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BREU (Protium aracouchini)
Trade Name
Breu
Scientific Name
Protium aracouchini (Aubl.) Marchand
Family
BURSERACEAE
Common Names
Anime (Colombia); Breu (Brazil); Isica (Peru); Uvilla (Bolivia)
Scientific Name Synonyms
Protium aracouchini var. angustifolium Swart; Icica aracouchini Aubl.
Description Of The Tree
Botanical Description
A very large tree, it attains heights of up to 40 m. It presents small to medium sized buttresses.
Natural Habitat
Protium aracouchini grows between 80 to 600 m of altitude.
Natural Distribution
P. aracouchini is reported in Colombia, Peru and Bolivia.
Non Timber Uses
The resin of this species is locally used as medicine against the "Chagas" disease (trypanosomiasis).
Wood Identification
Anatomic Description Of Wood
Wood diffuse porous. Vessels solitary and in short radial multiples. Tangential diameter of vessel lumina 100 to 150 micras (small). Occasionally tangential diameter of vessel lumina 100 micras or less. Occasionally tyloses common. Vessels per mm2 more than 20 Axial parenchyma absent or extremely rare, non visible with magnifying glass (8x). Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty and/or vasicentric. Prismatic crystals in non-chambered axial parenchyma cells. Occasionally siliceous bodies in the axial parenchyma. 4 to 10 rays per mm (medium). Rays exclusively uniseriate. Occasionally prismatic crystals in the ray cells. Homogeneous rays and/or sub-homogeneous rays (all ray cells procumbent). Oil and/or mucilage cells associated with the axial and/or ray parenchyma (id Septate fibers present. Silica bodies in fibers. Fibers with simple to minutely bordered pits.
Availability
Cites Status
Unrestricted
General Wood Description
Odor
Odor and taste are indistinct.
Color
The sapwood is not differentiated, the heartwood is pinkish gray.
COLOR INDEX (1=Black, 7=Light yellow,white)
5
Grain
The grain is reported to be straight or interlocked.
Texture
The wood is reported to be frequently medium textured.
Luster
The wood exhibits a moderate to high luster.
Natural durability index (1= Very high durability, 7=Vey low durability)
5
Wood Physical Properties
Basic Density or Specific Gravity (O.D. weight/vol. green) (g/cm³)
0.71
Air-dry Density (Weight and volume at 12%MC) (g/cm³)
0.80
Total shrinkage Tangential (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
8.4
Total shrinkage Radial (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
4.1
Drying Defects
Ease of Drying: It is reported to air season rapidly. Drying Defects: Little warping or checking are reported.
Recommended Dry Kiln Schedule
US-T3-C2
Dimensional stability ratio (Total Tangential Shrinkage %/Total Radial Shrinkage %)
2.0
Wood Chemical Properties
Wood Mechanical Properties
Bending Strength (MOR),12%MC (kgf/cm²)
1460
Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
166000
Compression parallel to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
710
Compression perpendicular to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
86
Shear strength radial 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
126
Janka hardness (side) 12%MC (kgf)
468
Janka hardness (end grain) 12%MC (kgf)
669
Workability
Machining
Machining operations are rated as easy to fair.
Finishing
Wood of this species is easy to finish.
REFERENCED USES
End Uses Summary
HOUSING GENERAL, boards, FURNITURE AND CABINETS
General Housing
- 10 - Silica in Timbers
Boards
- 13 - Dry kiln schedules for commercial woods. Temperate and tropical. Section III. Latin American (Mexico, Central, and South America) Woods–Conventional Temperatures
Furniture Cabinets
- 21 - Tropical timbers of the world. Part III-Southeast Asian and Oceanian Species.
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