Avodire

Botanical Name

Turreanthus Africanus

Other Common Names

Apapaye, Apaya, Blimah-pu, Engan, Lusamba, M'fube, Wansenwa.

Region

Africa

Country

Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Zaire.

The Tree

Growing near streams and lakes, Avodiré reaches a height of 115 ft. and the bole is usually clear but irregular to 50 ft. The trunk is fluted with a diameter of 2 to 3 ft.

Appearance

Pale yellow or cream, darkening with age to a golden yellow. Heartwood and sapwood usually look the same.

Properties

Grain can be straight, wavy, or irregular and interlocked. Texture is fine, with a high natural luster, and small to medium-sized open pores.

Working Properties

Avodire is generally regarded as having good working characteristics, and is easy to work with hand or machine tools: though wood with interlocked grain can pose a challenge with tearout while being planed. The wood also has a slight blunting effect on tool cutters. Avodire glues and finishes well.

Uses

Veneer, cabinetry, furniture, millwork, and plywood.

Availability

Avodire lumber is likely to be in the medium price range for an imported hardwood, veneer or solid lumber with highly figured grain is likely to be much more expensive.