INDO-MALAYAN WOODS. 
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called mahoganies which do not have any close relationship to the true 
mahogany, except, perhaps, that of color. Some of these are : 
Padouk, Andaman redwood, narra, Philippine mahogany. This is the product 
of various species of Pterocarptos. It is a very choice furniture wood, but 
it is, of course, not a mahogany. It does not need to be called a mahogany 
to find a market. 
Penagah, Palo maria, Bitaog, or Borneo mahogany ( Galophyllum inopliyllum L.). 
This wood does not closely resemble mahogany. It is, in some respects, 
superior to that wood. 
The tanguile of Negros, a soft, red-wooded dipterocarp, has been sold in some places 
as Philippine mahogany. It is found to be a satisfactory substitute for 
mahogany in interior finish such as show windows, panels, and bank fur- 
niture. It should be suitable also for piano eases and good furniture. 
Wiesner 2: 958-962; Stevenson 225-249; Holtzapffel 91; Boulger 206-210; 
Stone 32-35. 
POISONOUS WOODS. 
Occasionally there are rumors of woods which contain sufficient of a 
poisonous principle to cause them to be injurious to whoever handles 
them. Such reports are usually found to be inaccurate, the poisoning 
being done by other parts of the plant. 
The principal poisonous woods of this part of the world are a few 
Anacardiacece which cause a skin irritation similar to that produced by 
the “poison ivy” and “poison oak” ( Rhus spp.) of temperate regions. 
These woods are produced by species of Gluta , Holigarna , Melanorrhoea. 
Semecarpus , and Swintonia; and they usually are known by the name of 
“ringhas” in the Malay region. 
When seasoned, the wood is much less likely to cause poisoning than 
when fresh. The seriousness of such poisoning is often exaggerated, and 
many persons are entirely immune to this class of poisoning. 
Besides the woods mentioned, that of Excoecaria agallocha L., the 
“eye-blinding plant” of India, is of evil repute. The wood contains an 
extremely acrid dark-colored gum which is very irritant in contact with 
the skin and is said to cause blindness if rubbed on the eyes. It is said 
that the coolies who work this wood for charcoal suffer a great deal from 
the effects of the fumes of the burning wood. 
ROSEWOOD. 
Rosewood is a term as generally applied as ironwood and to almost 
as great a variety of plants in different parts of the world. There are 
something more than thirty different rosewoods. Most of them have 
heavy, dark-colored woods and quite a number belong to the Leguminosce, 
in such genera as Dalbergia and Pterocarpus. Some of them contain 
a fragrant resin or oil, from which the name has originated. They 
have nothing more to do with the rose. 
Much of the rosewood of commerce comes from Brazil and is said 
to be the product of Dalbergia nigra Allem. and related leguminous 
species; but members of other families also produce true rosewood. 
