ESSESSANG (Ricinodendron heudelotii)
Trade Name
Essessang
Scientific Name
Ricinodendron heudelotii Pierre
Family
EUPHORBIACEAE
Common Names
Eho (Côte d`Ivoire); Musodo (Uganda); Kisongo (Uganda); Musodo (Tanzania); Musodo (Kenya); Musodo (Ethiopia); Okhuen (Nigeria); Erimado (United Kingdom); Kishongo (Uganda); Mungomo (Mozambique); Munguella (Angola); Essessang (Cameroon); Bofeko (Zaire); Sanga-Sanga (Congo); Nsezang (Equatorial Guinea); Esesang (Gabon); Ezezang (Cameroon); Erimado (Nigeria); Wama (Ghana)
Scientific Name Synonyms
Ricinodendron heudelotii (Baill.) Heckel; Ricinodendron heudelotii subsp. africanum; Ricinodendron africanum Muell. Arg.; Jatropha heudelotii Baill.
Description Of The Tree
Botanical Description
The tree reaches a maximum height of 32 m, but sometimes only 6 to 10 m. The bole is cylindrical, straight, sometimes buttressed. The trunk diameter attains 100 up to 130 cm.
Natural Habitat
Ricinodendron heudelotii is found in dry coastal forest, rain forest, in secondary formations and in riparian forests in the savanna.
Natural Distribution
West Africa, from Guinea to Angola and Uganda.
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). Tyloses thin walled. Non-vestured pits. Vessels per mm2 less than 6 (rare). Simple perforation plates. Vessel-ray pits sim Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse and/or diffuse in aggregates. Prismatic crystals in non-chambered axial parenchyma cells. 5 to 8 cells per parenchyma strand. Rays more than 10 per mm (abundant). Rays non-storied. Rays exclusively uniseriate. Heterogeneous rays and/or multiseriate heterogeneous rays. Non-septate fibers. 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
Color
The heartwood is whitish to pale yellow, it is not demarcated.
COLOR INDEX (1=Black, 7=Light yellow,white)
7
Grain
Straight; grain has no particular influence on drying, machining and finishing qualities.
Texture
The texture is typically medium to coarse.
Natural Durability
Not durable; important risks of decay attacks at any processing step, from logs up to final products. It must receive preservative treatment. Sensible to termites attack. The heartwood is sensible to Lyctus attacks.
Natural durability index (1= Very high durability, 7=Vey low durability)
5
Internal Growth Stresses
Residual stresses are reported to be absent.
Resistance To Impregnation
Easy to treat with a full penetration of the preservative products using vacuum-pressure method.
Wood Physical Properties
Basic Density or Specific Gravity (O.D. weight/vol. green) (g/cm³)
0.25
Air-dry Density (Weight and volume at 12%MC) (g/cm³)
0.26
Total shrinkage Tangential (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
4.8
Total shrinkage Radial (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
2.0
Drying Defects
Ease of Drying: Drying is rather slow and sometimes difficult to perform. Drying Defects: Risks of checks and distortions. Kiln Schedules: Schedule proposed as a reference by comparison with well known species taking into account to the general technological behavior of this species.
Recommended Dry Kiln Schedule
FR-4
Dimensional stability ratio (Total Tangential Shrinkage %/Total Radial Shrinkage %)
2.4
Wood Chemical Properties
Wood Mechanical Properties
Bending Strength (MOR),12%MC (kgf/cm²)
313
Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
53320
Compression parallel to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
199
Compression perpendicular to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
18
Shear strength radial 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
29
Janka hardness (side) 12%MC (kgf)
80
Janka hardness (end grain) 12%MC (kgf)
141
Workability
Sawing
It is easy to saw.
Rotary Veneer Cutting
Suitable for peeling without treatment.
Sliced Veneer
Suitable for peeling without treatment.
Blunting Effect
Slight blunting effect; ordinary tools can be used for sawing and machining.
Machining
Machining of this species is reportedly easy.
Planing
Easy; no particular problems.
Moulding
Moderately easy; tools must be cautiously sharpened.
Boring
Moderately easy; tools must be cautiously sharpened.
Mortising
Moderately easy; tools must be cautiously sharpened.
Nailing
Easy to perform but low nails holding.
Gluing
Glues well if basic gluing technical rules are followed.
Sanding
Particular care is needed to avoid woolly aspect of the surface.
Polishing
Needs pre-coating.
Response To Hand Tools
No particular problems.
REFERENCED USES
End Uses Summary
FURNITURE AND CABINETS, common furniture, PLYWOOD AND VENEER, cores, PACKING, light packing, OTHER AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, door core, coffin, moldings, scale model
Furniture Cabinets
- 21 - Tropical timbers of the world. Part III-Southeast Asian and Oceanian Species.
Furniture, Common
- 23 - Handbook of Hardwoods
Panels, Veneers
- 25 - Directory of Timber Trade Malaysia
Cores
- 27 - Embassy of Brazil in Japan
Packing
- 45 - Recopilación y Análisis de Estudios Tecnológicos de Maderas Peruanas
Light Packing
- 46 - ECUADOR, Inventario y Aprovechamiento de los Bosques del Sur Ecuatoriano
Door Cores
- 76 - Descripción General y Anatómica de 105 Maderas del Grupo Andino.
Coffin
- 78 - Amazonian Timbers for the International Market
Molding
- 79 - Padronização da Nomenclatura Comercial Brasileira das Madeiras Tropicais Amazônicas, Sugestão
Scale Models
- 83 - Algunas caracteristicas fisicomecanicas de la madera de tres especies de la cordillera NeoVolcanica
Please Provide Information To View Producer Information