Wood Status List

Environmental Responsibility for Woodturners and Woodworkers
Bradford Whitman (Oct 2009)
LIST OF TROPICAL WOODS USED AND SOLD FOR

WOODTURNING, AND THEIR ENDANGERMENT STATUS (IUCN)
Note: The information contained herein is subject to frequent change and the author does
not guarantee its accuracy.
Common and Scientific Name

A
Afara, Black
Terminalia ivorensis
Albarco/jequitiba
Cariniona sp.
Afzelia
Afzelia xylocarpa
Afzelia
Afzelia africana
Amboyna
Pterocarpus indicus
Andiroba/Carapa
Carapa guianensis
Angelim Para/Sapupira
Hymenolobium excelsum
Carapa
Carapa megistocarpa
B
Birch, Masur
Betula pendula
Blackbean
Castanospermum australe
Blackwood, African
Dalbergia melanoxylon
Country of Origin
Ranking*
Africa
VU
Brazil
NR
Laos
EN
Africa
VU
Laos
VU
South America
NR
Brazil
NR
Ecuador
EN
Finland
NR
Australia
NR
Tanzania
LR
Australia
NR
Brazil
Brazil
NR
EN
[IUCN: very high rate of exploitation; other sources (Flora &

Fauna International) would rank much higher.]
Blackwood, Australian
Acacia melanoxylon
Bloodwood
Brosmium rubescens
Brosmium glaziovii
[USDAs Forest Products Laboratory lists 75 spp. under the
common name Bloodwood]
Copyright B.F. Whitman 2009

THIS MATERIAL IS THE SOLE PROPERTY OF BRADFORD F. WHITMAN AND NOT BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT THE AUTHORS
PERMISSION. THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE, AND THE AUTHOR DOES NOT GUARANTEE
ITS ACCURACY
Bocote/Mexican Rosewood
Cordia elaegnoides
29 spp. Of Cordia are ranked from LR to CE incl.:
Cordia urticcea
Boxwood, Maracaibo
Gossypiospermum praecox
Bulletwood
Manikara bidentata
Bubinga
Guibourtia demeusei/tessmannii
Mexico
NR
Mexico
CE
Colombia
NR
Central/South America
NR
Africa
NR/VU
South America
NR
Colombia, Panama
VU
Australia
NR
Thailand
VU
Caribbean
NR
Central America
VU
Africa
VU
NR
USA (Arizona)
NR
Africa
EN
Africa
NR
Laos
NR
Sri Lanka
DD
India
NR
Celebes Islands
VU
[2 other African spp. Of G. are ranked VU. USDA FPL lists 11

spp. Under name the common name Bubinga]
C
Canarywood, Tarara
Centrolobium microchaete
[USDA FPL lists 7 spp. Under the common name Canarywood]
Canarywood/Amarillo Guayaquil
Centrolobium yavizanum
Coachwood
Ceratopetalum apetalem
Cochinchin
Dalbergia cochinchinensis
Chechem/Che Chen
Metopium brownei
Cocobolo
Dalbergia retusa
D
Danta/Lemonwood
Nesogordonia papaverifera
Degame
Calycophyllum candidissium
Desert Ironwood
Olneya tesota
E
Ebony, African
Diospyros crassiflora
Ebony, African
Diospyros piscatorial
Ebony, Black & White
Diospyros embryopteris
Ebony, Indian Ceylon
Diospyros ebenum
Ebony, Indian
Diospyros melanoxylon/tomentosa
Ebony, Macassar
Diospyros celebica

ITS ACCURACY
Ebony, Mun
Diospyros mun
Laos
CE
Brazil
NR
Puerto Rico/Brazil
Brazil
NR
EN
Guyana
DD
S. Am.
Argentina/Bolivia
NR
VU
Brazil
VU
Africa
LR
Africa
Africa
NR
VU
South America
EN
Australia
NR
NR
VU
Brazil
NR
Australia
NR
Brazil
NR
Chile
LR
India
India
NR
EN
[There are more than 100 spp. D. worldwide, which

