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About African Blackwood

Peltophorum africanum

Common names: (Afr) Boerboon, Boerboontjie, Dopperkehatenhout.(Eng) African Black Wattle, African Blackwood, Black Wattle

Description

Family: Fabaceae or Leguminosae. (Pea, bean or legume family). After the Orchidaceae and the Asteraceae, the Fabaceae is the third largest Angiosperm (flowering plants) family with 700+ genera and close to 20 000 species. Local Tree genera on this website include Acacia (Vauchellia, Senegalia), Albizia, Bauhinia, Bolusanthus, Burkea, Calpurnia, Colophospermum, Cordyla, Cyclopia, Dichrostachys, Erythrina, Erythrophleum, Faidherbia, Indigofera, Mundulea, Peltophorum, Philenoptera, Piliostigma, Schotia and Xanthocercis.

The Fabaceae are recognisable by their fruit and by their pinnately compound Leaves. Leaves may also be simple and usually have stipules – some of which may be spinescent. Leaflets are usually entire. Flowers are bisexual and bracteate.

Regular flowers usually have 4-5 sepals and the same number of petals. Irregular flowers have 4-5 sepals and 5 or less petals. Stamens have anthers that have 2 pollen sacs and there are usually at least twice the number of stamens as petals – often 10. The superior Ovary has one locule that may contain 1 or more ovules. The Stigma and Style are simple. The single carpel develops into the Fruit, which is usually a pod. This pod dehisces on both sides and may break into segments. Seeds vary.

Name derivation: Peltophorum – shield shaped – referring to the stigma (green in the intro photo). africanum – from Africa. This is the only species of Peltophorum in South Africa. The fact that this plant lacks spines helps to distinguish it from the genera Senegalia and Vachellia.

Tree, Fruit and Leaves

Tree

There are no spines or thorns present on this Tree. It has a spreading untidy crown and is usually 5-10 but may reach 15m high. Branches often occur near the ground and may be crooked or forked close to the ground.

The Trunk is often multi-stemmed. The Bark on an older trunk can be grey to brown, rough and become longitudinal fissured.

Twigs (1-year-old current branch segments) have lenticels (usually raised corky oval or elongated area on the plant that allows the uncontrolled interchange of gases with the environment). Twigs are covered with rusty coloured hairs.

Fruit

The flattish, drooping and indehiscent Fruit is a Pod, which is oblong to elliptic (oval in outline and widest near the middle).

The pods taper toward both the apex and base. A distinct wing is visible along both margins. The remains of the Calyx may be visible at the base of the fruit.

Each fruit is up to 10 x 2cm. It is thinly woody, slightly leathery and green to yellowish becoming red-brown. Fruit hangs down in clusters.

Seeds are brown and flattish, and about 11 x 7mm. Usually 1 or 2 compressed and slightly winged seeds develop in each fruit. (Dec-Jun).

Leaves

This tree may be deciduous. The feathery, silvery grey Leaves are similar to those of “acacia”. They are bipinnate (compound: twice pinnate. The central axis or rachis has lateral “branches” not leaflets and the leaflets are on these “side branches”).

The furry Growing tip is often rusty brown and young Leaflets are folded lengthwise. The small leaflets are usually about 7 x 2mm. They are oblong and slightly spaces apart. Each is dull olive green above and paler green below. The Apex is rounded with a fine distinctive hair-like tip.

The Base is asymmetric and the Margins are entire (with a continuous margin, not in any way indented). The leaf Rachis is grooved on the upper surface. Rusty brown, velvety Hairs envelope the Petiole (leaf stalk) rachis (main axis bearing flowers or leaflets) and Leaflets. The distinctive feather shaped Stipules (basal appendages of the petiole) are small. They appear like tiny ferns but are caducous (an organ or part of which is easily detached and shed early).

Distribution & Ecology

These Trees are located in KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and North West. Beyond South Africa, they occur in Botswana, Namibia, Angola, Swaziland, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya and DRC.

Major habitat: medium to low altitude: Grassland Savanna (is a rolling grassland scattered with shrubs and isolated trees, which can be found between a tropical rainforest and desert biome).

