Afrormosia
From Floor Coverings
Contents |
Wood Species
Afrormosia
Biological name
Pericopsis elata
Originates from or commonly found in
West and Central Africa
Physical appearance
The Afrormosia tree has an average height of 150 feet and trunk diameter of 3 feet. The leaves are pinnate with fruits that appear as capsules. The bark has a blotchy appearance colored both red and orange. The bark is not photosensitive. However, its color does deepen with age, becoming golden brown to darker brown. The heartwood, which is yellow to light brown, begins a similar darkening upon exposure to sunlight. Overall, the wood has a uniform appearance, however with striping like ribbons. This coloration gives the Afrormosia wood quite a lot of change over its lifetime, including after its harvest and refining.
Flooring Properties
The Afrormosia wood is quite durable. Although it is not the hardest wooden material, it is known for its stability. It is easily worked either by hand or machine tools and is noted for being well suited for gluing. When laid out as flooring, it will have a fine texture with a straight or interlocked grain. Fresh Afrormosia flooring should have a tan to light golden brown color, which will deepen over time to darker brown hues.
Janka Rating
The Afrormosia has a hardness rating of 1560.
