Common Names: African Blackwood
African blackwood
African ebony
African grenadilo
Banbanus
Ebene
Grenadilla
Grenadille d'Afrique

 		 Mpingo
Mufunjo
Mugembe
Mukelete
Pau preto
Poyi
Zebra wood
 

African blackwood is reported to occur extensively in the savannah areas in Africa, from Sudan southward to Mozambique, westward to Angola, and northward to Nigeria and Senegal.  The tree is also reported to grow in western India.The heartwood has an almost black appearance.

It is dark-purple brown in color, with predominant black streaks.

African blackwood is reported to be superior to Ebony for the manufacture of woodwind instruments because of its oily nature and high tolerance to fluctuations in climatic conditions.  It is reported to respond almost as well as metals to tapping for screw threads. It is an expensive wood.
 

 

 

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