Trees also occur in Bushveld, deciduous Woodlands, on rocky outcrops, on riverbanks, on sandy soil and margins of vleis (shallow, small, seasonal lake or pond or marshy wetland). Larvae of the Butterfly Satyr Emperor (Charaxes ethalion) and of Van Son’s Emperor (Charaxes vansoni) feed on the Leaves. Game including giraffe, elephant, and kudu browse the leaves. Black rhino strip and consume the Bark.

After the start of the rainy season, plant-sucking nymphs of Spittlebugs (Ptyelus grossus) encase themselves in protective acrid foam froth and cause this and other trees to “rain”.

Ethnobotany

This would make a good avenue tree. The close grained, fairly hard and tough Wood has reddish heartwood. It is suitable for carving after seasoning. At one stage, it was one of the woods used in wagon making.

Seasoning is necessary to prevent borer attack. After seasoning, it can also be used for furniture and even for buckets. The wood is also used for fuel. It is a good garden and shade tree. The plant grows quite quickly from seed and is slightly resistant to dry times and, once established, to frost.

Roots are non-invasive. The Fruit is used for feeding goats and cattle. Food. Local people consume the large green spiny lava of the moth Gynanisa maia which feeds on the leaves. The Gum may be poisonous.

In some communities, the presence of this tree is believed to give the feeling of comfort and freshness. Some believe that planting the tree together with sown corn will attract rain. The tree has many medicinal uses.

Chanate – Mopane

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COLOPHOSPERMUM MOPANE

COLOPHOSPERMUM IS ALSO KNOWN AS “COPAIBA MOPANE, COPAIFERA MOPANE, HARDWICKIA MOPANE”

Description

Family: Fabaceae, or Leguminosae (Pea, bean or legume family). After the Orchidaceae and the Asteraceae, the Fabaceae is the third largest Angiosperm (flowering plants) family with 700+ genera and close to 20 000 species. Local Tree genera on this website include Acacia (Vauchellia, Senegalia), Albizia, Bauhinia, Bolusanthus, Burkea, Calpurnia, Colophospermum, Cordyla, Cyclopia, Dichrostachys, Erythrina, Erythrophleum, Faidherbia, Indigofera, Mundulea, Peltophorum, Philenoptera, Piliostigma, Schotia and Xanthocercis. The Fabaceae are recognisable by their fruit and by their pinnately compound Leaves. Leaves may also be simple and usually have stipules – some of which may be spinescent. Leaflets are usually entire. Flowers are bisexual and bracteate. Regular flowers usually have 4-5 sepals and the same number of petals. Irregular flowers have 4-5 sepals and 5 or less petals. Stamens have anthers that have 2 pollen sacs and there are usually at least twice the number of stamens as petals – often 10. The superior Ovary has one locule that may contain 1 or more ovules. The Stigma and Style are simple. The single carpel develops into the Fruit, which is usually a pod. This pod dehisces on both sides and may break into segments. Seeds vary.

Tree, Fruit and Leaves

Tree

This spineless Tree is up to 22m high – but in South Africa it is usually much less (photo 232). The very tall trees are known as cathedral trees. In the RSA, they usually range between 3-18m high forming a “mopane scrub”. Likewise, the Trunk is up to 1m wide but usually much smaller. Mature Stems (main axis of the plant, the leaf and flower bearing as distinguished from the root-bearing axis) are rough, dark grey to blackish and fissured lengthways. This is diagnostic (photo 218). The Bark does flake in narrow strips and has a ropey appearance. More than one stem may develop

Fruit

The flattened papery Fruit is an indehiscent Pod, which is up to 5cm long. Small reddish resin glands are present and are visible with the aid of a hand lens. Each pod contains a single Seed, which is orange or yellow when mature. Each seed is flat, usually uniform (kidney-shaped), sticky and distinctively corrugated. Seeds may germinate while still on the tree.

