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| Name | tatajuba |
| Other Names | Bagaceira, amaparana, tatajuba, menea (Brazil), bagasse, bois bagasse, bois jaune (French Guyana), cow-wood (Guyana), gele bagasse, kow oedoe (Suriname). |
| Botanical Name | Bagassa guianensis Aubl., B. tiliaefolia R. Benoist. |
| Family | Moraceae. |
| Origin | Brazil, Suriname, Guyana, French Guyana |
| Tree Description | Grows to heights between 27 and 30 m. Branch-free trunks are straight, cylindrical, measure between 18 and 18 in length, and 0.5 and 1.0 m in diameter. Damage causes copious amounts of sticky sweet latex to seep from the bark. |
| Available As | Planed timber. |
| Wood Description | Heartwood is yellow in colour when freshly cut and sometimes striped brown. With exposure to light, it turns to a reddish or dark brown, often with a striking golden sheen. Sapwood is pale yellow to white in colour and measures 30 to 40 mm. |
| Wood Type | Hardwood |
| Grain | Interlocked, with strong grain slope. |
| Texture | Moderately coarse. |
| Density | (630)/700/800/900/(980) kg/m3 at 12% humidity, 1070 to 1100 kg/m3 when green. |
| Working | Moderate |
| Drying | Slow. Tendency for distortion while drying. Accelerated drying causes tension that can be alleviated after drying by conditioning. |
| Workability | Good. Easily sawn but slow-going. A chip angle of 15 to 20 degrees should be used when planning due to interlocked grain. Close attention should be paid when milling grooves or deep boring due to possible splintering. |
| Fixings and Fasteners | Pre-drilling required. |
| Bonding | Good. Difficult for wall cladding. |
| Pliability | Supposedly poor. |
| Surface Finishing | Good with solvent-based paint and water-based systems. |
| Durability | Moulds 1. |
| Strength Class | - |
| Impregnability | Heartwood 3 - 4. |
| Peculiarities | The name tatajuba causes confusion regarding its botanical origins. In the Netherlands, UK and Brazil, the name tatajuba is used for the Bagassa genus of wood. Earlier the name tatajuba was used for Maclura tinctoria (L.) D. Don ex Steudl. (= Chlorophora tinctoria Gaud.). Tatajuba wood resembles iroko both outwardly and in many of its properties, although it is somewhat heavier and not as stable. Requires greater care when drying. Tatajuba contains less or no hazardous substances or calcium inclusions. |
| Applications | Same as for iroko, but tatajuba is less stable: frames, windows, stairs, doors, wall cladding, parquet, interior woodwork, furniture, hulls, frames and yacht woodwork. |
| Quality Requirements | - |
Source: Houtvademecum, 8e druk 2001