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Abstract
Excerpts: Greenheart (Nectandra rodiœi Schomb.) is a South American and West Indian tree belonging to the laurel family (Lauraceæ), which includes our red bay (Persea borbonia (Linn.) Spreng.) and sassafras (Sassafras sassafras (Linn.) Karst.). Native Indian names for it are bebeeru, bibiru, supeira, and sipiri. Another name sometimes given it is torchwood, due to the fact that the heartwood of older trees, which is full of oil, burns readily. The truly remarkable lasting qualities of mature greenheart wood have given the tree a world-wide reputation. Authentic records show that the best grades surpass iron and steel in durability when placed in water or in contact with the soil. Greenheart is unsurpassed as a construction timber. It finds its chief use in ship and dock building, especially for keelsons, beams, engine bearers, planking, dock gates, lock gates, piers, and piling. All the gates, piers, and jetties of the Liverpool docks and practically all the lock gates of the Bridgewater Canal (England) are of greenheart.