This is perhaps the most evenly and widely distributed of all trees, extending from the southern rain belt to the extreme north of Nigeria, and over the border into French territory north of Sokoto, where some of the largest examples of the northern provinces are to be found. A height of 70 feet with girths of 6-8 feet is common. As regards the situations most favourable to this species, level country with deep soil and average rainfall is preferred, and considerable areas of such country are found occupied almost entirely by it, both as full grown trees and saplings in dense thickets. These latter are especially valuable for the production of forked poles (gofa) for building purposes, and are transported great distances owing to their great durability and comparative resistance to White Ants. The species is readily distinguished at a distance by its feathery, birch-like foliage and drooping branches, which, at first acutely ascending, bend over and droop in graceful curves. A light-demander, its branches are extremely persistent on the stem and only where it is very densely grown, preferably with an admixture of shade-bearing species, will clean boles be found. Examples grown in the open, or suddenly freed from the forest by the clearing for cultivation, are covered with small twigs and the foliage extends almost to ground level. Large specimens in forest have clean boles, generally forking at no great height, with wide-spreading, open crowns. =The Bark= varies according to habitat. That of specimens in dense forest is fairly smooth with small, brown scales, but as generally seen in the north is a very light grey with long scales which turn up at the ends before falling, giving the tree a ragged appearance, with large, lighter patches. A dark gum exudes from the bark, very inferior as an adhesive as it is cloudy when made up into solution. The slash is pale yellow with thin dark lines. =The Wood= is a dark, dull, smoky brown, sometimes almost black, with reddish streaks. The sapwood is grey or dirty white. In transverse section the rings are seen as dark bands, the pores are minute and densely distributed in small groups, chains and festoons of various sizes, with single pores between, the soft tissue sparse and hardly connecting the pores. The rays are extremely fine and close together. In vertical section the grain is very fine and the pores have glistening contents. It is a very hard wood, difficult to work with all tools, often knotty, picking up in bands, but will polish, even on the transverse section. The weight is 64 lbs. a cubic foot. =The Leaves= are on long, slender, drooping twigs, and are oval, slightly darker above than below with a silky pubescence which is most marked in the young foliage. They tend to assume one plane. Length 2-3 inches, breadth 1 inch.