diffuse porous page


DIFFUSE POROUS MAHOGANY FAMILY WOODS

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


Woods from the mahogany family, Meliaceae, that are included on this page are: A more detailed discussion of the various species in the family Mahogany can be found here: MAHOGANY NAMES

general characteristics of the mahoganies

KYAYA species
(the African mahoganies)

moderately sparse pores with vasicentric parenchyma and occasional radial multiples
terminal parenchyma that varies from strong to invisible in the same band
strong rays clearly visible at 10X


   

     

     

     

   

   

   

 

SWIETENIA species
(the American mahoganies)

moderately sparse pores with vasicentric parenchyma and occasional radial multiples
strong terminal parenchyma that does not fade out as it does in the Khaya species
strong rays clearly visible at 10X



Honduran mahogany: As seen here, the width of the section shown is 1 cm (.4 inches) shown here at about 9X. A HUGE enlargement of each is present and they are squares of .4cm / .4cm (.16" x .16") and they are shown at about 67X (when you click on these images). Corresponding higher resolution sections from the same area of the samples are shown directly below.


Honduran mahogany:As seen here, the width of the section shown is .22 cm (.09 inches) shown here about 9X. A HUGE enlargement of each is present and they are squares of .22cm / .22cm (.09" x .09") and they are shown at about 120X (when you click on these images). These were taken from the same area of the same sample as the corresponding lower-resolution images directly above.

     

     

   

   

   

   

   

     


Cuban mahogany: As seen here, the width of the section shown is 1 cm (.4 inches) shown here at about 9X. A HUGE enlargement of each is present and they are squares of .4cm / .4cm (.16" x .16") and they are shown at about 67X (when you click on these images). Corresponding higher resolution sections from the same area of the samples are shown directly below.


Cuban mahogany:As seen here, the width of the section shown is .22 cm (.09 inches) shown here about 9X. A HUGE enlargement of each is present and they are squares of .22cm / .22cm (.09" x .09") and they are shown at about 120X (when you click on these images). These were taken from the same area of the same sample as the corresponding lower-resolution images directly above.

     

     

 

ENTANDROPHRAGMA species

specific comments with sapele and sipo as shown


sapele --- The parenchyma lines in sapele are different from sipo in that they are straighter and always appear to be continuous bands. They differ from the Khaya and Swietenia mahoganies in that they are more numerous and are not, as nearly as I can tell, marginal. The pores in sapele are generally more numerous than in sipo.


sapele: As seen here, the width of the section shown is 1 cm (.4 inches) shown here at about 9X. A HUGE enlargement of each is present and they are squares of .4cm / .4cm (.16" x .16") and they are shown at about 67X (when you click on these images). Corresponding higher resolution sections from the same area of the samples are shown directly below.


sapele:As seen here, the width of the section shown is .22 cm (.09 inches) shown here about 38X. A HUGE enlargement of each is present and they are squares of .22cm / .22cm (.09" x .09") and they are shown at about 120X (when you click on these images). These were taken from the same area of the same sample as the corresponding lower-resolution images directly above.

     

     

     

     


sipo --- The parenchyma lines in sipo are different from sapele in that they are more wavy and do not always appear to be continuous bands. They differ from the Khaya and Swietenia mahoganies in that they are more numerous and are not, as nearly as I can tell, marginal. Sipo pores are generally sparser than in sapele.


sipo: As seen here, the width of the section shown is 1 cm (.4 inches) shown here at about 9X. A HUGE enlargement of each is present and they are squares of .4cm / .4cm (.16" x .16") and they are shown at about 67X (when you click on these images). Corresponding higher resolution sections from the same area of the samples are shown directly below.


sipo:As seen here, the width of the section shown is .22 cm (.09 inches) shown here about 38X. A HUGE enlargement of each is present and they are squares of .22cm / .22cm (.09" x .09") and they are shown at about 120X (when you click on these images). These were taken from the same area of the same sample as the corresponding lower-resolution images directly above.

     

   

   

    These two pieces were sold to me as sapele and sipo, respectively, BUT ... as you can see, they have end grain characteristics that are (1) identical to each other and (2) NOT the same as EITHER sapele OR sipo. These include (1) multitudinous parenchyma bands, (2) numerous fairly long radial pore multiples, (3) even the pores that are not in radial multiples are mostly in radial strands, and (4) rays are barely discernible even with a 10X loupe. SO ... I'm dubious that these are either sapele OR sipo, BUT ... it is possible that they are some related species that is lumped in with either sapele or sipo, whichever happens to be what the loggers are supposed to be cutting that day. I also noticed in the face grain of both of these planks that they are lighter and show less grain on flat cut surfaces than what is generally the case for both sapele and sipo.

CEDRELA species

sparse pores with obvious vasicentric parenchyma
rays sometimes weak but always visible at 10X
terminal parenchyma is usually fuzzy and has some lighter tissue, making it very obvious


     

     
  • Spanish cedar / Cedrela odorata
  • Spanish cedar / Cedrela odorata
  • Spanish cedar / Cedrela odorata


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    TOONA species

    very sparse pores with vasicentric parenchyma and some radial pore multiples
    rays are sometimes weak but clearly visible at 10X
    terminal parenchyma ranges from sharp to fuzzy
    growth ring boundaries generally well delineated, some radial pore multiples


    NOTE: Toona sinensis (syn Cedrela sinensis) is solidly ring porous and is on the ring porous page rather than here with the rest of the Toona species

         

       

       

         

    other mahoganies