 |
Alder - Alnus glutinosa |
| Dull, light reddish-brown with darker lines or streaks formed by broad rays. Straight grained, with fine texture but without luster. |
 |
Ash -Fraxinus americana |
| Heartwood is grey-brown, sometimes tinged with red. Generally straight grained and coarse but even textured. |
 |
Aspen - Populus tremuloides |
| Heartwood is cream-grey to very pale biscuit, with a fine, even texture and straight grain which is inclined to be woolly. |
 |
Basswood - Tilia americana |
| Creamy-white to pale pinkish-brown, straight grained and fine, even texture due to uniform growth and lack of contrast between early and latewood zones. |
 |
Birch - Betula papyrifera |
| Wide sapwood, creamy white in color with a pale brown heartwood. Straight grained, and texture fine and uniform. |
 |
Black Limba -
Terminalia superba |
| The wood is pale yellow-brown to straw colored; the heartwood may have grey-black streaks. It is a close, straight grained timber, sometimes with interlocked or wavy grain producing excellent figure, with a moderately coarse but even texture. |
 |
Bloodwood -
Brosium paraense |
| The heartwood color varies from grey-red to deep rich red, with a golden luster and variegated yellow and red stripes. |
 |
Bocote - Cordia alliodora |
| The heartwood is dull golden brown color with variegated irregular markings and an attractive ray flecked figure on quartered surfaces. It is straight grained, with a medium coarse texture. |
 |
Bubinga - Guibourtia tessmannii |
| The wood is medium red-brown with lighter red to purple veining. The grain is straight or interlocked. In some logs the grain is very irregular and these are converted by peeling into rotary cut veneers called kevasingo. |
 |
Butternut - Juglans cinera |
| The heartwood is medium dark brown in color but not as dark as black American walnut, which it otherwise resembles. It is straight grained with a coarse but soft texture. |
 |
Cedar - Juniperus
virginiana |
| The heartwood is
a uniform reddish-brown color with an aromatic "cedar" scent. A thin dark line of latewood marks the boundary of each
growth ring. The wood is soft, straight-grained, with a fine, even texture and grain. |
 |
Cerejeira - Amburana
cearensis |
| A
uniform yellow
to medium-brown
with an
orange-pink
tint.
Straight to
irregular grain
and a coarse
texture.
It is faintly
scented. |
 |
Chakte - Guilandina
platyloba |
| The heartwood
color is bright,
vivid
orange-red,
maturing upon
exposure to
red-brown.
It has a
variegated
stripy to
marble-like
figure,
sometimes
accentuated by
pin knots.
It is usually
straight to
interlocked
grained with a
fine, compact,
smooth texture
with a natural
luster. |
 |
Cherry - Prunus
serotina |
| Heartwood varies
from rich red to
reddish-brown,
with a fine,
straight, close
grain with
narrow brown
pith flecks and
small gum
pockets, and
with smooth
texture. |
 |
Cocobolo - Dalbergia
retusa |
| The
heartwood color
varies from rich
red to an
attractive
variegated
appearance of
yellow, orange
and red streaks
and zones, which
mature upon
exposure to a
mellow orange
red. The
grain is
irregular and
variable, but
has fine uniform
texture. |
 |
Cypress - Cupressus
lindeyi |
| The heartwood is
orange to
pinkish-brown.
It is straight
grained with a
fairly fine,
even texture.
The growth rings
are marked by an
inconspicuous
narrow band of
latewood.
Although classed
as
"non-resinous",
resin cells are
present and may
appear as brown
streaks or
flecks. |
|
Ebony - Diospyros
celebica |
| The heartwood is
dark brown to
black, streaked
throughout with
bands of
grayish-brown,
yellow-brown, or
pale-brown.
The grain is
mostly straight,
but may
sometimes be
irregular or
wavy. The
texture is fine
and even. |
 |
Elm - Ulmus
americana |
| The heartwood is
medium
reddish-brown in
color. The
grain is usually
straight but
sometimes
interlocked, the
texture coarse
rather than
woolly. |
 |
Elm, Red- Ulmus
hollandica |
| The
heartwood color
is a dull brown,
with the annual
rings distinct
due to large
earlywood pores,
giving a coarse
texture to the
wood.
Tends to be of
irregular growth
and crossgrained. |
 |
English Yew - Taxus
baccata |
| The
heartwood color
is golden
orange-brown
streaked with
dark purple,
mauve and brown
in patches with
veins, tiny
knots and
clusters of
in-growing bark.