Leaves

The semi deciduous tree may be without Leaves for up to 5 months. The hairless, coriaceous (leathery) leaves are oblique (slanted, unequal sided – photo 231) or ovate (egg shaped). Crushed leaves smell of turpentine. The Petiole (leaf stalk) is up to 4cm long (photo 220). The Stipules (basal appendages of the petiole) are caducous (an organ or part, which is easily detached and shed early). Between the 2 leaflet “wings” of the butterfly-like compound leaf, is a small protuberance (diagnostic). This is a reduced, vestigial (stunted) terminal Leaflet (photo 221). The two remaining opposite leaflets are up to 8cm long and have no Petiolules (leaflet stalks). The area surrounding the junction between the “3” leaflets is a deep red colour (photo 221). When viewed with a hand lens, against a strong light, translucent gland dots are visible on the 2 large leaflets. About 7-12 visible Veins radiate out from the point of attachment (photo 221). The Margin is entire (with a continuous margin, not in any way indented but may be hairy). The leaves lack a Midrib (the main rib of a leaf or leaf-like part, a continuation of the petiole). The Apex tapers. The Base is markedly asymmetric and slightly lobed on the side moving away from the terminal leaflet. New leaves are pinkish.

Distribution & Ecology

These Trees occur on sandy, poorly drained soils, in hot, dry, low-lying, frost-free areas. They also occur in high pH (alkaline) and alluvial soils. The 2-winged leaflets fold up in dry times to reduce water loss and effectively also reduce shade. The tree is commonly the dominant, even the only tree type in an area – giving rise to the term Mopane woodland (photo 232 – under fruit). Altitude range is 660 – 1200m. The height of the trees is dependent on soil quality and other environmental factors including rainfall. These trees occur in Mpumalanga – North of the Letaba River and in the northern Kruger National Park – just south of the Olifants River. They also are found in Limpopo e.g. Mapungubwe and northwards to include Botswana , Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia e.g. Etosha National Park, Angola, Malawi and Zambia. In the RSA, it is often shrub-like. The leaves have high protein content. Buffalo, elephant and giraffe consume 7the Leaves and Pods. Larvae of the Foxy Emperor butterfly, Charaxes jasius feed on the leaves. The small cicada-like insect Arytaina mopani may appear and, in its larval stage, have a protective waxy scale that is rich in sugar. Baboons and people seek after this insect. Trees are the Nesting sites for Hornbills, which have a heavy bill supported by strong neck muscles and are the only birds with fused first and second (atlas and axis) neck vertebra. The sticky seeds cling to the hooves of passing animals and may be Dispersed in this way.

Ethnobotany

Root heartwood yields a brownish dye. Extracts from the roots kill parasitic flatworms, which may carry bilharzia. The fibrous Inner bark is used in basket manufacture. The red Sap is used for dye. It is also used in local medicine. Root bark is powdered, mixed with fat and used to colour skin. The Seeds are difficult to germinate, however filed seeds are slightly more successful. Usually only 1% of seeds germinate and last more than 1 year. Heat e.g. from a fire may speed up the germination. Truncheons (stem cutting from a selected plant – used to produce genetically identically new plants) should be planted in spring when the sap is rising.

Umbila

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Pterocarpus Angolensis

PTEROCARPUS ANGOLENSIS also known as “Pterocarpusbussei, Pterocarpus dekindtianus”

Description

Family: Fabaceae or Leguminosae (Pea, bean or legume family). After the Orchidaceae and the Asteraceae, the Fabaceae is the third largest Angiosperm (flowering plants) family with 700+ genera and close to 20 000 species. Local Tree genera on this website include Acacia (Vauchellia,Senegalia), Albizia,Bauhinia, Bolusanthus, Burkea, Calpurnia, Colophospermum, Cordyla, Cyclopia, Dichrostachys, Erythrina, Erythrophleum, Faidherbia, Indigofera, Mundulea, Peltophorum, Philenoptera, Piliostigma, Schotia and Xanthocercis. The Fabaceae are recognizable by their fruit and by their pinnately compound Leaves. Leaves may also be simple – even bilobed and usually have stipules – some of which may be spinescent. Leaflets are usually entire. Flowers are bisexual and bracteate. Regular flowers usually have 4-5 sepals and the same number of petals. Irregular flowers have 4-5 sepals and 5 or less petals. Stamens have anthers that have 2 pollen sacs and there are usually at least twice the number of stamens as petals – often 10. The superior Ovary has one locule that may contain 1 or more ovules. The Stigma and Style are simple. The single carpel develops into the Fruit, which is usually a pod. This pod dehisces on both sides and may break into segments.

