English name: Bosse
Latin name: Guarea thompsonii
Family: Meliaceae
Genus: Guarea
Other name(s): Bosse, Muligbanaye( Ivory Coast), Dark bosse, Ebanghemwa, Timbi( Cameroon), Obobo Nekwi, Akuraten( Nigeria), Bolon( Kenya), Diampi( zaire, Congo, Germany), Bosassa( zaire), Black guarea( Britain, Ghana), Lombe, Divuiti( Gabon).
Features: Heartwood initially a pale pinkish brown, darkening with age to a more golden to medium brown. Pale yellowish sapwood is well defined. Can be highly figured, with grain patterns such as pommele being sought after in veneer form.
Trees and distribution: Large trees, up to 30m, more than 0.9m in diameter, distributed in tropical Africa.
Material: Grain can be straight, interlocked, wavy, or anything in between. (Veneer sheets also exhibit a wide range of grain patterns.) Texture is medium to fine, with a good natural luster. Heartwood ranges from moderately durable to very durable regarding decay resistance. Bosse also has fair resistance against insect attacks and has good weathering characteristics. Results may vary depending upon the grain of the wood: interlocked and/or quartersawn pieces can pose a difficulty planing, with tearout being common. Silica is present in this wood, causing cutting edges to blunt and dull at an increased rate. Glues, turns, and finishes well. Bosse can have a distinct, cedar-like odor while being worked.
Applications: Veneer, furniture, cabinetry, inlay, flooring, boatbuilding, and turned objects.
