Ironwood Explained

Ironwood is a common name for many woods or plants that have a reputation for hardness, or specifically a wood density that is heavier than water (approximately 1000 kg/m³, or 62 pounds per cubic foot), although usage of the name ironwood in English may or may not indicate a tree that yields such heavy wood.

Some of the species with their common name

• Acacia aulacocarpa (Brush ironwood)
• Acacia estrophiolata (Southern ironwood), central Australia^[1]
• Acacia excelsa (Ironwood)
• Acacia melanoxylon (Ironwood)
• Acacia stenophylla (Ironwood), Australia
• Aegiphila martinicensis (Ironwood)
• Afzelia africana (Ironwood)
• Androstachys johnsonii (Lebombo ironwood), southeastern Africa and Madagascar^[2]
• Allagoptera caudescens, Borassus flabellifer, Caryota urens, Iriartea deltoidea Black Palm, Palmira wood (Black ironwood)
• Argania spinosa (Morocco ironwood, Thorny, Prickly ironwood)
• Astronium fraxinifolium, Astronium urundeuva (Ironwood)
• Backhousia bancroftii (Bancroft's ironwood)
• Backhousia citriodora (Lemon ironwood), northeastern Australia
• Backhousia myrtifolia (Carrol ironwood, Ironwood)
• (Backhousia subargentea Syn.: Choricarpia subargentea) (Giant ironwood), eastern Australia^[3]
• Bridelia micrantha (Benin or Yoruba ironwood), Bridelia atroviridis (Yoruba ironwood)
• Carpinus caroliniana American hornbeam (Ironwood, Blue-beech ironwood, Smooth-barked ironwood), eastern North America
• Casuarinaceae, She-oaks in general, Southeast Asia (Australian ironwood)
  • Allocasuarina spp.; Allocasuarina luehmannii, Allocasuarina torulosa, Allocasuarina inophloia (Ironwood), Allocasuarina verticillata (Long-leaved, Longleaf ironwood, Highland or Mountain ironwood)
  • Casuarina cunninghamiana (Small-cone ironwood, Australian coast ironwood, River-oak ironwood)
  • Casuarina equisetifolia Toa (Beach, Coast ironwood, Pacific, Sea, South Sea or Polynesian ironwood or Short-leaf and False ironwood, Lowland Ironwood), native from Burma south to Australia^[4]
  • Casuarina cristata (Ironwood)
  • Casuarina glauca (Long-leaf Ironwood, Saltmarsh Ironwood, Blue ironwood)
  • Casuarina stricta (Highland ironwood, Fodder ironwood)
  • Casuarina junghuhniana (Mountain Ironwood)
• (Cenostigma pluviosum Syn.: Caesalpinia pluviosa) (Bolivian ironwood)
• Cercocarpus spp. (Ironwood), Cercocarpus betuloides (Mountain ironwood)
• Chionanthus battiscombei (Water pock ironwood, Small-fruited ironwood, Water Ornate-leaf(ved) ironwood)
• Chionanthus caymanensis (Ironwood, Cayman ironwood)
• Chioanthus compactus (White ironwood)
• Chionanthus panamensis, Chionanthus ligustrinus (Pine ridge ironwood)
• Chionanthus peglerae (Bastard black ironwood or Giant pock ironwood and Pegler's bastard ironwood, Large-leaved ironwood)
• (Citharexylum flexuosum Syn.: Citharexylum spinosum) (White ironwood)
• Cliftonia monophylla (Ironwood)
• Coccoloba pubescens (Broad-leaved ironwood)
• Colophospermum mopane (Black ironwood, Rhodesian ironwood)
• Colubrina elliptica (Ironwood, Martinique ironwood), Colubrina arborescens (West Indian ironwood)
• Combretum imberbe (Ironwood)
• Cordia subcordata (Ironwood)
• Cossinia pinnata (Judas ironwood)
• Cryptocarya lauriflora (Borneo ironwood), Cryptocarya ferrea (Java ironwood)
• Cynometra alexandri (Uganda ironwood), central and east Africa^[5]
• Cyrilla racemiflora (Ironwood, Swamp ironwood)
• Dalbergia melanoxylon (African ironwood)
• Dialium guianense (Ironwood)
• Diploglottis australis Syn.: Diploglottis cunninghamii) (Australian, New Holland ironwood)
• Distylium racemosum (Japanese ironwood)
• Drypetes gerrardii (Bastard white ironwood, Forest ironwood)
• Erythrophleum chlorostachys Steelwood (Cooktown ironwood, Red or Northern ironwood, Leguminous ironwood, Poisonous ironwood), native to northern Australia^[6]
