Nauclea pobeguinii (Pobeguin ex Pellegr.) Petit has been recorded 

from Njala only, as a tree of marshy sites. The leaf has 7-9 pairs 

of lateral nerves, a slender petiole and stipules pointed at tip. 

BOTANY Nauclea diderrichii has simple, broadly elliptic leaves, 

rounded towards the blunt apex, narrowed or rounded at the base; 

they are thick, leathery, dark green, 8-12 cm. (or more) long, 

4-10 cm. (or more) broad. The leaves of young trees, even up to 

sixty feet in height are much larger than the leaves of mature 

trees. There are 5-8 pairs of looped lateral nerves, with tertiary 

nerves parallel; petiole 1.5-2.5 cm. long; large deciduous 

stipules are present, which are rounded at the apex. 

The flowers are borne in terminal, solitary balls on short 

peduncles, about 3 cm. across. 

The fruit is an embossed syncarp, globular, 3 cm. across 

orange-brown when ripe, containing numerous minute seeds. 

FIELD NOTES Young trees in plantations or in natural regeneration 

areas are unmistakeable. The bole is straight, cylindrical with 

a distinct axis to the top, the crown is umbrella like, composed 

of whorled, near horizontal, branches with long dark green leathery 

leaves. Large trees reach twenty feet in girth and 160 ft. in 

height; trees of this size however are rarely found nowadays; in 

the Gola Forest most are between seven and ten feet in girth. The 

bole is generally free of buttress but may have root spurs or a 

shallow buttress. The bark is light brown, grey or yellowishbrown, 

shallowly fissured with thin scales. The slash is wet, 

light brown to yellow turning brown on exposure, medium thick with 

hard, rough, rather brittle but long fibres. 

224

Jr;. oF. 

L 5c.rv\5 .J 

Figure 98. Nauclea diderrichii a) Leaves and fruit. 

Nauclea aff. vanderguchtii b) Crown leaves 

c) Leaf from epicormic shoot d) Fruit. 

A

RUBIACEAE -Nauclea/yangueriopsis 

The fruit is a brown embossed ball about 6 cm. across 

containing numerous small seeds. 

FIELD NOTES The tree is medium sized to large and grows up to 

ten feet or more in girth and 120 ft. in height, with an open 

crown composed of few heavy branches. The unbuttressed bole is 

clear, cylindrical and free of branches to sixty feet. The ground 

around the tree is covered with humped pneumatophores (not club 

shaped as in Mitragyna stipulosa). The bark is yellowish-grey, 

thin, flaking irregularly, often covered in moss; the inner bark 

is dark brown. The slash is medium thick, pink to pinkish-brown 

with layers of vertical fibres, it is wet and easily cut. The 

slash darkens on exposure to reddish-brown. 

PHENOLOGY Flowers have not been recorded, the fruits are found 

between August and November. The tree is evergreen. 

DISTRIBUTION The tree is found by running water in the high 

forest, on stream banks or standing in fresh water swamps together 

with Mitragyna stipulosa. It occurs in the Kambui Hills, Nimini 

Hills, at Kasewe as a small tree, and is common in the Gola 

Forests. Two to five trees are frequently found together. Plants 

were raised from seed at Kenema in 1937 and planted in baskets in 

Dambaye Valley in 1938. They died and subsequent attempts to 

raise plants have been unsuccessful. 

TIMBER The tree is felled by sawmills; some 5-40 specimens are 

found per square mile in the Gola Forests. Trees of seven feet 

girth are common and yield 100 H.ft. of timber. The wood is 

similar to that of Nauclea diderichii, but lighter in weight, open 

pored, light to medium brown in colour, it works fairly well and 

is used for general construction. 

Vangueriopsis discolor (Benth.) Robyns Fig. 99. 

Vernacular names: Me. Toterygei, (= stand opposite); Te. Ka-Sonko; 

xi, Kparyiundu; xe , ?Wusi-kone; §h. Bakrau-Le, 

A second species, V. vanguerioides (Hiern) Robyns is very 

similar to the species described. 

BOTANY Leaves are broadly elliptic 6-14 cm. long and 3-6 cm. 

broad, hairy beneath, narrowed at the base, abruptly obtusely 

acuminate with 5-8 pairs of lateral nerves, tertiary nerves 

parallel. Stipules 1 cm. long, hairy, branchlets also hairy. 

Flowers greenish white in lax cymes below the leaves. 

Fruit oblique about 1.5 cm. long. 

FIELD NOTES V. discolor is a small tree up to forty feet in 

height and two feet in girth, of variable habit, sometimes 

scrambling, but generally erect. It is found in farm bush over 

the main forest area and is sometimes an important weed species 

in plantations and natural regeneration areas. It is capable of 

rapid growth in open conditions. The bark is grey, thin with 

large lenticels, the slash is thin, light to dark brown, 

horizontally streaked, with a sweet woody scent; a small amount 

of orange sap flows from wounds. 

227

RUBIACEAE - Van6Heriopsis 

PHENOLOGY The tree flowers mainly during April and May but also 

in December. The fruits ripen from September to November. 

228

\ \ 

\ \ C 

\ \ 

Figure 100. Fagara leyrieurii a) Leaf b) Young fnlits. 

F.macrophylla c) Leaf.

Figure 101. Homalium letestui a) Leaf and flowers. 

Fagara rubescens b) Leaflets. 

Af'ragaele paniculata c) Leaf and fruit 

A

SAMYDACEAE 

A family very similar to the Flacourtiaceae, but distinguished 

by the constantly hermaphrodite, perigynous flowers which are 

mainly provided with persistent petals. 

Homalium letestui Pellegr. Fig. 101. 

Vernacular names: Me. Koli-gale.i, (k:olei = leopard, galc.i = bone); 

Ki. Teinpiando. 

