Avodire
Botanical Name: (Turreanthus africanus)
Avodire is a tropical West African species belonging to the mahogany family. The wood, however, is not generally associated with this group because of its light yellow color; but rather, in this respect, resembles primavera, limba, or one of the satinwoods. It has been utilized quite extensively in France and other parts of Europe for a considerable time, but as yet has not found the measure of acceptance on the American market that its fine qualities warrant. Avodire is an attractive blond-colored wood that is fairly easily machined, can be finished quite well, has good dimensional stability, and is readily available. It is well suited for musical instruments with tonal qualities very similar to mahogany.
Distribution and Habitat
Avodire is essentially a West African species. It grows in an area ranging roughly from Sierra Leone in the north to Angola in the south, with the Ivory Coast being the principal source of export logs. The trees occur in a rather narrow semicoastal belt 50 to 100 miles inland, among the foothills, just above the dense tropical jungle but below the drier highland forest type. They are usually found growing in localized groups that often form almost pure stands in the rich, moist soil on the borders of streams and the margins of meadows, swamps, and lakes.