Sapele

:"Sapele is also a city in midwestern Nigeria, located in Delta State."taxobox
name = Sapele
status = VU
status_system = IUCN2.3
regnum = Plantae
unranked_divisio = Angiosperms
unranked_classis = Eudicots
unranked_ordo = Rosids
ordo = Sapindales
familia = Meliaceae
genus = "Entandrophragma"
species = "E. cylindricum"
binomial = "Entandrophragma cylindricum"
binomial_authority = Harms|

Sapele, Sapelli or Aboudikro ("Entandrophragma cylindricum") is a large tree, up to 45 m high (rarely 60 m), native to tropical Africa. The leaves are deciduous in the dry season, alternately arranged, pinnate, with 5-9 pairs of leaflets, each leaflet about 10 cm long. The flowers are produced in loose inflorescences when the tree is leafless, each flower about 5 mm diameter, with five yellowish petals. The fruit is a pendulous capsule about 10 cm long and 4 cm broad; when mature it splits into five sections to release the 15-20 seeds.

Uses

The commercially important wood is reminiscent of mahogany, with a distinctive figure, typically applied where figure is important. It is sought after as flooring for its durability and beautiful graining. Among its more exotic uses is that in guitar manufacturing, in the top, back and sides of acoustic guitar bodies as well as the tops of electric guitar bodies, for example by well known guitar manufacturers such as Ibanez (Japan/USA), Taylor (USA), Martin (USA), Larrivée (Canada) and Esteve (Spain). Sapele is also chosen for the neck piece of ukuleles due to its pleasant aesthetic quality, such manufacturers include Hawaiian companies Kamaka and Koaloha. Late in the 90s, it started to be used as a board for Basque percussion instrument txalaparta on the strength of the livelier quality of the sound. It is also used by American car maker Cadillac for interior wood trim on its vehicles. Most recently Cadillac are advertising their STS vehicle with the phrase "Sapele Wood accents."

Conservation measures

There are protected populations and felling restrictions in place in various countries.