Abstract

There are over five hundred wood species in Nigeria, half of which are yet to be studied and utilized to their full potentials and as such referred to as lesser-used species. One species that belongs to this category is the African tulip tree wood, Spathodea campanulata, mostly grown for its aesthetic benefits than other uses. Whether in its native regions or where introduced, its use as a medicinal plant is well documented. Although it is regarded as an inferior wood, used for carving, charcoal and as firewood; it is solely traded as plywood in certain parts. Its fibrous nature however, calls for consideration as a fibre source for pulp and papermaking. For any lignocellulosic material to be accepted for pulp or papermaking, there must be an adequate information on its chemical properties evaluated through standard procedures. Hence, there is need to study the chemical composition and soluble contents of S. campanulata as it affects its pulpability. A stand was harvested from a natural forest in Ibadan, Nigeria and its stem converted to billets for milled samples at the 10%, 50% and 90% positions of the total heights. Chemical composition such as lignin, extractives, hemicelluloses and alpha cellulose were considered as well as its solubility in water and 1% NaOH solution and the data was subjected to analysis of variance. Sampling height was found to significantly affect only the extractive content and alpha cellulose at α=0.05. The values obtained for chemical contents indicate that the species may be suitable for pulp and papermaking.