Small and medium sized trees in this genus which have been 

recorded in Sierra Leone include H. aylmeri Hutch. & Dalz. and 

H. smythei Hutch. & Dalz., and two trees of swamp forest: 

H. africanum (Hook. f.) Benth. and H. molle Stapf. 

BOTANY Leaves of H. letestui are glossy 12-30 cm. long 5-14 cm. 

broad, arranged in a regular pinnate way along the branches; they 

are very coriaceous with strong tertiary nerves, cordate at the 

base, stipules very early caducous. Leaves glabrous, or sparingly 

pubescent on the midrib and nerves, but not on the lamina beneath. 

Nerves reddish-purple beneath when young. 

Inflorescence ornamental, terminal, much branched up to 

40 cm. long, shortly pubescent or tomentose; stamens solitary 

by each pe tal. Petals the same number as the sepals. Petals 

whitish at first, persistent, becoming dry, wine-red and finally 

cream coloured, spreading and enlarged in the fruit (5-9 mm). The 

receptacle is conical. 

FIELD NarES H. letestui will grow to a height of 100 ft. but 

is normally a smaller understorey tree not exceeding six feet 

in girth and about seventy feet tall. The crown is conical, deep 

and fairly wide spreading and looks similar to that of a young or 

middle aged Nauclea diderrichii with which it is sometimes confused. 

The branches are long, fine, whorled, and droop slightly 

at the ends. The bole is slender and whippy, usually not quite 

cylindrical, twisted and with a pronouced taper. The bark varies 

in colour from light grey to light brown; it is smooth or rough 

with a few small fissures and many lenticels and occasional horizontal 

bands all the way up ; it is usually blotched with white 

lichen. There is often a small buttress. The slash is hard, 

brittle and thin with an outer light brown to orange granular 

layer and an inner white layer with thick, light brown fibres. A 

little clear sap collects in the wounds. The slash and light 

coloured sapwood quickly go dark brown on exposure to the air. 

PHENOLOGY Flowering has been observed from January to May, but 

most trees flower in February and March. Fruiting occurs from 

February to June and is more conspicuous than flowering. The tree 

is deciduous. Flowering occurs when it is leafless. 

DISTRIBUTION Homalium letestui has been recorded in rain forest 

and semi-deciduous forest; it only comprises a very samll fraction 

of the trees over six feet in girth. 

USES The wood is very hard, and is sometimes sawn into boards 

by the local people. 

232

SAPINDACEAE 

A family composed of trees, shrubs and climbers, with alternate, 

rarely opposite leaves which are simple, one or threefoliolate, 

or compound. Stipules are rarely present. Flowers 

are actinomorphic or zygomorphic, often much reduced and usually 

polygamo-dioecious. Petals usually 3-5 or absent. Disc usually 

present, sometimes unilateral. Stamens hypogynous, often eight, 

inserted within the disc. Ovules often arillate. 

Small trees in genera not dealt with in detail include: 

Aporrhiza urophylla Gilg 

Deinbollia grandifolia Hook. f. 

Lecaniodiscus cupanioides Planch. ex Benth. 

Lychnodiscus dananensis Aubrev. & Pellegr. 

Placodiscus seudosti ularis Radlk. 

Placodiscus riparius Keay Grows on river banks and may be 

completely submerged in the rains.) 

Placodiscus splendidus Keay 

Allophylus africanus P. Beauv. Fig. 102. 

Vernacular names: Me. Komi-gluei, (Kami = nasal mucous, gluei = 

drive); Te. e.-Futc-te.; KL Pilome, Tarygbe.1Jbe;rybeso; Ko, ?Sasagbenc; 

Kor. Donsoyambe; She Nomokihoth-Ie, Nomokuth-le. 

BarANY Allophylus africanus is a very variable species which, 

according to the F.W.T.A. requires intensive experimental study; 

several forms have been described and although some specimens are 

intermediate, the forms recorded from Sierra Leone can be distingusihed 

as follows: 

a. Branchlets, petioles and under-surface of leaflets 

long-spreading pilose; forma chrysothrix 

b. Branchlets, petioles and under-surface of leaflets 

pubescent or puberulous 

3. a. Under-surface of leaflets very densely pubescent; 

forma subvelutinus 

b. Under-surface of leaflets sparingly pubescent or 

with tufts along the midrib; forma africanus 

The following description is of A. africanus forma 

africanus. 

Leaves 3-foliolate, petioles up to 6 cm. long; leaflets 

toothed, subsessile, sparingly pubescent or puberulous, or with 

tufts of hair along the midrib, Central leaflets up to 16 cm. 

long and 7.5 cm. broad; venation of leaves prominently reticulate 

beneath. 

The inflorescence is a raceme with several well developed 

lateral branches and small creamy-white, sweet-scented flowers. 

Flowers are borne singly or in sessile fasicles along the 

inflorescence axis. The flower is irregular in shape with four 

sepals, four petals and eight stamens. 

Ripe fruits are red, indehiscent, subglobose. 

233 

2

5c...YV\ S 

Figure 102. Allophylus africanus a) Leaf and inflorescence 

b) Flower bud. 

Blighia welwitschii c) Leaf d) Fruit. 

B.sapida e) Leaflets f) Fruit. 

f

A 

IQc-Wls. 

Figure 103. Afrosersalisia afzelii a) Leaves b) Fruit and seed. 

Neolemonniera clitandrifolia c) Leaves and young fruit.

SAPINDACEAE - Blighia 

DISTRIBUTION Blighia occurs occasionally in the high forest 

areas throughout the country. It is most often found in young 

secondary forest but is never particularly common, except in the 

semi-deciduous forests around Kasewe. The fruit and seeds are 

eaten by birds. 

TIMBER The sapwood is white and heartwood light brown, fairly 

hard and heavy. 

USES The seed, and occasionally leaves, and twigs also, are 

macerated and scattered in pools and rivers to kill fish. The 

wood is used for making pestels and mortars, and sometimes for 

building poles. 

