The Tree
The plane grows to a height of 30m with a clear bole of some 9m and a diameter of 1m.

The Timber
The timber resembles beech in colour, the heartwood being light reddish-brown, usually clearly defined from the lighter- coloured sapwood. The rays however, are broader and more numerous than those of beech, and produce on quarter-sawn surfaces, an attractive fleck figure, the reddish-brown rays contrasting with the lighter-coloured background, thus giving rise to the term lacewood. The wood is straight grained, with a fine to medium texture, and weighs about 640 kg/m3 when dried. Occasional logs appear much lighter in colour, a pinkish-brown, with a fairly small, and irregular, darker-coloured core.

Drying
Dries fairly rapidly and well, but with a tendency to distort.

Strength
Although some 30 per cent less stiff, plane has similar strength properties to European oak.

Working Qualities
Medium - Works fairly readily with both hand and machine tools. It is capable of a good smooth finish, but sharp cutters are required in planing and moulding in order to avoid chipping out in the vicinity of the rays on quarter-sawn stock. The wood stains, polishes and glues reasonably well.