bˈiː. ɡˈɪeɪnəns, ɔːɹ snˈeɪkwʊd, hɐz ɐ mˈɑːɾəld snˈeɪkskˈɪn pˈætɚn, ænd ɪz ɐmˌʌŋ ðə dˈɛnsɪst wˈʊdz, wɪð ɐ vˈɛɹi hˈaɪ stˈɪfnəs; ɪt wʌzðə wˈʊd ʌv tʃˈɔɪs fɔːɹ mˌeɪkɪŋ ʌv bˈoʊz fɔːɹ mjˈuːzɪkəl ˈɪnstɹəmənts ʌvðə vaɪəlˈɪn fˈæmɪli ʌntˈɪl ðə lˈeɪt ˈeɪtiːnθ sˈɛntʃɚɹi, wˌɛn ɪt wʌz ɹᵻplˈeɪst baɪ ðə mˈoːɹ ˈiːzili wˈɜːkt bɹɐzˈɪlwʊd pˌɔːbɹɐsˈɪliə ˌɛtʃaɪnˈɑːɾə.
B. guianense, or snakewood, has a mottled snake-skin pattern, and is among the densest woods, with a very high stiffness; it was the wood of choice for making of bows for musical instruments of the violin family until the late 18th century, when it was replaced by the more easily worked brazilwood (Paubrasilia echinata).