Hopea odorata, or Ta-khian (Thai: ตะเคียน),

 

Stone Hopea is a species of plant in the Dipterocarpaceae family. It is found in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. It is a large tree reaching up to 45 m in height with the base of the trunk reaching a diameter of 4.5 m. It grows in forests, preferably near rivers, at altitudes between 0 and 600m. In places such as West Bengal and the Andaman Islands it is often planted as a shade tree. Valued for its wood, it is a threatened species in its natural habitat

 

Emanating from S. E. Asia, this is a dense species that is named Hopea “Stone”. Although this is an exaggeration of its density, this is one of the densest species from the area. In Western cultures a hardwood like this would be referred to as Ironwood. Incursions and live edges are common in this species as well as rough edges. This particular burl material has a very nice orange color with contrasting darker streaks of black and dark browns. It resembles Amboyna burl and Afzelia burl in color and burl patterns.