Agathis: A Southern Conifer with Broad Leaves
Wood Dictionary
Agathis is a southern conifer timber notable for its quiet surface character. Conifers may bring slender, needle-like leaves to mind, yet some members of Agathis have broad leaves. It is an interesting reminder that a tree's appearance and botanical classification do not always follow first impressions.
The photographs are examples of the color and grain associated with each wood or figure. Every piece of natural wood is different; the sheet you receive will not have exactly the same color or grain as the photographs.
Name and basic information
- Trade name and English name
- Agathis. Some members of the group are also known as kauri. MORI KOUGEI: Agathis A4 Product / Kew POWO：Agathis
- Scientific name and family
- Agathis spp. / Araucariaceae Kew POWO：Agathis
- General distribution of the genus
- From Malesia to New Zealand and the southwestern Pacific Kew POWO：Agathis
- Product-page description
- The species description lists Southeast Asia. A single species has not been identified for the timber sold. MORI KOUGEI: Agathis A4 Product
Agathis is a genus containing several trees
Kew classifies Agathis as a genus in Araucariaceae. Several species occur across Southeast Asia, Oceania, and Pacific islands. New Zealand kauri belongs to the group, but the timber name Agathis alone does not identify one New Zealand species. Keep the breadth of the shared name separate from the information given for the particular product. Kew POWO：Agathis / MORI KOUGEI: Agathis A4 Product
A surface that does not overemphasize grain
MORI KOUGEI's species description presents Agathis as pale gray-brown to pale yellow-brown, with indistinct growth rings and little clear boundary between heartwood and sapwood. Its grain offers a different experience from the pronounced growth-ring contrast of Sugi or Douglas Fir. Consider it when you want a quiet wood surface rather than bold stripes as the focal point. MORI KOUGEI: Agathis A4 Product
The A4 sheet is offered as quarter cut, but straight grain does not guarantee identical line widths or colors. The photograph is one example. Placing it beside a dark wood or using it as the background for fine marquetry may be easier to imagine by considering light-and-dark relationships rather than strong grain lines. MORI KOUGEI: Agathis A4 Product
Not all conifers have needle-like leaves
Araucariaceae, the family to which Agathis belongs, is a conifer group. Its broad leaves and timber with inconspicuous growth rings may suggest a broad-leaved hardwood at first glance. But “conifer” and “broad-leaved tree” are not classifications determined by the pattern of a board alone. Imagining the tree behind the grain, then checking it in a botanical reference, can be part of the enjoyment. Kew POWO：Agathis / PROSEA Timbers：Agathis
Using it as a thin decorative facing
Agathis timber is also used for joinery and boxes, but our A4 product is washi-backed veneer measuring 210 × 297 mm and approximately 0.25 mm thick. It is bonded to supported surfaces such as small boxes and furniture edges. Unlike a thick craft board, it is not intended to hold a shape by itself; choose it as a material that works with a substrate to create the appearance of wood. Detailed application guidance is available on the product page. MORI KOUGEI: Agathis A4 Product
View the Agathis A4 veneer sheet ↗
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This article draws on publicly available sources from Japan and abroad, with AI used to support research and organization.