The grain is
straight, but
sometimes curly
and irregular. |
 |
Granadillo - Platymiscium
pinnatum |
| The heartwood color varies form rose-red to rich red-brown with darker variegated streaks and veins. The grain is
irregular and interlocked, with a uniform, medium texture and lustrous surface. |
 |
Holly - Ilex
opaca |
| The heartwood is
cream-white,
sometimes with a
greenish-grey
cast with little
or no figure.
The grain tends
to be irregular
but with a fine
even texture
which is velvet
smooth to the
touch. |
 |
Imbuya - Phoebe
porosa |
| The heartwood is
yellow-olive to
chocolate brown,
with variegated
streaks and
stripes.
The grain is
usually straight
but often wavy
or curly, with
fine and even
growth rings
visible to the
naked eye.
Fine to medium
texture. |
 |
Ipe - Tabebuia
serratifolia |
| The heartwood is
olive-brown with
lighter or
darker streaks.
The grain is
straight to
irregular with a
low to medium
luster.
The pores,
appearing as
fine yellow
dots, or, on
longitudinal
surfaces as
yellow lines,
contain
yellowish
lapachol powder
which turns deep
red in alkaline
solutions.
The material is
fine textured
and appears
oily; fine
ripple marks may
be present. |
 |
Kingwood - Dalbergia
cearensis |
| The heartwood
has variegated
colors with a
background of
rich
violet-brown,
dark violet and
black, sometimes
with golden
yellow,
presenting an
unmistakable
appearance.
Usually straight
grained,
uniformly fine
textured and
lustrous. |
 |
Koa - Acacia
koa |
| Description |
 |
Lacewood - Platanus
hybrida |
| The heartwood is
light
reddish-brown
with very
conspicuous and
numerous broad
rays present on
quartered
material, which
show against the
light colored
background as a
decorative fleck
figure.
The wood is
straight grained
with a fine to
medium texture.
Some logs are
much lighter in
color, pale
pinkish-brown,
with a small,
irregular,
darker colored
core. |
 |
Mansonia - Mansonia
altissima |
| Grey-brown to
light mauve,
often purplish
with lighter or
darker bands.
Wide variation
in color.
Straight grained
and fine smooth
texture. |
 |
Mahogany, Honduras - Swietenia
macrophylla |
| The heartwood
color varies
from light to
dark
reddish-brown to
deep, rich red.
The grain is
straight to
interlocked.
Flat sliced or
sawn timber
shows a
prominent growth
ring figure.
The texture is
medium to coarse
and uniform.
Dark colored gum
or white
deposits
commonly occur
in the pores,
and sometimes
ripple marks are
seen. |
 |
Mahogany, Philippine - Shorea
polysperma |
| Description |
 |
Maple, Birds' Eye - Scientific Name |
| Description |
 |
Maple, Curly - Scientific Name |
| Description |
 |
Maple, Hard - Acer
saccharum |
| Cream-white with
a reddish tinge.
Large trees may
have dark brown
heart.
Usually straight
grained but
sometimes curly
or wavy.
Fine brown lines
give an
attractive
growth ring
figure on plain
sawn surfaces.
Texture is fine
and even. |
 |
Maple, Soft - Acer
macrophyllum |
| Creamy white and
straight
grained.
It is less
lustrous than
rock maple and
the growth rings
are
comparatively
indistinct.
The rays are
narrower and
less conspicuous
but pith flecks
more frequently
present. |
 |
Oak, English Brown - Quercus
petraea |
| The heartwood is
light tan to
biscuit colored,
usually straight
grained, but
irregular or
cross-grained
material can
occur depending
on growth
conditions.
Characteristic
silver grain
figure on
quartered
surfaces due to
broad rays. |
 |
Oak, Red - Quercus
rubra |
| The
heartwood
resembles other
oaks with a
biscuit to pink
color, but has a
reddish tinge.
Mostly straight
grained and
coarse textured,
with a less
attractive
figure than
white oak due to
smaller rays.
Southern red oak
has a more rapid
growth than
northern red oak
and is harder,
heavier, and
coarser
textured. |
 |
Oak, Quarter Sawn Red - Scientific Name |
| Description |
 |
Oak, White - Quercus
alba |
| Varies in color
from
yellow-brown to
biscuit with a
pinkish tint,
similar to
European oak.
Straight grain,
with the
characteristic
silver grain on
quartered
material.
Appalachian oak
is slow grown
producing light
weight, mild
wood, but
southern states
produce fast
grown oak with
wide growth
rings, and a
harder, tougher
timber.
Medium to coarse
textured. |
 |
Padouk - Pterocarpus
soyauxii |
| The heartwood is
a vivid blood
red, toning down
to dark
purple-brown
with red streaks
upon exposure.