Tree, Fruit and Leaves

Tree

In South Africa, this Tree is usually up to 15m high. Beyond our northern boarders, it may reach 30m or more in height e.g. in Mozambique. The long straight, usually single Trunk is up to 0,6m wide and has a flat spreading crown – especially when on its own. Lichen (composite organism arising from a mutualistic relationship between fungi or cyanobacteria and algae species) may be present on the trunk. The darkish grey Bark is rough and longitudinal fissured with protruding parts that are almost rectangular . Young branches are hairy. Sap is sticky and blood red – hence the common name “bloodwood”. Damaged bark leaks this color.

Fruit

The flattened, often wavy, indehiscent Fruit is an orbicular (circular or disc-shaped) Pod with a membranous coffee-colored wing up to 15cm (usually less) across. A persistent Calyx is visible below the pod . There is a centrally situated, clearly visible thickened seed case, which is setose (covered with long bristles). This “circular” pod, with its bristles, is distinctive – especially in winter.

Each pod is initially green and may have up to 3 smooth, kidney shaped small Seeds. It takes about 3 000 seeds to have a mass of 1kg. The seeds lack endosperm (the starch and oil-containing tissue of many seeds; often referred to as albumen). The shape of the fruit aids wind dispersal – usually up to about 50m from the tree. This distance is mainly dependent on the wind and the height of the tree (Jan-Oct). The fruit hangs on the tree and may even remain there through winter

Leaves

The yellow, sweetly scented, sweet pea like Flowers appear shortly before the leaves and flowering lasts about 3 weeks. They have narrow hairy Bracts (modified leaves associated with reproductive structures). Flowers are bisexual, and zygomorphic (irregular floral parts are unequal in size or form so that the flower is capable of division into essentially symmetrical halves by only one longitudinal plane passing through the axis). The flowers develop in hanging Racemes (a simple elongated inflorescence with stalked flowers that open in succession towards the apex). These are up to 12cm long. The hairy Pedicel (stalk of a single flower) is up to 2cm long. The 5-short lobed hairy Calyx is campanulate (bell shaped) with the upper 2 lobes partially joined. The Corolla has 5 crinkled Petals which consists of the single large uppermost Vexillum or standard petal, two expanded Wing petals and 2 fused Keel petals at the base. 10 connate (united) Stamens are present – one of which may be free or partly so. Stamens are longer than the petals. The dorsifixed Anthers are equal in length and dehisce longitudinally. There is a single Pistil (a unit of the Gynoecium, the female element of the flower, composed of the Ovary, Style and Stigma) with a superior Ovary and a small Stigm

Distribution & Ecology

These Trees occur naturally on well-drained rocky Savanna (rolling grassland scattered with shrubs and isolated trees, which can be found between a tropical rain forest and desert biome) and the hillsides below 1 600m. They are often located in deep sandy soils, where the rainfall is greater than 500mm per year. The tree is frost sensitive and has a poor capacity for Coppicing (when stems are cut or burned it causes regrowth from the stump or roots). Leaves are relatively spares on the tree. This allow sun to penetrate close to the trunk and permits grass to become well established below it. The Bark of saplings is fire resistant. Geographical location: Northern KwaZulu-Natal e.g. Lebombo mountains, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Swaziland, Mozambique, Namibia e.g. Caprivi Strip, Zimbabwe Zambia, and Northwards into Tropical Africa. Baboons, monkeys and yellow-footed Squirrels (Paraxerus cepapi) eat the Pods. These squirrels are small (about 200g) and are widespread in southern Africa. Kudu and elephant browse the Leaves. Butterfly larvae of the Emperor or Bush Charaxes: (Charaxes achaemenes) also feed on the leaves. Flowers attract bees and make this a good honey tree. Monkeys, baboons and yellow-footed squirrels (Paraxerus cepapi) consume the flowers. This is a protected tree in the South Africa.

Ethnobotany

These attractive Trees are sensitive to frost. The Wood is similar to that is Albizia versicolor and has a relatively low density – about 500kg per cubic meter. It is one of the most widely used timber trees and is considered second only to stinkwood for making furniture. The sawdust may be irritant. Sapwood is pale grey to yellow and may be susceptible to borer attack. The Heartwood is light brown to dark reddish brown with wavy streaks. It is strong, durable, attractive and is also used for canoe building and carving as well as for parquet flooring, construction, doors, windows, and fuel. The wood works and turns well and only shrinks slightly when drying. Wood to the north of South Africa is usually lighter. Root heartwood yields a brownish dye. Extracts from the roots kill parasitic flatworms, which may carry bilharzia. The fibrous Inner bark is used in basket manufacture. The red Sap is used for dye. It is also used in local medicine. Root bark is powdered, mixed with fat and used to colour skin. The Seeds are difficult to germinate, however filed seeds are slightly more successful. Usually only 1% of seeds germinate and last more than 1 year. Heat e.g. from a fire may speed up the germination. Truncheons (stem cutting from a selected plant – used to produce genetically identically new plants) should be planted in spring when the sap is rising.

