Ornamental Woods. 497 



It is a leguminous tree. I did not notice it on the Ma- 

 ranon. 



MoiKA-TAUA. — I can not speak of the relations of this 

 tree, having seen only the wood. This is heavy and light- 

 colored, but rather coarse-grained. It grows at Fonte 

 Boa. It is possible that it is the sarae as the Tauari of 

 the Maranon (Couratari), which has a dark-red heart, very 

 dense and heavy, and well lltted for construction. The 

 inner bark of the Tauari separates into thin, papery layers, 

 much used for cigarettes. 



Palo de Ckuz, or " Wood of the Cross," the Lignum- 

 vit(B of Brazil. — It is a comparatively small tree (legumi- 

 nous), not over two feet in diameter, consisting of a white 

 wood inclosing a black and intensely hard heart, and from 

 the fancied cruciform section it sometimes presents it de- 

 rives its name. It is susceptible of a fine polish, and is 

 chiefly made into canes. It is almost confined to Pebas, 

 on the Maranon. 



Palo de Sangke, or "Blood -wood."^ — This is a very 

 beautiful wood, of a red color, somewhat lighter than that 

 of Moira-piranga, fine-grained, hard, and receiving a good 

 polish. The tree, which has a white bark, grows only on 

 the Maranon and its tributaries, particularly near the foot 

 of the Andes. 



Pao d'Aeco, or Moira-apara of the Indians (by whom it 

 is used for bows-^hence the name). — The tree (a Bigno- 

 nia) is very tall and slender, with a rough bark. There are 

 two kinds— the red and the black. The latter is the best, 

 and is as useful and durable as hickory. It is found on 

 the Solimoens, and even in the southern province of Espi- 

 rito Santo. 



Pao-ferro, or " Iron-wood," called also JucA. — This is 



among the most important woods of the South American 



forest. It is a leguminous tree of medium height — the 



21 



