Scientific name: Pterogyne nitens Tul

Name in Portuguese: Ybyraro

Name in English: Amendoim

Characteristics of the Wood: Density apparent: a timber of peanut is moderately dense (0.70 to 0.87 g/cm3), 15% humidity (Tortorelli, 1956, Pereira & Mainieri, 1957; Chimelo & Mainieri, 1989; Jankowsky et al., 1990).

Color: Sapwood Heartwood, beige slightly yellowish. Heartwood pinkish-beige, dark or light brown, uniform.

General Characteristics: shiny surface and irregular, smooth to the touch and lustrous to something rough, medium texture, grain straight to irregular. Barely perceptible odor, sometimes with the odor of raw peanuts and slightly bitter taste.

Natural Durability: Moderately resistant to decay and should not be in contact with the soil moisture or prolonged. Cuttings heart of this kind proved to be highly resistant to fungus and termite resistant (Cavalcante et al., 1982). Stakes buried for 20 years, indicate that the average life of the wood of this species is less than fifteen years (Rocha et al., 2000).

Preservation: wood with low permeability to preserving solutions, presents the vessels partially obstructed by oil-resin fiber.

Drying: tending to show cracks. The process conducted in a greenhouse should be strictly controlled to avoid high incidence of defects.

Workability: easy, getting a good finish. It is considered easy to assemble.

Other Features: Displays some resemblance to mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla), but heavier and less beautiful (Rizzini, 1971), and comparable, but lower than cabriúva (Myrocarpus frondosus). Wood is resilient, tenacious and resilient, used in curved pieces (Correa, 1975). Character anatomical, physical and mechanical properties of wood of this species are found in Mainieri & Chimelo (1989) and Mattos (1999).