Distinctive features:  
Texture, colour and the ratio of plagioclase to orthoclase as well as the presence of quartz (polysunthetic twinning sometimes seen as fine striations on plagioclase phenocrysts).

Colour: 
Pale to medium grey.

Texture and granularity: 
Granular, coarse-grained, often with phenocrysts of feldspar, hornblende or mica.

Composition: 
More plagioclase than orthoclase, plus quartz. Minor quantities of biotite, hornblende, apatite and sphene are also present.

Field associations: 
Found in association with granitic batholiths. Forms large intrusive masses in the roots of mountain ranges.

Varieties:
Hornblende biotite granites, but these are really granodiorites.

 

Worldwide, but particularly in Scandinavia, Brazil, Canada, USA (California has 9000 km² / 3500 miles² of granodiorite).

 

Roadstone aggregate.