Wenge
Family
Leguminosae
Other Common Names
Millettia laurentii: Wenge (Zaire), Awong (Cameroon). Millettia stuhlmannii: Panga panga, Mpande (Tanzania).
Distribution
Southern regions of Tanzania and Mozambique, found in open forests. Wenge occurs in the Congo region in periodically inundated swampy forests.
The Tree
Varies with species, about 60 to 90 ft; bole usually straight and unbuttressed; trunk diameters 3 to 4 ft.
The Wood
General Characteristics
Heartwood dark brown to almost black with alternate layers of light and dark tissue forming a decorative figure; sapwood yellowish white, clearly demarcated. Texture rather coarse; grain straight.