Itaúba

Mezilaurus itauba (Meisn.) Taub.

General features: yellow greenish core, when sawed young, it becomes dark brown and it has a pleasant smell, it is slightly sweet in taste, high density, wavy gran revessa, medium texture, irregular glossy surface.

Drying: outdoor drying is difficult and slow, however, it does not cause a high incidence of flaws. Artificial drying is slow, with a high occurrence of cracks and moderate wear. There is no other specific technique to process Itaúba wood.

Handling: moderately difficult to work with both manual and machinery due to the presence of silica, but it delivers a good finished product.

Durability: the dark wood, under adverse conditions, is considered of very high resistance against xylophagous organisms, according to experiments observed.

Conservation: the wood pores clogged by oil-resin, when disposed under pressure, shows very low permeability to conservation chemicals.

Commercial use: bridges, railway pins, mast, beams, doors, windows, flooring, home furniture, agriculture, transport vessels, etc.