DIFOU (Morus mesozygia)
Trade Name
Difou
Scientific Name
Morus mesozygia Stapf.
Family
MORACEAE
Common Names
Wonton (Ghana); Difou (Côte d`Ivoire); Mecodze (Mozambique); Mecobze (Mozambique); Kankate (Zaire); Aye (Nigeria); Difou
Description Of The Tree
Botanical Description
The tree reaches a height of 30 to 40 m. The bole is generally cylindrical, up to 20 m in length, with wide-spreading root ridges. The trunk diameter attains 60 to 90 cm.
Natural Habitat
Morus mesozygia occurs in the drier parts of closed forests, in dry savanna formations, also in coastal evergreen locations, and in some ravines.
Natural Distribution
West Africa, from Senegal to Gabon.
Wood Identification
Anatomic Description Of Wood
Wood diffuse porous. Occasionally vessels exclusively solitary (over 90%). Tangential diameter of vessel lumina 150 to 200 micras (medium). Tyloses thin walled. Non-vestured pits. Vessels per mm2 less than 6 (rare). Simple perforation plates. Vessel-ray pits sim Axial parenchyma in thick bands. Prismatic crystals in short chains in chambered axial parenchyma cells. 5 to 8 cells per parenchyma strand. Axial parenchyma bands more than 3 cells wide. 4 to 10 rays per mm (medium). Rays non-storied. Rays 1 to 4 seriate. Body ray cells procumbent with mostly 2 to 4 rows of upright and/or square marginal cells (Kribs-II). Non-septate fibers. Fibers with simple to minutely bordered pits.
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Wood Macro Photo Tangential Plane
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Wood Micro Photo Of Transversal Section
Availability
Cites Status
Unrestricted
General Wood Description
Color
The sapwood is pale grey or white. The heartwood is yellow when freshly cut, darkening with age to a coffee brown, it is clearly demarcated.
COLOR INDEX (1=Black, 7=Light yellow,white)
5
Grain
Straight or slightly interlocked, sometimes with an influence on further processing operations.
Texture
The wood is mostly medium in texture.
Luster
The surface of the wood is naturally low in luster.
Natural Durability
Very durable to decay; without preservative treatment. This species is especially suited for all the uses with risks of permanent or long-lasting humidification. Resistant to termites attack. Heartwood is resistant to Lyctus attacks.
Natural durability index (1= Very high durability, 7=Vey low durability)
1
Internal Growth Stresses
No residual growth stresses are found.
Silica Content
Silica Content: Negligible contents of silica are found in timber of this species. Amounts over 0.05% may affect the 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)
0.74
Air-dry Density (Weight and volume at 12%MC) (g/cm³)
0.84
Total shrinkage Tangential (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
5.8
Total shrinkage Radial (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
3.2
Recommended Dry Kiln Schedule
FR-6
Dimensional stability ratio (Total Tangential Shrinkage %/Total Radial Shrinkage %)
1.8
Wood Chemical Properties
Wood Mechanical Properties
Bending Strength (MOR),12%MC (kgf/cm²)
1461
Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
188482
Compression parallel to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
872
Compression perpendicular to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
130
Shear strength radial 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
76
Janka hardness (side) 12%MC (kgf)
888
Janka hardness (end grain) 12%MC (kgf)
952
Workability
Sawing
Sawing of this species requires powerful equipment.
Rotary Veneer Cutting
Suitable for slicing.
Sliced Veneer
Suitable for slicing.
Blunting Effect
Moderate blunting effect; stellited blades for sawing and carbide tools for machining are advised.
Machining
It needs powerful tools for processing. Possible difficulties caused by interlocked grain are reported.
Planing
Rather difficult; special tools are needed.
Moulding
Moderately easy; tools must be cautiously sharpened.
Turning
30
Boring
Moderately easy; tools must be cautiously sharpened.
Mortising
Moderately easy; tools must be cautiously sharpened.
Nailing
Pre-boring is necessary.
Gluing
Difficult to glue because of high density.
Sanding
Easy to perform; it gives good results.
Polishing
Can be polished without surface preparation.
Response To Hand Tools
Working with hand tools is difficult.
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, Decorative veneer, TURNING, ornaments, turned furniture, CONTAINERS, truck bodies, truck flooring, NAVAL CONSTRUCTION, boat deck, port storage, OTHER AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, handicrafts, shingle
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
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
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
Boat Decking
- 59 - Programa Nacional de uso Sostenible de los Bosques e Incremento a las Exportaciones.
Port Storage
- 62 - Estudio Tecnológico de Maderas del Perú (Zona Pucallpa) Vol I
Handcraft
- 66 - Maderas latinoamericanas. VII. Caracteristicas anatomicas. propiedades fisicomecanicas, de secado, y tratabilidad de la madera juvenil de Cordia alliodora (Ruiz & Pav. Oken.)
Shingles
- 77 - Amazonian Timbers, Characteristics and Utilization Volume I; Tapajós National Forest
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