Terminalia spp of the family Combretaceae. Usually will be Terminalia tomentosa but may also include Terminalia alata, Terminalia arjuna and Terminalia elliptica.
Indian laurel on the other hand, is actually a fig variety, usually Ficus retusa or Ficus microcarpa, but there is confusion because often vendor do not even realize there IS an Indian laurel and so call East Indian laurel just Indian laurel.
The various Terminalia species that are sold as (or at least lumped in with) East Indian laurel have some significantly different characteristics. This may be due to trees being categorized based on TREE characteristics, not the wood characteristics.
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 East Indian laurel / Temintalia tomentosa --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by Mark Peet whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.
both sides of a sample plank of East Indian laurel / Terminalia tomentosa --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.
both sides of a sample plank of East Indian laurel / Terminalia elliptica --- 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
both sides of a sample plank of East Indian laurel / Terminalia alata --- 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 plank is rife with white rot and is from a sample maker (not David) whose samples are often of inferior quality. I note that the end grain characteristics on this piece are markedly different than on the other Terminalia species on this page, but on checking research sources I found that there ARE teminalia species that have the confulent parenchyma found in this piece so I'm guess that this is one of those cases where the TREE characteristics are what got it designated as East Indian laurel, rather than the characteristics of the wood itself.
end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above
