African Mahogany
Khaya
Light red, fairly uniform colour. Timber exposed to air shifts into reddish brown. Some pieces are patterned, bringing out the silver figure or have a mottled aspect.
Origin: Gabon, Cameroon and Congo
Possible end-uses: Cabinet-making, furniture, millwork, joinery, boatbuilding
Marketing: Sawnwood
Physical and mechanical properties: Good elasticity, shock resistant, medium natural durability
Related Products
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Béli
Béli
Julbernardia pellegriniana
There are two sub-species: The brown Beli (alternating different shades of brown), and the red Beli (uniform coppery red colour)
Origin: Gabon
Possible end-uses: Cabinet-making, flooring, plywood, coffins.
(Download the table of application for African species)Marketing: Sawnwood
Physical and mechanical properties: semi-hard to hard wood, nervous, elastic and resistant to splitting
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Pao Rosa
Swartzia fistuloides
The wood is white pinkish to light red with red brown veins.
Origin: Cameroon and Congo
Possible end-uses: furniture, veneers, flooring, cabinet-making
Marketing: Logs and Sawnwood
Physical and mechanical properties: Hard to very hard and nervous wood. Elastic with high splitting resistance. Naturally durable.
Download the CIRAD’s technical data sheet
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Bilinga
Bilinga
Nauclea diderrichii
The wood is perfect golden yellow or yellow orange slightly mottled. Stable wood colour when used for interior applications. Well demarcated sapwood, medium texture. Also called Badi.
Origin: Cameroon
Possible end-uses: Sleepers, hydraulic works (even for seawater uses), exterior panelling, heavy carpentry, bridges, shipbuilding
Marketing: Logs
Physical and mechanical properties: Rather heavy and hard wood. Good stability
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Bossé
Guarea cedrata
The wood is uniformly pinkish brown. The fibre is usually quite curly, producing a nice mottled aspect. It can be quite oily due to resin exudation.
Origin: Cameroon and Congo
Possible end-uses: Cabinet-making, interior and exterior joinery, furniture, stairs
Marketing: Sawnwood and logs
Physical and mechanical properties: the wood is soft, moderately nervous and elastic with excellent shock-resistance.
