Origin |
Brazil/Amazon, Guyana, Suriname |
bulk density |
0,8 g / cm³ |
durability class |
2 |
radial shrinkage |
5,1% |
Tangential shrinkage |
8,2% |
wood color |
pink, light reddish brown to violet dark brown |
wood structure |
coarse-pored |
Usage |
Lumber, hydraulic engineering |
"Guyana Teak", or botanically correct: Basralocus, has the special property that it has a high resistance when it is in water. It is also often sold as reservoir wood. Contrary to what the name Guyana Teak suggests, it does not have the properties, high durability and appearance of teak.
Guyana teak is not teak
"Guyana Teak" is often combined with real Teak (botanical name: Tectona Grandis). The term "Guyana Teak" found in trade is misleading: the wood so named is actually called Basralocus or Angélique and is a different tree with different properties than the teak tree.
For example, the wood sold under the name "Guyana Teak" usually falls into resistance class 2 and not 1 - like real teak - so it is not as durable. The wood structure is also significantly more coarse-pored and not as supple and barefoot-friendly as teak. In addition, the color of the wood is not honey-gold like that of real teak. These differences explain the lower price compared to real teak.
Resistant in sea and sea
Basralocus is very popular as a construction timber, for example for building bridges, for locks or docks. The reason is: the wood is only rarely attacked and if it is much more slowly than other woods, it is attacked by pests that live in water, such as the bore clam. So it counts alongside Cumaru to the construction timbers that are suitable for hydraulic engineering.
Sources: Wood ABC GD wood, tropix