Bocoa prouacensis

**Runge** · 26th March 2010, 01:11 AM

Hi Folks,

After trying for nearly two years, I finally got two samples of Bocoa prouacensis. This wood is largely native to only Suriname and French Guiana. The tree is not terribly big and likely doesn't get to a diameter ( at breast height ) much more than 50cm. My pieces came from a tree that had a heartwood diameter of about 20-25cm. Here are two pictures of the wood (not mine) that do not do the species justice.

Photos - bois

The pieces that I have are mostly a medium to dark brown with a bit of black streaking. In the brown heartwood and the yellowish sapwood, there is a strong hint of orange. So, who cares besides me! The thing that makes this wood extraordinary is its high density. The piece that I have, which is nearly all heartwood, has a density of 1,380 kg/m^3. That is about as dense as woods get. However, I likely got a bit of an outlier as I don't think all pieces are quite this dense. Within Swartzieae are the genera Swartzia, Zollernia and Bocoa, among others. In density and in some of the nuances of the grain, but not the color, Bocoa prouacensis resembles Zollernia paraensis. It is actually more interesting than Zollernia paraensis because the wood has more contrasting colors. The orangish hint makes the brown more interesting.

Now, the trick is to find someone willing to import this species and to make sure that it is dried properly. My pieces are cracking badly.

... in case anyone was interested ...

**artme** · 26th March 2010, 07:00 AM

Looks good. Related to a tree we have here commonly known as Leopard Tree. A Caeselpenia species.

**Runge** · 26th March 2010, 11:33 AM

Originally Posted by artme

Looks good. Related to a tree we have here commonly known as Leopard Tree. A caeselpenia species.

It took me a minute but I believe you are speaking of the former Caesalpinia ferrea.

"caesalpinia ferrea" - Google Search

The genus Caesalpinia has recently been broken apart into several genera. One of those is the genus Libidibia with six species:

Libidibia ferrea
Libidibia coriaria
Libidibia paraguariensis - Argentine Fine Hardwood Company Dense Wood Species
Libidibia glabrata
Libidibia sclerocarpa
Libidibia punctata - Cocobolo Inc., RareTropical Hardwoods -- Brown Ebony1

**artme** · 26th March 2010, 01:30 PM

Got myself a sore head lately!! Too many typos!!

Yes. In Brasil it is commonly called Pau Ferro = Ironwood. And with good reason.

One thing about it is that the grubs of ???? love the sapwood.

**Runge** · 27th March 2010, 02:53 AM

Originally Posted by artme

Got myself a sore head lately!! Too many typos!!

Yes. In Brasil it is commonly called Pau Ferro = Ironwood. And with good reason.

One thing about it is that the grubs of ???? love the sapwood.

Hi Artme,

Have you ever seen anyone selling the timber from this tree? I would like to have a bit to compare with the three species that I already own. L. ferrea is closest to L. punctata and my piece of L. punctata is 1290 kg/m^3. My pieces of L. paraguariensis range from 1120 kg/m^3 to 1240 kg/m^3 and my L. sclerocarpa ranges from 1270-1320 kg/m^3. I tried to grow L. paraguariensis in my back yard but the tree is looking pretty much dead.

**artme** · 27th March 2010, 08:25 AM

I have some here that will take time to unearth, as everything was packed away when we went to Brasil.

I don't know of anyone dealing with it commercially.

How big a piece do you want?

**Runge** · 27th March 2010, 09:38 AM

Originally Posted by artme

I have some here that will take time to unearth, as everything was packed away when we went to Brasil.

I don't know of anyone dealing with it commercially.

How big a piece do you want?

For now, a bowl blank or a thick turning piece ... Obviously, it depends on what you have laying around. I could trade you some Zollernia paraensis. Is your wood from Brazil or Australia?

**artme** · 27th March 2010, 06:30 PM

It's from Australia. These trees are very popular for street plantings and this year, after the wet summer look really beautiful.

**TTIT** · 30th March 2010, 09:03 AM

Originally Posted by artme

It's from Australia. These trees are very popular for street plantings and this year, after the wet summer look really beautiful.

I reckon there's a Leopard tree in every school yard in Queensland - or at least in the 32 schools I look after. Lots of them around Emerald too - very popular planting at one time but horribly bland timber to look at

**Runge** · 30th March 2010, 10:47 AM

Originally Posted by TTIT

I reckon there's a Leopard tree in every school yard in Queensland - or at least in the 32 schools I look after. Lots of them around Emerald too - very popular planting at one time but horribly bland timber to look at

In all of the Libidibia species that I have seen, there is a wonderful black patterning in the wood. The problem is when the particular species gets too dark, you can't see the patterning because there is no contrast. L. paraguariensis can be spectacular (see the picture). L. sclerocarpa is very dark but still pretty nice. L. punctata doesn't do much for me. I've never seen L. ferrea, L. coriaria or L. glabrata. Unfortunately, L. paraguariensis is the least dense. It's Janka hardness is ~3900!

**Runge** · 30th March 2010, 10:59 AM

Here's L. sclerocarpa ...

**artme** · 30th March 2010, 11:06 AM

Originally Posted by TTIT

I reckon there's a Leopard tree in every school yard in Queensland - or at least in the 32 schools I look after. Lots of them around Emerald too - very popular planting at one time but horribly bland timber to look at

Bit mystified there Vern>

The Leopard trees I know have a Yellow flower and produce "beans" as seeds. The timber is in two distinct sections. The sapwood is very white and bland while the heartwood is quite dark - even black.

Mind you the trees have to get to a reasonable size for the dark colouring to appear. Eveen some sizable limbs don't have the black, or even dark centre.

**Runge** · 30th March 2010, 11:21 AM

Here's the only picture that I have seen of L. ferrea:

http://www.scielo.br/pdf/abb/v19n4/a18v19n4.pdf

**TTIT** · 31st March 2010, 12:29 AM

Originally Posted by artme

Bit mystified there Vern>

The Leopard trees I know have a Yellow flower and produce "beans" as seeds. The timber is in two distinct sections. The sapwood is very white and bland while the heartwood is quite dark - even black.

Mind you the trees have to get to a reasonable size for the dark colouring to appear. Eveen some sizable limbs don't have the black, or even dark centre.

The tree is as you describe it but here's a pic of the only piece I've got. Maybe it was just too small a branch to have developed any color

but it's also the reason I haven't chased anymore - had this piece for about 8 years

. Next time I see someone getting rid of one I'll have to chase up some bigger chunks for a sticky

**Runge** · 31st March 2010, 06:51 AM

While we are on the topic of Amazonian trees, some of you may be interested in this three volume series:

Editorial Plantarum, Balogh International, Balogh Scientific Books

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Brazilian Trees, Volume 3: A Guide to the Identification and Cultivation of Brazilian Native Trees. 1st Edition. 2009. This book is a continuation of the works "Brazilian Trees - Vol. 1 and Vol. 2”, the first published originally in 1992 and second in 1998, both now updated on several occasions. It contains the same number of species of each of these two volumes, including having the same graphic design and composition, but comprises almost exclusively of rare and little known, since the most common and easiest to find, have been included in the two initial volumes. This volume contains color photographs of the mature tree, detail of a branch florífero, fruit, seed, stem and wood, 352 tree species occurring in native state on the territory Brazil. It also contains written information on the morphological characteristics of each plant, its phenology, natural, obtaining seeds and seedlings, etc. ISBN: 85-86714-34-4. 384 pp. 2112 color pictures. Language: English. Hardcover. $120.00

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