Variegated ebony

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Macassar-Ebenholz.jpg

Variegated ebony is a group of valuable hardwood varieties, generally obtained from several species in the genus Diospyros , related to genuine ebony. The wood has been used for furniture but also in carpentry, luthiery, and sculpture.

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Coromandel wood

Coromandel or calamander [1] [2] [3] is a valuable hardwood obtained from the species Diospyros quaesita , native to India and Sri Lanka. It is variegated with stripes of deep black and hazel-brown, and is very heavy and hard relative to most other woods. The name "calamander" comes from coromandel, referring to the Coromandel Coast in India from where it was first exported. Although objects made of calamander are still extant, the trees from which the wood was obtained were logged to near-extinction, and those remaining are a protected vulnerable species. Calamander furniture is so expensive and prized that recycling it is an unlikely proposition.[ citation needed ]

Macassar ebony

Bookmatched veneer Macassar01.jpg
Bookmatched veneer

Macassar ebony is obtained from Diospyros celebica , endemic to the island of Sulawesi. It is named after the city of Makassar, involved in the export of this wood.

A substitute, Macassar ebony, has similar characteristics and to the untrained eye is nearly identical, though the colour lacks the depth seen in genuine calamander.[ citation needed ]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Furniture</span> Objects used to support human activities

Furniture refers to objects intended to support various human activities such as seating, eating (tables), storing items, working, and sleeping. Furniture is also used to hold objects at a convenient height for work, or to store things. Furniture can be a product of design and can be considered a form of decorative art. In addition to furniture's functional role, it can serve a symbolic or religious purpose. It can be made from a vast multitude of materials, including metal, plastic, and wood. Furniture can be made using a variety of woodworking joints which often reflects the local culture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Persimmon</span> Edible fruit

The persimmon is the edible fruit of a number of species of trees in the genus Diospyros. The most widely cultivated of these is the kaki persimmon, Diospyros kaki – Diospyros is in the family Ebenaceae, and a number of non-persimmon species of the genus are grown for ebony timber. In 2019, China produced 75% of the world total of persimmons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ebony</span> Type of dense black/brown hardwood

Ebony is a dense black/brown hardwood, coming from several species in the genus Diospyros, which also includes the persimmon tree. A few Diospyros species, such as macassar and mun ebony, are dense enough to sink in water. Ebony is finely textured and has a mirror finish when polished, making it valuable as an ornamental wood. It is often cited as one of the most expensive woods in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ebenaceae</span> Family of flowering plants

The Ebenaceae are a family of flowering plants belonging to order Ericales. The family includes ebony and persimmon among about 768 species of trees and shrubs. It is distributed across the tropical and warmer temperate regions of the world. It is most diverse in the rainforests of Malesia, India, tropical Africa and tropical America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teak</span> Tree species native to South and Southeast Asia

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Macassar, Makassar or Makasar may refer to:

Coromandel may refer to:

<i>Diospyros</i> Genus of trees and shrubs

Diospyros is a genus of over 700 species of deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs. The majority are native to the tropics, with only a few species extending into temperate regions. Individual species valued for their hard, heavy, dark timber, are commonly known as ebony trees, while others are valued for their fruit and known as persimmon trees. Some are useful as ornamentals and many are of local ecological importance. Species of this genus are generally dioecious, with separate male and female plants.

<i>Diospyros celebica</i> Species of tree

Diospyros celebica is a species of flowering tree in the family Ebenaceae that is endemic to the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia. The common name Makassar ebony is for the main seaport on the island, Makassar.

<i>Diospyros melanoxylon</i> Species of tree

Diospyros melanoxylon, the Coromandel ebony or East Indian ebony, is a species of flowering tree in the family Ebenaceae native to India and Sri Lanka; it has a hard, dry bark. Its common name derives from Coromandel, the coast of southeastern India. Locally it is known as temburini or by its Hindi name tendu. In Odisha, Jharkhand, and Assam, it is known as kendu. In Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana it is known as tuniki. The leaves can be wrapped around tobacco to create the Indian beedi, which has outsold conventional cigarettes in India. The olive-green fruit of the tree is edible.

Ebony is a dense black hardwood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosewood</span> Several tropical woods of the genus Dalbergia

Rosewood is any of a number of richly hued hardwoods, often brownish with darker veining, but found in other colours. It is hard, tough, strong, and dense. True rosewoods come from trees of the genus Dalbergia, but other woods are often called rosewood. Rosewood takes a high polish and is used for luxury furniture-making, flooring, musical instruments, and turnery.

<i>Diospyros ebenum</i> Species of flowering plant

Ceylon ebony or Diospyros ebenum, is a species of tree in the genus Diospyros and the family Ebenaceae. The tree produces valuable black wood.

<i>Diospyros blancoi</i> Species of persimmon

Diospyros blancoi,, commonly known as velvet apple, velvet persimmon, kamagong, or mabolo tree, is a tree of the genus Diospyros of ebony trees and persimmons. It produces edible fruit with a fine, velvety, reddish-brown fur-like covering. The fruit has a soft, creamy, pink flesh, with a taste and aroma comparable to peaches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Illegal logging in Madagascar</span>

Illegal logging has been a problem in Madagascar for decades and is perpetuated by extreme poverty and government corruption. Often taking the form of selective logging, the trade has been driven by high international demand for expensive, fine-grained lumber such as rosewood and ebony. Historically, logging and exporting in Madagascar have been regulated by the Malagasy government, although the logging of rare hardwoods was explicitly banned from protected areas in 2000. Since then, government orders and memos have intermittently alternated between permitting and banning exports of precious woods. The most commonly cited reason for permitting exports is to salvage valuable wood from cyclone damage, although this reasoning has come under heavy scrutiny. This oscillating availability of Malagasy rosewood and other precious woods has created a market of rising and falling prices, allowing traders or "timber barons" to stockpile illegally sourced logs during periodic bans and then flood the market when the trade windows open and prices are high. Over 350,000 trees were illegally felled in Madagascar between 2010 and 2015, according to TRAFFIC.

<i>Diospyros malabarica</i> Species of flowering plant

Diospyros malabarica, the gaub tree, Malabar ebony, black-and-white ebony or pale moon ebony, is a species of flowering tree in the family Ebenaceae that is native to the Indian Subcontinent and South East Asia.

Diospyros quaesita or calamander is a species of tree endemic to Sri Lanka. in Sinhala, this tree is called kalu mediriya. This large tree occurs in the evergreen forests of lowland wet zones. This tree is found in 25 forest sites.

The wood industry or timber industry is the industry concerned with forestry, logging, timber trade, and the production of primary forest products and wood products and secondary products like wood pulp for the pulp and paper industry. Some of the largest producers are also among the biggest owners of timberland. The wood industry has historically been and continues to be an important sector in many economies.

References

  1. "calamander". Lexico UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on July 24, 2020.
  2. "calamander". The American Heritage Dictionary . Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
  3. "Calamander definition and meaning". Collins English Dictionary .