complicates identification]
G
Goncalo Alves/Tigerwood
Astronium graveolens/fraxinifolium
Granadillo/Yellow Sanders
Buchenavia capitata
B. pabstii
Greenheart
Chlorocardium rodiei
H
Hububalli
Loxopterygium sagotti
L. grisebachii
I
Imbuia/Brazilian Walnut
Ocotea/Phoebe porosa
Iroko
Milicia chlorophora
Ironwood
Olea capensis
Other African O. spp. Ranked VU
Ivorywood
Balfourodendron riedelianum
J
Jarrah
Eucalyptus marginata
Jatoba/Courbaril
Hymenaea courbaril
H. torrei
K
Kingwood, Brazilian/violet wood
Dalbergia cearensis
L
Lacewood/Silky Oak
Grevillea robusta
Lacewood
Roupala brasiliensis
Laurel, Chilean
Laurelia sempervirens
Laurel, Indian
Terminalia alata
Other Indian T. Spp. Ranked EN

ITS ACCURACY
Leadwood
Combretum schumanni
Other Tanzanian Combretum spp. ranked CE
Leopardwood
Brosmium guianense
Flindersia ifflaina
Lignum Vitae
Guaiacum officinale
M
Mahogany, Honduras
Swietenia macrophylla
Mahogany, American/ Small-leaved
Swietenia mahagoni
Makore/baku/douka
Tieghemella hecklelii
Mallee, Red
Eucalyptus sp.
Manbarklak/Kakeralli
Eschweilera sp.
Tanzania
Tanzania
NR
CE
South America
Australia
NR
EN
Central America
EN
Mexico, Central/South America
VU
Western Indonesia
EN
Africa
EN
Australia
NR
South America, esp. Brazil
VU, LR, EN,

CE
Africa
NR
Suriname
Costa Rica
NR
VU
Africa
NR
Brazil, Bolivia
VU
Africa
LR
Australia
Australia
NR
EN
Malaysia, Philippines
VU
Australia
NR
Africa
NR
Africa
VU
[17 E. spp. ranked VU, EN, and CE]
Mansonia
Mansonia altissima
Marblewood
Marmaroxylon racemosum
Abarema racemiflora
Mopane
Colophospermum mopane
Morado, Pau Ferro, Bolivian Rosewood
Machaerium villosum
Muninga/Bleedwood/mukwa
Pterocarpus angolensis
Myrtle, Tasmanian
Nothofagus cunninghamii
Other Australian N. spp. ranked EN
N
Narra, Red
Pterocarpus indicus
O
Oak, Tasmanian
Eucalyptus delegatensis
Odoko
Scottelia coriacea et al.
Okoume
Aucoumea klaineana

ITS ACCURACY
Olivewood, African
Olea hochstetteri
Opepe
Nauclea diderrichii
Ovangkol
Guibourtia ehie
P
Padauk, Andaman/East Indian
Mahogany/vermillion wood
Pterocarpus dalbergoides
Padauk, African
Pterocarpus soyauxii
IUCN ranks 34 P. spp., many EN, VU
Pau Amarello, Brazil Satinwood
Euxylophoro paraensis
Pau Brasil, Pernambuco / Brazilwood / Brazil
Ironwood
Caesalpinia echinata
Peroba Rosa
Aspidosperma polyneuron
Pink Ivory
Berchemia zeyheri
South Africa
NR
Africa
VU
Africa
VU
Andaman Island (East Indonesia)
DD
Africa
Africa
NR
EN, VU
Brazil
NR
Brazil
EN
Brazil, Paraguay
EN
South Africa
NR
Brazil
NR
NR
Australia
EN
New Zealand
NR
Malaysia
VU
Bolivia
NR
Suriname
NR
Brazil
VU
Laos, Burma
EN
India, Indonesia
VU
[Considered by dealers one of the rarest woods in the world]
Piquia Marfim
Aspidosperma desmanthum
Purpleheart
Peltogyne sp.
Q
Queensland Maple
Flindersia ifflaina
R
Rewarewa/New Zealand Honeysuckle
Knightia excels
Ramin
Gonystylus bancanus
Rosewood, Bolivian
Machaerium scleroxylon
Rosewood, Borneo
Melanorrhoea usitata
Rosewood, Brazilian
Dalbergia nigra
Rosewood, Burmese
Dalbergia olivera and bariensi
Rosewood, East Indian/Indonesian
Dalbergia latifolia

ITS ACCURACY
Rosewood, Honduras
Dalbergia stevensonii
Rosewood, Madagascar/Bois de Rose