Pink Ivory

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Common name : Red Ivorywood

Scientific Name : “Berchemia zeyheri”

Description

Previous Names: Phyllogeiton zeyheri, Rhamnus zeyheri.

Family: Rhamnaceae (Buckthorn Family). This family mainly contains trees and shrubs. It has about 58 genera and 900 species. In the RSA, there are 9 genera and 203 species.

Name derivation: Berchemia named after M Berchem, a French botanist in the 17^th century. Zeyhrai named after Carl L. P. Zeyher: noted German botanist for his fundamental work on Flora Capensis (a systematic description of the Plants of the Cape colony and neighboring territories). There are 3 species of the genus Berchemia in southern Africa.

Tree, Fruit and Flowers

Tree

This unarmed Tree is up to 12+m high. The Trunk is straight with a diameter up to 36cm ending in a rounded, leafy crown. Young branches are green and galls may occur on these branches). Young twigs (1-year-old current branch segments) may be a reddish purple. The Bark is initially smooth and grey. Older trees have bark that is darker and cracked into longitudinally running segments, which may appear rectangular.

Flowers

The yellowish green, 5-merous Flowers are small (up to 16mm long and 4mm wide). They occur in small axillary clusters and are supported by thin pedicles (flower stalks) that are usually up to 18mm long. Flowers are actinomorphic (Regular, symmetrical. Flowers are vertically divisible into similar halves by more than 1 plane passing through the axis). Flowers have 5 ovate Sepals with a keel on the inner face. Speculate (shaped like a spatula with a broad rounded end) Petals are shorter than the sepals. The Disc (more or less fleshy or elevated development of the receptacle) is swollen. The 5 Stamens are situated opposite the petals and inserted outside the disc. The Anthers open through longitudinal slits.

This usually deciduous tree has delicate attractive Leaves that are opposite or nearly so. They are thin and simple (has a single blade, which may have incisions that are not deep enough to divide the blade into leaflets). In winter, the leaves may turn yellow or a clear golden color before falling. They are elliptic to ovate and up to 6 x 3,5cm but usually smaller. Blade. The shiny, usually hairless leaves are thin, dark green, blue-green or grey-green above and slightly lighter below. Young leaves are initially bright green and change when mature. Lateral veins end at the leaf margin and form a herringbone pattern. The veins protrude and are thus more visible below. The Apex is round or bluntly pointed and may be notched. The Base is round or narrowed or notched and may be reddish. The Margin is often entire (with a continuous margin, not in any way indented) but may be scalloped between lateral veins. The Petiole (leaf stalk) is short – up to 5mm long. It is channeled and slightly twisted on top and may be a reddish-purple.

Fruit

The small (up to 14 x 5mm), smooth and ellipsoidal Fruit is a drupe (a fleshy, 1-seeded indehiscent fruit with the seed enclosed in a stony endocarp; stone fruit e.g. peach). A persistent Style may be present at the apex. It is fleshy, like a very small peach fruit. The fruit is situated on long thin pedicles (flower stalks). The initially green fruit turns yellow or red when mature. (Dec-May).

Distribution & Ecology

The Tree is endemic in southern Africa, It is located in the bushveld (is a sub-tropical woodland ecoregion of southern Africa), rocky hillsides, stony ridges, bushy stream banks, dry forests and termite mounds from low to medium altitudes. It is drought resistant but sensitive to frost. Trees are common in KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga e.g. near Middelburg, Gauteng e.g. Hartbeespoort Dam – close to Pretoria, Limpopo, North West, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland and Mozambique.

The Flowers attract bees and other insects. This is a heavily browsed plant. Baboons, monkeys and bushbabies eat the Fruit. Birds including Loeries (turacos), Doves bulbuls and Green Pigeons also eat the fruit. Impala and Nyala eat both the fruit and leaves. Porcupines eat the Bark.