• Erythroxylum areolatum (Cartagena ironwood, Jamaica ironwood)
• Eucalyptus spp. (Australian ironwood)
• Eugenia confusa (Red berry ironwood, Tropical ironwood)
• Eusideroxylon zwageri (Borneo ironwood, Chinese ironwood, Real or True ironwood), southeast Asia
• Exostema caribaeum (Bastard ironwood)
• Exothea paniculata (Ironwood)
• Fagraea fragrans (Sumatra or Java ironwood)
• Fagara lentiscifolia (Bastard ironwood)
• Forestiera pubescens (Ironwood)
• Forestiera pubescens var. parvifolia (New Mexican ironwood)
• Genipa americana (Brazilian ironwood)
• Gordonia haematoxylon (Ironwood)
• Gossia bidwillii (Smooth-barked ironwood, Scrub ironwood), Gossia acmenoides (Scrub ironwood), Gossia dulcis (Ironwood), Gossia floribunda (Cape ironwood), Gossia myrsinocarpa (Malanada ironwood)
• Gymnanthes lucida (Narrow-leaf ironwood)
• (Gymnostoma nodiflorum Syn.: Casuarina nodiflora ) (Knot-flowered ironwood)
• (Gymnostoma papuanum Syn.: Casuarina papuana) (Papuan ironwood)
• (Gymnostoma sumatranum Syn.: Casuarina sumatrana) (Ironwood)
• Handroanthus spp. formerly Tabebuia spp.; Handroanthus heptaphyllus, Handroanthus serratifolius etc., Ipê, Brazilian walnut, Lapacho, Yellow poui (Ironwood)
• Heritiera trifoliolata Black stavewood, Heritiera actinophylla Stavewood (Ironwood)
• Holodiscus discolor Oceanspray (Ironwood), western North America^[7]
• Homalium dentatum, Homalium letestui (Brown ironwood), Homalium rufescens (Small-leaved brown ironwood), Homalium abdessammadii (Zambezi brown ironwood)
• Hopea odorata, Hopea parviflora (Malabar, Ceylon ironwood)
• Hypelate trifoliata (White ironwood)
• Ilex mitis (Lance-leaved ironwood, Smooth or Mild, Unarmed ironwood)
• Inhambanella henriquesii (Rock, Water or Small ironwood)
• Intsia bijuga, Intsia palembanica (Moluccan, Madagascar ironwood)
• Ixora ferrea (Ironwood, West Indian ironwood, Martinique ironwood, Red ironwood, Three-flowered ironwood)
• Jacquinia keyensis (Ironwood)
• Krugiodendron ferreum (Black ironwood, Caribbean or Guadeloupe ironwood), Caribbean
• (Libidibia ferrea Syn.: 'Caesalpinia ferrea) (Brazilian ironwood), Brazil
• Lignum vitae; Guaiacum officinale, Guaiacum sanctum and Argentine, Paraguay Lignum Vitae, Verawood Bulnesia arborea also als Maracaibo Lignum Vitae and Bulnesia sarmientoi (Ironwood)
• Lophira alata (West African ironwood, (Small) Red ironwood, Dwarf (red) ironwood, Dryzone (red) ironwood), western and central Africa^[8]
• Lophira lanceolata ((Dwarf) Red ironwood)
• Lyonothamnus floribundus (Catalina or Western ironwood, Island or Santa Cruz (Island) Ironwood, Lyon's Ironwood or Fern-leaved ironwood), in the rose family, Channel Islands of California^[9]
• Manilkara hexandra (Ceylon ironwood)
• Manilkara kauki (Moluccan ironwood)
• Mesua ferrea (Sri Lankan or Ceylon and Assam ironwood, East Indian Ironwood), southern and southeastern Asia^[10]
• Metrosideros spp. all Species (Ironwood), Metrosideros umbellata (New Zealand Ironwood), Metrosideros kermadecensis (Real or True ironwood)
• Millettia grandis (Kafir ironwood)
• Minquartia guianensis (Ironwood)
• Mouriri myrtilloides (Small-leaved ironwood)
• Myoporum obscurum (Bastard ironwood)
• Myracrodruon urundeuva (Ironwood)
• Nestegis apetala (Bastard ironwood), New Zealand and Norfolk Island^[11]
• Notelaea ligustrina (Tasmanian ironwood, New-South-Wales ironwood)
• Notelaea longifolia (Norfolk-Island ironwood)
• (Noronhia foveolata Syn.: Chionanthus foveolatus) (Pock ironwood, Bastard ironwood or Cape pock ironwood, Bastard, Forest pock ironwood, Ornate-leaf(ved), Fine-leaved ironwood) native to southern Africa^[12]
• Ochna holstii (Red ironwood)
• Oldfieldia africana (West African ironwood)
