Zebrawood

Taxobox
name = Zebrawood


image_width =
regnum = Plantae
phylum = Tracheophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
ordo = Fabales
familia = Legumenosae
genus = "Microberlinia"
species = "M. brazzavillensis"
binomial = "Microberlinia brazzavillensis"
binomial_authority = A.Chev.The name zebrawood, also known as Zebron, is used for wood with a figure that reminds of the striping of a zebra. The name will usually refer to a wood yielded by the species of "Microberlinia", particularly "Microberlinia brazzavillensis ", but may be applied to other woods; for example: "Astronium fraxinifolium" and "Dalbergia melanoxylon"Disputed-inline.

Uses

Zebrawood is used in a limited way for veneer, wall paneling, custom furniture, furniture trim, inlay bandings, marquetry, specialty items and turnery. Because of its hardness, it can also be used for skis and tool handles. It is a decorative exotic wood, and was also used in previous Mercedes Benz Cars.

The extensive use of zebrawood in Prada's flagship Manhattan store in 2002 resulted in protests from environmentalists and a promise from Prada never to use wood from endangered forests again.

The tree: Leguminosae family

Zebrawood is distinctive for its zebra like light and dark stripes. The term, "zebrawood" is shared by several different woods with this particular appearance. The most common species available are from West Africa, (Gabon, Cameroon, and Congo). They are an equatorial tree of medium to large size, gregarious, commonly growing in pure strands along riverbanks. Can grow to heights of 150 feet with trunk diameters of 4 to 5 feet. When cut it gives off an unpleasant aroma which disappears as it dries.

Environmental issues

Zebrawood is considered a threatened species in its native habitat. Its fast-growing popularity in the West has resulted in some reforestation efforts but this is not keeping up with the pace of destruction.

Wood description

A heavy hard wood with a somewhat coarse texture, with the typical so-called zebra stripes, often with an interlocked or wavy grain. The heartwood is a pale golden yellow, distinct from the very pale colour of the sapwood and features narrow streaks of dark brown to black. Zebrawood can also be a pale brown with regular or irregular marks of dark brown in varying widths. It is almost always quartersawn to get the exciting alternating colour pattern and a straight grain. It is a true exotic wood, with limited availability and relatively high prices.

Weight: 36-45 pounds per cubic footJanka Ball Test: 1575 typical

Machining

The interlocking grain of this wood, like that of many tropical woods, can make it difficult to work.

External links

*http://www.rainforestrelief.org/documents/Guidelines.pdf