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GERUNGGANG (Cratoxylum arborescens)
Trade Name
Gerunggang
Scientific Name
Cratoxylum arborescens (Vahl) Blume
Family
Guttiferae
Common Names
Geruggang; Geronggang gajah; Geronggang; Selunus (Indonesia); Gerunggang (France); Gerunggang (Spain); Gerunggang (Netherlands); Gerunggang (United States of America); Gerunggang (United Kingdom); Serungan (Sabah); Mapat (Indonesia); Mulu (Indonesia); Gonggang (Malaysia); Gerunggang (Sarawak); Gerunggang (Germany)
Scientific Name Synonyms
Cratoxylum cuneatum Miq.; Cratoxylum arborescens (Vahl) Blume var miquelii King
Description Of The Tree
Botanical Description
It is a medium-sized to large, evergreen tree up to 50 m tall. The bole is up to 65 cm in diameter.
Natural Habitat
This species occurs scattered, although sometimes it is dominant and gregarious in coastal swamp forests, up to 900 m of altitude.
Natural Distribution
It is locally common in Malaysia and Indonesia, mainly in coastal dipterocarp swamp forests.
Wood Identification
Anatomic Description Of Wood
Wood diffuse porous. Colored deposits in heartwood vessels. Tyloses common. Vascular/vasicentric tracheides present. Simple perforation plates. Vessel-ray pits similar to intervessel pits in size and shape. Intervessel pits small, 7 micras or less. Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty and/or vasicentric. Axial parenchyma aliform. Axial parenchyma in narrow bands on lines up to 3 cells wide. Homogeneous rays and/or sub-homogeneous rays (all ray cells procumbent). Body ray cells procumbent with mostly 2 to 4 rows of upright and/or square marginal cells (Kribs-II). Body ray cells procumbent with one row of upright and/or square marginal cells (Kr
Availability
Cites Status
Unrestricted
General Wood Description
Odor
No odor or taste is noted.
Color
The sapwood is pink to whitish. The heartwood ranges from dark pink to light brick-red, darkening.
COLOR INDEX (1=Black, 7=Light yellow,white)
5
Grain
It is predominantly straight.
Texture
Its texture is medium to coarse, its vessels have dark deposits.
Luster
It is lustrous.
Natural Durability
It is perishable and vulnerable to bark beetles and ship-timber beetles.
Natural durability index (1= Very high durability, 7=Vey low durability)
5
Silica Content
Silica Content: Silica content is negligible. Amounts over 0.05% may affect wood processing. Silica Value: 0.05
Resistance To Impregnation
Stock absorbs preservatives readily.
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) (%)
6.0
Total shrinkage Radial (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
3.3
Drying Defects
Ease of Drying: Air seasoning is reported to be good but rather slow. Drying Defects: When the timber is dried very slowly, degrade is almost negligible.
Recommended Dry Kiln Schedule
JP-36; UK-E; US-T6-D2
Dimensional stability ratio (Total Tangential Shrinkage %/Total Radial Shrinkage %)
1.8
Wood Chemical Properties
Wood Mechanical Properties
Bending Strength (MOR),12%MC (kgf/cm²)
502
Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
80713
Compression parallel to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
259
Shear strength radial 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
63
Janka hardness (side) 12%MC (kgf)
178
Janka hardness (end grain) 12%MC (kgf)
245
Workability
Sawing
This species is easy to saw.
Rotary Veneer Cutting
It can be peeled at a 90 degrees peeling angle to produce good veneer, without pretreatment.
Sliced Veneer
It can be peeled at a 90 degrees peeling angle to produce good veneer, without pretreatment.
Blunting Effect
It has a moderate blunting effect on the cutting tools.
Machining
Machining of this species is reported to be easy.
Planing
It can be planed to a smooth surface, except on radial surfaces of green wood.
Turning
30
Boring
Boring operations are rather easy.
Mortising
Mortising operations are rather difficult.
Nailing
It is easy to nail.
Gluing
This species is easy to glue.
Sanding
Sanding of this wood is difficult.
Finishing
After some filling it has a good finishing.
Polishing
Polishing of this species is reportedly easy.
REFERENCED USES
End Uses Summary
HOUSING GENERAL, boards, flooring, panelling, FURNITURE AND CABINETS, PLYWOOD AND VENEER, TURNING, cutlery, PACKING, NAVAL CONSTRUCTION, boats, OTHER AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, handicrafts
General Housing
- 10 - Silica in Timbers
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
Paneling
- 18 - W3TROPICOS Missouri Botanical Garden
Furniture Cabinets
- 21 - Tropical timbers of the world. Part III-Southeast Asian and Oceanian Species.
Panels, Veneers
- 25 - Directory of Timber Trade Malaysia
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
Boats
- 56 - Manual de Identificación de Especies Forestales de la Subregión Andina.
Handcraft
- 66 - Maderas latinoamericanas. VII. Caracteristicas anatomicas. propiedades fisicomecanicas, de secado, y tratabilidad de la madera juvenil de Cordia alliodora (Ruiz & Pav. Oken.)
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