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Blunting Effect
Boring
Carving
Comments
Common Names
Common Uses
Countries of Distribution
Cutting Resistance
Distribution Overview
Drying Defects
Ease of Drying
Environmental Profile
Family Name
Gluing
Grain
Heartwood Color
Luster
Mortising
Moulding
Movement in Service
Nailing
Natural Durability
Numerical Data
Odor
Planing
Polishing
Product Sources
References
Regions of Distribution
Resistance to Impregnation
Response to Hand Tools
Routing & Recessing
Sapwood Color
Scientific Name
Screwing
Strength Properties
Texture
Trade Name
Tree Size
Turning
Weathering

Scientific Name
Dalbergia frutescens

Trade Name
Tulipwood

Family Name
Leguminosae

Wood Image 1

Wood Image 1

Wood Image 1

Wood Image 1

Common Names
Bois de rose, Brazilian tulipwood, Jacaranda rosa, Pau de fuso, Pau rosa, Pinkwood, Tulipwood

Regions of Distribution
Central America, Latin America

Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP]
Brazil, Columbia, Guyana, Venezuela

Common Uses
Brush backs & handles, Brush backs & handles, Cabinetmaking, Flooring, Furniture , Furniture, Inlay work, Marquetry, Musical instruments, Musical instruments: percussion, Turnery, Veneer

Environmental Profile
Status has not been officially assessed


Distribution Overview
Tropical South America, especially northeastern Brazil.

Heartwood Color
Brown
Green/grey
Red
Purple
Red
Pale red to pink

The color is reported to fade with age.

Sapwood Color
White
Brown
Pink
Red
Yellow
White to yellow


Grain
Figure
Even
Straight
Other (figure)
Stripe (figure)

Straight
Striped figure
Other figure


Texture
Coarse
Fine to medium
Fine


Luster
High
Medium
Lustrous
High


Natural Durability
Non-resistant to marine borers
Non-resistant to termites


The timber is reported to resist attack by insects and fungi, but its durability is given as low

Weathering
Excellent


Odor
Has an odor


Tulipwood has a mildly fragrant scent when worked, but the odor disappears after machining

Drying Defects
Moderate end spitting

Risk of checking and twisting is minimal.

Ease of Drying
Fairly Easy
Easy


Tree Size
Tree height is 20-30 m


The tree is rather small, often with an irregular trunk

Product Sources
Round logs of Tulipwood heartwood are exported from Brazil into the United States. The logs are usually under 6 feet (2 m) long, with a diameter of 2 to 8 inches (5 to 20 cm) and are sold by the pound at very high prices. Tulipwood veneers are more available from suppliers than lumber.

Comments
Compact, fissile, and splintery. It is usually marketed in the form of small logs or billets, and is primarily used for decorative purposes. Tulipwood is a familiar wood to cabinetmakers and was a popular timber for the manufacture of French furniture.

Generally strong, tough, and hard.

High waste factor

The timber has fairly high waste factor in conversion

Waste Factor

Blunting Effect
Blunting effect on machining is severe


Boring
Fairly easy to very easy


Carving
Fairly Easy to Very Easy


Cutting Resistance
Easy to saw


Gluing
Fair to Good Results
Glues well


Mortising
Fair to Good Results
Fairly Easy to Very Easy


Moulding
Fair to Good Results
Fairly Easy to Very Easy


Movement in Service
Stable
Shape retention after manufacture is usually good


Nailing
Fair to Good Results
Poor to Very Poor Results
Pre-Boring is necessary


Planing
Fair to Good Results
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Very Heavy
Peel and slice easily because they are typically well-formed and not very hard
Difficult to use machine tools

A reduced cutting angle of 20 degrees is recommended in planing quartersawn surfaces of material containing irregular grain. Planed surfaces are clean

Resistance to Impregnation
Resistant heartwood
Resistant sapwood
Permeable sapwood
Resistant


Response to Hand Tools
Responds Readily
Difficult to machine


Routing & Recessing
Fair to Good Results
Fairly Easy to Very Easy


Screwing
Fair to Good Results


Turning
Fair to Good Results
Fairly Easy to Very Easy


Polishing
Fair to Good Results
Surface Preparation
Good results
Excellent results


Strength Properties
Density (dry weight) = 61-67 lbs/cu. ft

The wood is very heavy

Numerical Data
ItemGreenDryEnglish
Density62lbs/ft3
Specific Gravity0.88
Weight6050lbs/ft3
ItemGreenDryMetric
Density993kg/m3
Specific Gravity0.88

References
Brown, W.H.,1978,Timbers of the World No.1 Africa,TRADA, Red Booklet Series

Brown, W.H.,1978,Timbers of the World, No. 2 South America,TRADA, Red Booklet Series

Kline, M. 1982. Dalbergia frutescens- Tulipwood. In A Guide to Useful Woods of the World. Flynn Jr., J.H., Editor. King Philip Publishing Co., Portland, Maine. 1994. Page 127.

Kribbs, D.A. 1959. Commercial Foreign Woods on the American Market. Buckhout Lab., Dept. of Botany, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania.

Kribs, D.A.,1950,Commercial and Foreign Woods on the American Market (a manual to their,structure, identification, uses and distribution,U.S.A. Penn. State College, Tropical Woods Laboratory

Lincoln, W.A. 1986. World Woods in Color. Linden Publishing Co. Inc. Fresno, California.

Mainieri, C.,1970,Madeiras Brasilieras,Sao Paulo Secretaria da Agricultra, Institulo Florestral