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DURIAN (Durio zibethinus)

Trade Name

Durian

Scientific Name

Durio zibethinus Murray

Family

BOMBACACEAE

Common Names

Durian kampong (Malaysia); Laung (Indonesia); Luria (Indonesia); Bungal (Malaysia); Durian (Germany); Durian (Netherlands); Durian tupai (Malaysia); Durian daun (Malaysia); Gengang (Malaysia); Duyin (Myanmar); Durian (Indonesia); Durian (United States of America); Djeung-djing (Malaysia); Durian (United Kingdom); Durian (Philippines); Durian (Spain); Durian (Italy); Durian (France); True durian (Malaysia)

Description Of The Tree

Botanical Description

It is a medium-sized to fairly large tree up to 40 m tall, with straight cylindrical bole up to 100 cm in diameter. Prominent, steep buttresses are reported.

Natural Distribution

It is cultivated throughout South-East Asia. It is probably native in Sumatra and Borneo.

Plantations Available?

This species is planted for its fruits.

Wood Identification

Anatomic Description Of Wood

Wood diffuse porous. 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 shape. Intervessel pits medium, 7 to 10 micras. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse and/or diffuse in aggregates. Axial parenchyma reticulate. Prismatic crystals in non-chambered axial parenchyma cells. Prismatic crystals in chambered axial parenchyma cells and/or in fibers. Over 9 cells per parenchyma st 4 to 10 rays per mm (medium). Ray height more than 1 mm. Larger rays more than 4 seriate. Tile cells. 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.

  • Wood Macro Photo Tangential Plane
  • Wood Micro Photo Of Transversal Section

Availability

Cites Status

Unrestricted

General Wood Description

Odor

It has typical musk odor.

Color

The sapwood varies from light gray or whitish to light pink. The heartwood is from pink-brown to gray-brown.

COLOR INDEX (1=Black, 7=Light yellow,white)

5

Grain

It is mostly straight, occasionally lightly interlocked.

Texture

Texture is usually medium to coarse.

Luster

Its heartwood has reddish luster.

Natural Durability

It is perishable and prone to blue stain, infestation by ship-timber beetle is also reported.

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

5

Resistance To Impregnation

The heartwood and sapwood are moderately easy to preserve.

Wood Physical Properties

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

0.56

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

0.62

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

6.9

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

4.2

Drying Defects

Ease of Drying: The timber air dries slowly. Using a reasonable drying schedule, it takes more than 3 weeks to dry from green to air dry. Drying Defects: The end checking during drying is common. Rapidly drying of boards at 100 degrees shows much checking and deformation.

Recommended Dry Kiln Schedule

UK-D

Dimensional stability ratio (Total Tangential Shrinkage %/Total Radial Shrinkage %)

1.6

Wood Chemical Properties

Wood Mechanical Properties

Bending Strength (MOR),12%MC (kgf/cm²)

706

Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)

115122

Compression parallel to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)

456

Shear strength radial 12%MC (kgf/cm²)

48

Janka hardness (side) 12%MC (kgf)

274

Janka hardness (end grain) 12%MC (kgf)

364

Workability

Sawing

Sawmilling of this species is reportedly easy.

Rotary Veneer Cutting

It can be peeled to make veneer at a peeling angle of 90 degrees without pretreatment.

Sliced Veneer

It can be peeled to make veneer at a peeling angle of 90 degrees without pretreatment.

Machining

Machining of this species is reported to be easy.

Planing

This species is easy to plane.

Moulding

This species is easy to mold.

Boring

Boring operations are rated as fair.

Mortising

The response of this species to mortising operations is fair.

Nailing

Nailing properties are good.

Gluing

Gluing behavior is reportedly good.

Sanding

Wood of this species is easy to sand.

Finishing

This species is reported to be easy to finish.

Polishing

Polishing of this species is reportedly easy.

REFERENCED USES

End Uses Summary

HOUSING GENERAL, FURNITURE AND CABINETS, PLYWOOD AND VENEER, cores, TOOLS, tool handles, PACKING

General Housing
  • 10 - Silica in Timbers
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
Tools
  • 42 - Utilización Industrial de Nuevas Especies Forestales en el Perú.
Tool Handles
  • 43 - Maderas de Bolivia (Características y Usos de 55 Maderas Tropicales)
Packing
  • 45 - Recopilación y Análisis de Estudios Tecnológicos de Maderas Peruanas

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