Post:Trees, Lumberjacking, and You: What in the world is THAT? - 06/20/2015 - 10:16

Trees, Lumberjacking, and You: What in the world is THAT? · on 06/20/2015 10:16 AM CDT	60
Hi everyone! While this isn't a full list of trees in the lumberjacking system by any means, I wanted to give you all some descriptive information on the Elanthia-specific ones as well as a few that exist IRL, but are either slightly different in their DR version, or are maybe a bit less commonly known to the bulk of non-forestry/lumber professionals in many countries. All listings are in Tree Name (typical biome) format. All also include info on the tree itself as well as the wood. The following must be provided for use in alterations: Azurelle (boreal) With coin-shaped brilliant blue leaves and a long, thin trunk with very few branches, the rare azurelle tree is certainly eye-catching. Especially prized by bowyers both for its function and its place in folklore, the dark grey azurelle wood bares a slight bluish sheen that is emphasized when polished. Tales amongst archers say that bows made from azurelle should ideally be shaped so that the wispy graining of the wood flows along the weapon's length. This is said to be a charm to ensure that the winds always favor the aim of the archer wielding such a bow. Bocote (tropical) Bocote is a small to medium tropical tree with sharply pointed leaves, small, fragrant, showy flowers, and edible fruits. With its striking, zebra-like contrasts, and bold figuring, bocote wood can be very eye-catching. It has a yellowish brown body with dramatic dark brown to almost black stripes. Its grain patterns tend to be interlocked, its texture medium and uniform, and its natural lustre results from being slightly oily to the touch. Darkspine (deciduous) The rare darkspine is a medium height evergreen tree commonly thought to be created as a side effect of sorcerous magics, an idea that is furthered in part by the fact that it is found most frequently within deciduous forests. Though perhaps this is only a folktale, these strange trees have sharp, jutting spine-like leaves that are deepest green to black in coloration, and their saplings are said to only appear in the wake of particularly nasty sorcerous backlash near new forest growth. Whatever their origin, darkspine trees produce a prized wood noted for its pale coloration and jagged reddish brown graining. Durian (tropical) Typically a marsh tree, durians grow tall but have relatively thin trunks. This tree is perhaps most well known for its fruit -- a round, prickly, melon-sized fruit called, aptly enough, a durian fruit. The fruit has a very strong smell, and a taste that some people find pleasant and others find highly unpleasant. Durian wood planes to a smooth finish and is reddish brown. Goldwood (coniferous) Not to be confused with goldenwood/goldenoak, goldwood is a rare mineral-bearing tree related to silverwood, copperwood, and ironwood. Goldwood is a special type of coniferous tree that grows over natural gold deposits in the soil and draws up the metal up into its porous structure, producing fine veins of gold that permeate the wood. The tree has gleaming golden seed pods that sparkle with the metal. Properly cut and polished, the wood and gold form a harmonious blend of colors and textures. Kapok (tropical) The kapok is a majestic tropical tree that can grow to towering heights, dwarfing other trees in its native rainforests. The branches of the kapok grow in horizontal tiers and spread widely to create a crown with an open umbrella shape. Their straight trunks are cylindrical, buttressed, smooth, and gray in color, but their most notable feature are their many large, protruding spines. Kapoks are drought deciduous -- they shed most or all of their long, palmate leaves during the tropical dry season. Kapok wood is a pinkish white to ashy brown in color, with a straight grain. Rockwood (boreal) Though similar in its naming convention, rockwood is not at all related to the mineral-bearing trees like copperwood, ironwood, silverwood, etc. It is the common name for a rare, low growing, widely branching tree with almost moss-like leaf structures. The trunk of the rockwood tree is very short, and its thick branches tend to grow nearly parallel to (and even in places touching) the ground in curving bunches, forming odd, lumpy configurations that often look similar to rock formations. This strange growth pattern is the source of the tree's name, though the flat tan to greyish color of both the bark and the nearly grainless wood itself also contribute to its rock-like reputation. Tamarak (boreal) (Note: Though similar to the RL tamarack tree, 'tamarak' without the C is the correct spelling for the DR tree/wood.) Tamaraks are small to medium sized boreal deciduous conifer trees. The bark of a tamarak is flaky and pink, with a more reddish hue often visible beneath the flaking sections. The leaves are needle-like, short, and a light blue green color that becomes bright yellow before they fall in the autumn, leaving the pale pinkish-brown shoots bare until the next spring. Tamarak heartwood ranges from yellow to an orangish-brown. Its narrow sapwood is nearly white and is clearly demarcated from the heartwood. Planed sections of tamarak wood can exhibit a lot of interesting patterns in the growth rings, and knots are common but are usually small. The grain of this wood is generally straight or spiraled, and its texture is medium to fine with a greasy or oily feel. The following are not needed for alterations: Lelori (boreal) The lelori tree is moderate to slow growing, and can attain significant heights with large, draping canopies of frilly, lace-like leaves. In wetter areas, it is evergreen, while in drier areas, it is dry-season deciduous. It is most commonly found in boreal forests. Lelori wood is hard and coarse-grained, with an especially light, green-tinged hue that persists even when dry. The wood is resinous and durable. Moabi (tropical) Moabi trees grow in subtropical or tropical lowland evergreen forests. Shooting up from the rainforest canopy, the moabi’s parasol-like crown stands out clearly in the forest landscape, in part due to its very notable, very large, size. Moabi heartwood is most often a uniform pinkish brown. This color tends to darken with age, with some more rare examples displaying a deep reddish brown hue. The sapwood is grayish brown with little variation. The wood's grain is most often straight to wavy, with a fine, even texture, though figured grain patterns are also seen, such as pommele, quilted, mottled, and beeswing. -Persida
This message was originally posted in Lore \ GameMaster Announcements - Lore, by DR-PERSIDA on the play.net forums.