Menu
| Atibt | ipe |
| Other names | Bethabara, pau d\’arco, ipé, tauary{*}, caixeta (Brazil), guayacan polvillo (Colombia), guyacan, madera negra (Ecuador), ebène vert, ebène jaune (French Guiana), bowwood, whalebone greenheart (Guyana ), cortez (Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica), amapa (Mexico), guayacan (Panama), lapacho negro, guayacan (Paraguay, Argentina), tahuari (Peru), groenhart (Suriname), flor amarillo (Venezuela).{* } objectionable name. |
| Botanical name | Tabebuia serratifolia (Vahl) Nicholson (Surinamese green heart) (= Tecoma spec. div.)., Tabebuia ipé (Mart.) Standl., T. cassinioides DC., T. guayacan Hemsl., T. longiflora Standl. |
| Family | Bignoniaceae. |
| Growth area | Tropical Central and South America. |
| Tree description | The many species and the large distribution area mean that the sizes of the trees and the wood properties vary greatly. Height 30-40(-65) m with a diameter of 0.6-0.9(-1.8) m. The branch-free straight cylindrical trunks can be up to 8-40 m long and sometimes have roots at the base. |
| Supply | Squared wood, parquet and floor wood. |
| Wood description | Groenhart from Suriname is described below. The other Tabebuia species are somewhat lighter in weight, but are visually and anatomically indistinguishable from Surinamese greenheart. Most strength properties of the other Tabebuia species (with a lower bulk density) are lower. The greenish-brown to greenish-yellow-brown heartwood is clearly distinguishable from the yellowish-gray 40-80 mm wide sapwood. The core often shows light to dark areas, which can make it appear somewhat striped. Even if there is a crosshair, a decorative fine line drawing may appear due to the light. Ipé has a fairly even structure without any pronounced pattern. The wood contains the substance lapachol, which is visible as (green) yellow stripes on the longitudinal surface. Lapachol turns red in contact with ammonia, making it possible to distinguish ipé (Surinamese green heart) from, for example, demerara green heart. The wood is very hard and strong, difficult to split and very elastic. |
| Wood type | hardwood |
| Wire | Straight, sometimes cross thread or irregular thread. |
| Grain | Fine. |
| Voluminous mass | (950-)1050 (-1150) kg/m3 at 12% moisture content, fresh 1200-1300 kg/m3. |
| To work | Mediocre. |
| To dry | Fairly slow, low tendency to deform and crack. |
| Editability | Due to its high density, it is difficult to machine and cutting surfaces quickly dull. When planing, it is recommended to use small cutting angles to avoid problems with crosshairs. Ipé can be finished smoothly. Good extraction of the wood dust is recommended, as the released lapachol dust can cause a skin condition (dermatitis) in sensitive people. |
| Nailing and screwing | Pre-drilling necessary. |
| Glue | Given the high volumetric mass, probably not without problems. |
| Bow | Not known. It is very flexible. |
| Surface finish | Good. |
| Sustainability | Fungi 1. In contrast to Demerara green heart (Chlorocardium rodiei Rohwer, Richter & Werff), Ipé is not resistant to attack by pileworm. |
| Impregnability | Heartwood 4. |
| Particularities | The substance lapachol, which can cause skin allergies in processors, contains the derivative deoxylapachol (0.4%). Lapachol gives a dark red color in contact with alkalis. The bark contains ± 5% tannin. The wood contains a purple dye that dissolves in water and can cause bleeding. |
| Applications | Mainly for construction works (bridge and shipbuilding and harbor works), sleepers, exterior and interior carpentry, parquet, floors, furniture, turning, carving, industrial floors, arches, wooden rods, walking sticks, tool handles (as a replacement for hickory or ash), garden wood, garden furniture, is said to be one of the best types of wood for spokes in wooden wheels in carriage construction. Widely used in bodywork construction in Brazil. |
Webdesign & development by Bit Dynamics