SCIENTIFIC NAME
Bulnesia arborea. Derivation: The genus name was assigned by Claude Gay, the French botanist, in his book Flora for Chili (ca. 1850) to honor Manuel Bulnes, President of Chile (1841 to 1851), and the Chilean town of Bulnes. The specific epithet is Latin meaning tree-like.

FAMILY
Zygophyllaceae, the caltrop family.

OTHER NAMES
Maracaibo lignumvitae, guayacan, bera cuchivaro.

DISTRIBUTION
Verawood is native to the coastal areas of Colombia and Venezuela. As one of its common names suggests, it is plentiful in the Lake Maracaibo region. Despite the fact that its range tends to be coastal, this species prefers higher ground and drier soils.

THE TREE
While small relative to most tropical timbers, verawood may occasionally reach heights of up to 100 feet but typical specimens average 40 to 50 feet in height. Under ideal growing conditions, the bole is straight, yielding good saw logs, even though the diameter seldom exceeds 2 feet. Genetically, this species is perhaps the best timber producer in the caltrop family, but the family's other genera offer little competition.

THE TIMBER
With an average reported specific gravity of 1.00 (ovendry weight/green volume), equivalent to an air-dried weight of 83 pcf, verawood is about as heavy as water. While this ranks it among the heaviest woods in the world, it is slightly less dense than its close relative lignumvitae (Guaiacum officinale WDS 132) which has a specific gravity of 1.05. Being extremely fine textured and oily to the touch, this species is similar in appearance to lignumvitae, but often exhibits a brighter green color and more attractive figure with dark brown stripes. It is extremely strong and is especially resistant to abrasion. Because of its high density, it is exceptionally rigid and not particularly elastic. Technically, this defines the wood as brittle, but compared to other woods it does not break easily.

SEASONING
Because it is dense and drenched with oil and resins, verawood air dries very slowly. Shrinkage values are not available.

DURABILITY
This species is one of the most durable woods in the world. When used as pilings and fence posts, verawood will outlast most treated timbers.

WORKABILITY
The working characteristics of verawood are comparable to the softer metals than to virtually any other wood, except for its relative lignumvitae. Fasteners of any kind must literally be "fitted" with nearly exact pilot holes. The wood resists adhesives and penetrating finishes, but it polishes so well that no additional finish is necessary. Although it is exceptionally hard on tools, verawood produces nice results when turned on the lathe. When turned, it is very important that the wood is well seasoned or it may distort or check after the work is completed. Verawood has an exceptionally strong and pleasant scent especially when sanded, since the heat caused by friction releases some of its volatiles.

USES
Because of verawood's self-lubricating properties, it is used in many of the same industrial applications as lignumvitae, such as for bushings, collars and rollers. Lignumvitae is generally preferred for marine use as propeller shaft bushings where its ever so slight advantage in terms of density makes it more resistant to wear. Verawood is an excellent choice for mallet heads, splitting wedges or dowel pins that must withstand constant wear. Within its native range, some verawood is used for fence posts, but its price on the international market makes it too costly for such ordinary, high-volume applications. This is a species to be used sparingly when the project calls for its unique combination of incredible strength and durability.

SUPPLIES
Currently, verawood is a little more plentiful than lignumvitae, but both are becoming scarce and expensive. Being extremely slow growers, both species require literally centuries to achieve full maturity.

Information from A Guide to Useful Woods of the World, Second Edition, James H. Flynn, Jr. and Charles D. Holder, Editors. Forest Products Society, Madison, Wisconsin, 2001.

Photographs from MDArtworks