Wenge

(Milletia laurentii)

Africa

The growth range of the species is limited to regions of Tropical West Africa, Zaire, Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, Tanzania, and is concentrated between Stanley Pool and Kiwu, in the Province of Equator and around Kisantu.

Wenge is also commonly referred to as awong (cameroon), awoung, bokonge, bwengu, dikela, kiboto, mboto, mibotu, monkonge, mpande (tanzania), mukonde mutshi, mundambi, n'gondou, n'toka, n'toko, nson-so, otogo, palissandre du congo, pallissandre, tshikalakala, zai-wenge.

This exotic African wood has a that heartwood is clearly defined and is a deep rich chocolate brown, with very close, fine, almost black veins, so the wood has alternating dark and light brown bands producing a very distinctive and decorative appearance. There are sometimes closely spaced whitish bands of parenchyma, which can give the wood a particularly interesting appearance. The sapwood is pale yellow or whitish in color, and is clearly demarcated from the heartwood.