CORALTREE (Erythrina variegata)
Trade Name
Coraltree
Scientific Name
Erythrina variegata L.
Family
LEGUMINOSAE
Common Names
Variegated coral tree; Rolouhs bay (Cambodia); Dadap ayam (Indonesia); Arbre immortel (France); Dok kho (Laos); Arbre au corail (France); Dadap blendung (Indonesia); Thong ban (Laos); Galala itam (Indonesia); Chengkering (Malaysia); Andorogat (Philippines); Penglay-kathit (Myanmar); Indian coral tree; Caay voong nem (Vietnam); Dan ro (Vietnam); Bagbag (Philippines); Thong lang lai (Thailand); Thong phueak (Thailand); Hafi doofng bif (Vietnam)
Scientific Name Synonyms
Tetradapa javanorum Osbeck; Gelala alba Rumphius; Erythrina corallodendron var. orientalis L.; Erythrina alba Cogniaux & Marchal; Chirocalyx indicus Walp.; Chirocalyx divaricatus Walp.; Chirocalyx candolleanus Walp.
Description Of The Tree
Botanical Description
It is a small to medium sized tree, up to 27 m tall. The bole and branches are often armed with conical spines, sometimes crooked or fluted, up to 90 cm in diameter. Occasionally buttresses up to 2 m high are reported. It is reported as a corkwood tree.
Natural Habitat
Erythrina variegata is adapted to coastal forests, but it is frequently cultivated inland, up to 1,200 m of altitude.
Plantations Available?
It is planted as a shadow tree.
Wood Identification
Anatomic Description Of Wood
Wood diffuse porous. Tangential diameter of vessel lumina 200 micras or more (large). Vestured pits. Vessels per mm2 less than 6 (rare). Simple perforation plates. Vessel-ray pits similar to intervessel pits in size and shape. Intervessel pits medium, 7 to 10 m Occasionally axial parenchyma confluent. Axial parenchyma storied. Prismatic crystals in chambered axial parenchyma cells and/or in fibers. Two cells per parenchyma strand. Axial parenchyma bands more than 3 cells wide. Rays less than 4 per mm (rare). Larger rays more than 4 seriate. Homogeneous rays and/or sub-homogeneous rays (all ray cells procumbent). Occasionally body ray cells procumbent with one row of upright and/or square marginal cells (Kribs-III). Fibers with simple to minutely bordered pits.
Availability
Cites Status
Unrestricted
General Wood Description
Color
The heartwood is pale straw or buff-colored, not clearly differentiated from the white sapwood.
Grain
The grain is straight, slightly interlocked or wavy.
Texture
The wood is mostly coarse in texture.
Natural Durability
It is reported as non-durable, it is susceptible to sap-stain fungi and dry-wood termites.
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)
0.26
Air-dry Density (Weight and volume at 12%MC) (g/cm³)
0.28
Total shrinkage Tangential (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
7.7
Total shrinkage Radial (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
3.3
Drying Defects
Ease of Drying: It is reported that boards of 3 cm thick took about 2 months to air dry from 40% to 15% moisture content. Drying Defects: It is liable to end-splitting, warping and surface checking if not carefully seasoned.
Dimensional stability ratio (Total Tangential Shrinkage %/Total Radial Shrinkage %)
2.3
Wood Chemical Properties
Wood Mechanical Properties
Workability
Machining
Wood processing is reported to be easy.
Turning
30
Finishing
It is difficult to finish because of the coarse texture.
REFERENCED USES
End Uses Summary
TURNING, cutlery, PACKING, NAVAL CONSTRUCTION, OTHER AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, handicrafts, shoes, matches
Turning
- 30 - Embassy of Honduras in Japan
Knife Handles
- 33 - Embassy of Gabon in Japan
Packing
- 45 - Recopilación y Análisis de Estudios Tecnológicos de Maderas Peruanas
Shipbuilding
- 55 - Tropical Timber Atlas of Latin America
Handcraft
- 66 - Maderas latinoamericanas. VII. Caracteristicas anatomicas. propiedades fisicomecanicas, de secado, y tratabilidad de la madera juvenil de Cordia alliodora (Ruiz & Pav. Oken.)
Shoes
- 70 - Proprietes physiques et mecaniques des bois tropicaux de l`union francaise
Matches
- 71 - Proprietes physiques et mecaniques des bois tropicaux, premier supplement
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