{"id":2203,"date":"2017-02-19T04:00:34","date_gmt":"2017-02-19T09:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.woodturningpens.com\/?p=2203"},"modified":"2017-01-04T19:27:28","modified_gmt":"2017-01-05T00:27:28","slug":"2203-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.woodturningpens.com\/2203-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Argentine Osage Orange"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
The wood commonly referred to and sold as Argentine Osage Orange is known to botanists and other scientists as Maclura tinctoria<\/em>. In times past, M. tinctoria<\/em> was classified as belonging to both the Chlorophora<\/em> and Morus<\/em> genuses although the species designation stayed consistent.<\/p>\n Those who are familiar with some of the more commonly desirable domestic hardwoods may recognize the Maclura<\/em> genus from Maclura pomifera<\/em>, otherwise known as American Osage Orange, about which I have written extensively in the past<\/a>. The common name Argentine Osage Orange is used to distinguish between these two closely related species without having to resort to Latin naming conventions.<\/p>\n As the common name suggests, M. tinctoria<\/em> is harvested from the northeastern tropical regions of Argentina, however, the tree grows and can be harvested from a wide region of the American tropics stretching from southern Mexico through Central America and down into Argentina. Given the very wide geographic range of M. tinctoria<\/em> the common name is somewhat misleading although commonly understood among wood workers and vendors.<\/p>\n To make matters more confusing, the Guatemalan variety of this same tree is sometimes sold as “Mora” or “Guatemalan Tigerwood.” The use of the common name “Mora” leads to confusion with another wood harvested in northern South America, but not in Guatemala, Mora excelsa<\/em>, which is also sometimes sold under the common name “Mora.” Any wood sold specifically as “Guatemalan Mora” or “Guatemalan Tigerwood” is in fact M. tinctoria<\/em>.<\/p>\n Some people may be familiar with the name “fustic.” This was the common name used by the British for this tree and its wood, but more specifically for the dye that can be extracted from the wood. This dye was used to create, in addition to other colors, the unique khaki color of United States and other nations’ military uniforms especially during World War I.<\/p>\n For the sake of common understanding and ease of communication, I will refer to M. tinctoria<\/em> from this point forward as Argentine Osage Orange.<\/p>\n