Ochroma
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Ochroma pyramidale, commonly known as balsa, is a large, fast-growing tree native to the Americas. It is the sole member of the genus Ochroma, and is classified in the subfamily Bombacoideae of the ma
Balso
Balsa in Limbe Botanical Garden, Cameroon
Three different sizes of balsa wood stock
Painting by Frances W. Horne from the Flora Borinqueña
Kon-Tiki expedition
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The Kon-Tiki expedition was a 1947 journey by raft across the Pacific Ocean from South America to the Polynesian islands, led by Norwegian explorer and ethnographer Thor Heyerdahl. The raft was named
Ochroma
…breakaway" props for theatre and television, and even in the floor pans of the Chevrolet Corvette. Balsa wood played a historical role in Thor Heyerdahl's Kon-Tiki expedition, where it was used to build a raft. Balsa wood is also popular in arts such as whittling and in the making of baroque-style picture frames due to its…
The Kon-Tiki raft at the Kon-Tiki Museum, Oslo
Thor Heyerdahl, the expedition leader, in 2000
National NC-173 radio receiver used by the expedition
A moai