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ANACAHUITA

Cordia spp.
Cordia boissieri, Cordia sebestena, and Cordia leucosebestena (possibly other Cordia's as well) of the family Boraginaceae. This is a small tree / large shrub that grows from Texas down into Mexico. It is also known as Texas olive although it is not related to actual olive wood (genus Olea of the family Oleaceae)

Judging from the fairly total lack of wood pics of this wood on the internet, I'd say it is VERY little used and likely hardly available at all, even in craft project sizes.

my samples: NOTE: these pics were all taken in very bright incandescent lighting ("soft white" at 2700K) colors will vary under other lighting conditions

both sides of a sample plank of anacahuita / Cordia boissieri --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site. I note that the vendor of this sample got the common name wrong (his "ancahuita" should be "anacahuita"). I note that this wood is MUCH heavier than the Cordia leucosebestena samples down below; easily twice as much although I did not do a precise measurement.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above


both sides of a sample plank of anacahuita / Cordia boissieri --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above


both sides of a sample plank of anacahuita / Cordia boissieri --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site. The common name on the label is wrong, as noted in the sample directly above


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above


both sides of a sample plank of anacahuita / Cordia leucosebestena --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site. This wood is VERY light; it prorates out to 13 lbs / cuft which is almost as light as the lightest balsa wood and lighter than some balsa wood (which runs from under 10lbs/cuft up to over 20lbs/cuft). I note that this species, Cordia leucosebestena, is WAY lighter than the Cordia boissieri samples at the top of the page.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


both sides of a sample plank of anacahuita / Cordia leucosebestena --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site. See the the note with the sample directly above about the weight of this wood.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


both sides of a sample plank of chakopte (aka anacahuita) / Cordia sebestena --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above


both sides of a sample plank of chakopte (aka anacahuita) / Cordia sebestena --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by Mark Peet whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above

web pics:

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