Ethnobotany

The sweet, sticky Fruit is edible and good tasting. It is much sought after and can be dried and stored for future use. Local people sell the fruit. The lovely bright red or pink, very hard, dense Wood has a fine texture and polishes well. It is used for the manufacture of quality furniture, ornaments, fence poles, knife handles, knobkerries and bows. Sapwood is pale cream and heartwood is an attractive pinkish red. The wood is resistant to insect attack but difficult to plane. A purplish dye is extractable from the Bark. The wood takes a long time to air-dry. Propagation is easily carried out using cleaned seed but the plant is slightly frost sensitive. This is a good bird, bee and butterfly tree.

Spirostachys Africana Properties and Uses

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Main Uses

The wood is in high demand for decorative joinery, furniture and cabinet work, and for carvings and turnery.
It is also appreciated for use in house construction for posts, beams and roof laths, and to make scented beads for necklaces.
They are suitable for heavy flooring, mine props, ship building, toys, novelties, agricultural implements and musical instruments.
It is also used as fuel-wood, but should not be used for cooking because of the toxic smoke.
The branches have been used for making scented torches.

Traditional Medication

The roots, bark and latex are widely used in traditional medicine. Root decoctions are taken to treat malaria, constipation but also diarrhea, cough, gonorrhea and headache.
They are dropped into the eyes to treat ophthalmia.
Bark decoctions and infusions in small dosage are used as purgative to treat constipation , treat stomach ulcers, kidney complaints, cough and eye complaints, and to purify the blood.
Dried bark is applied to rashes in children.
Powdered bark is taken as anthelmintic.
Latex diluted in water is taken as emetic and purgative, and the latex is administered against toothache and as anodyne.
It is also applied to sores in cattle to kill maggots, whereas the wood serves as insect repellent. Extreme caution is needed when bark or latex is administered for medicinal purposes.
Extracts are used in the treatment of opportunistic oral infections such as candidiasis in HIV-infected patients, and although they have potent anti-fungal activity, they should be used with care because they may have interactions with antiretroviral agents.
The bark has been used as fish poison, and the latex as hunting poison for arrow heads.
Leaf decoctions are applied to the eyes to treat ophthalmia. In Namibia the powdered oily wood, mixed with fat, has been rubbed into the hair, and it has also been used as perfume.

Properties:-

The heartwood is brown to dark brown with darker markings and streaks, and distinctly demarcated from the whitish to pale yellow, 2.5–5 cm wide sapwood.
The grain is straight to slightly wavy, texture moderately fine to fine, and even.
The wood has a beautiful banded figure and a satin-like lustre, with an oily surface. It has a fragrant, spicy smell, resembling that of East Indian sandalwood (Santalum album L.), which can persist for many years.
Sandalo africana wood is very heavy, with a density of 910–1090 kg/m³ at 12% moisture content, and hard. It air dries slowly. Boards of 2.5 cm thick take about 7 months to air dry and boards of 10 cm thick about one year. End checking is common, but the wood is usually not very liable to distortion. The rates of shrinkage are low, from green to oven dry 2.1–3.5% radial and 4.0–6.7% tangential. Once dry, the wood is moderately stable in service.
At 12% moisture content, the modulus of rupture is 102–108 N/mm², modulus of elasticity 8600–9210 N/mm², compression parallel to grain 57–60 N/mm², shear 16 N/mm² and Janka side hardness 8940 N.
The wood is difficult to saw, particularly green wood, but it is more easy to work. It rapidly blunts saw teeth. The saw dust is gummy and sticks to the teeth. The wood near the center of the log may be extremely hard to saw. It planes smoothly and molds well.
Drilling and mortising require considerable effort, and nailing is only possible after pre-boring. Turning gives excellent results.
Sanding is difficult because of the oily wood surface. The wood is durable and resistant to fungi, termites and wood borers. It is very resistant to preservatives.

Origin and Geographic Distribution

Spirostachys africana occurs from south-eastern Kenya south to Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South Africa and Swaziland.

4 Most Expensive Wood In The World Found In Mozambique

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Most people often admire things made of wood. Whether it’s furniture, decoration for your living room, or even the floors and ceilings for your beautiful home, you can never go wrong when you choose to use wood. It gives a unique and classy outcome; hence, it never goes out of style.

