Latin name - Milicia excelsa, Milicia regia

Also known as: odum (Ghana and Ivory Coast), mvule (East Africa), kambala (Zaire), bang (Cameroons), moreira (Angola), tule, intule (Mozambique)

Wood type – Hardwood

Distribution - M. excelsa has a wide distribution in tropical Africa, from Sierra Leone in the west, to Tanzania in the east.
M. regia is confined to West Africa, where it occurs from Senegal to Ghana. There does not appear to be any significant difference between the timber of the two species.

The Tree - M. excelsa attains very large sizes, reaching 45m or more in height and up to 2.7m in diameter. The stem is usually cylindrical and mostly without buttresses. It occurs in the rain, and mixed deciduous forests.

The Timber - When freshly cut, or when unexposed to light, the heartwood is a distinct yellow colour, but on exposure to light it quickly becomes golden-brown. The sapwood is narrow, being about 50mm to 75mm wide, and clearly defined. The grain is usually interlocked and the texture is rather coarse but even. Large, hard deposits of calcium carbonate called 'stone' deposits, are sometimes present in cavities, probably as a result of injury to the tree. They are often enclosed by the wood and not visible until the time of sawing,
though the wood around them may be darker in colour, thus giving an indication of their presence.