GREENHEART (Ocotea rodiei)
Trade Name
Greenheart
Scientific Name
Ocotea rodiei (R.H. Schomb.) Mez
Family
LAURACEAE
Common Names
Sipiri; Kevatuk; Itaube; Ishpingo Moena (Peru); Groen Hart; Demerara Groenhart; Demerara Greenheart; Beeberoe; Sepeira; White Greenheart; Brown Greenheart; Black Greenheart; Sipiroe; Groenhart; Demerara; Torchwood; Wainop; Viruviru; Tugul; Tugui; Supeira (Brazil); Sipira; Sipeiro; Rora-Ek; Cipira; Cipiri; Bibiroo; Bibiri; Bibira; Bibir; Bebeeru; Bebeeren; Bebeeree; Bibiru; Demerara Green Heart; Green Heart
Scientific Name Synonyms
Nectandra rodioei R.H. Schomb.
Description Of The Tree
Botanical Description
It attains heights up to 40 m and 100 cm in diameter, but it is more often 50 to 70 cm in diameter. The boles are straight and cylindrical up to 20 to 30 m long. It presents low buttresses.
Natural Habitat
Ocotea rodiei is found in primary tropical rain forests in northern South America, growing on well drained areas.
Natural Distribution
The natural range of the species is includes the Guyanas, Venezuela and Brazil.
Non Timber Uses
It is reported to be resistant to acids.
Wood Identification
Anatomic Description Of Wood
Wood diffuse porous. Vessels solitary and in short radial multiples. Tangential diameter of vessel lumina 200 micras or more (large). Tyloses common. Vessels per mm2 10 to 20 (abundant). Vessel-ray pits coarse throughout the ray cell. Intervessel pits small, 7 Axial parenchyma absent or extremely rare, non visible with magnifying glass (8x). Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty and/or vasicentric. 3 to 4 cells per parenchyma strand. 4 to 10 rays per mm (medium). Rays 1 to 4 seriate. Body ray cells procumbent with one row of upright and/or square marginal cells (Kribs-III). 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
Odor
When dry it has no characteristic odor or taste.
Color
The sapwood is not clearly distinct from the heartwood. The color of the heartwood varies from light to dark olive or blackish, sometimes with irregular dark veins.
COLOR INDEX (1=Black, 7=Light yellow,white)
4
Grain
The grain is straight to interlocked.
Texture
The texture is fine and uniform.
Luster
The surface of the wood is naturally high in luster.
Natural Durability
It is very resistant to pinhole borers, marine borers, and dry-wood termites attack.
Natural durability index (1= Very high durability, 7=Vey low durability)
1
Resistance To Impregnation
This timber is reported to be impermeable to preservatives.
Wood Physical Properties
Basic Density or Specific Gravity (O.D. weight/vol. green) (g/cm³)
0.82
Air-dry Density (Weight and volume at 12%MC) (g/cm³)
0.94
Total shrinkage Tangential (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
8.6
Total shrinkage Radial (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
7.8
Drying Defects
Ease of Drying: This species air dries rapidly. Drying Defects: Warping can be severe. Kiln Schedules: To reduce warping it is recommended to place the separation stickers closer together. Chemical protection is recommended to avoid blue stain.
Recommended Dry Kiln Schedule
UK-B; US-T2-C2
Dimensional stability ratio (Total Tangential Shrinkage %/Total Radial Shrinkage %)
1.1
Wood Chemical Properties
Wood Mechanical Properties
Bending Strength (MOR),12%MC (kgf/cm²)
2176
Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
237731
Compression parallel to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
972
Shear strength radial 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
130
Janka hardness (side) 12%MC (kgf)
1152
Janka hardness (end grain) 12%MC (kgf)
971
Workability
Sawing
Cutting resistance is reported to be generally high.
Rotary Veneer Cutting
It is unsuitable for plywood because of its density.
Sliced Veneer
It is unsuitable for plywood because of its density.
Blunting Effect
Blunting effect on cutting edges is rated as moderate to high.
Machining
The wood of green heart gives satisfactory results in all machining operations.
Planing
A reduced cutting angle of 20 degrees is recommended for planing because of interlocked grain and high density.
Nailing
The material is reported to require pre-boring.
Gluing
Gluing properties are reported to be variable. Special care needed in gluing.
Finishing
The timber is reported to give a lustrous finish.
Steam Bending
It is reported to have moderate steam bending properties but it is not recommended for that application.
REFERENCED USES
End Uses Summary
EXTERIOR GENERAL, bridges, stakes posts, crossties, HOUSING GENERAL, boards, flooring, steps, panelling, CONTAINERS, cooperage, NAVAL CONSTRUCTION, port pillar
Exterior General
- 1 - Tabela de resultados de ensaios fisicos e mecanicos
Bridges
- 2 - 25 madeiras da amazonia de valor comercial, caracterizacao, macroscopica, usos comuns e indices qualificativos
Stake Posts
- 5 - Propriedades fisicas e mecanicas da madeira e do contraplacado de Pinus elliottii
Crossties
- 8 - Maderas latinoamericas. III, Podocarpus standleyi ,Podocarpus oleifolius, Drims granadensis, Magnolia poasana y Didymopanax pittieri
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
Steps
- 17 - Tree Conservation Database
Paneling
- 18 - W3TROPICOS Missouri Botanical Garden
Containers
- 50 - Properties of imported tropical woods
Cooperage
- 51 - Recopilacion de propiedades mecanicas de maderas creciendo en Chile
Shipbuilding
- 55 - Tropical Timber Atlas of Latin America
Port Pillar
- 61 - Manual de Diseño para Maderas del Grupo Andino
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