But you might have wondered why some things that are made of wood are quite costly while some are not. Well, it’s because there are different types of wood, and the value of wood depends on several factors.

The price of a wood depends on its durability, resistance, how complicated it is to work with, and, most importantly, how rare the wood is. The more unusual the tree, the higher the price will be. If you’re fond of luxurious things, here are the most expensive woods in the world and why it fetches such hefty prices

African Blackwood

African Blackwood is one of the hardest and densest wood in the world and is mostly used for musical instruments. It is considered as the most expensive wood in the world because not only it is challenging to work with hand or machine tools, its trees are already near-threatened.

But as expensive as it may seem, African Blackwood is worth the price. It is more stable and resistant to warping and is rated as very durable when it comes to decay resistance.

Sandalwood

Sandalwood is the second-most expensive wood in the world and is widely used in the cosmetic industry, especially in perfumes. Sandalwood oil is sought after because of its soft, creamy, and long-lasting scent that it produces.

Unfortunately, the production of Sandalwood has decreased while the demand continues to increase. It is on its way to becoming extinct, and that’s what makes Sandalwood so expensive.

Pink Ivory

Pink Ivory, also known as Red Ivory, is an African wood that grows in Zimbabwe and Mozambique, South Africa. Most pink ivory woods are used to make billiard cues, knife handles, and sometimes for medicinal purposes. Because of its incredibly high wood density, it is very durable and highly resistant to decay.

While Pink Ivory is relatively common in some parts of South Africa, some people claim that it is “rarer than diamonds,” which is one of the reasons why it is expensive.

Dalbergia

Dalbergia is a durable, sturdy, highly dense, and rare wood. It is typically used to make sports goods and high-quality furniture. What makes it so expensive is because it is complicated to work with. Its sawdust can be poisonous to people; that’s why some are refusing to work with a Dalbergia wood.

·Africa pear will be “permanent

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·Africa pear will be “permanent

Recently, China mahogany Commission issued “2014 summary” Redwood market situation in the first half of 2014 shows, June, Africa area mahogany imports for the first time over the Southeast Asia, has become China’s largest producer of mahogany. Africa area of mahogany, instead of the traditional southeast Redwood, Redwood market has been the main force is become represent the general trend. To Africa padauk (Pterocarpus erinaceus) as the representative of the Africa mahogany, rosewood or will gradually become the new darling of the market, usher in a new round of price surges, has factories in Africa Togo Anxin flooring with direct supply of resources advantage in favor of the domestic.

Anxin flooring

Rational consumption Africa mahogany, rosewood quietly rising

In Chinese annatto consumer cognition, rosewood is often limited to the southwest, Southeast Asia and other regions Chinese growth of high-quality wood, which, in Hainan, Vietnam pear pear as the representatives, held the mainstream high-end mahogany consumption; in the consumer pursued, temporarily even valuable than gold “market value”. By contrast, other regions of the redwood, rather neglected; even with “cabbage price” sales are few. Affected by the policies of Southeast Asian countries, limit the export of logs of 4-6 month, down China’s import from “Nanyang” area mahogany occurred 20-30%. The international political situation changes, but also to the mahogany international trade brought uncertainty, from the customs data, in May, China imported from Vietnam mahogany fell 26.57%, resulting in the same period of China’s imports from the “Nanyang mahogany” area 20.88% overall decline. The area of the redwood is the price of a further rise in.

Anxin flooring

However, with the gradual popularization of knowledge of consumer awareness of rosewood, mahogany gradually become rational, in America, Africa such as mahogany, is gradually accepted by consumers. According to the “Redwood market situation in the first half of 2014 concluded” disclosure, mahogany imports in southeast area of 777300000 cubic meters, and Benin, Togo (Anxin flooring factory site) amount of Redwood logs imports such as delta is 799860000 cubic meters, Africa area mahogany beyond the southeast, gradually become mainstream products Redwood consumption.

