This very dense wood is very rare on the market. It is much less expensive (about half) the cost of desert ironwood. The grain is very fine and the specific gravity varies from .81 for the lightest colored wood and all the way up to 1.04 for the darkest colored pieces. The heartwood color varies from light reddish tan to a very dark, almost black color when finished. The color is very much deepened and made richer by an oil finish, but any finish is likely to work. Clear finishes may give the wood a fainter appearance. In the Tamil language, the wood is called "Pungali". Its range is from Southern India to Sri Lanka.