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BEKAK (Aglaia cucullata)
Trade Name
Bekak
Scientific Name
Aglaia cucullata Roxb.
Family
MELIACEAE
Common Names
Solomon Island amoora; Rose kamala; Pacific maple; New Guinea amoora; Natmi; Muta; Mua mua; Maoa; Manatapuku; Lulua; Garotai; Bor-amari; Bekak; Amur; Pacific maple (United States of America); Bengang (Malaysia); Kato (Philippines); Malakamote (Philippines); Pacific maple (United Kingdom); Myauk le seik (Myanmar); Nyireh batu (Brunei Darussalam); Che (Thailand); Daeng nam (Thailand); Katong-baluga (Philippines); Goi (Vietnam); Lota amara (India); Latmi (India); Amari (India); Namota (Solomon Islands); Mawa (Solomon Islands); Amoora (Andaman Islands); Katong-haung (Philippines); Mua-mua (Solomon Islands); Thiteni (Myanmar); Chaya-kaya (Myanmar); Manga-daeng (Thailand); Amoora (Pakistan); Julungan (Sarawak); Tasua (Thailand); Maota (Andaman Islands); Amoora (Papua New Guinea); La-kihan (Philippines); Mawa (Andaman Islands)
Scientific Name Synonyms
Amoora cucullata Roxb.; Amoora aherniana Merr.; Aglaia tripetala Merr.
Description Of The Tree
Botanical Description
It is a small to medium-sized, sometimes large tree up to 30 m tall. The bole is branchless for up to 24 m, up to 100 cm in diameter. The buttresses are up to 3 m high.
Natural Habitat
This widespread tree is the only member of the genus found in areas of mangrove, nipah (Nypa fruticans) swamp and estuaries. It is found in trade as Pacific Maple.
Natural Distribution
It ranges from Thailand to the Solomon Islands and New Guinea.
Wood Identification
Anatomic Description Of Wood
Wood diffuse porous. Tangential diameter of vessel lumina 200 micras or more (large). Colored deposits in heartwood vessels. Vessels per mm2 5 to 20. Simple perforation plates. Vessel-ray pits similar to intervessel pits in size and shape. Intervessel pits smal Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse and/or diffuse in aggregates. Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty and/or vasicentric. Prismatic crystals in chambered axial parenchyma cells and/or in fibers. Homogeneous rays and/or sub-homogeneous rays (all ray cells procumbent). Body ray cells procumbent with mostly 2 to 4 rows of upright and/or square marginal cells (Kribs-II). Body ray cells procumbent with one row of upright and/or square marginal cells (Kr Septate fibers present. Fibers with distinctly bordered pits.
Availability
Cites Status
Unrestricted
General Wood Description
Odor
The wood often has a fragrant, sometimes even pungent, odor when fresh, resembling both cedar and camphor.
Color
The sapwood is not sharply differentiated, it ranges from pale pink to light reddish. The heartwood is light reddish brown when fresh, it also darkens to wine red to walnut brown.
Grain
The grain is straight or slightly interlocked.
Texture
The texture is fine, but the Indian stock is somewhat coarser.
Luster
The wood surface is moderate in luster.
Natural Durability
The natural durability is moderate, it is vulnerable to powder post beetles.
Natural durability index (1= Very high durability, 7=Vey low durability)
3
Resistance To Impregnation
The heartwood is extremely resistant to pressure treatment, the sapwood shows some penetration of preservatives.
Wood Physical Properties
Basic Density or Specific Gravity (O.D. weight/vol. green) (g/cm³)
0.52899354
Air-dry Density (Weight and volume at 12%MC) (g/cm³)
0.58
Total shrinkage Tangential (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
10.7
Total shrinkage Radial (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
6.8
Drying Defects
Ease of Drying: Air seasoning is reported to be easy. Boards 10 mm thick take 1.5 months to air dry from 70% to 15% moisture content. Drying Defects: Dries easily with little tendency to check or distort. Kiln Schedules: It takes about 6 days to kiln dry 25 mm thick boards from 50% to 10% moisture content.
Recommended Dry Kiln Schedule
JP-26
Dimensional stability ratio (Total Tangential Shrinkage %/Total Radial Shrinkage %)
1.6
Wood Chemical Properties
Wood Mechanical Properties
Bending Strength (MOR),12%MC (kgf/cm²)
895
Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
117712
Compression parallel to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
533
Compression perpendicular to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
39
Shear strength radial 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
110
Janka hardness (side) 12%MC (kgf)
496
Janka hardness (end grain) 12%MC (kgf)
667
Workability
Sawing
This species is easy to saw.
Rotary Veneer Cutting
It is reported to peel and slice satisfactorily, but the veneer may warp severely during drying.
Sliced Veneer
It is reported to peel and slice satisfactorily, but the veneer may warp severely during drying.
Machining
This species is easy to machine.
Planing
Because of its grain it requires sharp and fine set planes, however, planed surfaces are smooth and lustrous.
Turning
30
Nailing
This species is reported to have a good nailing behavior.
Gluing
This species is easy to glue.
Finishing
Wood of this species is easy to finish.
REFERENCED USES
End Uses Summary
HOUSING GENERAL, boards, FURNITURE AND CABINETS, cabinets, PLYWOOD AND VENEER, faces, TURNING, SPORTS, CONTAINERS, truck bodies, truck flooring, NAVAL CONSTRUCTION, OTHER AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, moldings
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.
Cabinet
- 24 - Empire Timbers
Panels, Veneers
- 25 - Directory of Timber Trade Malaysia
Faces
- 26 - Annual Review and Assessment of the World Timber Situation 1998-ITTO
Turning
- 30 - Embassy of Honduras in Japan
Sports
- 38 - Annual Review and Assessment of the World Timber Situation 1998-ITTO
Truck Body
- 53 - Timbers of the New World
Truck Flooring
- 54 - Bulletin of the Government Forest Experiment Station N.157: Identification of Tropical Woods
Shipbuilding
- 55 - Tropical Timber Atlas of Latin America
Molding
- 79 - Padronização da Nomenclatura Comercial Brasileira das Madeiras Tropicais Amazônicas, Sugestão
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