235

L- 

10 Cr'I\S 

Figure 104. Chrysophyllum albidum a) Leaf. 

C. delevoyi b) Leaf. 

C.perpulchrum c) Leaf. 

e.prunif'orme d) Leaves e) Fruit. 

-----------J

SAPOTACEAE - Manilkara/Neolemonniera 

Manilkara obovata (Sabine & G. Don) J. H. Hemsley Fig. 106. 

Plate 22. 

Vernacular names: Me. ?Tufei. 

BOTANY Leaves broadly obovate, rounded, emarginate or slightly 

acuminate at the apex, 6-16 cm. long, 4-8 cm. broad, silky beneath 

when young, often glaucous-grey when older with numerous pairs of 

obscure lateral nerves; petiole up to 3 cm. long. Leaves in 

clusters at the ends of branches. 

Flowers with scaley hairs, clustered with the leaves. 

Pedicels 1-1.5 cm. long, nearly glabrous; sepals 3 + 3; corolla 

with six entire lobes; stamens solitary, opposite each lobe of 

the corolla. The corolla lobes have petaloid external appendages, 

and there often appears to be three series of petals, as the 

staminodes, which alternate with the stamens, are also pataloid. 

Fruits red, obovoid, about 3 cm. long containing many seeds. 

They are finely hairy and indehiscent. 

FIELD NarES M.obovata is variable in habit; it may be a large 

tree with a distinct bole up to 100 ft. tall and ten feet in girth, 

or only a shrub. Normally in forest, it is a small or middle 

sized tree with a small crown of ascending branches, sometimes 

almost fastigiate. The bole is straight, slightly fluted at the 

base, often unbuttressed, although trees with large buttresses 

occur. The bark is rough, with long and deep fissures, grey or 

brown, often with white markings. The slash is pale pink to 

reddish-brown, fibrous and rather brittle, exuding white latex. 

PHENOLOGY Flowers have been recorded from December to May. 

DISTRIBUTION The tree is found in small groups along the banks 

of streams and wo isolated on rocky hills. It is normally an 

understorey tree and has been found in rain forest and semideciduous 

forest. 

TIMBER The sapwood is pale brown and heartwood reddish or purplebrown, 

very hard, tough, and difficult to cut. The wood is fairly 

fine grained, finishes smoothly and is durable. 

There are no records of the tree being felled in Sierra Leone. 

Neolemonniera clitandrifolia (A. Chev.) Heine Fig. 103. 

Vernacular names: Me. Gbehen (= bench). 

BOTANY Leaves lanceolate-elliptic, acuminate, acute at the base, 

7-15 cm. long, up to 5 cm. broad on fertile branches, but sometimes 

on sterile shoots up to 35 cm. long and 10 cm. broad; 

glabrous with about ten pairs of very indistinct lateral nerves; 

petiole 1-3 cm. long. The leaves are arranged in whorl-like 

fascicles at the nodes, and are especially clustered at the ends 

of branchlets; they are armed with short sharp stipules at least 

at the ends of branchlets. The midrib is very prominent on both 

surfaces. 

243

SAPOTACEAE - Omphalocarpum/Tieghemella 

stamens in a bundle and the female flowers 5-6 white staminodes 

in a bundle opposite each lobe of the corolla. 

The fruits are large, depressed globose up to 15 cm. in 

diameter and about 4 cm. long, containing many flattened black 

seeds. 

FIELD NOTES The cauliflorous habit of the tree and the large 

fruits make it easily recognisable. The tree grows to about 

ninety feet in height and to six feet in girth. The bole is 

slender, straight, and unbranched to a eonsiderable height. The 

base may be somewhat irregular or fluted, but not buttressed. 

The bark is reddish-brown and scaley, with verticle rows of 

lenticels. The slash is reddish-brown and fibrous with vague 

orange and white streaks. It is thin, but not brittle. Abundant 

white sap is produced from wounds. The wood is white. 

PHENOLOGY Flowering and fruiting have been recorded from December 

to May. The fruits take about a year to mature. The tree is 

evergreen. 

DISTRIBUTION Omphalocarpum is uncommon and is found mostly in 

the rain forests on areas of wet soil, but not in swamps. 

Tieghemella heckelii Pierre ex A. Chev. Fig. 105. Plate 23. 

Vernacular names: Me. Gofilei, (Go = skin, filei = two, referring 

to the two distinct faces of the seed); go Hochaoo , 

Trade name: Makore. 

BOTANY Leaves in groups at the ends of branchlets; glabrous, 

without stipules, 7-18 cm. long, 3-6 cm. broad with numerous 

indistinct lateral nerves; the midrib is prominent beneath. 

Leaves obovate or narrowly obovate-elliptic with slender petioles 

up to 4 cm. long. 

Flowers in the axils of leaves, with long glabrous pedicles 

up to 3.5 cm. Calyx with four outer green lobes which are 

glabrous outside, and four inner lobes which alternate with these 

and are 3 mm. long. Corolla whitish-green with eight entire 

lobes. Stamens solitary, opposite each lobe of the corolla; 

staminodes petaloid, alternate with the stamens. Corolla-lobes 

with petaloid external appendages. 

Fruits ovoid, 8-10 cm. diameter, yellow and indehiscent when 

ripe with two or three seeds. Seeds 5 cm, long and 3 cm. broad 

with a worty testa, two thirds of which is hard and shiny, the 

other third, the scar, rough. 

FIELD NOTES Tieghemella is the largest and most impressive high 

forest tree found in Sierra Leone. Specimens over twenty feet in 

girth and 200 ft. in height are not uncommon, but the largest 

girth recorded is thirty-eight feet. The following are details 

of trees felled in the Gola Forests: 

G.B.H. 

(ft.) 

Length of clear 

bole (ft.) 

Mid Girth 

(f't. ) 

Volume 

(H.ft.) 

