goncalo alves
Appearance
While the sapwood is very light in color, the heartwood is a sombre brown, with dark streaks that give it a unique look. The wood's color deepens with exposure and age and even the plainer-looking wood has a natural luster.
Species
Two species are usually listed as sources for gonçalo alves: Astronium fraxinifolium{{cite journal |last1=Rizzini |first1=Carlos Toledo |title=The Discovery of Sebastião-de-Arruda, a Fine Brazilian Wood That Was Botanically Unknown |journal=Economic Botany |date=1978 |volume=32 |issue=1 |pages=51–58 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/4253890 |issn=0013-0001}} and Astronium graveolens, although other species in the genus, including Astronium lecointei, may yield similar wood; the amount of striping that is present may vary. All trees grow in neotropical forests; Brazil is a major exporter of these woods, and is the origin of its Portuguese (language) name.