Genuine lustrous satinwoods in origin are respectively East Indian (Chloroxylon Swietenia) and West Indian (Xanthoxylum).
The two most important walnut timbers are those of Juglans regia, whose distribution stretches from England to northern India, and J. nigra, which is North American. The heart-wood of both species is brown, that of the former species is often traversed by brown lines, while that of the American is wholly of a blacker brown. Both woods are unrivalled for the manufacture of gun stocks and are excellent furniture wood, as when it has been thoroughly seasoned and polished it shrinks and swells very little. The wood has clearly marked annual rings and thus contrasts with two tropical spurious "walnuts," the East Indian (Albizzia Lebbek) and West African (Lovoa Klaineana). A third misnamed wood is known in Great Britain as "satin wal nut" (also as "hazel-pine") and in the United States, its native country, as gum (sweet or red).
Confusion frequently arises in England as to the identities of several woods that are more or less white. From the United States there are exported to England several kinds of wood hav ing that character. (I ) One is named "canary whitewood" in
Great Britain but "yellow poplar" in America : it is produced by the tulip-tree (Liriodendron Tulipifera), and ranges in colour from light yellow to iridescent blue. (2) In addition are woods pro duced by true poplar trees (Populus), which are named "cotton woods" in the United States. (3) Thirdly there are woods known in England as lime and in America as basswood, that are produced by lime-trees (Tilia spp.), which of course are very different from the limes (Citrus) producing the familiar juicy fruits.
BIBLIoGRAPHY.-Percy Groom, Trees and their Life Histories (Lon don, 1907) , a finely illustrated book, giving accounts of the natural histories, some of the diseases, and means of identification of a number of European, North American and other species of trees, mostly yield ing commercial timbers; Alex. Howard, Timbers of the World (Lon don, 1920), a comprehensive work dealing seriatim with the world's most important timbers of commerce mainly from the view-point of their properties, including appearances and uses, and geographical and botanical sources: it also includes special articles on the conversion and preservation of timber, and on artificial seasoning; A. Koehler, The Properties and Uses of Wood (New York and London, 1924), an excellent general account of the subject ; H. D. Tiemann, The Kiln Dry ing of Lumber (Philadelphia and London, 1917), an authoritative and lucid exposition on the theory and practice of artificial seasoning of wood in kilns. (P. GM.)