Afzelia spp. of the family Leguminosae (subfamily Caesalpinioideae), the legume or pea family
The genus Afzelia, which occurs both in Africa and in SE Asia, yields a particularly stable wood. The name afzelia will usually refer to African wood. A particular grade of African wood is traded as doussi�.
Afzelia is a genus in the subfamily Caesalpinioideae of the family Fabaceae (legumes). The thirteen species all are trees, native to tropical Africa or Asia.
Afzelia species are used primarily for wood, though some species also have medicinal uses. The timber is most commonly traded under the collective name “doussie”, as well as under name “afzelia”. One of the common names is also “pod mahogany”, adding to the confusion surrounding the name mahogany.
The seeds are red and black and are used as beads.
The wood is often used as the surface material for velodromes.
The highly-figured wood of the Asian species, Afzelia xylocarpa, is sold as Afzelia xylay. The seeds and bark of this species are used for medicinal purposes.