Category :    Light Hardwoods

Species

General Characteristics

Sapwood not differentiated by colour; wood light yellow with a greenish or pinkish tinge; planed surface not particularly lustrous (often dull); with attractive silver figure on radial surface; texture coarse and uneven: grain fairly straight; ranging from almost soft to moderately hard or hard to cut across grain; air dry density variable, ranging from 350 to 975 kg/m³ (22 to 61 lb/ft³) averaging 672 kg/m³ (42 lb/ft³); not durable in contact with the ground or exposed positions.

Structure

Growth rings absent but concentric markings produced by layers of denser fibres may be present.
Vessels with simple perforation; medium-sized or moderately large in size; few or moderately few in number; generally majority in radial pairs and radial multiples of 3 to 7 in a series and the rest solitary: diffused without any clear arrangement; tyloses and deposits absent.
Wood parenchyma predominantly apotracheal; as narrow closely spaced lines inter¬rupted by the rays, producing a distinctive scalariform pattern; paratracheal parenchyma sparse, as narrow borders to the pores and barely visible with a lens or absent.
Rays of two distinct sizes, the broader rays medium-sized, moderately broad or very broad and distinct to conspicuous on cross-section and radial section; the inner rays interspersed between the broader rays, not visible to the naked eye.

Other Features

Burning splinter test: Splinter burns to ash.
Front test: Negative.

Uses

The timber is suitable for general light construction, sliced veneers, match boxes and splints, packing cases and crates. The heavier species can be used for parquet and strip flooring, tool handles and wooden mathematical instruments