THE TIMBERS OF COMMERCE 



No. 177. FUSTIC. Chlorophora tinctoria. Gaudich. 



PLATE XIII. FIG. in. 



Natural Order, Urticaceae. 



Synonyms. Maclura tinctoria. D. Don. Moms tinctoria. W. 



Alternative Names. Fustick-wood. Palo Narango (lit., 

 Orange-wood) in Trinidad and Fustete in Cuba (12). Bois jaune : 

 Bois de Cuba in France. Tatajuba : Tatacajuba : Tatajiba in 

 the Amazonas region and N. Prov. Brazil (76). Fiset holz : 

 Gelbholz : Lignum citrinum (131). Dyer's Mulberry in Barbadoes 

 (78). Tatajuba de tincta in Brazil (99). Futeiba : Gelbes Bra- 

 silholz (131). 



Sources of Supply. Tropical America, West Indies. 



Physical Characters, etc. Recorded dry-weight 39-46 Hbs. per 

 cu. ft. Hardness Grade 3, compare Blackthorn. Smell or taste 

 none. Burns badly : no smell : embers glow in still air : Solu- 

 tion bright yellow. 



Grain. Of medium fineness, even though open. Surface 

 lustrous, satiny : has much "fire" : that of the rays dull. 



Bark. ? 



Uses, etc. " Dyeing greens and yellows . . . mosaic, cabinet-mak- 

 ing and turnery " (42). " Light and durable. Suitable for carriage- 

 work and furniture " (37). Often confused by name with other 

 woods sold for dyeing. Species of Zanthoxylon, Chloroxylon 

 and Rhus are called Fustic. The wood of the Osage Orange or 

 Bow-wood (Maclura aurantiaca. Mill) is sometimes substituted 

 for this species, but differs as the pore-ring is "more conspicuous 

 and the rays more beautiful" (131). Fustic may be met with in 

 the form of hewn logs in the round from 2-4 feet long by 3-8 

 inches in diam. : usually of scraggy appearance. 



Authorities. Laslett (60), p. 298. Holtzapffel (48), p. 85. 

 Gamble (37), p. 32. Charpentier (21), p. 384. Miers (76). Hen- 

 kel (46). Wiesner (131), p. 904. Saldanha da Gama (99). 



Colour. Yellow : golden-yellow : greenish-yellow. Sap-wood 

 pale. 



Anatomical Characters. Transverse section : 



Pores. Conspicuous from their masses in light-coloured wavy 

 lines, size 2-3, not much variation except in the groups : no con- 

 tinuous pore-ring but successive clusters joined by soft-tissue : 

 clusters two pores wide, elongated radially, subdivided into as 

 many as u (rarely so many) : few, 10-20 per sq. mm. : contain 

 thyloses. 



Rays. Need lens, size 5-6, uniform : equidistant, the width 

 of a large pore apart and only avoiding the clusters : nearly 

 straight : many, 7-10 per mm. : slightly denser and of lighter 

 colour than the ground : short. 



202 



