Category :    Light Hardwoods

Species

General Characteristics

Sapwood not differentiated by colour from heartwood; wood light-brown or light grey-brown orpink-brown; occasionally with a core of chocolate colouror black streaked with yellow; planed surface lustrous or very lustrous; very often with stripe figure on radial surface and zig-zag markings on tangential surface produced by banded wood parenchyma; texture moderately coarse or coarse and even; grain interlocked and wavy; moderately hard to cut across grain; air dry density ranging from 545 to 610 kg/m³ (34 to 38 lb/ft³) averaging 560 kg/m³ (35 lb/ft³); moderately durable underexposed conditions.

Structure

Growth rings absent bui the concentric, widely spaced, bands of wood parenchyma may simulate growth rings.
Vessels with simple perforation; medium-sized or moderately large; very few or few in number; generally majority solitary; others in radial pairs, radial groups of 3 to 4 (or rarely more), obliguc pairs and occasional clusters; evenly scattered without any clear arrangement; tyloses commonly absent; deposits absent.
Wood parenchyma of both apotrachcal and paratracheal types; the former as irregu¬larly spaced bands and the latter as vasiccntric or aliform.
Rays very fine or moderately fine usually not visible on cross-section without a lens; moderately prominent on a radial surface.
Ripple marks absent.
Intercellular canals absent.

Other Features

Burning splinter test: Splinter bums to ash.
Froth test: Negative.

Uses