The Y. T ood 
General Appearance 
The wood superficially resembles Simaruba , but lacks the bitter taste. 
CoIt 
The wood varies in color from a lustrous creamy white to light buff when fresh, 
occasionally with indistinct purplish or g . h streaks. V.'hen dry, it may 
ear yellov/ish brown or pale olive gray. 
■ : ■ - 
The wood is moderately light, comparable to yellow-poplarj specific gravity 
0,38 (0.31 - 0.51) based on oven-dry weight and green volume or a weight of 
about iiO pounds per cubic foot green and 28 pounds air-dry (11). 
y. ; -,r^, Grain, and Figure 
The wood is rated as fine to medium textured. It cuts with a more or less 
lly surface. Some has an attractive "roe" grain or ribbon stripe on the 
Lai surface, although +!e figure is usually not pronounced except in 
crotches. The grain is generally interlocked but maybe straight (11). 
Luster 
r is rated as high (11). 
_: Taste 
Odor and taste are lacking (11). 
"or king Qualities 
Alt: somewhat difficult to saw when green because of the extreme fuzziness 
of the cut surface, the wood can be readily machined when dry. Lack of clean 
cutting and chipped and torn grain are frequently encountered with material 
Lch has extremely interlocked grain. The wood takes stains well and glues 
readily (11). 
. •i.ar.ical Properties (11) 
The followir. ; 1 in table 1 were obtained in recent tests conducted at Yale 
School of Forestry in cooperation with the Office of Naval Research and the 
hireau of Ships, U. S. Navy Department, under Contract No ori-Ui Task Order XV 
(Project Designation 'Jo. NR-033-020) and published in Trop' oods Mo. 97, 
v. 1, 1950* page 7U« Comparative data for yellow-poplar obtained at the 
Forest Products Laboratory are also included. 
Compared with species of like density, possumwood is above average in all 
static-bending properties except stiffness in which it is si: below 
averag . It is average in hardness, t< s, and resistance to crushing 
Rept. No. R1902 -3- 
