Thursday 10 July 2008

Purple wood?




Yes it exists,from the forests in Guyana,South America:

The trees are prized for their beautiful heartwood which, when cut, quickly turns from a dark brown to a rich purple color. Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light darkens the wood to a brown color with a slight hue of the original purple. This effect can be minimized with a finish containing a UV inhibitor. The dry wood is very hard and dense with a specific gravity of 0.86 (54 lb/ft^3 or 860 kg/m^3). This wood is quite dense, and if it is to be worked, then a sharp carbide blade is required to cut it. For uses of this wood it is prized for fine inlay work, woodturning, cabinetry, and furniture. The dust can cause nausea.[citation needed] The wood is also known as amaranth and violet wood. Overharvesting has caused several species to become endangered in areas where they were once abundant.[citation needed] http://www.iwokrama.org/newsletter/dec05/images/en_purpletree.jpg


[edit] Species

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