LANCEWOOD

lancewood, a straight-grained, tough, light elastic wood obtained from the west indies and guiana. it is brought into commerce in the form of taper poles of about 20 ft. in length and from 6 to 8 in. in diameter at the thickest end. lancewood is used by carriage-builders for shafts; but since the practice of employing curved shafts has come largely into use it is not in so great demand as formerly. the smaller wood is used for whip-handles, for the tops of fishing-rods, and for various minor purposes where even-grained elastic wood is a desideratum. the wood is obtained from two members of the natural order anonaceae. the black lancewood or carisiri of guiana (_guatteria virgata_) grows to a height of 50 ft., is of remarkably slender form, and seldom yields wood more than 8 in. diameter. the yellow lancewood tree (_duguetia quitarensis_, yari-yari, of guiana) is of similar dimensions, found in tolerable abundance throughout guiana, and used by the indians for arrow-points, as well as for spars, beams, &c.