• Olea capensis (Bastard Black, Forest, Bushveld or False, Bastard ironwood, South African ironwood, Small and Olive ironwood, East African ironwood), Africa^[13]
• Olea woodiana (Black ironwood), eastern and southern Africa
• Olinia ventosa (Sproutful ironwood)
• Olneya tesota (desert ironwood, Arizona or Sonora ironwood, Mexican ironwood)
• Ostrya knowltonii Knowlton's or Western hophornbeam (Canyon ironwood, Western Ironwood)
• Ostrya virginiana Hophornbeam, (North-American, American ironwood, Canadian ironwood, Rough-barked ironwood, Eastern ironwood)
• Palicourea cardiomorpha subsp. cardiomorpha (Panicled-flowered ironwood)
• Parrotia persica (Persian ironwood, Transcaucasian ironwood)
• Parrotia subaequalis (Chinese ironwood)
• Paubrasilia echinata (Ironwood)
• Peltophorum rufum (Cochinchina ironwood)
• Pemphis acidula (Maldivian ironwood)
• Picrodendron baccatum (Black ironwood)
• Planchonella costata (Bastard ironwood)
• Planchonella obovata (Silvery ironwood, Obovate ironwood)
• Prosopis juliflora, Prosopis glandulosa (Texas ironwood), Prosopis kuntzei, Prosopis africana (Ironwood) Mesquite
• Prunus africana (Ironwood)
• Quebracho Schinopsis spp.; Schinopsis brasiliensis, Schinopsis balansae, Schinopsis lorentzii and Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco (Ironwood)
• Rapanea melanophloeos (Laurel-leaved ironwood)
• Rauvolfia sandwicensis (Hawaiian ironwood)
• Reynosia septentrionalis, Reynosa latifolia (Red ironwood)
• Rhodamnia acuminata (Cooloola ironwood)
• Rhodomyrtus trineura var. canescens (Crater ironwood), Rhodomyrtus pervagata (Rusty ironwood)
• Rothmannia capensis (Black ironwood, Cape of Good Hope ironwood)
• Schleichera oleosa (Ironwood)
• Senegalia intsia (Indian ironwood)
• Senegalia muricata (Ironwood)
• Senegalia tenuifolia (Antillean ironwood)
• Senna siamea (Indonesian or Indian ironwood)
• Sideroxylon spp. (Ironwood);
  • Sideroxylon inerme (Smooth or White ironwood, Broad-leaved, Unarmed ironwood, Cape or East African ironwood)
  • Sideroxylon lanuginosum or Gum bully (Ironwood)
  • Sideroxylon lycioides (American ironwood, Canada thorny ironwood, Willow-leaved, Boxthorn-leaved ironwood, Ten-threaded, Decandrous ironwood, Bumelia ironwood)
  • Sideroxylon tenax (Silky(-leaved) ironwood, Silvery-leaved ironwood)
  • Sideroxylon celastrinum (Ironwood)
  • Sideroxylon cinereum (White ironwood, Bourbon or Mauritius ironwood)
  • Sideroxylon foetidissimum (Opposite-leaved ironwood)
  • Sideroxylon lanuginosum (Woolly-leaved ironwood)
  • Sideroxylon reclinatum (Reclined ironwood)
• Sloanea dentata (Black ironwood, Broad-leaf ironwood)
• Sloanea jamaicensis, Sloanea sinemariensis (Ironwood)
• Stadmania spp. (Ironwood, Bois de fer, Mauritius ironwood), Stadmania oppositifolia (Bourbon ironwood)
• Swartzia spp.; Swartzia tomentosa (Cayenne ironwood), Swartzia bannia, Swartzia bidentata, Swartzia leiocalycina, Swartzia ingifolia, Swartzia grandifolia, Swartzia panacoco (Guiana ironwood) etc. (Ironwood, South American ironwood, Suriname ironwood)
• Terminalia canescens (Ironwood)
• Tetragastris balsamifera (West Indian ironwood)
• Thouinia striata (Ironwood, Quebracho)
• Trichilia hirta (Bastard ironwood)
• Tristaniopsis laurina (Canungra ironwood)
• Vachellia farnesiana (Ironwood)
• Vepris lanceolata (White ironwood), Vepris reflexa (Woodland white ironwood, Bushveld white ironwood, Drooping or Rock white ironwood), Vepris undulata (White ironwood), Vepris carringtoniana (Coastal white ironwood, Wing-leaved white ironwood), Vepris zambesiaca (Rare white ironwood), Vepris termitaria (Riverine white ironwood) native to South Africa
• Vernonia angustifolia (Narrow-leaf ironwood)
• Vernonia gigantea (Oval-leaved ironwood)
• Xanthostemon species collectively known as "Philippine ironwood", all endemic to the Philippines^[14]

