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timber, the produce of trees from different parts of the tropics, and belonging to very different natural families. Usually the wood is extremely hard, dense and dark-coloured, and sinks in See also:

WATER

water. Several See also:

SPECIES

species of Sideroxylon (Sapotaceae) yield iron-wood, Sideroxylon cinereum or Bojerianum being the bois de fer See also:

blanc of See also:

Africa and See also:

MAURITIUS

Mauritius, and the name is also given to species of Metrosideros (Myrtaceae) and Diospyros (Ebenaceae). See also:

West See also:

INDIAN

Indian iron-wood is the produce of Colubrina reclinata (and C. ferruginosa (Rhamnaceae), and of Aegiphila martinicensis Verbenaceae). Ixora (Siderodendron) triflorum (See also:

RUBIACEAE

Rubiaceae) is the bois de fer of See also:

MARTINIQUE

Martinique, and Zanthoxylum Plerota (Rutaceae) is the iron-wood of See also:

JAMAICA

Jamaica, while See also:

ROBINIA

Robinia Ponacoco (See also:

LEGUMINOSAE

Leguminosae) is described as the iron-wood of See also:

GUIANA (Guyana, Guayana')

Guiana. The iron-wood of See also:

India and See also:

CEYLON

Ceylon is the produce of Mesua ferrea (Guttiferae).

The iron-wood See also:

tree of See also:

PEGU

Pegu and Arracan is Xylia dolabriformis (Leguminosae), described as the most important timber-tree of See also:

BURMA

Burma after See also:

TEAK

teak, and known as pyingado. The endemic bois de fer of Mauritius, once frequent in the primeval See also:

woods, but now becoming very scarce, is Stadtmannia Sideroxylon (Sapindaceae), while Cossignya pinnata is known as the bois de fer de Judas. In See also:

AUSTRALIA

Australia species of See also:

ACACIA

Acacia, See also:

CASUARINA

Casuarina, See also:

EUCALYPTUS

Eucalyptus, Melaleuca, Myrtus, and other genera are known more or less widely as iron-wood. Tasmanian iron-wood is the produce of Notelaea ligustrina (Oleaceae), and is chiefly used for making See also:

SHIPS

ships' blocks. The iron-wood or See also:

lever-wood of North See also:

AMERICA

America is the timber of the See also:

AMERICAN

American See also:

HOP (Ger. Hopfen, Fr. houblon)

hop See also:

HORNBEAM (Carpinus betulus)

hornbeam, Ostrya virginica (See also:

CUPULIFERAE

Cupuliferae). In See also:

Brazil A puleia ferrea and Caesalpinia ferrea yield a See also:

KIND (O. E. ge-cynde, from the same root as is seen in " kin," supra)

kind of iron-wood, called, however, the Pao ferro or false iron-wood. IRON-See also:

WORK

WORK, as an See also:

ORNAMENT (Lat. ornare, to adorn)

ornament in See also:

MEDIEVAL

medieval See also:

ARCHITECTURE (Lat. architectura, from the Gr. ap)(LTEKrwv, a master-builder)

architecture, is chiefly confined to the hinges, &c., of doors and of See also:

church chests, &c. Specimens of See also:

Norman iron-work are very rare. See also:

Early See also:

ENGLISH

English specimens are numerous and very elaborate. In some instances not only do the hinges become a See also:

mass of See also:

SCROLL

scroll work, but the See also:

SURFACE

surface of the doors is covered by similar ornaments. In both these periods the See also:

DESIGN (Fr. desiin, drawing; Lat. designare, to mark out)

design evidently partakes of the feeling exhibited in the See also:

stone or wood See also:

CARVING

carving. In the Decorated See also:

period the scroll work is more graceful, and, like the foliage of the See also:

time, more natural.

As styles progressed, there was a greater See also:

DESIRE

desire that the framing of the doors should be richer, and the ledges were chamfered or raised, then panelled, and at last the doors became a mass of scroll panelling. This, of course, interfered with the design of the hinges, the ornamentation of which gradually became unusual. In almost all styles the smaller and less important doors had merely See also:

PLAIN (O. Fr. plain, from Lat. plenum)

plain strap-hinges, terminating in a few See also:

bent scrolls, and latterly in fleurs-de-lis. See also:

ESCUTCHEON (0. Fr. escucheon, escusson, modern dcusson, through a Late Lat. form from Lat. Scutum, shield)

Escutcheon and See also:

RING (O.E. hring; a word common to Teutonic languages; and probably cognate with the Lat. circus, Gr. KtpKOS or KpLKOS, Skt'. chakra, wheel, circle, cf. also " harangue "); in art, a band of circular shape of varying sizes, made of any material and used f

ring handles, and the other See also:

FURNITURE (from " furnish," Fr. fournir)

furniture, partook more or less of the See also:

CHARACTER (Gr. xapareri7p, from xap&crew, to scratch)

character of the time. On the See also:

CONTINENT (from Lat. continere, "to hold together "; hence " connected," " continuous ")

continent of See also:

EUROPE

Europe the knockers are very elaborate. At all periods doors have been ornamented with nails having projecting heads, sometimes square, sometimes polygonal, and sometimes ornamented with See also:

ROSES, WARS OF THE

roses. &c. The iron work of windows is generally plain, and the ornament confined to See also:

SIMPLE

simple fleur-de-lis heads to the stanchions. For the iron-work of screens enclosing tombs and chapels see See also:

GRILLE

GRILLE; and generally see See also:

METAL-WORK.

End of Article: IRONWOOD

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