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| Name | itauba |
| Other Names | Itaúba, itaúba amarela, itaúba grande, itaúba preta, louro itaúba (Brazil). |
| Botanical Name | Mezilaurus itauba (Meissn.) Taub. ex Mez (= Silvia itauba Meissn.) and M. spec. div.. |
| Family | Lauraceae. |
| Origin | Amazon and the Guyanas |
| Tree Description | Grows to heights of 40 m with a straight, cylindrical trunk and diameters up to 0.75 m. |
| Available As | Planed timber. |
| Wood Description | Heartwood is an even yellowish greeny brown that turns brown or dark brown when exposed to light and air. Itauba feels slightly greasy to the touch and is not particularly shiny. The greyish brown sapwood exhibits a gradual transition, but is clearly distinguishable from the heartwood. Taste and odour are mild and not particularly noticeable when dried. |
| Wood Type | Hardwood |
| Grain | Straight to irregular. |
| Texture | Moderately coarse. |
| Density | 700/850/1000 kg/m3 at 12% humidity, 1070 kg/m3 when green. |
| Working | Supposedly, stable. |
| Drying | Dries very slowly with a tendency for surface hardening and cracking, and distortion. |
| Workability | Dry wood blunts cutting tools due to its silicon content. Hardened metal cutting tools recommended. |
| Fixings and Fasteners | Pre-drilling recommended. |
| Bonding | Poor. |
| Pliability | - |
| Surface Finishing | Good. |
| Durability | Moulds 1. Termites D. Dry wood burrowers D. Supposedly resistant to pileworm. |
| Strength Class | - |
| Impregnability | Heartwood - very difficult. |
| Peculiarities | Zou veel van de eigenschappen van teak hebben. |
| Applications | Has many properties characteristic of teak. |
| Quality Requirements | - |
Source: Houtvademecum, 8e druk 2001