=The Bark= is very rough and vertically fissured, light grey with long, corky ridges and regular sized scales. A clear gum exudes from a cut. Annual fires are harmless but cause a large amount of charcoal on the outside so that the stems are nearly always blackened. The slash is pale brown. =The Wood= is a dirty grey colour, very soft, brittle and easy to work, is not durable, rots readily and weighs only 23 lbs. a cubic foot. In transverse section the rings are dark lines at broad intervals and the rays are clearly visible to the unaided eye. The pores are open and distributed in small rows, singles and groups between the rays; a useless wood. =The Leaves= are digitate with about 8 digits, in length from some 10-20 inches in the one leaf. They spring from the tips of the blunt twigs in an erect bunch, at first almost purple in colour. Each has a 2 feet long stalk and the edges are serrate. They are pale green in colour. =The Flowers= appear in February and are on stout spikes of weird shape and appearance, which grow well over a foot long and are about one inch thick. The flower spike shows flowers and fruits in all stages of maturity from the bud to the seed and may be straight or twisted and tangled up with the others on the twig. Each flower is pale green with 5 petals, between ½ and ¾ inch across, with 5 stamens and a bifid stigma on a stout ovary. [Illustration] =DETARIUM SENEGALENSE= Gmel.—_Taura_. LEGUMINOSAE. In the north this species is generally quite a small tree from 15-20 feet high with a few erect branches forming a small flat-topped crown. Often, however, quite large trees can be seen, even in the driest country, and further south large specimens up to 40 feet high with girths over 6 feet are not uncommon. In the southern provinces, the same tree will grow to a height of 80 feet with a 12 feet girth. The larger portion of the height is almost always the crown, which is spreading and dense, giving good shade. The tree is readily distinguished by its bluish bark and round, compressed fruits. The small trees show enlarged tips to the branches from which the leaves spring. In places it is so common as to form almost pure forest over small areas. =The Bark= is bluish-grey, with large polygonal scales. On young trees there are yellowish patches where the scales have fallen and the bark of the smaller branches is ochrous and powdery. The slash is pale crimson.