TULIP-WOOD 



Uses. etc. " Turnery, furniture and barrel-staves " (78). 

 Polishes almost naturally as it leaves the tool. The shavings are 

 sticky when compressed in the hand and retain the form of the 

 palm . . . planes badly. " May be met with in the form of 

 logs up to 28 in. square free of sap-wood. The tree sometimes 

 attains the height of 100 feet." (78). 



Authorities. McTurk (78), No. 22. Miers (76). Saldanha da 

 Gama (99). 



Colour. Uniform light red or orange-red heart-wood denned : 

 from the lighter sap-wood, which is about i inch wide. According 

 to Boulger it is light brown, but he probably confuses it with one 

 of the varieties of L. Ollaria. 



Anatomical Characters. Identical with those of L. Ollaria, 

 with the following small differences : 



Transverse Section. Pores conspicuous from their lighter 

 colour : 8-50 per sq. mm. Rays very many, 13-20 per mm. 

 Flecks present with strongly-tapering fringes (false rays). 



Radial Section. Pores very inconspicuous and difficult to 

 find, slightly lighter in colour, whitish, filled with Tyloses. 



Tangential Section. The rings appear as faint, whitish, 

 angular loops which give the wood a hoary appearance. 



Type specimen authenticated by the Forest Officer to the 

 Government of British Guiana. 



No. 119. TULIP- WOOD. Physocallyma scaberri- 

 mum. Pohl. 



PLATE IX. FIG. 74. 



Natural Order. Lythrarieae. 



Synonyms. P. floridum, Pohl. P. floribundum ? 



Alternative Names. Bahia Tulip-wood. " Sebastiao de Arruda 

 in the Central and North Province, Brazil, also Cego-machado " 

 (49). Brasilianische Rosen-holz : Pao de Rosa : Cego Maschado 



(131)- 



Sources of Supply. Peru : Brazil. 



Physical Characters, etc. Recorded dry-weight, 48-61^ Ibs. 

 per cu. ft. Hardness Grade 2, compare Boxwood. Smell 

 fragrant when worked. Taste, nauseous, becoming slightly acrid. 

 Burns well and quietly with a peculiar, sickening, unpleasant 

 smell ; embers glow in still air : heat expels a red-coloured resin. 

 Solution with water none ; afterwards with alcohol, either hot or 

 cold, crimson or magenta. 



Grain. Very dense, open but apparently even, the pores 

 being few. Surface rather lustrous, rays dull, ground bright, 

 the pores shining (resinously). 



137 



