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VOLADOR

botanical name unknown
There are at least 18 species from 9 different genera that have volador as all or part of one or more of their common names and I have no idea which of them are represented on this page except as specifically stated with the pics

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 volador / Gyrocarpus americanus --- 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 volador / Zuelania guidonia --- 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 volador / Aspidosperma megalocarpon --- 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 HIGH GRIT END GRAIN CLOSEUP of the piece directly above


both sides of a sample plank of shibidan (aka volador) / Aspidosperma album --- 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 sura / Terminalia oblonga --- 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 species uses the names sura and yellowwood, among other, but it does NOT use the name volador. I've put it on this page simply because it looks like the "golden volador" veneer below and because it was that or leave it off the site entirely since it is much too obscure to deserve a page of its own.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above


long veneer piece and closeup of same. Considerable color correction was required to get the pics to look like the wood, but they now do. This veneer was sold to me as "golden volador with olive vines" and I have no idea how much of that is commonly used terminology and how much is just a marketing phrase. At any rate, there was no gold in the color, just green, but interestingly enough the pictures came out of the camera making the wood look golden and not at all green. Weird. Anyway, the color correction isn't perfect but is as close as I can get it.

web pics:

like my own sample, this was labeled "golden" volador but this one didn't say anything about "olive vines" although it clearly has the same grain pattern as my own sample.


plank --- obviously not at all like my veneer sample so likely one of the numerous other species that use this common name.


planks all listed as volador / Aspidosperma spp.