Category :    Heavy Hardwoods

Species

General Characteristics

Sapwood well defined; colour of heartwood reddish-brown or chocolate red-brown; planed surface with medium lustre: occasional stripe figure on radial surface; texture moderately fine and even; grain fairly straight; very hard and horny to cut across grain; end cut shiny; air dry density ranging from 820 to 1200 kg/m³ (51 to 75 lb/ft³); durable even under adverse conditions.

Structure

Growth rings absent.
Vessels with simple perforation; me-dium-sized; moderately few; mostly in radial multiples of 3 to 6 or more; un¬evenly distributed in chain-like forma¬tion; tyloses common.
Wood parenchyma exclusively apotracheal; as closely and regularly spaced narrow bands.
Rays very fine; not visible to the naked eye; not conspicuous on a radial surface.
Ripple marks absent.
Intercellular canals absent.

Other Features

Burning splinter test : Splinter burns to ash.
Froth test : M. utilis froths pro-fusely whereas other species do not froth.

Uses