25 92 19 2,0.30 

18 78 14 922 

245

SGYTOPETALAGEAE 

A small tropical West African family which is closely allied 

to the Tiliaceae, and distringuished from it by the calyx which 

is cupular, very short, entire or slightly toothed. 

Scytopetalum tieghemii (A. Ghev.) Hutch. & Dalz. 

Vernacular names: Me. Degbeme-wuli, or -yawii(= gum tree); 

Te. Am-Bibia; Ko. Paps.-kone , ?Duek£.. 

BOTANY Leaves alternate, narrowly oblong-elliptic, acutely 

cuneate at the base, long-tailed-acuminate, 4.5-9 cm. long, and 

up to 3.5 cm. broad, papery with about five pairs of rather 

obscure lateral nerves, and less prominent secondary ones. 

Flowers in short axillary recemes; pedicels flattened and 

twisted, 3 mm. long; petals several, white 5-6 mm. long. 

Fruits woody, ovoid, acute 2 cm. long, ribbed, red when ripe. 

FIELD NOTES Scytopetalum grows to about sixty feet in height, 

with girths of up to six feet. The branchlets are said to drip 

water, sometime s abundantly in relatively mois t places. The 

slash is very gummy. 

PHENOLOGY Flowering occurs in March and April and fruits are 

ripe in about July. The flowers are fragrant when they open in 

the morning; the petals and stamens shrivel and fall the same 

evening. The tree is evergreen. 

DISTRIBUTION Scytopetalum is an understorey tree in rain forest 

and semi-deciduous forest. It is not very common. 

TIMBER According to Dalziel the wood is yellowish or pink-tinged 

when fresh, turning grey-brown. It is hard, heavy (about 48 lb. 

per cu. ft. at twelve per cent. moisture content) and fibrous. 

It is not easy to work and not resistant to decay. 

USSS The gum from the wood is used locally as a glue. 

247

STERCULIACEAE - Heritiera 

begin to grow quickly immediately the canopy is opened. Natural 

regeneration is usually abundant. In sample plots in Dambaye 

Block there were 323 trees in forty-five out of a total of fiftytwo 

half-acre blocks. This number represented 12.2 per cent. of 

all trees over one foot in girth, and the thirty-one trees over 

five feet in girth represented eleven per cent. The tree was 

strongly gregarious in sixteen plots, where it should be possible 

to get pure stands in the final crop. In Plateau Block Heritiera 

was well represented in the regeneration; together with Lophira 

it was the most common leading desirable. Some trees showed an 

M.A.I. of 1.4 inches in girth over a period of sixteen years. 

Twisted stems develop quickly unless competing poles of worthless 

species are removed early. 

ARTIFICIAL REGENERATION In the nursery growth in transplant beds 

is somewhat erratic; according to Taylor seedlings can vary in 

height from nine inches to three feet, (averaging 1 ft. 4 ins.) 

at the end of the first year. Nursery stock is not usually 

planted until the end of the second year. Transplanting must be 

done under high shade. A white woolly aphid (Psyllid?) sometimes 

attacks seedlings in the nursery and may reach epidemic 

proportions. 

In the Eastern province a few plantations of Heritiera have 

been made and indicate that although the survival rate is good, 

erratic growth continues unless the plantations are kept 

absolutely clean until the canopy has closed. 

Details of a carefully tended fifteen year old stand planted 

at 10ft. x 10ft., near Panguma, were as follows in 1965: 

Mean MAI Total Timber Crown 

stems per acre girth girth height height diameter 

inches inches feet feet feet 

65 31.4 2.1 62 26 20 

Largest 40 41.9 2.7 71 26 26 

In a plantation made at Pendembu, line planted in 1956, 

but later written off because of the high cost of maintenance, 

a few trees which managed to get above the natural bush early 

had girths of four feet in 1965, giving an M.A.I. of about 

five inches. 

Close planting is usually reconunended because of the low 

crown-diameter ratio. 

From 1960-64 Heritiera was planted in seasonal swamps which 

occurred in taungya plantations in parts of the Eastern and 

Southern Provinces. The tree was found to be very difficult to 

establish in these conditions. In Bumpe forest out of a total 

of 6,462 trees planted in July 1960, all but 1,580 had died by 

the following March. 

EXPLOITATION In spite of its rather bad form Heritiera has 

accounted for about one fifth of the volume of timber taken into 

the mills in the Eastern Province in recent years, and provides 

the largest amount of timber of anyone species. Trees of less 

than six feet girth are not generally felled because of their 

256

Figure 110. Nesogordonia papaverifera a) Leaves and fruits.

STERCULIACEAE w Sterculia/Triplochiton 

FIELD NOTES The tree is very variable in size, normally small in 

savanna regions, but occasionally reaching 100 ft. high and ten 

feet girth in high forest. The crown is deep, narrow and dense 

and appears golden-green from below; branches are in pseudowhorls. 

The bole is usually rather short and has small 

buttresses; bark is grey, sometimes fissured and with long 

rectangular scales. The sla.sh is thick, light brown with 

diamond-shaped markings. It is extremely fibrous and oxidises 

on exposure. A little gum exudes from wounds. 

PHENOLOGY The tree is lea.fless fo r six weeks to two months 

between November and February and while it is leafless the 

flowers come out, but flowering may continue after the new 

leaves have flushed. Fruits open on the tree. 

DISTRIBUTION Sterculia is a light demanding species and is 

normally absent from the more advanced secondary forests. It 

is rather rare in the rain forest zone but frequent in semideciduous 

forests. The tree is an early coloniser and is common 

in cocoa farms. It also occurs in savanna and at Bradford is 

found in wet swampy soils together with Bombax huonopozense. 


Forest 



2 ... 4 4 .. 6 6 - 8 8 - 10 

Malal Hills 353 9 0 0 

Bojene Hills 30 8 2 0 

Lalay 184 34 6 0 

TIMBER The wood is greyish-white or yellow with pinkish heartwood, 

becoming brown. It is rather soft and fibrous with a coarse 

texture and is not felled by the mills. 

