268 



SCIENCE 



[Vol. LV, No. 1419 



The botanical status of the Honduras "rose- 

 wood," which is considered the best wood in 

 the world for xylophone bars, has not been 

 determined. It is unquestionably one of the 

 Leguminosje and may prove to be a species 

 of Dalbergia. 



COCOBOLO 



This wood, which is used so extensively in 

 the manufacture of knife handles, comes from 

 Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Mexico. 

 The tree in Panama has been positively deter- 

 mined as Dalbergia retusa Hemsley, and the 

 wood is exported as "rosewood"; the Nicara- 

 guan species is Dalbergia hypoleuca Pittier in 

 ed. and is locally known as "nnambar"; that of 

 Mexico, called "granadillo," is very likely a 

 new species. 



Workmen in factories where cocobolo is 

 used are likely to suffer from an acute derma- 

 titis resembling- i-^-y-poisoning. Many are ap- 

 parently immune while others are highly sus- 

 ceptible. A person once infected becomes 

 more rather than less susceptible to the poison. 

 The only known means of infection is through 

 the fine dust arising in working the wood. 

 Some investigators believe the irritation is due 

 to an oil, others to an alkaloid. (See Raw 

 Material, 4: 11: 402-406, November, 1921, for 

 fuller account). According to Boorsma 

 (L'Institut Botanique de Buitenzorg, 14: 19, 

 1902) small amounts of alkaloid occur in the 

 following species : Dalbergia litoralis Hassk, 

 D. Jiinghiihnii Benth., and D. Championii. 



The East Indian satinwood, Chloroxylon 

 Swietenia DC, causes a dermatitis very simi- 

 lar to that from cocobolo. (See Cash, Brit. 

 Med. Jour., Oct. 7, 1911). An alkaloid, chloro- 

 xylin, has been found which is considered to 

 be the source of the infection. (Mauson Ault, 

 J. Chem. Soe. 1909, 95:964). 



"redwood" axd satine 

 The "redwood" or "quira" of Panama has 

 been determined to be Platymiscium dubium 

 Pittier. A wood of similar structure from 

 Nicaragua is on the New York market under 

 the name of "Yama cocobolo" or "Yama rose- 

 wood." It is also called "leather-wood." 

 The "redwood" of Brazil is from the tree 



named Brosimum parcense by Huber. It is 

 known locally as "muirapiranga" and "conduru 

 de sangue" and is similar to the Peruvian "palo 

 de sangre." It is not now on our market but 

 dealers are in receipt of samples which in- 

 dicate that it may be expected. The name of 

 "Brazilian cardinal wood" has been suggested 

 for it. It has g'ood cabinet qualities and re- 

 tains its bright red or cardinal color. It is 

 much like, and may prove to be identical with, 

 the "satine" or "bois de feroles" of French 

 Gviiana. Owing to the confusion of the names 

 "bois de feroles" with the generic name Ferolia, _ 

 the satine has been incorrectly ascribed to 

 Ferolia (Parinarium guaianensis Aubl. (Rosa- 

 cea-). (See Stone's "Les bois utiles de la 

 Guyane Praneaise." Ann. d. Musee Col. de 

 Marseille, 1917). 



Wood specimens of satine rulianne have 

 been received from the Forest Service of Suri- 

 nam and agree perfectly with the material 

 described by Stone {loc. cit.) under that name. 

 Leaves and twigs from the same tree as the 

 wood specimens have been examined by Dr. 

 Standley of the Smithsonian Institution and 

 he says that the material agrees best with 

 Brosimum paraense Huber, though in the ab- 

 sence of fruit (which the Conservator of For- 

 ests has undertaken to procure) such identifi- 

 cation is only provisional. If this identifica- 

 tion proves to be correct it will likely follow 

 that Aublett's Ferolia guianensis is a synonym, 

 since his description seems to fit this tree. 



The satine rubanne growing in the tropical 

 rain forest of Surinam attains a diameter of 

 two feet and has a white latex in the bark. The 

 Arowak Indians call it "oolemeriballi," "wari- 

 miaballi," and "sokoneballi," while the negro 

 letterwood-hunters have named it "ajeersi," 

 naeaning "it looks like it," that is, it looks like 

 the letterwood or snakewood (Piratinera 

 guianensis Aubl.). 



KAKATARA-BALLI 



This is a dull-white wood of British Guiana 

 described by Stone and Freeman as No. 46 

 in their list of Timbers of British Guiana. A 

 microscopic examination reveals that the 

 ground mass is composed of spiral fiber- 

 tracheids, the vessels have scalariforni perfora- 



