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VITEX (Vitex parviflora)
Trade Name
Vitex
Scientific Name
Vitex parviflora Juss.
Family
VERBENACEAE
Common Names
Sagat (Philippines); Amugauan (Philippines); Molave (Philippines); Pulikaa (Indonesia); Kayu kula (Indonesia)
Description Of The Tree
Botanical Description
It is a medium-sized to fairly large tree, up to 30 m tall. The bole is up to 125 cm in diameter and branchless for up to 20 m, but often much shorter and crooked, with buttresses.
Natural Habitat
Molave is the dominant timber species in monsoon forest in the Philippines. It occurs on well-drained limestone soils. Exploitation of the highly prized timber has led to the reduction of molave forests. The species is now subject to felling controls in t
Plantations Available?
Plantations of this species are reported in Central America.
Wood Identification
Anatomic Description Of Wood
Vessels exclusively solitary (over 90%). Tyloses common. Vessels per mm2 5 to 20. Simple perforation plates. Intervessel pits large, 10 micras or more. Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty and/or vasicentric. Prismatic crystals in the ray cells. Homogeneous rays and/or sub-homogeneous rays (all ray cells procumbent). Septate fibers present. Fibers with distinctly bordered pits.
Availability
Cites Status
Unrestricted
General Wood Description
Color
The heartwood is pale straw-colored or grayish to pale brown, and usually not very distinct from the sapwood which is slightly paler.
COLOR INDEX (1=Black, 7=Light yellow,white)
5
Grain
The grain is variable, being straight, wavy or interlocked.
Texture
This species is reported to have a fine to moderately fine texture.
Natural Durability
It is durable, even when used outside and in contact with the ground. It is fairly resistant to fungal, termite and Lyctus beetle attack, but not to marine wood borers.
Natural durability index (1= Very high durability, 7=Vey low durability)
1
Resistance To Impregnation
The heartwood is very resistant to preservative treatment. The sapwood is moderately permeable.
Wood Physical Properties
Basic Density or Specific Gravity (O.D. weight/vol. green) (g/cm³)
0.69
Air-dry Density (Weight and volume at 12%MC) (g/cm³)
0.77
Total shrinkage Tangential (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
7.7
Total shrinkage Radial (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
5.4
Drying Defects
Ease of Drying: Drying is moderately easy; some particular care is needed. Drying Defects: Risks of checks. Kiln Schedules: Schedule proposed as a reference by comparison with well known species taking into account to the general technological behavior of this species.
Dimensional stability ratio (Total Tangential Shrinkage %/Total Radial Shrinkage %)
1.4
Wood Chemical Properties
Wood Mechanical Properties
Bending Strength (MOR),12%MC (kgf/cm²)
937
Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
130840
Compression parallel to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
428
Compression perpendicular to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
102
Shear strength radial 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
102
Janka hardness (side) 12%MC (kgf)
626
Janka hardness (end grain) 12%MC (kgf)
581
Workability
Sawing
Cutting resistance is generally low.
Machining
Machining operations are rather easy.
Planing
Planing of this species is reported to be easy.
Nailing
Vitex timber needs pre-boring, but the nail holding properties are good.
Finishing
Finishing of this species is reportedly easy.
Polishing
Polishing of this species is reportedly easy.
Steam Bending
This species is easy to bend.
Response To Hand Tools
It is easy to work with hand tools.
REFERENCED USES
End Uses Summary
EXTERIOR GENERAL, crossties, HOUSING GENERAL, boards, flooring, panelling, FURNITURE AND CABINETS, TOOLS, agricultural tools, PACKING, NAVAL CONSTRUCTION, boats, OTHER AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, handicrafts
Exterior General
- 1 - Tabela de resultados de ensaios fisicos e mecanicos
Crossties
- 8 - Maderas latinoamericas. III, Podocarpus standleyi ,Podocarpus oleifolius, Drims granadensis, Magnolia poasana y Didymopanax pittieri
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
Flooring
- 14 - Handbook of Hardwoods
Paneling
- 18 - W3TROPICOS Missouri Botanical Garden
Furniture Cabinets
- 21 - Tropical timbers of the world. Part III-Southeast Asian and Oceanian Species.
Tools
- 42 - Utilización Industrial de Nuevas Especies Forestales en el Perú.
Agricultural Tools
- 44 - Atlas of Peruvian Woods
Packing
- 45 - Recopilación y Análisis de Estudios Tecnológicos de Maderas Peruanas
Shipbuilding
- 55 - Tropical Timber Atlas of Latin America
Boats
- 56 - Manual de Identificación de Especies Forestales de la Subregión Andina.
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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