Myroxylon balsamum, Santos mahogany, is a species of tree in the family Fabaceae. It is native to tropical forests from Southern Mexico through the Amazon regions of Peru and Brazil at elevations of 200–690 metres (660–2,260 ft). Plants are found growing in well drained soil in evergreen humid forest.
Image: Myroxylon balsamum Köhler–s Medizinal Pflanzen 140
Image: Myroxylon balsamum Köhler–s Medizinal Pflanzen 141
Trunk
Limbs
The Janka hardness test, created by Austrian-born American researcher Gabriel Janka (1864–1932), measures the resistance of a sample of wood to denting and wear. It measures the force required to embed an 11.28-millimeter-diameter steel ball halfway into a sample of wood.
Image: Janka hardness test