Should the names of species of wood be capitalized when used within a sentence?
Examples:
- Bocote
- Cocobolo
Which is correct:
The pool cue's forearm was made from Cocobolo wood.
...or,
The pool cue's forearm was made from cocobolo wood.
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Sign up to join this communityShould the names of species of wood be capitalized when used within a sentence?
Examples:
Which is correct:
The pool cue's forearm was made from Cocobolo wood.
...or,
The pool cue's forearm was made from cocobolo wood.
Generally no. You use a capital only when the name is derived from a proper noun. So you write "The table is made of oak", but "The table is made of English oak". And hence "The cue is made of cocobolo wood."
When using scientific names, capitalise the genus name, and use italics.
The cocobolo tree is known scientifically as Dalbergia retusa. It is sometimes called "Nicaraguan rosewood".
Errors are common and don't affect understanding you will see plenty of native speakers getting this "wrong".
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