I could get into a bit of trouble from some one this, but I will explain the meanings of the words that I have gotten from native Chinese both in the region and here in the US.
The name of the wood is Huali (pronounced "Wahlee" as best I can hear). Huali if translated literally is Flowering Pear, but it should NOT be translated literally. Its meaning is actually Rosewood to us in the US (just as Rosewood doesn't mean literally wood from a Rose bush). Huali is used to describe several woods in the region.
Huang (pronounced "Wan" again as best as I can hear) is a modifier that means Yellow and was added to certain rosewoods that patina to a yellow instead of darkening like other rosewoods.
but no real effort was ever used to narrow the use to a specific species of tree, it's more of a generic term like Purpleheart. Just that it's a Dalbergia that patinas to a yellow.
Now, David is a great dealer and as he sourced (I use the past tense as I've been unable to contact him for more than a year) his wood from antique furniture that he was repairing/using for repairs that had a provenance, What you have is almost definitely Huang Huali. I have several of his blanks as well.
There are other sources for Huang Huali including fresh lumber from the region (Thailand, Vietnam, China, etc. Yes, I'm working on getting a supplier), trees tend not to be large enough for commercial uses any longer, but they are not extinct (similar to American Chestnut now).
So to recap. Huali is Rosewood, and Huang Huali is Rosewood that turns Yellow.
Beautiful pen by the way. You did Well by it.
