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BALATA BLANC (Micropholis venulosa)
Trade Name
Balata blanc
Scientific Name
Micropholis venulosa (Mart. & Eichler) Pierre
Family
SAPOTACEAE
Common Names
Curupixa (Brazil); Guajará (Brazil); Rosadinho (Brazil); Guaiçara (Brazil); Glícia (Brazil); Curupita (Brazil)
Scientific Name Synonyms
Pouteria cataractae Baehni; Platyluma calophylloides (Pierre) Baill.; Micropholis rigida Pierre; Micropholis mucronata Pierre; Micropholis calophylloides Pierre; Meioluma guianensis Baill.; Lucuma venulosa Spruce ex Mart. & Eichler
Description Of The Tree
Botanical Description
The trees have commercial lengths of 10 to 20 m, with trunk diameters of 50 to 80 cm , up to 100 cm. The boles are straight and cylindrical, with low buttresses up to 1.5 m.
Natural Habitat
Micropholis venulosa is found in primary forests in the Guyanas and the Amazon basin. It prefers fertile soils.
Natural Distribution
Guyanas and the Amazon basin.
Wood Identification
Anatomic Description Of Wood
Wood diffuse porous. Vessels in diagonal and/or radial pattern. Vessels solitary and in short radial multiples. Occasionally tangential diameter of vessel lumina 100 micras or less. Tyloses common. Occasionally vessels per mm2 more than 20. Simple perforation p Axial parenchyma in continuous tangential lines (included in reticulate and scalariform). 5 to 8 cells per parenchyma strand. Axial parenchyma in narrow bands on lines up to 3 cells wide. Axial parenchyma bands over 4 per mm. Rays more than 10 per mm (abundant). Rays commonly 2 seriate. Silica bodies in the ray cells. Silica bodies in the ray cells. Heterogeneous rays and/or multiseriate heterogeneous rays. Body ray cells procumbent with over 4 rows of upright and/or square margina Fibers with simple to minutely bordered pits.
Availability
Cites Status
Unrestricted
General Wood Description
Odor
Odor or taste are absent.
Color
The color of the heartwood is dark brown to brown, the sapwood is light brown.
COLOR INDEX (1=Black, 7=Light yellow,white)
4
Grain
The direction of the grain is straight to wavy.
Texture
This species is usually reported to have a fine texture.
Luster
The wood is described as moderate in luster.
Natural Durability
It is moderately resistant to white-rot fungi and very resistant to brown rot fungi, but susceptible to termites attack.
Natural durability index (1= Very high durability, 7=Vey low durability)
4
Resistance To Impregnation
The sapwood is easy to preserve.
Wood Physical Properties
Basic Density or Specific Gravity (O.D. weight/vol. green) (g/cm³)
0.67
Air-dry Density (Weight and volume at 12%MC) (g/cm³)
0.75
Total shrinkage Tangential (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
9.7
Total shrinkage Radial (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
4.7
Dimensional stability ratio (Total Tangential Shrinkage %/Total Radial Shrinkage %)
2.1
Wood Chemical Properties
Wood Mechanical Properties
Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
142000
Compression parallel to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
662
Compression perpendicular to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
102
Shear strength radial 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
147
Janka hardness (side) 12%MC (kgf)
780
Janka hardness (end grain) 12%MC (kgf)
1018
Workability
Turning
30
Boring
Boring is reported to be easy.
Finishing
Finishing of this wood is easy.
Response To Hand Tools
It is difficult to cut with hand tools.
REFERENCED USES
End Uses Summary
EXTERIOR GENERAL, HOUSING GENERAL, panelling, FURNITURE AND CABINETS, TURNING, cutlery, TOOLS, tool handles, OTHER AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, handicrafts
Exterior General
- 1 - Tabela de resultados de ensaios fisicos e mecanicos
General Housing
- 10 - Silica in Timbers
Paneling
- 18 - W3TROPICOS Missouri Botanical Garden
Furniture Cabinets
- 21 - Tropical timbers of the world. Part III-Southeast Asian and Oceanian Species.
Turning
- 30 - Embassy of Honduras in Japan
Knife Handles
- 33 - Embassy of Gabon in Japan
Tools
- 42 - Utilización Industrial de Nuevas Especies Forestales en el Perú.
Tool Handles
- 43 - Maderas de Bolivia (Características y Usos de 55 Maderas Tropicales)
Handcraft
- 66 - Maderas latinoamericanas. VII. Caracteristicas anatomicas. propiedades fisicomecanicas, de secado, y tratabilidad de la madera juvenil de Cordia alliodora (Ruiz & Pav. Oken.)
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