Peroba Rosa

Peroba Rosa (Aspidosperma polyneuron)
Peroba Rosa (Aspidosperma polyneuron)

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Common Name(s): Peroba Rosa

Scientific Name: Aspidosperma polyneuron (syn. A. dugandii, A. peroba)

Distribution: Brazil and Argentina

Tree Size: 100-125 ft (30-38 m) tall, 4-5 ft (1.2-1.5 m) trunk diameter

Average Dried Weight: 47 lbs/ft3 (755 kg/m3)

Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC): .65, .75

Janka Hardness: 1,670 lbf (7,450 N)

Modulus of Rupture: 15,640 lbf/in2 (107.8 MPa)

Elastic Modulus: 2,002,000 lbf/in2 (13.81 GPa)

Crushing Strength: 9,140 lbf/in2 (63.0 MPa)

Shrinkage: Radial: 3.8%, Tangential: 6.4%, Volumetric: 11.6%, T/R Ratio: 1.7

Color/Appearance: Heartwood color ranges from yellow to pinkish red, sometimes with darker streaks of purple or brown. Gray to yellow sapwood not sharply demarcated from heartwood. Color tends to darken with age.

Grain/Texture: Grain is generally straight to slightly irregular or interlocked. Texture is fine and uniform.

Endgrain: Diffuse-porous; small to medium pores in no specific arrangement, numerous; exclusively solitary; heartwood gum deposits and tyloses occasionally present, though not easily observed with lens; narrow rays not visible without lens, normal spacing; parenchyma diffuse-in-aggregates, though not easily observed with lens.

Rot Resistance: Rated as durable regarding decay resistance, though susceptible to termite attack.

Workability: Overall easy to work, producing good results, though Peroba Rosa has an above average blunting effect on cutters. Glues, turns, and finishes well.

Odor: No characteristic odor.

Allergies/Toxicity: Although severe reactions are quite uncommon, Peroba Rosa has been reported as a sensitizer. Usually most common reactions simply include eye, skin, and respiratory irritation, as well as nausea and asthma-like symptoms. Generally, green wood causes the most pronounced reactions, while dry wood loses much of its toxicity. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information.

Pricing/Availability: Infrequently seen in the United States, Peroba Rosa is becoming increasingly scarce. Prices should be in the mid-to-upper range for an imported tropical hardwood.

Sustainability: This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices, but is on the IUCN Red List. It is listed as endangered due to a population reduction of over 50% in the past three generations, caused by a decline in its natural range, and exploitation.

Common Uses: Veneer, furniture, cabinetry, general construction (within natural range), carvings, and turned objects.

Comments: Reported to have good acoustic properties.

Related Species:

Related Articles:

Scans/Pictures: A special thanks to Steve Earis for providing the wood sample (veneer) of this wood species.

Peroba Rosa (Aspidosperma polyneuron)
Peroba Rosa (sanded)

Peroba Rosa (sealed)
Peroba Rosa (sealed)

Peroba Rosa (endgrain)
Peroba Rosa (endgrain)

Peroba Rosa (endgrain 10x)
Peroba Rosa (endgrain 10x)
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S K Isted

I think I used this wood in 1943-1944 when we were making tables which had legs which could be stored inside, these were made for the Government . The wood was used as edging to the ply tops, we hated working with this wood as the grain ran different directions it was also very hard. We always felt that this wood this wood came to England as part of packing cases’s bringing war supplies to England during the war. I could be wrong as we called this wood Rosa Perosa.