Botanist Alex Wiedenhoeft has over 100,000 wood samples ...
Wood flooring contractors have many lifelines out in the field: NWFA technical support, manufacturer and distributor reps, and this magazine, just to name a few. Another worth pointing out is the Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, Wis. The lab, which is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has the largest xylarium-or wood library-in the world, and if its expert botanists cannot identify a species by looking at it, they have a multitude of scientific approaches to ID wood. The service is free; last year they identified about 1,300 samples. So the next time you find yourself asking, "What species is this?" turn to the experts at the Forest Products Laboratory.
... at his disposal for research and ID purposes.