!!§!§. The young leaves are edible, and macerated leaves are 

sometimes applied as a poultice for boils and other inflamations; 

the wood ash is used in soap making. Rope is sometimes made from 

the fibrous inner barkQ Dalziel records that in parts of Sierra 

Leone fruit follicles, or the seeds alone, are boiled or roasted 

and taken for digestive troubles. 

Triplochiton selero;vlon K. Sehum. Fig. 112. 

Vernacular names: g. Kolio; !E.. Fiya...mho. 

Trade names: Obeche, Wawa. 

BOTANY Leaves and branchlets glabrous. Mature leaves 5-7-10bed, 

5-7-nerved at the base, lobes broadly ovate or triangular to 

oblong, obtusely acuminate, lamina averaging 10-15 cm. diameter, 

but the leaves of seedlings are larger and more deeply lobed. 

Petiole about 3.5 cm. long, stipules present• 

. 261

Figure 112. Sterculia tragacantha a) Leaf b) Inflorescence 

c) Fruits. 

Triplochiton scleroxylon d) Leaf e) Fruit. 

.' " 

B

Se. W' s 

JfD.F 

.. 

A 

Figure 113. Trema guineensis a) Leaves and young fruits.

5'c.MS 

Figure 114. Vitex micrantha a) Leaf. 

Premna hispida b) Leaf. 

Vitex rivularis c) Leaf. 

L 

c 

A

VIOLACEAE 

A family of herbs, shrubs, or very small understorey 

trees, with stipulate leaves which are usually alternate and 

dentate. The flowers are pentamerous and o:rten zygomorphic 

and the anthers have a connective produced beyond the cells. 

Rinorea Aubl. is the only genus of interest to foresters. 

Thirty-five species are recorded in the F.W.T.A. for West Africa 

of which eleven occur in Sierra Leone. The determination of 

species is very difficult and cannot be done without flowers. 

Most species are found in the lower storey of high forest 

growing in deep shade. Few of them grow taller than thirty feet. 

268

Botanical-Vernacular 

Stereospermum acuminatissimum Me. Tombo-lembei (or -lembii), or , 

'Iumbo-Lembei (as for 3pathodea campanulata). 

Strephonema pseudocola Me. Degbeme-wuli (or -yawii) as for 

Scytopetalum tieghemii, Kovui (as for Strombosia glaucescens). 

Strombosia glaucescens Me. Kovui (as for Strephonema pseudocola). 

Strychnos spinosa Me. Kokoi, Ngol o-goko i ; Te , An-Gben; Lo. 

Kp», Nguru-gb j Cr. Babu-kalbas. 

Symphonia globulifera Me. Njolei or S::>lei (-lelii or -dllii), as 

for some other trees in the Guttiferae. 

Syzygium guineense Me. Sembei; Te. A-Tint-a-ro-lal. 

Syzygium rowlandii Me. Ngaku-wuli (as for certain other plants with 

hairy stems), Sagbei (as for Garcinia kola and G.polyalthia)j 

Ko. Nyanga-bnej Ko r , Ki urekune; Lo.? Babwe. 

Tabernaemontana crassa Me. Kofei (as for Hunteria spp l , Lonii; 

Ki. Kafay::>lo; Ko. Kpongbo; Sh. Benfuke-le. 

Tamarindus indica Me. Ko romakbs i j Te. Am-Bamp-a-potho, An-Jabs , 

An-Thomb i ; Kor. 'I'ernbe ; Cr. Sawa-tombla. 

Terminalia albida Me. Foni-baj i i ; Kor. Wase. 

Terminalia glaucescens Kor. Wo. 

Terminalia ivorensis Me. Baj i i ; Te. Ka-Ronko; Ki. Basio; Ko. Gbasi; 

Kor. Fira-wase; Lo. Bahi; Cr. Ronko. 

Terminalia scutifera Sh. Rak-le ras for Lonchocarpus sericeus)j 

Cr. Bich-oak. -- 

Terminalia superba He. Koj aage i ; Te. Ka-Rsn; Ki. Kongo; Ko. Kone; 

Kor. Bese, Kumkuribe. 

Tessmannia baikiaeoides Me. Fulayindii, Matindii. 

Tetrapleura spp Me. Kokondui; Te. Ka-Loma, Ka-Segbdl; Ko. Kokondu; 

Cr. Arido. 

Tetrorchidium didymostemon Me. SJle-gboli (or -golei); Ki. Nyelo, 

? Chayilin; Ko. Feng.Jne; Kor. Wuliyange. 

Tieghemella heckelii Me. G::>filei; Ki. H::>chi::>::>. 

Treculia africana Me. Genduij Te. A-ryant; Ki. YiJ; Ko. Gbindine, 

Kpindine; Lo. Ngendo. 

Trema guineens i s Me. Ngamb a-wul i , Ngombe i ; Ki. Samsel.J; Ko. :)mba, 

W::>mbaj Lo. Ng::>mba. 

Trichilia heudelotii Me. Njawei (as for Guarea leonensis); Te. 

Ka-Banker or Ka-Bank8r (as for Lecaniodiscus cupanioides), An 

Thape r; Ki. Nsndo; Sh. Tep81-1e; Lo. Nj ago, 

Trichoscypha arborea Me. Kpomaluwei; Te. An-Thanka (a group name). 

Triplochiton scleroxylon Ki. Kolio; Ko. Fiya-mho. 

Uapaca chevalieri Kor. Dombe or Dumbe (as for U.guineensis). 

Uapaca esculenta Me. Nja-kondii (as for Il.heude Iot i i J: Ko. Suane 

(as for U.guineensis). 