Dalbergia martima
Rosewood, Nicaraguan
Dalbergia tucurensis
Rosewood, Thailand
Dalbergia cochinchinensis
Other D. species from S.E. Asia are endangered
S
Sandalwood
Santalum album
Sandalwood
Osyris wightiana
Sapele
Entandrophragma cylindricum
Satinwood, Ceylon
Chloroxylon swietenia
Satinwood, West Indian
Fagara flava
Snakewood
Brosimum/Piratinera guianensis
Snakewood, Suriname
Abarema racemiflora
Southern Silver Ash
Flindersia schottiana
Stinkwood
Ocotea bullata
T
Tamarind
Tamarindus indica
Tambootie
Spirostachys africana
Taun/kasai/awa/malagai
Pometia pinnata
Tulipwood, Brazilian
Dalbergia variabilis
W
Wenge
Millettia laurentii
Belize, Guatemala
NR by IUCN;
comercial
logging
banned by
Costa Rica;
CITES
Appendix III
Madagascar
EN
Nicaragua
NR
Thailand
Southeast Asia
VU
EN,VU
India, SE Asia
VU
Nepal, Tanzania
NR
Cameroon
VU
Sri Lanka
VU
Caribbean
VU
Brazil
NR
Suriname, Costa Rica
VU
Australia
LR
Africa
NR
Laos
NR
South Africa
NR
Australia, Philippines
NR
Brazil
NR
Africa
EN

ITS ACCURACY
Z
Zebrawood/Zebrano
Microberlinia brazzavillensis
Ziricote
Cordia dodecandra
West Africa
VU
Mexico, Central America
NR
*Sources:
1. To find a scientific name for a common name, first examine the USDA Forest Products Lab
Name Finder Tool online at http://www2.fpl.fs.fed.us/CommNames2000.html, and then consult
the IUCN Red List (which requires the scientific name), www.iucn.org/resources/red_list.
2. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the oldest and largest species
conservation body in the world.
The IUCN rankings are:
1. Critically Endangered (CE)
2. Endangered (EN)
3. Vulnerable (VU) (CE, EN & VU constitute species at significant risk of extinction in the wild
for which adequate data exist)
4. Lower Risk (LR)
5. Data Deficient (DD)
I have marked species not ranked by IUCN as NR. There are multiple reasons why a species
may not have been ranked by IUCN, even though the species is in fact rare and endangered.
Wood dealers, for example, consider Pink Ivory one of the rarest woods in the world, but the
IUCN has not addressed this species. For this reason, a concerned woodturner should consult
other reputable sources, such as Flora and Fauna Internationals www.globaltrees.com.
Sources used to identify woods turned on the lathe and sold for that purpose were: various
books contained in library of The Wood Turning Center, Philadelphia, PA, including: Lark Books,
Ed. 500 Wood Bowls, 2004; the Forest Products Laboratory, Forest Service, U.S. Department of
Agriculture. The Wood Handbook. Madison, WI (published online); Porter, Terry. WoodIdentification and Use. East Sussex, UK., 2006. Walker, Aidan, Ed. The Encyclopedia of Wood.
New York: Facts On File, Inc., 1989; various exotic woods vendor websites (online).

ITS ACCURACY

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Environmental Responsibility for Woodturners and Woodworkers

Bradford Whitman (Oct 2009)

LIST OF TROPICAL WOODS USED AND SOLD FOR

Common and Scientific Name

[IUCN: very high rate of exploitation; other sources (Flora &

Copyright B.F. Whitman 2009

[2 other African spp. Of G. are ranked VU. USDA FPL lists 11

Copyright B.F. Whitman 2009

[There are more than 100 spp. D. worldwide, which

Copyright B.F. Whitman 2009

Mexico, Central/South America

South America, esp. Brazil

VU, LR, EN,

[17 E. spp. ranked VU, EN, and CE]

Copyright B.F. Whitman 2009

Andaman Island (East Indonesia)

[Considered by dealers one of the rarest woods in the world]

Copyright B.F. Whitman 2009

Rosewood, Madagascar/Bois de Rose

Suriname, Costa Rica

Copyright B.F. Whitman 2009

Mexico, Central America

Copyright B.F. Whitman 2009

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