Guibourtia demeusei
Specifications
Family
Fabaceae
Species
Guibourtia demeusei (Harms) J. Léonard
african rosewood
Description
Dark in color, it fades after prolonged exposure to air. It is very hard, difficult to work, and offers good resistance to sawing. It is highly resistant to termites and wood-boring insects.
Plant morphology
It is a large evergreen broadleaf tree, up to 40 m tall, with a trunk diameter of up to 1 m, branchless to 20 m, and slender buttresses. The flowers are white, and the fruits are legumes.
Natural occurrence
Countries of origin and distribution
Forests of Central Africa: Congo, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon.
Habitat and ecology
It lives in various types of forests, from open semi-deciduous forests to humid or periodically flooded evergreen rainforests (which it prefers), where it associates with Mitragyna spp., Symphonia globulifera, Entandrophragma palustre, Uapaca heudelotii, Sterculia subviolacea and Alstonia congensis.
Uses
Use class
CU1
CU2
CU3
CU4
CU5
Application areas
It is used for decorative veneers, luxury furniture, woodturning, flooring and paneling, in inlays, and as a substitute for rosewood. As a solid wood, it is used for knife and brush handles, floorboards, and railway sleepers.
Threats and Conservation
Threats
In recent years, both legal and illegal harvesting has increased significantly, despite the wood being of inferior quality to that of Guibourtia tessmannii and G. pellegrina. Until recently, the wood of the latter two was preferred, but the decline of natural populations has shifted attention to G. demeusei.
Conservation measures
The species was listed in Appendix II of CITES in 2019. Some African states have joined EU FLEGT (EU Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade), a European initiative to combat illegal logging. Some countries have standards in place for the minimum size of trees that can be harvested, with trunks that must be at least 60–80 cm in diameter.
IUCN Red List
IUCN
NT - Near threatened - Close to threat
CITES. Year of assessment
CITES
2020
1975
2050
CITES Italia • Ultimo aggiornamento
2020
Appendix II
Technical data
Aesthetic characteristics
Grain
Obvious
Texture
Medium
Physical and mechanical properties
Density
ρ
ρ
920
kg/m3
Radial shrinkage
Rad. sh.
Rad. sh.
55
MPa
Tangential shrinkage
Tang. sh.
Tang. sh.
79
MPa
Bending strength
M.O.R.
M.O.R.
137
MPa
Modulus of Elasticity
M.O.E.
M.O.E.
20180
MPa
Durability characteristics
Fungal resistance
Durable
Insect resistance
Resistant
Miscellaneous
This species produces a plant resin (African copal) that is often confused with amber. A commonly used synonym is Copaifera demeusei Harms.