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Honduras Rosewood has a yellow sapwood with an appearance distinctly different from the heartwood. The pinkish-brown to purple-brown tones of the heartwood appear in alternating dark and light streaks with black markings, creating a very attractive figure. The wood ranges from fine to medium in texture and usually presents a straight grain, although it is occasionally wavy, presenting a decorative figure.
Shedua sapwood is very pale with clear demarcations. A variety of colors can be found in the heartwood that includes pink, vivid red, or red-brown with purple veining. On exposure, the veining becomes less conspicuous, and the deep colors fade to yellow or medium brown with a reddish tint. Shedua has a fine, even texture with a straight or interlocked grain. Shedua from the Gabon area often has a wavy grain, and is sometimes highly figured, producing a decorative appearance when flat- and quarter-sawn.
Formal Name: Guibourtia ehie
Other Names:
Olive Walnut and African Walnut
Ipe is an extremely dense tropical hardwood with excellent durability and performance characteristics, and strength similar to teak (two to three times harder than oak). The sapwood is yellowish-white to whitish in color, becoming light orange when dry. The heartwood is olive-brown in color, with lighter or darker streaks. The grain ranges from straight to very irregular and intercrossed in narrow bands, with a fine-to-medium texture and low luster. The figure consists of fine stripes in the radial surface, and the pores are primarily solitary and inconspicuous
Formal Name: Tabebuia Serratifolia
Other Names:
Ironwood, Brazilian Walnut, Cortez, Lapacho Negro, Pau Lope
An African hardwood which resembles plain Sapele in appearance the Sipo sapwood is light brown in color. The heartwood is pinkish-brown when first cut, and darkens to a rich red or purple-brown with exposure. The sapwood is reported to be up to 2 inches (0.50 cm) wide and clearly demarcated from the heartwood. The attractive grain is usually broadly interlocked, producing a ribbon figure or a wide, often irregular stripe on quarter-sawn surfaces.
Formal Name: Entandrophragma utile
Other Names:
Kalungi, Liboyo, Mufumbi, Okeong, Utile
Iroko is a medium density wood with white sapwood that is sharply demarcated from the heartwood. The heartwood is golden-orange to brown in color and darkens with age. The wood can at times be colored with yellow bands of soft tissue that form a zigzag pattern on all surfaces, plus darker colored surrounding materials are usually present. The wood has a medium to moderately coarse texture with a grain that is typically interlocked or crossed.
Formal Name: Chlorophora excelsa
Other Names:
African Teak, Kambala, Chen d’Afrique, Odum, African Oak
The heartwood of Spanish Cedar ranges in color from pinkish- to reddish-brown, when first cut. The color darkens as it ages to a dark reddish-brown, and sometimes displays a purplish tinge. The sapwood ranges in tones from white to pinkish-white. The grain is prominent and usually straight, but sometimes appears interlocked. The wood texture ranges from fine and uniform to coarse and uneven, with a medium luster. Spanish Cedar produces a distinctive odor and is often oily on the surface.
Formal Name: Cedrela odorata
Other Names:
South American Cedar, Brazilian Cedar, Cigar-box Cedar
Jatoba varies from yellowish hues, to pink/reds, to dark reds with black striping and an interlocked grain. Quartered selections yield the most uniform look and color range. The sapwood is white, gray, or pinkish in color, and is clearly demarcated from the heartwood. It is reported to be similar to maple in appearance. Like domestic cherry, Jatoba will change dramatically over time from the yellow/tan/salmon color, when freshly milled, into a deep, rich reddish color. In direct sunlight, the color change will occur within a few days. Out of sunlight, it will oxidize slowly over six months. Water-based finishes tend to retard the color change while oil based finishes enhance it. Jatoba is a very beautiful wood; with remarkable hardness that makes it an extremely popular and appealing wood.
Most Teak is a rich golden brown in color, but may also vary from rich brown to a deep, chocolate brown with dark, almost black, markings. The grain may be either straight or wavy with conspicuous growth rings. It has a coarse texture and oily feel, as well as a leather-like odor.
Formal Name: Tectona Grandis
Other Names:
Kalungi, Liboyo, Mufumbi, Okeong, Utile
African mahogany is pink when first cut. Over time, it darkens to a reddish-brown, with streaks of pale, golden brown. The sapwood is yellowish-brown in color, and is not always distinctly demarcated from the heartwood. The grain is usually interlocked, giving the wood a distinctive fine grain. The texture is even, and ranges from medium to coarse, but even, with a lustrous surface.
Formal Name: Khaya ivorensis; K. anthotheca
Other Names: <
Knotty Pine
The sapwood of lacewood is cream colored and well defined. The heartwood varies in color from pinkish-brown to an orange-brown, which darkens on exposure. The highly figured interlocked, lace-like grain pattern is one of the most unusual of all exotic woods. Lacewood grain varies from straight to wavy and has a fine to medium-coarse texture. The large rays, which produce the unusual figure, are highly visible on quartered faces.