10 BULLETIN 1050, U. S. DEPAETMENT OF AGKICULTURE. 



WHERE GROWN, 



West coast of Africa and. inland along a belt from 15° north to 

 20° south of the Equator, and found occasionally in Uganda and 

 Mozambique on the east coast. 



PHYSICAL PROPERTIES. 



African mahogany is similar to true mahogany in its properties, 

 except that it does not show such extremes of density and color. 

 Occasional boards have a purplish tinge mixed with the usual red- 

 dish-brown color. 



Interlocked grain is usually present, but, as in true mahogany, is 

 not associated with excessiA^e warping. 



STRUCTURE. 



The pores are plainly visible without a lens; in fact, they are 

 slight!}^ larger than in true mahogany, giving the wood a coarser 

 texture. They are fairly uniform in size and evenly distributed. 

 (See fig. 5.) Abundant dark reddish-brown gum is found in most 

 of the pores. 



No distinct growth rings are present. Lighter and darker con- 

 centric zones are often found, but without a sharp line of demarca- 

 tion. The absence of the fine tangential lines limiting growth 

 rings in true mahogany of tropical America is the chief feature of 

 distinction between these two woods. The author has noticed one 

 or two such lines in certain pieces of "African mahogany," but not 

 many, as is usual in true mahogany. Care must be taken not to 

 mistake knife marks for such fine lines. 



The rays are barely visible without a lens on a smoothly cut end 

 surface, but are very plain and lustrous on radial surfaces. They 

 are never conspicuously storied on the tangential faces, as in true 

 mahogany, although thej^ may be in irregular stories locally. 



" PHILIPPINE MAHOGANY." " 



Tanguile" (Shorea polysperma Merr.) ; Red lauaan" (Shorea negrosensis 

 Foxw.) ; Almon (Shorea eximia Scheff.). 



Lauaan or Dipterocarp Family (Dipterocarpace^). 



other names. 



Tanguile is also known as " Bataan mahogany " and " tanguile ma- 

 hogany." The heavier grades of red lauaan are substituted for tan- 



" See Philippine Bureau of Forestry Bulletin 14, " Commercial Woods of the Philip- 

 pines : Their Preparation and Uses," by E. E. Schneider. Bureau of Printing;. Manila, 

 P. I. Price, $1. 



Js^lsQ spelled " tangil." Pronounced tang-he'-le. 



■'" Pronounced !au-ah-an'. 