Uapaca guineensis Me. Kondii; Te. An-Lil; Ki. Kaango; Ko. Suane 

(as for U.esculental; Kor. Dombs or Dumbs (as for U.chevalieril, 

Nere-kere (as for U.heudelotii); Sh. Tuo-le; Lo. Kondi. 

Uapaca heudelotii Me. Nja-kondii (as for U.esculental; Ki. 

Bondilo; Kor. Nere-kere (as for U. guineensisl. 

Vangueriopsis discolor Me. Totengeij Te. Ka-Sonko; Ki. 

Kpaniundu; Ko.? Wusi-k::>ne; Sh. Bakrau-le. 

Vismia guineensis Me. Mbeli-mbambei (or -hineil, Mbeimbambei; 

Te. Am-Pel-pelanj Ki. CholompJmbJ; Ko. Sungbali-kaimaj 

Ko r , Konfure; Lo , Mbe:l i-mbamba. 

281

IBai-kafei 

••• 

IBaJll 

IBala-yotei 

Bali-kafei 

Bdo-hinei 

Beloi 

Biminii 

Bisimii 

Boboi 

B;:,boi 

Boe.i 

Bojei 

Bokui 

Bongawii 

Bovui 

Bovui-hinei 

Bui 

Bundui 

Bunei 

Bunjii 

Dama-kpavii 

Degbeme-wuli (or - yawii) 

D6mii 

Dengi.L 

D:Jowi 

Duangulzd. 

Faa or Fa-wuli 

Fagbanjui or Fagbanjoi 

Fagbanjui-hinei 

Fakaiwuli 

Fawei 

Fe.v&i 

F.Jf:Ji 

Folo-kpakpei 

Foni-bajii 

Foni-lawei 

Foni-lugbei 

Fui 

Fulayindii 

Fulo-kp;:'kpoi 

Gano-kpakpei 

Gba 

Gbadue..i 

Gbagbenye.moi 

Gbagbolei 

Gbajinei 

Gbarygbei 

Gbatui 

Gba-wuli 

Gbehen 

Gbe..lt:-tii 

Gbeloi 

Gbcze..i 

Gbesei-kai 

Gb e.sei-manii 

Gbewei 

MENDE 

See under Kafei 

Terminalia invorensis 

Rothmannia megalostigma 

See under Kafei 

Enantia polycarpa 

Various small Annonaceae 

Erythroxylum mannii 

?Pseudocedrella kotschyi 

Funtumia spp 




Lindackeria dentata 

Leptaulus daphnoides 

Hannoa klaineana 

Discoplypremna caloneura 

Ongokea gore 

Scottellia coriacea 

Nauclea diderrichii 


Chrysophyllum perpulchrum 


Scytopetalum tieghemii 

Strephonema pseudocola 

Crudia senegalensis 

Rhizophora racemosa 

Pseudospondias microcarpa 

Anthonotha fragrans 

Chrysophyllum delevoyi 

Pentaclethra macrophylla 

Hymenocardia spp 

Ochna spp 

?Polyalthia oliveri 


Vitex micrantha 

Myrianthus spp 

Albizia zygia 

Terminalia (savanna spp) 

Parinari macrophylla 

Vitex doniana 

Fagara spp 

Tessmannia baikieaoides 

Lindackeria dentata 

Albizia ferruginea 

Beilschmiedia mannii 

Antrocaryon micraster 

Premna angolensis 

Glyphaea brevis 

Xylopia elliotii 

Cassia sieberiana 


Placodiscus splendidus 

Neolemonniera clitandrifolia 

Avicennia africana 

Various small Annonaceae 

Daniellia thurifera 

Copaifera salikounda 

Daniellia ogea 


283

Weambombo 

W.dyo 

WOl1go 

Yaiyapio 

Yalando 

Yawio 

Yeasa 

Ys?'}gule, 

Yio 

Yo 

Yoma 

Yomchokaicho 

Yomiswende 

Yulel1 

?Monopetalanthus pteriodophyllu8 

Berlinia spp 

Samanea dinklagei 

Baphia polygalacea 

Entandrophragma spp 


Albizia zygia 

?Albizia adianthifolia 

Sorindeia collina 

Treculia africana 



Smeatbmannia spp 

Acioa acabrifolia 


295

Katindane 

Koa 

Kobo 

Koindinboiboi-kone 

Kokondu 

Kola 

Kongbe-skane 

Konja 

Kone 

Kpaikine. 

Kpakpa-kone 

Kpamane. 

Kpando 

KpafJgba 

Kpa7')gin 

Kpele 

Kpindine- 

KpoTJgbo 

Kposone 

Kua-ne 

Kuiyombo 

Kukai or Kulukai 

Kumbu 

Kumil')-kone (or Kundrr-kanya ) 

KUl')gbali-kone 

Kwa-nE- 

Magbavi 

Makpavi 

Mambui 

Mana 

Ma71ga 

Mbaimba 

Mbei 

Mbumbi 

Me-e. 

Mononui 

Mu71gopo 

Ndundu-kaima 

Ne-€,or Ne-kone 

Nguoka-kone 

NiT)gine, 

Njila 

Nonangona 

NOTJgoe. 

Nyanga-skone 

NYf,-ku 

;)mba 

Ongone 

Papa-skcne 

Papu 

Pasia 

Pone. 

POPOE., 

Putu-kone 

Sagbe 

Sakpe 

Sao 

Sasagbene. 

Sawa 

297 

Millettia spp. 


