English name: Bulletwood
Latin name: Manilkara bidentata
Genus: Manilkara
Other name(s): Massaranduba
Features: Heartwood is a medium to dark reddish brown. Color tends to darken with age. Pale yellow sapwood is clearly differentiated from the heartwood, though not always sharply demarcated.
Trees and distribution: Large trees, up to 30m, more than 1m in diameter, distributed in Caribbean, Central and South America.
Material: Grain straight to interlocked or wavy. Fine uniform texture with low natural luster. Rated as very durable, with good resistance to most insect attack. Susceptible to marine borers. Despite its high density, Bulletwood generally produces good results with both hand and machine tools, though it does exhibit an above-average dulling effect on cutters. Responds well to steam-bending. Can pose challenges in gluing due to high density and oil content. No characteristic odor.
Applications: Heavy construction (within its natural range), decking, flooring, boatbuilding, bent parts, and turned objects.
