Ochroma pyramidale, commonly known as the balsa tree, is a large, fast-growing tree native to the Americas. It is the sole member of the genus Ochroma.[1] The tree is famous for its wide usage in woodworking, due to its softness and its high strength compared to its low density. The name balsa is the Spanish word for "raft."[3]
A deciduous angiosperm, Ochroma pyramidale can grow up to 30 m tall, and is classified as a hardwood despite the wood itself being very soft; it is the softest commercial hardwood and is widely used because of its light weight.
Balsa trees grow extremely fast, often up to 27 metres in 10–15 years, and do not usually live beyond 30 to 40 years. They are often cultivated in dense patches, with Ecuador supplying 95% or more of the commercial balsa. The wood from these trees is highly valuable due to its high strength-to-weight ratio, which is achieved through a kiln-drying process that leaves the wood's cells hollow and empty.
Balsa wood is popular for light, stiff structures in model bridge tests, model buildings, and construction of model aircraft. It is also used in the manufacturing of wooden crankbaits for fishing, makeshift pens for calligraphy, composites, surfboards, boats, "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 the raft. Balsa wood is also popular in arts such as whittling, and in the making of baroque-style picture frames due to its ease of shaping.
^ ab"Search results for Ochroma". The Plant List. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
^"Ochroma". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 26 October 2009.
^"balsa, n.". OED Online. March 2013. Oxford University Press. 9 May 2013
Ochroma pyramidale, commonly known as the balsa tree, is a large, fast-growing tree native to the Americas. It is the sole member of the genus Ochroma...
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main nutrient found in pearl bodies, found on the leaves and stems of Ochroma plants. Most ant inhabitants of Cecropia plants harvest the last type of...
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sensu lato (in the broad sense), are valued for their wood, with that of Ochroma (balsa) being known for its lightness, and that of Tilia (lime, linden...
(southern Zaire, Angola, Namibia) A. a. nyasana Hawker-Smith, 1933 A. a. ochroma Vári, 1976 (Eswatini to Mpumalanga, Gauteng, the Free State, Limpopo, North...
for some of the softest hardwoods commercially traded, especially balsa, Ochroma lagopus. The fruit of the durian, Durio zibethinus is famous, tasting better...
species of Ceiba such as Ceiba pentandra, Hura crepitans and Ficus elastica, Ochroma pyramidale, Licania tomentosa, Ficus religiosa, Ficus benghalensis, Spathodea...
the African shrub Protea rubropilosa. Extracts from the fresh-water alga Ochromas malhamensis contain this sugar but of unknown absolute configuration. It...
surfers as they provide a durable, inexpensive, entry-level board. The Ochroma pyramidale wood's surfboard history originates in the Hawaiians, and the...
mid-elevations along the western slope of the Ecuadorian Andes. The larvae feed on Ochroma pyramidale. Miller, James S. (2009). "Generic revision of the Dioptinae...
Satipoella bufo (Thomson, 1868) Satipoella heilipoides Lane, 1964 Satipoella ochroma Julio, 2003 Bezark, Larry G. A Photographic Catalog of the Cerambycidae...
well known pioneer forest species can be found among the genera Cecropia, Ochroma and Trema. Things in nature are not black and white, and there are intermediate...
Islands, the Kei Islands and possibly the Philippines. The larvae feed on Ochroma pyramidale. Wikimedia Commons has media related to Homona phanaea. Wikispecies...
O'Dowd, Dennis J. (1 January 1980). "Pearl Bodies of a Neotropical Tree, Ochroma pyramidale: Ecological Implications". American Journal of Botany. 67 (4):...
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