Guibourtia copallifera 

Deinbollia grandifolia 

Tetrapleura spp 


Octoknema borealis 

Xylia evansii 

Terminalia superba 

Fagara spp 

Aporrhiza urophylla 

Neostenanthera hamata 


Albizia spp 

Spondias mombin 


Treculia africana 

Tabaernaemontana crassa 



Amphimas pterocarpoides 


?Monopetalanthus pteridophyllus 

Caloncoba echinata 



Dichapetalum toxicarium 


Dialium guineense 

Dialium pobeguinii 

Canthium subcordatum 

Lophira alata 

Oldfieldia africana 


Anthon otha macrophylla 


Newtonia aubrevillei 

Pachypodanthium staudtii 

Blighia spp 



?Garcinia polyalthia 

Microdesmis puberula 


Guarea spp 

Khaya spp 

Mareya micrantha 

Ficus spp 

Syzygium rowlandii 

Acioa scabrifolia 

Aidia genipiflora 



Scytopetalum tieghemii 

Macaranga spp 

Xylopia elliotii 

Ficus spp 


Drypetes spp 

Garcinia kola 

Berlinia spp 

Cordia platythyrsa 

?Allophylus africanus 

Canarium schweinfurthii

Banda 

Bandapare 

Basa 

Began 

Bembe 

Bese 

BOllgakol'j 

Bumbuse 

Bungban 

Bu1')gbwe 

Butjkank0l1 

Buwulekoloma 

Deinkiranaf'u1) 

Dene..ralafa 

Disile 

Doleke 

Dolle. 

Doloke 

Dombe 

Donsoyambz, 

DorE 

Dumbe 

Fame 

Famgbadc 

FarabaT) 

Fira-bembe. 

Fira-finge. 

Fira-mana 

Fira-minike 

Fira-wase 

Foko17 

FOW017 

Gbarrgban 

Gbega 

GbE.ne 

Gbo1Jbe 

Gbo1)soTJ 

Gbore. 

Gbwe.ne 

GouT] 

JowoTJ 

Kambe..kare 

Karakil-kene. 

Karlule. 

Ken e 

Kengene 

Kense, 

Klurekune 

KologalankoT] 

Kolokere. 

Konfure 

Kordundu 

KorenyaT]ko 

Koro1] 

Kornere. 

Kpese 

Kulenere 

KORANKO 

Ceiba pentandra 

Funtumia spp 

Holarrhena. floribunda 


Bridelia ferruginea 

Bridelia miorantha 


Holarrhena floribunda 

Anthonotha maorophylla 

Bersama abyssinica 


Funtumia spp 

Ochthocosmus af'rioanus 

Steroulia tragacantha 


Bombax buonopozense 

Pseudospondias microcarpa 

Canarium schweinf'urthii 

?Dialium guineense 

Uapaca ohevalieri 

Uapaca guineensis 

Allophylus af'ricanus 


Uapaca chevalieri 



Sterculia tragaoantha 

Macaranga spp 

Bridelia atroviridis 

Bridelia grandis 

Smeathrnannia spp 

Diospyros spp 

Soottellia leonensis 

Chrysophyllum pruniforme 


Antiaris af'ricana 

Antiaris africana 


Lophira alata 

Pterooarpus erinaceus 



Detarium senegalense 

Ricinodendron heudelotii 

Pterocarpus erinaceus 

Anopyxis klaineana 

Fterocarpus santalinoides 

Ficus exasperata 


Morinda geminata 

Xylopia acutiflora 

Crossopteryx febrifuga 

Anisophyllea spp 

Syzygium rowlandii 



Vismia guineensis 

Lophira alata 

Smeathmannia spp 

Xylia evansii 


?Daniellia ogea 

Anopyxis klaineana 


299

Koranko 

Kumburibe 

Kuramachembf.. 

Kur-e, 

Kur-ekakon 

Kusukor&yenke 

Lalkf.. 

MaTJke 

Mbrembra 

Melawula 

Nere.-kere. 

Ninkira:ry 

Nonke 

Pope 

Poran 

Samakombe. 

Sambane-koloma 

SaT)sa'l 

Seme 

Se-re. 

Sire. 

Soro 

Tabakombe. 

Tanse 

Tarygbe.sowakoloma 

Teli 

Tembe 

Tili 

Tore. 

TUlJgbwe:. 

Waga1.e 

Ware-ware. 

Wase. 

Wea 

Wo 

WOl1ge 

WUliyallge. 

WunsoTJ 

Wureko or Wuro 

Wurumamalal 

Yabanda-yire. 

YabundE 

Yad:unde 

Yale:. 

Y€.gere. 




Distemonanthus benthamianus 

Amphimas pterocarpoides 

Afzelia spp 


Allanblackia floribunda 



Uapaca heudelotii 

Microdesmis puberula 

Ficus spp 


Funtumia spp 

Anthocleista spp 

Maesopsis eminii 

Albizia ferruginea 



Ficus sp 

Adansonia digitata 

Erythrina addisoniae 



Rauvolfia vomitoria 

Erythrophleum spp 

Calpocalyx brevibracteatus 


Erythrophleum spp 

Calpocalyx brevibracteatus 


Albizia zygia 

MYrianthus arboreus 

Kareya micrantha 

Terminalia albida 

Fagara macrophylla 

Terminalia glaucescens 

Cathormion altissimum 


Tetrorchidium didymostemon 

Musanga cecropioides 

Cola acuminata 

Cola nitida 

Garcinia afzelii 


Baphia nitida 


Xylia evansii 

Phyllanthus discoideus 

300

Bakrau-l£. 

Bal-le. 

Bemb£.-le. 

Benfuk£.-l€ 

Ban-d£. 

Bonda-l£. 

Bopi-le. 

Bue-le. 

Bu£.-l£. 

Bue-dinte 

Buwe-1E, 

Gbat- e. 

GbathaY}-df.. 

Gbegbes-f, 

Gbilgbil-le 

Hap-le. 

Kanth-l£' 

Kipikip-l£. 

Kisin-de 

Kol-le. 

K;:mdE, 

Le-lf.. 

NE,l)kon-dE 

Nomokihoth-le. 

Nomokhuth-le.. 

Y}wa7]wa-l£' 

Pal-lE. 

Pimpi-le... 

Polon-de, 

Poyo-le 

Poyok-e 

Pun-de. 

Pun-ma-le 

Pun-sa-le. 

