COMMON NAMES:   Lapacho, ipe (Brazil), bethabara

SPECIFIC GRAVITY:   .85 - .97

DENSITY:  

TANGENTIAL MOVEMENT:   8%

RADIAL MOVEMENT:   6.6%

VOLUMETRIC SHRINKAGE:   13.2%

DURABILITY1:   Outstanding

SOURCE:  Members of the Lapacho Group in the Tabebuia genus are native throughout tropical Latin America.

DESCRIPTION:   Lapacho is the Argentine name for the wood normally sold in the U.S. as ipe, although there are at least two distinct species that are marketed as ipe. Color may vary from grayish olive drab to dark chocolate brown with black streaks. All members of the Lapacho group are fine textured, extremely dense and have excellent decay resistance. Attractively pigmented stock is used for decorative veneers, while less colorful material is used for heavy construction and decking. Wood contains a compound called lapachol, which is a potential allergen.

1 Durability refers to a wood's resistance to rotting in wet environments.