DEPLANCHEA (Deplanchea tetraphylla)

Trade Name

Deplanchea

Scientific Name

Deplanchea tetraphylla (R. Br.) F. Muell. ex Steenis

Family

BIGNONIACEAE

Common Names

Laargola (Indonesia); Bas (Indonesia); Kapul (Indonesia)

Scientific Name Synonyms

Faradaya chrysoclada K. Schumann & Lauterb; Diplanthera tetraphylla R. Br.; Deplanchea hirsuta (F.M. Bailey)

Description Of The Tree

Botanical Description

It is an evergreen, small to large tree up to 45 m tall. The bole is branchless for up to 20 m, up to 150 cm in diameter, sometimes with steep buttresses or fluted at base.

Natural Habitat

It is a light demanding tree, found in open and secondary forests, often near swampy locations, up to 1,000 m of altitude.

Wood Identification

Anatomic Description Of Wood

Vessels per mm2 5 to 20. Simple perforation plates. Vessel-ray pits similar to intervessel pits in size and shape. Intervessel pits medium, 7 to 10 micras. Axial parenchyma aliform. Axial parenchyma confluent. Homogeneous rays and/or sub-homogeneous rays (all ray cells procumbent).

Availability

Cites Status

Unrestricted

General Wood Description

Color

The heartwood is pale brown or yellow-brown, not distinctly demarcated from the straw-colored sapwood.

Grain

It has straight grain.

Texture

The texture of the wood is fine.

Natural Durability

It is reported to have low natural resistance.

Natural durability index (1= Very high durability, 7=Vey low durability)

Wood Physical Properties

Basic Density or Specific Gravity (O.D. weight/vol. green) (g/cm³)

0.46

Air-dry Density (Weight and volume at 12%MC) (g/cm³)

0.50

Total shrinkage Tangential (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)

7.4

Total shrinkage Radial (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)

4.7

Drying Defects

Ease of Drying: Air seasoning is reported to be easy and slow with little degrade. Boards of 25 mm thick take 42 days (Indonesia) but 6 months is also reported, and of 40 mm thick take about 3 months to air dry.