Chloroxylon swietenia / Swietenia chloroxylon – Ceylon Satinwood, East Indian Satinwood, Buruta

Description

Chloroxylon swietenia , the Ceylon satinwood or East Indian satinwood, is a tropical hardwood, the sole species in the genus Chloroxylon. It is native to southern India, Sri Lanka, and Madagascar.

It and Zanthoxylum flavum, the West Indian satinwood, are considered to be the original satinwoods. Its wood is prized for veneers, inlays, fine furniture, and other specialty applications. Populations have declined due to overexploitation.

Ceylon Satinwood is a hardwood tree, native to south India and Sri Lanka. Ceylon Satinwood is a medium-sized deciduous tree, growing to 15-20 m tall, with thick, fissured, slightly corky bark. Alternately arranged leaves are 15-22 cm long, pinnately divided into 10-20 pairs of oblong, blunt leaflets. The flowers are small, creamy-white, produced in panicles 10-20 cm long. Buds are round. the fruit is an oblong three-segmented capsule 2.5-4.5 cm long, containing 1-4 seeds in each segment. The wood produced by the tree is often a golden colour with a reflective sheen. It is used for small luxury items and as a veneer in wooden furniture. It is one of the best-known satinwoods.