Botanical name	Colophospermum mopane
	Family	Fabaceae
	Local name	Mopanie
	English name	Mopane
	Distribution	Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Northern Province of South Africa
	The tree	It grows up-to 30 meters and 90 cm in diameter in the more humid regions and about half in dry regions.
	The wood	The heartwood is brown to reddish, the thin sapwood yellow to light brown. The wood is very hard and heavy, termite resistant. Air dry density 1.3 t / m3 (77 lb. / cu. ft.)
	Seasoning	Drying slowly, it doesn’t split or slit easily, the light oily content of the wood might explain this worthwhile feature.
	Workability	It works well with the appropriate tools. It glues well.
	Use	For high quality furniture and inlays in light coloured wood. It has been used for many years for flutes, piccolos and other traditional instruments. The tone is as rich as African Blackwood, as powerful, but a little bit warmer. It resembles the tone of the Cocus wood, which became commercially extinct. Its high density and good workability make it an attractive alternative to Blackwood, especially in very dry and humid countries, where Blackwood has tendency to slit.