UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



,^ BULLETIN No. 1050 



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Contributian from the Forest Service 

 WILLIAM B. GREELEY, Forester 



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Washington, D. C. 



May 12, 1922 



THE IDENTIFICATION OF TRUE MAHOGANY, 



CERTAIN SO-CALLED MAHOGANIES, AND 



SOME COMMON SUBSTITUTES. 



By Arthur Koehler, Specialist in Wood Structure. 



CONTENTS. 



Page 



" Mahoganies " 1 



Key for tlie identification of true 

 mahogany and mahogany-like 



woods 2 



Description of species — 



True maiogany 4 



Crabwood 6 



Cedrela 1 7 



Sapeli 8 



Page. 



Description of species — Continued. 



" African mahogany " 9 



" Philippine mahogany " 10 



" Colombian mahogany " 12 



" Liberville mahogany" 13 



Birch 14 



Red gum 15 



" White mahogany " 16 



Glossary 16 



" MAHOGANIES." 



Over sixty different species of timber have at one time or another 

 been put on the market under the name of mahogany. Some of these 

 are closely related botanically to true mahogany and others look much 

 like it, while some have only the most general resemblance, and no 

 relationship which under the most liberal interpretation would en- 

 title them tO' the name. 



The woods now most commonly sold as mahogany in this country 

 are true mahogany from tropical America, "African mahogany," and 

 "Philippine mahogany." The Cedrelas (Spanish cedar, etc.) are 

 rarely sold as mahoganies, wliile crabwood, sapeli, " Colombian ma- 

 hogany," and " Liberville mahogany " are imported only in small 

 quantities'. They are, however, described in this bulletin because of 

 their resemblance to true mahogany. A description of " white ma- 

 hogany " is also included, for though it has no reddish-brown color 

 and so is not confused with true mahogany by anyone who has seen 

 a few pieces, the name might lead one unfamiliar with it to assume 

 that it is true mahogany of a light color. Birch and red gum are 



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