• Xanthostemon bracteatus (Mapilig)

• Xanthostemon fruticosus (Sierra Madre mangkono)

• Xanthostemon philippinensis (Bagoadlau)

• Xanthostemon verdugonianus (Mangkono)

• Xanthostemon speciosus (Palawan mangkono)
• Xanthostemon verus (Asian or Moluccan, Real or True ironwood)
• Xantolis tomentosa (Armed ironwood, Felty, Woolly, Downy-leaved ironwood)
• Xylia xylocarpa (Burma ironwood or Myanmar ironwood)
• Zanthoxylum fagara (Bastard, False ironwood, Yellow ironwood, Jamaica, Brazilian ironwood, Intended-leaved American ironwood)
• Zanthoxylum piperitum (Crenated-leaved ironwood)
• Zanthoxylum tragodes (Prickly-leaved American ironwood)
• Zapoteca tetragona (Antillean ironwood)

See also

• Ironwood Island (Wisconsin)
• Ironwood, Michigan
• Ironwood State Prison
• Black ironwood (disambiguation)
• Ironbark, various Eucalyptus spp.
• Iron tree (disambiguation)
• Janka hardness test
• Sideroxylon, from sideros (σιδηρος) meaning "iron", and xylon (ξύλον) meaning "wood"
• Járnviðr

Notes and References

1. Web site: Acacia estrophiolata F. Muell.. FAO. https://web.archive.org/web/20080709022239/http://www.fao.org./ag/agp/agpc/doc/Gbase/new_grasses/acaest.htm. 2008-07-09 . July 9, 2008.
2. Web site: Yashe . Asavela . Hankey . Andrew . Androstachys johnsonii Prain . June 2020 . PlantZAfrica.com . SANBI.
3. Web site: Giant Ironwood - profile. Threatened species. New South Wales Office of Environment & Heritage . 2014-08-05.
4. Book: Boland. D. J.. M. I. H.. Brooker. G. M.. Chippendale. M. W.. McDonald. Forest trees of Australia. 2006. CSIRO Publishing. Collingwood, Vic.. 0-643-06969-0. 5th. 82.
5. Web site: Cynometra alexandri . Wood Technical Fact Sheets . USDA Forest Service.
6. Book: Boland. D.J.. Brooker. M.I.H. Chippendale. G.M.. Hall. N.. Hyland. B.P.M.. Johnstone. R.D.. Kleinig. D.A.. Turner. J.D.. 4. 1984. Forest trees of Australia. CSIRO. Melbourne. 68.
7. Web site: Holodiscus discolor (Pursh) Maxim.. USDA. Plants Profile. 2008.
8. Web site: Azobe (Lophira alata). Wildscreen Arkive. 2017-03-19. https://web.archive.org/web/20170320055036/http://www.arkive.org/azobe/lophira-alata/. 2017-03-20. dead.
9. Erwin . D. M. . Schorn . H. E. . 2000 . Revision of Lyonothamnus A.Gray (Rosaceae) from the Neogene of Western North America . International Journal of Plant Sciences . 161 . 1 . 179–193 . amp . 10.1086/314232. 10648208 . 9161661 .
10. Web site: biotik.org. Mesua ferrea L. – Clusiaceae. 2017-03-19. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304001052/http://www.biotik.org/india/species/m/mesuferr/mesuferr_en.html. 2016-03-04. dead.
11. Web site: Nestegis apetala. New Zealand Plant Conservation Network.
12. Web site: Chionanthus foveolatus. Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families.
13. Web site: Olea capensis. Ecocrop. FAO. 2017-03-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20110726051258/http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/cropView?id=8059. 2011-07-26. dead.
14. Department of the Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). The Five Endemic Species of Philippine Ironwoods (Mangkono) . RISE . July–December 2021 . 33 . 2.