The grain is
straight to
interlocked with
a moderately
coarse texture. |
 |
Pecan - Carya
illinoensis |
| The wide sapwood
is preferred to
the heartwood,
and is sold as
"white hickory",
while the
heartwood, which
is reddish brown
is sold as "red
hickory" - a
distinction by
color which has
no relation to
strength.
Mostly straight
grained, but
sometimes wavy
or irregular,
with coarse
texture. |
 |
Pine - Pinus
ponderosa |
| The tree has a
wide, pale
yellow sapwood,
with a much
darker heartwood
varying from
deep yellow to
reddish-brown in
color. The
resin ducts
appear as fine
dark brown lines
on longitudinal
surfaces, and
the heartwood is
considerable
heavier than the
softwood which
is soft, uniform
in texture and
non-resinous. |
 |
Poplar - Populus
nigra |
| The heartwood is
usually
creamy-white to
grey in color,
sometimes very
pale brown or
pinkish-brown.
Straight grained
and inclined to
be woolly;
texture fine and
even. |
 |
Purpleheart - Peltogyne
paniculata |
| The heartwood is
a deep
purple-violet
when freshly
cut, maturing to
a dark brown;
the original
color is
restored when
re-cut.
Straight
grained, but
often irregular,
wavy, and
sometimes
interlocked,
producing a
pleasing striped
figure on
quartered
surfaces.
Texture moderate
to fine. |
 |
Rosewood,
Indian - Dalbergia
latifolia |
| From
rose to dark
purple-brown
with darker
purple-black
lines
terminating the
growth zones.
The grain is
narrowly
interlocked
producing a
ribbon grain
figure; the
texture uniform
and moderately
coarse, and the
surface dull but
with a fragrant
scent. |
 |
Sapele - Entandrophragma
cylindricum |
| The heartwood
has a medium to
dark
reddish-brown
color,
characterized by
a well-defined
ribbon striped
figure on
quartered
surfaces.
Sometimes, when
wavy grain is
present, a very
attractive
fiddleback
figure, roe
figure or
occasionally,
beautiful
mottled figure
is obtained.
The grain is
interlocked or
wavy and the
texture is fine.
Has cedar-like
scent when
freshly cut.
The timber is
liable to ring
or cup shakes. |
|
Shedua - Guibourtia
Ehie |
| Mid-yellow
to chocolate
brown colored,
with grayish
black stripes.
The grain is
interlocked and
the texture
moderately
coarse. |
 |
Teak - Tectona
grandis |
| The true teak of
Burma is a
uniform
golden-brown
color without
markings, but
most other teak
is rich brown
with darker
chocolate-brown
markings.
Indian teak is
wavy grained and
mottled, but
generally
straight to wavy
grained, coarse
textured,
uneven, oily to
the touch, and
sometimes with a
white glistening
deposit. |
 |
Tigerwood - Lovoa
trichilioides |
| The heartwood is
bronze
orange-brown,
with gum lines
causing black
streaks or
lines. The
grain is
interlocked,
sometimes
spiral,
producing a
striking ribbon
striped figure
on quartered
surfaces.
It has a
moderately fine
texture and is
lustrous. |
 |
Tulipwood - Dalbergia
frutescens |
| The
heartwood is a
beautiful
pink-yellow with
a pronounced
striped figure
in varying
shades of salmon
pink, and rose
red to violet.
It has a
fragrant scent.
The grain is
straight but
more often
irregular; the
texture is
moderately fine. |
 |
Walnut - Juglans
nigra |
| The heartwood is
a rich dark
brown to
purplish-black,
mostly straight
grained, but
with wavy or
curly grain
occasionally
present.
The texture is
rather coarse. |
 |
Wenge - Millettia
laurentii |
| The
clearly defined
heartwood is
dark brown, with
very close,
fine, almost
black veins.
The closely
spaced whitish
bands of
parenchyma give
the wood a most
attractive
appearance.
It is fairly
straight grained
with a coarse
texture. |
 |
Willow - Salix
alba |
| Willow
is light,
resilient,
flexible and
difficult to
fracture.
The heartwood is
a white-pinkish
color. The
white sapwood
varies in width
according to
growth
conditions.
Growth rings
appear on
longitudinal
surfaces as
faint zones.
It is typically
straight
grained, and
with a fine,
even texture. |
 |
Zebrawood - Microberlinia
brazzavillensis |
| The
heartwood is a
light
golden-yellow
with narrow
veining or
streaks of dark
brown to almost
black, giving
the quartered
surfaces a
zebra-stripe
appearance.
The grain is
interlocked or
wavy and
produces
alternating hard
and soft grained
material which
makes the timber
difficult to
work.
Zebrawood has a
coarse texture
and a lustrous
surface. |
