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BENUANG (Octomeles sumatrana)
Trade Name
Benuang
Scientific Name
Octomeles sumatrana Miq.
Family
Datiscaceae
Common Names
Usu; Sanai; Samak; Para; Libas-blanco; Kinem; Kakerim; Kabal; Ipa; Fote; Binua; Binonang; Binoewang; Bilus; Biluan; Bilua; Benumba; Benoewang; Barousan; Barosing; Barong; Barobalobo; Barauisan; Banuang; Banosan; Benuang (Indonesia); Binuang (Philippines); Benuang (Malaysia); Ilimo (Papua New Guinea); Erima (Papua New Guinea); Sarrai (Philippines); Libas (Philippines); Benuang (Sarawak)
Scientific Name Synonyms
Octomeles moluccana Teijsm. & Binend. Ex Hassk.
Description Of The Tree
Botanical Description
It is a large to very large dioecious evergreen tree up to 60 m tall. The bole cylindrical, straight, branchless for up to 30 m, up to 250 cm in diameter, with prominent buttresses up to 6 m high.
Natural Habitat
Octomeles sumatrana is a low altitude riverside pioneer species, growing up to 1,000 m of altitude.
Natural Distribution
It extends from Sumatra to Papua New Guinea and the Solomons and northwards to the Philippines.
Plantations Available?
Within the South East Asian and Pacific regions plantations are reported in the Solomon Islands and in Bogor (Indonesia). It is recommended for plantations in Malaysia.
Non Timber Uses
O. sumatrana is reported to present brittle heart.
Wood Identification
Anatomic Description Of Wood
Wood diffuse porous. Tangential diameter of vessel lumina 200 micras or more (large). Occasionally tyloses common. Vessels per mm2 less than 6 (rare). Simple perforation plates. Vessel-ray pits coarse throughout the ray cell. Intervessel pits medium, 7 to 10 mi Occasionally axial parenchyma in marginal or in seemingly marginal bands. Axial parenchyma confluent unilateral paratracheal. Axial parenchyma thin vasicentric. 3 to 4 cells per parenchyma strand. 4 to 10 rays per mm (medium). Ray height more than 1 mm. Larger rays more than 4 seriate. Body ray cells procumbent with mostly 2 to 4 rows of upright and/or square marginal cells (Kribs-II). Fibers with simple to minutely bordered pits.
Availability
Cites Status
Unrestricted
General Wood Description
Odor
It has no taste but green or wetted stock may have fetid odor.
Color
The sapwood is slightly distinguishable, it varies from white to gray-yellowish. The heartwood is pale brown to pink-brown occasionally light brown.
COLOR INDEX (1=Black, 7=Light yellow,white)
6
Grain
It is often interlocked, occasionally straight.
Texture
The texture is comparatively coarse, not glossy.
Luster
The surfaces are not glossy.
Natural Durability
It is perishable and prone to blue stain and insect damage.
Natural durability index (1= Very high durability, 7=Vey low durability)
5
Silica Content
Silica Content: It is non-siliceous. Silica Value: 0
Resistance To Impregnation
The heartwood is moderately resistant to preservatives, the sapwood is permeable.
Wood Physical Properties
Basic Density or Specific Gravity (O.D. weight/vol. green) (g/cm³)
0.35
Air-dry Density (Weight and volume at 12%MC) (g/cm³)
0.38
Total shrinkage Tangential (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
8.8
Total shrinkage Radial (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
3.8
Drying Defects
Ease of Drying: In Malaysia surian timber is reported to dry rapidly. Boards 25 mm thick take 1 to 3.5 months to air dry. Drying Defects: Slight warping is reported. Kiln Schedules: Boards 25 mm thick can be kiln dried from 50% to 10% moisture content in 3 to 6 days without any degrade.
Recommended Dry Kiln Schedule
UK-C; US-T3-C2; JP-24
Dimensional stability ratio (Total Tangential Shrinkage %/Total Radial Shrinkage %)
2.3
Wood Chemical Properties
Wood Mechanical Properties
Bending Strength (MOR),12%MC (kgf/cm²)
449
Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
69088
Compression parallel to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
285
Shear strength radial 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
36
Janka hardness (side) 12%MC (kgf)
112
Janka hardness (end grain) 12%MC (kgf)
113
Workability
Sawing
Sawing of this species is reported to be rather easy.
Rotary Veneer Cutting
The timber peels readily to smooth, tight veneer of uniform thickness.
Sliced Veneer
The timber peels readily to smooth, tight veneer of uniform thickness.
Blunting Effect
It is considered to have a slight blunting effect on the cutting elements. Occasional white deposits tend to chip the cutting edges.
Machining
Machining is considered as easy, but results in a woolly surface.
Planing
It often exhibits a woolly finish after planing but this can be alleviated by reducing the cutting angle to 20 degrees.
Boring
Boring is reported to be difficult.
Nailing
It nails moderately well, but screw and nail-holding characteristics are sometimes poor.
Gluing
Gluing behavior is reportedly good.
Finishing
It is easy to finish.
Staining
It is easy to stain.
Polishing
Polishing of this wood is easy.
Steam Bending
This species is difficult to bend.
REFERENCED USES
End Uses Summary
HOUSING GENERAL, boards, shutter boards, FURNITURE AND CABINETS, PLYWOOD AND VENEER, cores, PACKING, NAVAL CONSTRUCTION, OTHER AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, shoes, matches, coffin, 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
Shutter Boards
- 20 - Prospect: The wood database
Furniture Cabinets
- 21 - Tropical timbers of the world. Part III-Southeast Asian and Oceanian Species.
Panels, Veneers
- 25 - Directory of Timber Trade Malaysia
Cores
- 27 - Embassy of Brazil in Japan
Packing
- 45 - Recopilación y Análisis de Estudios Tecnológicos de Maderas Peruanas
Shipbuilding
- 55 - Tropical Timber Atlas of Latin America
Other & Musical Instruments
- 63 - Madeiras do Brazil II
Shoes
- 70 - Proprietes physiques et mecaniques des bois tropicaux de l`union francaise
Matches
- 71 - Proprietes physiques et mecaniques des bois tropicaux, premier supplement
Coffin
- 78 - Amazonian Timbers for the International Market
Molding
- 79 - Padronização da Nomenclatura Comercial Brasileira das Madeiras Tropicais Amazônicas, Sugestão
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