Rak-le 

Rasa-le. 

Remu-le. 

Sas-le.. 

Sem-de. 

Se.mple.u- e. 

SeTJgbell-dE, 

Sha-l£. 

Shu-le. 

Son-de 

SU-lE 

SundintE.-le. 

Suthu-le.. 

Tepal-le.. 

Tho>k-kentri-le. 

ThDk-kol-le. 

Tisi-le. 

TDllgane-l£. 

Tont-le... 

Tuo-l£. 

Yeki-le. 

SHERBRO 

Vangueriopsis discolor 


Chrysobalanus ellipticus 

Tabaernaemontana crassa 

Rauvolfia vomitoria 


?Albizia ferruginea 



?Ouratea vogelii 





Hymenocardia lyrata 

Memecylon afzelii 



Macaranga spp 




Cola acuminata (fruit) 

Cola nitida (fruit) 




Allophylus africanus 

Allophylus africanus 

Kareya micrantha 







Albizia zygia 

Albizia sygia 


Lonchocarpus sericeus 

Terminalia scutifera 

Ficus spp 


Parinari glabra 






Xylopia aethiopica 





?Microdesmis puberula 

Cola acuminata 

Cola nitida 

Newbouldia laevis 

Ouratea vogelii 

Sorindeia collina 


Bridelia micrantha 

301

Babwe 

Bahi 

B;)mb;) 

Fakha 

F sgurugoongo 

Fof'o 

Fufu 

Gbe.nd& 

Heighba.hama 

Heiwa 

Ka.ghama 

Kamba 

KCE.ga 

Kmdi 

Koba 

Kondi 

KOllgai 

Koroga 

Kovui 

Kpaki 

Kpkpa 

Kpato 

Kp;) 

Kpohoru 

Mahombo 

Makindi 

Mbei 

Mbc.li-mbamba 

)(bombi 

Mboragalaga 

)(bundu 

Ndanda 

Ndawa 

NdE-v& 

Nere. 

Ngcndo 

Ngogho 

Ngomba 

NgoTlgo 

Ngoroga 

Ngukho 

Nguru-gbv 

Njago 

Nukuo 

r)wa1)wa 

POTJgo 

Sege-sege 

Save 

Tei-guro 

Tihu 

Tog1:'a 

ToE. 

Togo 

Watia 

Wundindi 

?Syzygium rowlandii 


lIorinda geminata 


Ochthocosmus africanus 

lrfYrianthus spp 

Albizia zygia 

Afzelia africana 

ltlllettia spp 


'icus exasperata 

Lophira alata 






Rauvolf'ia vomitoria 

Guibourtia copallif'era 


Albizia adianthif'olia 

Fterocarpus santalinoides 

Strychnos spinosa 


Dialium guineensis 


?Avicennia africana 


Vismia guineensis 

Anthonotha macrophylla 





lfacaranga spp 


Treculia af'ricana 

Musanga cecropioides 



?Cathormion altissimum 

Napoleona heudelotii 





Holarrhena f'loribunda 

:Mareya micrantha 


Ficus spp 


Diospyros heudelotii 




Cola aouminata 

Cola nitida 

Funtumia spp 

Combretum spp 

302

Abala-lif 

Agidi-lif 

Aj e-of'onl.a 

Arido 

Babu-kalbas (Baboon-calabash) 

Baobab 

Be.njamin 

Bimbi 

Bich-ok (Beach-oak) 

Bita-kola (Bitter-kola) 

Blak-be.ri 

Blak-plom (Black-plum) 

Blak-tombla (Black-tumbler) 

Blod-tri (Blood-tree) 

Bot-Ie.m (Butter-lime) 

Broko-bak (Broke-back) 

Brumston (Brimstone) 

Bungbo 

Bush-baryga 

Dai-dai (Die-die) 

Damzin (Damson) 

Dita 

Fiks-plom (fits-plum) 

Gbe.na 

Gbongbo 

Granat-tri (Groundnut-tree) 

Hamon (Almond) 

He-I-faiya-plom (Hell-fire plum) 

Inshi 

Iroko 

Kitima 

Kola 

Konta 

Kotin-tri (Cotton-tree) 

Krach-lif (Scratch-leaf) 

Kundi 

Lokos (Locust) 

Moki-apul (Monkey-apple) 

Moki-bre.d (Monkey-bread) 

Moki-plom (Monkey-plum) 

Ok (Oak) 

Nomba-wan (Number-one) 

Pam-oil-tik (Palm-oil-tree) 

Re.d-kotin-tri (Red-cotton tree) 

Rof-skin-pliJm (Rough-skin plum) 

Roffin-plom 

Ronko 

Sawa-tombla (Sour-tumbler) 

Shap (Sop) 

Siminii 

Snof-lif (Snuff-leaf) 

SOI-wata-mangro (Salt-watermangrove) 

Spais-tik (Spice-tree) 

Tola 

Tombla (Tumbler) 

Wet-wata-tik (White-water tree) 

CREOLE 



Croton zambesicus 

Tetrapleura tetraptera 




Chrysobalanus orbicularis 


Garcinia kola 

Flacourtia vogelii 

Vitex dorriana 



Omphalocarpum spp 

Dichapetalum toxicarium 


Nauclea diderichii 


Diospyros heudelotii 


Blighia welwitschii 

Dacryodes klaineana 

Santiria trimera 

Detarium senegalense 


Erythrina senegalensis 


Bombacopsis glabra 



Blighia sapida 



Cola nitida 

Afzelia africana 



Carapa procera 


Anisophyllea laurina 




Mareya micrantha 







Annona spp 

Xylopia aethiopica and imported cloves. 


Rhizophora spp 



Beilschmiedia mannii 


Ficus spp, ?also other plants with white 

latex. 

303

TREES OF SIERRA LEONE p. S. S AV ILL B.So. JED FOX B.Sc., MF

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