The Lochert Company, Inc.

Brazilian Cherry - Jatoba

Botanical Name: Hymenaea courbaril Family: Caesalpiniaceae

Common Name: Brazilian Cherry, Jatoba, Jatai, Jutai, Courbaril, Guapinol

Description of the Tree: Trees are reported to be often less than 100 feet (30 m) in height, with trunk diameters of 24 to 48 inches (60 to 120 cm). They sometimes attain heights of about 130 feet (40 m) and trunk diameters of 60 to 72 inches (150 to 180 cm). Trees usually develop clear boles that are 40 to 80 feet (12 to 24 m) long and may have swollen bases or buttresses, depending upon the size.

Occurrence: Brazilian cherry growth range is reported to include the Cape Verde Islands, throughout the West Indies, from Cuba and Jamaica to Trinidad and Tobago. Also from central Mexico to Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, French Guiana, Colombia, and Suriname.

Characteristics of the Wood: Brazilian cherry is a very beautiful wood, and its remarkable hardness makes it an extremely popular and appealing wood.

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.

The heartwood of the freshly cut heartwood runs from salmon-red to orange-brown. It darkens into a russet to reddish-brown color after drying, and it is frequently marked with dark streaks.

Grain is mostly interlocked.

Natural Durability: The heartwood is reported to be moderately durable, with only moderate resistance to attack by both brown-rot and white-rot fungi. The heartwood is rated as very resistant to dry-wood termites, but it is not totally immune from attack by marine borers.

Treatability: Difficult due to low permeability.

Processing Characteristics: Productivity in Mill: 50.60%

Surfacing: Moderately Easy Shaping: Hard

Fixing: Moderately Easy Gluing: Moderately Easy

Finishing: Good

Drying: Fast With Defects

Uses: Brazilian cherry is prized for its pleasing color, beauty, and durability. It is used in fine furniture and cabinetry, flooring, stair treads, parquet, architectural details, shipbuilding, joinery, and turnery.

Brazilian Maple - Garapa

Botanical Name: Apuleia leiocarpa (Vog.) Macbr. Caesalpiniaceae

Common Name: Brazilian Maple, Garapa, Garapa-Amarela, Garapiapunha, Garapeira, Muirajuba, Amarelao, Garrote, Gema-de-Ovo, Grapia, Maratoa, Muiratua

Description of the Tree: The tree can reach up to 85-100 feet (25-30 m), with a trunk diameter from 60-100 cm. (25-40 inches)

Occurrence: Brazil - BA, ES/MG/SP, GO, PR/SC/RS
Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay

Characteristics of the Wood: This is a fairly heavy hardwood, long-lasting and easy to work with the bright texture, yellowish-reddish color, and straight grain.

Natural Durability: Moderately resistant to attacks of fungus and low resistance to attacks of Cupid.

Treatability: Difficult.

Finishing: Good Gluing: Easy

Uses: It is used in general carpentry for handles, barrels, doors and windows, and lathe-turned products. It is used as well for general construction such as beams, battens, rafters, parquet blocks, and flooring. For external use, garapa is used as posts, fence posts, cross-ties, bridge beams and pillars, packaging, and decorations.

Brazilian Walnut - Ipe

Botanical Name: Tabebuia serratifolia. Family: Bignoniaceae

Common Name: Brazilian Walnut, Ipe, Lapacho, Guayacan, Cortez, Piuva, Tabebuia

Description of the Tree: The tree is described as medium-sized, attaining a height of 65 to 85 feet (20 to 25 m), with a trunk diameter of about 30 inches (75 cm). Boles are straight to somewhat slanted and are often clear of branches to about two-thirds the total height of the tree.

Occurrence: Brazil - CE, GO, MG/SP, PR

Characteristics of the Wood: Brazilian walnut is the most durable hardwood in our collection and one of the most durable and beautiful woods in the world. Its blend of brown colors has made this wood the choice of some of the most famous homeowners in the world.

Sapwood is yellowish white or whitish in color.

Heartwood is olive-brown in color, with lighter or darker streaks. The pores themselves will often appear as fine yellow dots or as longitudinal lines. It has a fine texture, medium luster, and a somewhat oily appearance. Wood surfaces are reported to be often covered with a yellow powder. Ipe is very hard (two to three times as hard as oak), very strong, and very heavy. It weighs approximately 70 pounds per cubic foot and sinks in water.

Natural Durability: The heartwood is reported to be very resistant to decay and attack by termites. It is rated as resistant to attack by dry wood insects but susceptible to marine borer attack. Holds up well in tropical conditions as well as winter freezes. Makes outstanding decking.

Treatability: Difficult.

Surfacing: regular

Sawing: regular

Drilling: easy

Finishing: good

Drying: easy with little defects

Uses: Quality furniture and decorative veneers and plywoods, and because of its strength and durability, it is used in boardwalks, tool handles, turnery, industrial flooring, truck beds, and textile mill items. It is also used in sports articles and toys, pallets, and cases. Ipe was recently used on the Miami Beach boardwalk to cover over some much-degraded pressure-treated pine.

Brazilian Ebony - Pau Ferro

Botanical Name: Pau Ferro, Santos, Cimbe, Mussacuasso, Nacuata

Common Name: Brazilian Ebony

Figure: The woods in this group will have a range of colors and figures, from solid, even color to streaks and marble-like figures. When freshly cut, the colors and figure will be bright and bold. Once the finished surface is exposed, the wood loses the brightness of color and tones down to a darker, more mellow appearance. When the wood is cut into narrow strips and small fittings, the bold figure will disappear, and you will have subtle shades of color.

Grain: Is almost always straight.

Texture: Ultra fine and uniform, very dense and heavy.

Characteristics of the Wood: All the woods share the same general characteristics of being stiff and brittle with a dense, compact structure. Because of the wood' hardness, working with hand tools or a carving knife would be difficult and slow going. Sanding with power tools warms up the wood and brings out the natural oils, thus gumming up and clogging the sanding paper. Sanding by hand gently and easily works fine. Machining and turning properties are excellent. Joinery work can be machined to a clean, smooth surface with a crisp, sharp edge. Very delicate fittings can be turned on a lathe. This group of wood can be brought to a polished, marble-like finish.

Use: Small fittings and turned items, railings, blocks, moldings, cap rails, trim work and wales, planking for decks, and accent planking on the inside and outside of the bulkheads.

Weight: 60 to 90 average weight per cubic foot.