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Brazilian Cherry ............... Jatoba

Trade or Common Name: Brazilian Cherry, Jatoba, courbaril Local Name: Guapinol

Botanical Name: Hymenaea courbaril Family: Caesalpiniaceae

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 t0 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.

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

The Wood: Brazilian cherry is a very beautiful 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.
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.
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.

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.

Descriptive Data Source
Chudnoff, M. 1984. Tropical Timbers of the World. United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Agriculture Handbook No. 607, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin.

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