African woods - information from Gift of Africa

Cypress (Cupressus Lusitanica)
Also known as: Cedar Of Goa, Cypress, Kenya Cypress, Mexican Cypress (English); Cyprés, Cyprès De Goa, Cyprés De Mexico (French); Mexikanische Zypresse (German); Ciprés, Ciprés Mexicano (Spanish); Msanduku (Swahili); Tsehdiferenji (Tigrigna); Cypress (trade Name)
Exotic to: Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Southern Africa, Tanzania, Uganda.
Description: The white wood saws cleanly and has straight fine grain; it is a source of construction wood and is used for furniture, poles and posts.

Ironwood (Olea Capensis)
Also known as: Ysterhout (Afrikaans); Black Ironwood, East African Olive, Elgon Olive, Ironwood, Ironwood Olive (English); Loliondo, Mushargi (Swahili); Loliondo, Mutharage, Mutharagi, Olive (Trade name).
Native to: Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Sao Tome et Principe, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Description: Woods that sink in water are called "ironwoods." There are more than one hundred species of trees and shrubs in the world with the common name of "Ironwood." As their common name suggests, the wood of these species is very hard and heavy. Olea Capensis has dark brown heartwood and is attractively figured, fine-grained, hard and heavy and although it is difficult to work it is widely used by African artists.

Kiaat (Pterocarpus Angolensis)
Also known as: Greinhout, Kehatenhout, Kiaat, Lakboom (Afrikaans); Mulombwa (Bemba); African Teak, Bloodwood, Rhodesian Teak, Sealing-Wax Tree, Transvaal Teak, Wild Teak (English); Mukwa, Mulombe (Lozi); Mukula (Lunda); Umvagazi (Ndebele); Mlombe, Mlombwa (Nyanja); Kiaat, Mubvamaropa, Mukwa (Shona); Mninga (Swahili); Mukula (Tongan); Mokwa, Morotomadi (Tswana); Indlandlovu, Ingozina, Umbilo, Umvangazi (Zulu).
Native to: Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Description: Colour is fairly uniform dark red-orange. The grain is close, and straight to interlocked and varies from medium to coarse in texture. It has high durability, is easily worked, glues well and takes a fine polish.

Muhuhu (Brachylaena Huillensis)
Also known as: Laeveldvaalbos (Afrikaans); Low Veld Brachyleana, Low Veld Silver Oak, Silver Oak (English); Mkalambaki, Mkarambati, Muhugu, Muhuhu, Mvumo (Swahili); Muhugu (Trade Name).
Native to: Angola, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda.
Description: The wood is pale yellow to pale brown, with characteristic storeyed structure, scented somewhat like sandalwood, straight grained texture is very fine, even, strong and stiff. It is hard to work but does turn and work well with sharp tools. In Kenya, it is the favourite wood for carving artefacts.

Neem (Azadirachta Indica)
Also known as: Cornucopia, Indian Cedar, Indian Lilac, Margosa Tree, NeemTree (English); Mkilifi, Mwarubaini, Mwarubaini Kamili (Swahili); Margousier, Neem, Nim (French); Neem (Trade name).
Exotic to: Algeria, Angola, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Description: Indica is a species of the mahogany family and has some of the characteristics of a cabinetry wood but has a rough grain. The wood is used to make wardrobes, bookcases, fence posts and packing cases because its insect repellent quality.

Osese (Khaya Ivorensis)
Also known as: African Mahogany, Gold Coast Mahogany, Ivory Coast Mahogany, Nigerian Mahogany (English); Acajou, Acajoud’afrique (French); Mahagoni, Rotes-Khaya (German); African Mahogany (Trade Name).
Native to: Angola, Cameroon, Gabon, Ghana, Nigeria.
Description: The wood is yellowish-brown, durable and has a fine fairly regular grain; it is easy to work and season.

Tweneboah (Ficus sycomorus)
Also known as: Rivierwildevy, Sycomorusvy (Afrikaans); Bamba, Shola (Amharic); Subula (Arabic); Mkunyu (Bemba); Bush Fig, Common Cluster Fig, Strangler-Fig, Sycamore, Sycamore Fig, Wild Fig (English); Katema, Mukuyu (Lozi); Mukunyu (Luganda); Mukuyu (Lunda); Mkuyu (Nyanja); Barda (Somali); Chivuzi, Mkuyu, Mukuyu (Swahili); Umkhiwane (Zulu).
Native to: Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Description: The wood is creamy brown, has a fairly uniform structure, is light, soft, strong, easy to work and finishes smoothly. Mainly used for making mortars and pestles, drums, beehives and dugout canoes.

Wild Olivewood (Olea Europaea sub specie Africana)
Also known as: Olienhout, Olyfboom, Swartolienhout (Afrikaans); Weira (Amharic); Zeitun Bari (Arabic); African wild olive, Brown olive, Olive, Wild olive (English); Ölbaum (German); Umnquma (Ndebele); Mupfungo (Shona); Wera (Somali); Awliie (Tigrigna); Brown Olive (Trade name); UmNqumo (Zulu).
Description: Yellowish brown with dark brown streaks, hard and heavy. Grain is straight to wavy, very fine texture. This is an expensive and very beautiful wood.