Properties and Uses

Keledang

The Standard Malaysian Name for the heavy timbers of Artocarpus spp. (Moraceae). The timber is a medium hardwood with a density of 500–945 kg m^–3air dry. The sapwood is light yellow to yellow-brown, sharply defined from the heartwood, which is brown or orange-brown and turns to dark brown on exposure. Texture is moderately coarse to coarse and even with interlocked to deeply interlocked grain. The timber is strong, e.g. A. lanceifolius is classified under Strength group A while A. rigidus is classified under Strength group B. It is difficult to resaw and cross-cut. Planing is easy to moderately easy and the planed surface is smooth to rough in some tangential boards due to picking-up of grain. Nailing property is good. The timber dries moderately slowly, 13 mm boards take 3 months to air dry, while 38 mm boards take 4 months. The timber dries with minor defects like slight surface- and end-checking. Some insect attacks were noted in A. rigidus during drying. Shrinkage is low, the average radial shrinkage from green to air dry is 0.9% and the tangential shrinkage is 2.2%. The timber is moderately durable (A. integer and A. lanceifolius) to non-durable (A. dadah, A. heterophyllus and A. rigidus) and the heartwood is difficult to treat. The sapwood, however, is readily treated.

USES: The timber is highly prized as a high-class coffin timber and much of the supply is diverted to this use. The timber is also suitable for flooring, parquet flooring, medium construction, furniture and panelling.

Vernacular names applied include bangkong (P.M.), keledang (P.M.) with various epithets, terap hutan (Sab.) and various other localised names too numerous to list here. Major species include A. anisophyllus, A. dadah, A. heterophyllus, A. integer, A. kemando, A. lanceifolius and A. rigidus.