274 WOODS OF COMMERCE 



arrives in this country. The heartwood is, however, sound, and 

 darkens in colour and hardens with age. Wheels of gun-carriages 

 made of this wood went through the last Afghan war when the best 

 which Woolwich could build of other materials very soon went to 

 pieces, and it proved perfectly satisfactory for the spokes of heavy 

 motor-waggons and artillery-carts during the South African War. 

 Some Indian artillery wheels are now made with naves and felloes 

 of Sissoo and spokes of Sundri. 



Snakewood in EngHsh commerce is Brosimum AubUtii of Guiana 

 [See Leopard or Letter-wood] ; but in India the wood of Strychnos 

 colubrina L. and S. nux-vomica L. (Order Loganidcem), the former 

 of which is a climbing-plant 8—12 in. in diam. ; Hght grey, hard, 

 and intensely bitter ; the latter a tree reaching 15 ft. or 20 ft. to its 

 lowest branch, and 3 ft. in diam. S.G. 706. W 52. White, or 

 ash-colour, hard, close-grained, strong, very bitter. ^^ Used^ for 

 ploughshares and cart-wheels in Travancore. Hind, " Kuchila." 

 Telugu '' Nagamusada." Portuguese '' Pao-de-cobra." French 

 " Bois de couleuvre." The crooked and intensely bitter roots of 

 OpMorrUza Mungos L. (Order Ginchondcece), a native of the Sunda 

 Islands, and the twisted climbing stems of Bauwolfia serpentina 

 Benth.= Ophioxylon serpentinum L. : Order Apocyndcece), a native 

 of the Malay archipelago, have also the same name. In the West 

 Indies Colubrina recUndta Brongn. and G. ferruginosa Brongn. 

 (Order Rhamndcece), from their twisted roots bear also the same 

 EngHsh and French names, though known also as " West Indian 

 Greenheart " or " Ironwood." Whilst all these woods get their 

 names firom their form or taste suggesting their use as remedies 

 for snake-bite, the beautifully mottled Snakewood of British 

 Guiana is Brosimum AubUtii. See Leopard or Letter-wood. 



Sneeze-wood [Pteroxylon utile Eck. and Z. : Order Sapinddcece). 

 South Africa. Boer '' Neishout." Zulu '' Umtati." Height 20— 

 30 ft. ; diam. 2"--4 ft. W 65--"67-5. E 782 tons. / 8-62. /c 5-96. 

 Handsome, heavy, very hard, irregular in growth, difficult to con- 

 vert, its dust producing violent sneezing, taking a fine polish, with 

 a beautiful grain resembling Satinwood, and containing a gum- 

 resin which renders it very inflammable, and one of the most durable 

 woods in the world, ranking with Jarrah and Greenheart, termite- 

 and teredo-proof, very slightly affected by water, and for bearings 

 superior to brass, iron, or Lignum- vitse. Perhaps the most valuable 

 of South African timbers. Used for engineering work, bridges, 

 furniture, agricultural implements, and carpentry. 



Souari or Schawari {Garyocar gldbrum Pers., G, butyrosum Willd., 

 (7. tomentosum Willd. : Order EMzoboldcece). Guiana. Known also 

 as "Peki" or "Tatajuba." S.G. 932 — 820. E 211 kilos. 

 Yellowish-red, moderately heavy and hard, and very cross-grained. 



