BOMANGA (Brachystegia laurentii)
Trade Name
Bomanga
Scientific Name
Brachystegia laurentii Louis
Family
LEGUMINOSAE
Common Names
Bomanga (France); Ariella (for sliced veneers) (France); Ariella (for sliced veneers) (United Kingdom); Ekop-Léké (Cameroon); Ekop-Evène (Cameroon); Nzang (Gabon); Ekop evene (Cameroon); Ariella (United Kingdom); Ariella (France); Bomanga (Zaire); Yegna (Gabon)
Scientific Name Synonyms
Macrolobium laurentii De Wild.
Description Of The Tree
Botanical Description
The tree reaches a height of 30 to 40 m, with trunk diameters up to 150 cm. The bole is tall, slender, straight and cylindrical up to 20 m.
Natural Habitat
Brachystegia laurentii occurs in dense rain forest and along rivers.
Wood Identification
Anatomic Description Of Wood
Wood diffuse porous. Occasionally vessels exclusively solitary (over 90%). Tangential diameter of vessel lumina 200 micras or more (large). Vessels per mm2 less than 6 (rare). Simple perforation plates. Vessel-ray pits similar to intervessel pits in size and s Axial parenchyma in marginal or in seemingly marginal bands. Axial parenchyma lozenge-aliform. Prismatic crystals in chambered axial parenchyma cells and/or in fibers. 3 to 4 cells per parenchyma strand. Rays more than 10 per mm (abundant). Rays and/or axial elements irregularly storied. Rays exclusively uniseriate. Homogeneous rays and/or sub-homogeneous rays (all ray cells procumbent). Non-septate fibers. Fibers with simple to minutely bordered pits.
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Wood Macro Photo Radial Plane
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Wood Micro Photo Of Transversal Section
Availability
Cites Status
Unrestricted
General Wood Description
Color
The sapwood is yellowish white, it has a thickness of 10 to 15 cm. The heartwood is light brown to copper brown, it is clearly demarcated. The silver figure is fine (barely visible).
COLOR INDEX (1=Black, 7=Light yellow,white)
5
Grain
Straight or slightly interlocked, sometimes with an influence on further processing operations.
Texture
The texture is mostly medium to coarse.
Natural Durability
Moderately durable to decay. Without preservative treatment, this species can be used only under risk of occasional re-humidification. It is not suited for uses with risks of permanent or long-lasting humidification. Moderately resistant to termites attack
Natural durability index (1= Very high durability, 7=Vey low durability)
3
Internal Growth Stresses
No residual stresses are reported in this species.
Silica Content
Silica Content: It is reported to have a negligible amount of silica. Contents over 0.05% may affect wood processing. Silica Value: 0.01
Resistance To Impregnation
Difficult to treat with only a low penetration of the preservative products.
Wood Physical Properties
Basic Density or Specific Gravity (O.D. weight/vol. green) (g/cm³)
0.52
Air-dry Density (Weight and volume at 12%MC) (g/cm³)
0.57
Total shrinkage Tangential (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
5.9
Total shrinkage Radial (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
3.7
Drying Defects
Ease of Drying: The wood is difficult to season. Drying Defects: Warping, splitting and surface-checking are recorded. Kiln Schedules: Kiln drying at low temperatures is possible.
Recommended Dry Kiln Schedule
FR-7
Dimensional stability ratio (Total Tangential Shrinkage %/Total Radial Shrinkage %)
1.6
Wood Chemical Properties
Wood Mechanical Properties
Bending Strength (MOR),12%MC (kgf/cm²)
920
Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
132576
Compression parallel to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
493
Compression perpendicular to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
61
Shear strength radial 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
63
Janka hardness (side) 12%MC (kgf)
396
Janka hardness (end grain) 12%MC (kgf)
500
Workability
Sawing
It is easy to saw.
Rotary Veneer Cutting
Suitable for slicing and peeling.
Sliced Veneer
Suitable for slicing and peeling.
Blunting Effect
Moderate blunting effect; stellited blades for sawing and carbide tools for machining are advised.
Machining
Machining of this species is reportedly easy.
Planing
Moderately easy; tools must be cautiously sharpened.
Moulding
Easy; no particular problems.
Turning
30
Boring
Easy; no particular problems.
Mortising
Easy; no particular problems.
Nailing
No particular problem.
Gluing
Glues well if basic gluing technical rules are followed.
Sanding
Easy to perform; it gives good results.
Polishing
Needs pre-coating.
Response To Hand Tools
No particular problems.
REFERENCED USES
End Uses Summary
HOUSING GENERAL, beams, joists, boards, flooring, parquet, frames, steps, panelling, fittings, FURNITURE AND CABINETS, luxury furniture, cabinets, PLYWOOD AND VENEER, faces, Decorative veneer, TURNING, ornaments, turned furniture, CONTAINERS, cooperage, OTHER AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, door core, coffin, cementboard
General Housing
- 10 - Silica in Timbers
Beams
- 11 - Prospect: The wood database
Joists
- 12 - Tropical timbers of the world. Part I-Tropical American Species
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
Parquet
- 15 - Empire Timbers
Frames
- 16 - Woods of the World
Steps
- 17 - Tree Conservation Database
Paneling
- 18 - W3TROPICOS Missouri Botanical Garden
Fittings
- 19 - Silica in Timbers
Furniture Cabinets
- 21 - Tropical timbers of the world. Part III-Southeast Asian and Oceanian Species.
Furniture, Luxury
- 22 - Dry kiln schedules for commercial woods. Temperate and tropical. Section IV-Asian and Oceanian Woods
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
Decorative veneer
- 28 - Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forest of Fiji
Turning
- 30 - Embassy of Honduras in Japan
Ornaments
- 31 - Embassy of Colombia in Japan
Turned Articles
- 32 - Embassy of Cote d`Ivoire in Japan
Cooperage
- 51 - Recopilacion de propiedades mecanicas de maderas creciendo en Chile
Door Cores
- 76 - Descripción General y Anatómica de 105 Maderas del Grupo Andino.
Coffin
- 78 - Amazonian Timbers for the International Market
Cementboard
- 81 - Madeiras da Amazônia: descrição do lenho de 40 espécies ocorrentes na Floresta Nacional do Tapajós
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