=The Flowers= are white, in loose panicles, in flower for many months in the year, during the dry season. Each has a 5-parted calyx with unequal sepals, 5 white petals, the 2 upper ones smaller than the others, 5 stamens with and 5 stamens without anthers, and a slender style. The flowers are sweet-scented. =The Fruits= are long, triangular capsules up to 18 inches long, slightly jointed, with 2 grooves down each side, a sharp beak at the tip, light brown in colour and splitting down the 3 edges to release the seeds. These are blackish with 3 papery wings so shaped as to overlap and fit into one another, the bottom of the one seed touching the top of the wings of the one below it. The white pith, with a sheen, is indented to hold the seeds. =Uses.=—It is commonly used as a fencing to compounds, the mats or cornstalks of which the fence is composed being tied to the growing trees. The roots are eaten as horse-radish and the leaves fresh as a vegetable. The seeds yield a very fine oil (oil of Ben) which has been pronounced as suitable for watch lubrication. [Illustration] =OCHNA HILLII= Hutch. OCHNACEAE. This is a small tree, common locally in parts of Zaria, Bauchi and S. Sokoto, not extending north of 12°. It is as a rule slender and erect, up to 15 feet in height, older trees forming a round crown, younger ones often shrub-like. The yellow flowers and red and black fruiting stage are very conspicuous and the serrate obovate leaves are typical. =The Bark= is smooth, a dull grey or brown, with small scales. The slash is yellow, rapidly darkening on exposure. =The Leaves= are obovate, 3-4 inches long, 1½-2 inches broad, with cleft tip and finely serrate edges. The venation is prominent on the upper surface. The young leaves are shiny and tinted red, and the mature leaf is tougher and grey-green with a waxy bloom. =The Flowers= are borne on a short woody shoot, 4 or 5 together with 1-2 inch, slender stalks. Each has a calyx of 5 pale green overlapping sepals, 5 yellow petals smaller than the sepals and a ring of numerous stamens round an erect pistil. The flowers appear in February or March and the petals sometimes only remain 24 hours on the flower. =The Fruits= are drupes, or small plums, in a ring round the much swollen torus or disc. The sepals enlarge and turn crimson, as does the disc, and the seeds, at first green, turn black and shiny, shrivelling when the surrounding pulp dries up. The branches are often borne down by the weight of the large crop of fruit which is a most conspicuous feature. The elongated pistil and the remains of the stamens appear like bristles on the torus. Most of the seeds are destroyed by a grub. [Illustration] =ODINA ACIDA= Walp.—_Farun mutane_. ANACARDIACEAE.