Origin: Brazil and throughout continental tropical America Appearance and Properties: The heartwood of Ipe ranges from olive brown to blackish, though it can have lighter or darker striping that is sharply demarcated from the whitish or yellowish sapwood. Ipe is a low-luster wood with an oily appearance, a fine-to-medium texture, and a grain that ranges from straight to very irregular. Ipe is one of the world`s most stable woods with high resistance to attack of fungus and other insects.