THE TIMBERS OF COMMERCE 



Soft-tissue. Neatly encircling the pores, narrow, of the same 

 colour as the rays. 



Pith. The same colour as the rays, 3-4 mm. wide, hard. Cells 

 very coarse, nearly as large as the pores of the wood. 



Radial Section. Pores, very fine lines with narrow, hoary 

 borders (lens). Rays, inconspicuous yet visible flakes. Rings 

 not traceable. Soft-tissue (lens) bordering the pores. Pith, 

 contrasting but little. 



Tangential Section. As the Radial, but the rays are minute 

 lines about C25 mm. high (need micro.). 



This wood is quite unlike all other species of Andira that I have 

 seen, but it tallies well with the description given by Miers. 



Type specimen sent me by Messrs. Elder Dempster and Co., 

 authenticated by Sir Thomas Hughes. 



No. 81. MORA. Dimorphandra Mora. Benth. 

 Plate VI. Fig. 52. 



Natural Order. Leguminosese. 



Synonyms. Mora excelsa. Baill. and Benth. Dimorphandra 

 excelsa. Baill. D. guianensis. Baill. 



Alternative Names. Moraballi in British Guiana (78). Moreira 

 in the Amazonas region (76). 



Source of Supply. Tropical America. 



Physical Characters, etc. Recorded dry-weight, 67J-68J lb. 

 per cu. ft. Hardness Grade 3, compare Blackthorn. Smell none, 

 taste bitterly astringent, but it is not perceptible until the 

 shavings have remained in the mouth for a time. Burns well 

 with much crackling. Solution the colour of brown brandy. 



Grain. Very coarse, but the pores are usually filled with 

 Thyloses. Surface lustrous. 



Bark. ? 



Uses, etc. " Very durable, more so than Teak, . . . ship- 

 building, . . . tough, strong, polishes well, star-shake frequent, 

 . . . recommended for the larger parts of ships and buildings, 

 also piles: rated first-class at Lloyd's" (60). See Laslett for 

 mechanical tests. Schomburghk gives it unstinted praise. 

 " Does not splinter, resists dry-rot. There are three varieties, 

 the Red, the White and Mora bucquia : the latter is not 

 durable" (76). Mora does not resist the Teredo, see a specimen 

 in the Museum No. 1, Kew, which is honey-combed by them. 

 It turns badly, planes well and smoothly, is hard to saw, but 

 splits evenly. It is a handsome wood but is sometimes marred 

 by lines of white secretion. It is worthy of more attention. 

 Mora maybe met with in logs of " 18-35 f eet l° n g by 12-20 in. 

 square. It is the largest tree of British Guiana, and grows to 



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