Olea capensis

Black ironwood
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Lamiales
Family:	Oleaceae
Genus:	Olea
Species:	O. capensis
Binomial name
Olea capensis L.
Synonyms
Olea laurifolia Lam.

Olea laurifolia Lam.

Olea capensis (syn. Olea undulata), also known by the common name black ironwood, is an African tree species belonging to the Olive family (Oleaceae). It is widespread in Africa, being found almost throughout Africa south of the Sahara from the east in Somalia, Ethiopia and Sudan, south to the tip of South Africa, and west to Cameroon, Sierra Leone and the Islands of the Gulf of Guinea, as well as Madagascar and the Comoros. It occurs in bush, littoral scrub and evergreen forest.

Olea capensis is known by a variety of common names including:

The black ironwood is a bushy shrub, or a small to medium-sized tree, up to 10 metres (33 ft) in height, occasionally reaching 40 metres (130 ft).

The species has been divided into 3 subspecies:

Olea capensis has masses of sweetly scented bisexual flowers, that produce large edible fruits.

The wood of the tree is very hard, fine grained, and heavy, and although difficult to work, it is widely used for art and artifacts.

Olea capensis is cultivated as an ornamental tree in parks and gardens.

The Guinness Book of World Records lists this tree as the world's heaviest wood, with a specific gravity of 1.49. It is known for its tendency to sink in water, unlike other wood materials. It is also the one of the world's hardest woods according to the Janka hardness test. The timber has a good abrasion resistance and is very strong. It is an excellent turnery wood, and is used for a wide range of decorative items.

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Wikipedia