The name originally applied to the wood of Astronium graveolens, a large tree native to Central America. In the 20th century, the most important source of zebrawood was Microberlinia brazzavillensis, a tree native to Central Africa. It is a heavy, hard wood with a somewhat coarse texture, often with an interlocked or wavy grain. It is a decorative exotic wood that's used for flooring and also used in a for veneer, wall paneling, custom furniture, marquetry, specialty items, and etc. In the past, it was used in Cadillac and Mercedes-Benz automobiles. The tree grows 150 ft (46 m) tall, 4-5 ft (1.2-1.5 m) trunk diameter. Depending on whether the wood is flatsawn or quartersawn, the stripes can be either chaotic and wavy (flatsawn), or somewhat uniform (quartersawn).