MOKUREI COLLECTION / ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPHArgentine Lignum Vitae
Plectrocarpa sarmientoi (syn. Bulnesia sarmientoi)
Olive-brown to deep greenish-brown heartwood, typically showing soft striped or feathered figure.
- Botanical family
- Zygophyllaceae
- Average dry density
- 1,200 kg/m³ (≈12% MC)
- Janka hardness
- 3,870 lbf
- Native distribution
- Gran Chaco region, South America
- Grain & texture
- Fine, usually interlocked; exceptionally lustrous
Original photograph © Mokurei Studio · timber held in the studio collection. Identification supplied by the studio; physical-property values are literature references, not measurements of the pictured piece.
Material character
Exceptionally dense, self-lubricating timber; the heartwood can develop an aged olive-brown patina.
Notable applications
Precision bearings, turned objects and decorative handles.
Of particular interest
Not the true lignum vitae of the Guaiacum genus. The accepted name is Plectrocarpa sarmientoi; Bulnesia sarmientoi is a taxonomic synonym.
Workshop note
Studio-identified Argentine Lignum Vitae, distinct from Guaiacum. Published average dried weight: 1,200 kg/m³; side-grain Janka hardness: 3,870 lbf (The Wood Database). Values are not measurements of this individual blank. Check provenance and applicable trade requirements before sale.