Africa pear or change the pattern of Chinese Redwood Market

In recent years, mahogany resources imports Africa area has been in a growth trend, especially in the Africa padauk (Pterocarpus erinaceus) most mahogany consumers accept. According to the display market investigation by the reporter, at present the Redwood market in the African pear (Pterocarpus erinaceus) products include furniture, flooring, a variety of play objects, and some products even have collection enthusiasts. Beijing a mahogany collectors said in an interview: “African pear currently in Redwood circle is latent, as far as I know, Beijing is now the home of African rosewood rosewood play, not next 100. We often say, miss Hainan pear, must not miss the African pear. Now is the best time of African rosewood.”

The largest African padauk (Pterocarpus erinaceus) solid wood flooring brand Anxin flooring, with “rosewood floor” as a breakthrough, to open the domestic high-end market floor door, is China’s high-end consumers.

Anxin flooring

For the African padauk (Pterocarpus erinaceus) good performance in consumer market and collection Redwood market, mahogany appoint Mr. Zhang told reporters: “African pear, essentially peace in Vietnam, Burma pear not respectively, belong to 5 genera in China annatto standard 8 class one, just because of the history reason has not been able to be China’s consumers understanding. With the consumer market gradually rational African mahogany, rosewood will inevitably become the darling of the market, and may even change our Redwood market situation in the future.”

Anxin flooring chairman Lu Weiguang think: “African rosewood mahogany consumers will be widely attention has no doubt as to whether will become the second Hainan pear, is not to say. On the one hand, it depends on the mahogany popularity in the market actually to what extent, on the one hand, depends on the manufacturers of mining, process on the improvement of African rosewood. Anxin flooring will African Huali wood species introduced the domestic also already five or six years, although we have accumulated some experience, but I think there is a need to further understanding of this wood, in-depth excavation of wood properties, process improvement, provide a more ideal products for the consumer.”

2015 or into African mahogany in domestic watershed

According to the prediction of the “fish beads – China Wood index system”, after a deep mahogany market adjustment in 2014, the golden nine silvers ten or mahogany market or a reverse downturn trend, the emergence of a peak.

That fish beads – China Wood index system, mahogany classification index rebound is expected to strongly, hedgehog rosewood or market were the main force. From the August market transactions, mahogany raw material market has been improved, in the next to the “golden nine silver ten” on the occasion, the hedgehog rosewood consumer demand will bring the opportunity to rebound to start

·How much wood identification technology

post news / By WTS

·How much wood identification technology

The current national standard “mahogany” GB/T 18107-2000, one of the most maligned is material identification is not precise enough. Because of restriction of identification technology, the whole world in speciesidentification identification to the “kind” accuracy is still inadequate, so there are provisions, identification mechanism for mahogany only issuedto the “class” report. This makes some unscrupulous businessmen drilled loopholes, by this point in the same wood interspecific make a fuss, at the same time, it has also become the “mahogany” GB is always attack handle.

Redwood market this year plain ending

post news / By WTS

Redwood market this year plain ending

This year the market really “cool mahogany”

Redwood products both practical value and collection value, especially the mahogany furniture, consumer demand and the real estate market demand is closely linked, is more related to the overall economic situation. Reporter discovered in the interview that, many businesses will come under pressure this year, mahogany mahogany market situation is attributed to the overall economic situation.

China mahogany Committee Secretary General Chang Che analysis: “Redwood products market and timber import market boom index influence each other. Affected by the domestic manufacturing industry in the overall environment of the downturn, mahogany materials market trading relatively flat. The market price to higher mass products. At present, the domestic mahogany raw material market transactions mainstream varieties such as cold, Ptero carpus macro carpus, hedgehog rosewood inventory pressure great.”

The market situation of Redwood products can not be optimistic about the. Jinfei mahogany furniture President Wu Xinjian said, from the enterprise operation situation, after July, obviously feel the market freeze. He said: “before July of this year, we have completed the task throughout the year 70%, but after July sales decline obviously. This year 7-9 month three months of operating performance with the January one month performance is. I know some businesses, have begun to sustain losses in business, only to return the funds for clearance, really make people heartache.”

In the face of this year the market situation, there are industry estimates ,in May next year, the market will appear warmer. Beijing yuanhengli hardwood furniture limited company chairman Yang Bo said: “the economy is always in change of ups and downs, it can be said that this year’s’ freeze ‘industry have prepared. I will expect the rise next spring after the whole view, the end of the year for businesses and consumers are the opportunity, whether to buy or to buy furniture wood, are worthy of the hand.”