Libby Dyer, age 13, of Huntsville, Ala., for her question:

What is monkeypod?

Monkeypod wood is handsomely blotched with patches of pale cream and chocolate brown. It comes from the monkeypod tree, alias the rain tree. This remarkable tree is at home in moist, mild regions and grows from southern Florida as far south as Brazil. Its leaves fold up at night, or cloudy days and when it rains. Sometimes it bears flocks of delicate blossoms in shades of pink or pinkish white.

The most remarkable thing about the monkeypod tree is its shape. Its trunk is thick and sturdy, though not very tall. Its boughs spread out far and wide, forming a great hump that may measure a hundred feet from side to side. It looks like an enormous umbrella or sunshade. And, strange to say, this unusual tree is a giant member of the pea plant family.