Ayous Round Logs

APPEARANCE AND PHYSICAL PROPERTIES.
Ayous or Obeche is harvested in forests in the central and Eastern Regions of Cameroon. it is creamy-white to pale-straw in colour with no clear distinction between sapwood and heartwood, though the wide sapwood is more susceptible to discoloration and insect attack. It is the lightest low-cost utility hardwood in general use, the density being about 0,38 seasoned. The grain is slightly interlocked; the texture open. When cut on the quarter and stained it has some resemblance to African mahogany. Large logs commonly contain brittleheart. The wood has a ribbon-like aspect on quarter-sawn faces, and is lustrous. Fresh wood has an unpleasant smell, which disappears upon drying.