diffuse porous page


DIFFUSE POROUS ROSEWOODS

NOTE: unless otherwise specifically stated, all of the images shown on this
page are of 1/4" square end grain cross sections shown at 12X with the top
of the image towards the bark and the bottom towards the pith so that
earlywood is towards the bottom of the growth rings and latewood is towards the top

to see all species with links to their anatomy page go here: species links

general characteristics of rosewoods

A note about this page: the variability of characteristics within a single species of the rosewoods is so great that I have not attempted to group them by characteristics.. As an examples, look at the various samples below of Siam rosewood / Dalbergia cochinchinensis or Honduran rosewood / Dalbergia stevensonii.

 
cocobolo


     

     

   

   

     
granadillo


     
"Granadillo" is used for so many species that it is almost meaningless. This particular one is also called cocobolo but that name is normally used for Dalbergia retusa
camatillo rosewood


     

     

     

   
African blackwood

this wood is so dark that my process for getting end grain shots is not always very effective, as you can see

   

     
kingwood


     

   

   

     
tulipwood


   

   

   

   

   

   

   
tulipwood --- pore density greater than most Dalbergias
Amazon rosewood


   
Amazon rosewood --- relatively sparse pores with obvious vasicentric parenchyma (not aliform) and diffuse-in-aggregate parenchyma, rays visible at 10X but not to the naked eye
Brazilian rosewood


     

     

     
very clear view of the rays on all of these

 
East Indian rosewood


     

   

     
East Indian rosewood
Columbian rosewood


     
Colombian rosewood / Dalbergia monetaria --- aliform parenchyma, both lozenge-shaped and wing-shaped
Guatamalan rosewood

large pores with heavy vasicentric parenchyma, some confluence, occasional winged aliform parenchyma, frequent banded parenchyma

     

     

     

     
ocelot's ear rosewood


   
Honduran rosewood

generally large pores, rays usually visible at 10X, banded parenchyma (not always clear at 10X), vasicentric parenchyma of varying thickness, pore densities from sparse to the low end of medium, occasional pore multiples

     
these three are all from the sample; two nearby heartwood areas and a sapwood area; the large pores and frequent pore mutiples are not terribly common for Dalbergia stevensonii but it does happen

     

     

     

     

     

   
Madagascar rosewood


     

   

     

     

   

   

   

     
Three unknown Dalbergia species harvested in Madagascar

     
Three more unknown Dalbergia species harvested in Madagascar

 
shisham rosewood


   
NOTE: both of these samples of Dalbergia lanceolaria are suspect and either or both may be something else. Clearly they do not exhibit the same characteristics so it is almost a given that at least ONE of them is not Dalbergia lanceolaria.
Siam rosewood

Siam rosewood --- some of these have confulent parenchyma that often comes close to being banded parenchyma

     

   

   

   
sissoo rosewood


     

   

   
Burmese rosewood


     

     
misc rosewoods --- confulent parenchyma that comes close to being banded parenchyma
Panama rosewood


     
Dalbergia tilarana --- fairly large pores with strong vasicentric parenchyma and some pore multiples
miscellaneous other rosewoods


     

     
Cambodian rosewood / Dalbergia bariaensis and kratie rosewood / Dalbergia nigrescens both have confulent parenchyma that comes close to being banded parenchyma