Encyclopedia  |   World Factbook  |   World Flags  |   Reference Tables  |   List of Lists     
   Academic Disciplines  |   Historical Timeline  |   Themed Timelines  |   Biographies  |   How-Tos     
Your Ad Here
Sponsor by The Tattoo Collection


Balsa
Main Page | See live article | Alphabetical index

Balsa

Balsa
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Plantae
Division:Magnoliophyta
Class:Magnoliopsida
Order:Malvales
Family: Bombacaceae
Genus:Ochroma
Species:lagopus
Binomial name
Ochroma lagopus

Balsa (Ochroma lagopus, synonym O. pyramidale) is a large, fast-growing tree to 30 m tall, native from tropical South America north to southern Mexico. It is evergreen, or dry-season deciduous if the dry season is long, with large (30-50 cm) weakly palmately lobed leaves.

The timber is very soft and light with a coarse open grain. The density of balsa wood ranges from 100 to 200 kg/m³, with a typical density of about 140 kg/m³ (about one third the density of ordinary wood). This makes it a very popular material for model making and buoyancy materials (lifebelts, etc), and was famously used by Thor Heyerdahl in his raft Kon-Tiki.

External links