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KAYU LEMAH (Zanthoxylum rhetsa)
Trade Name
Kayu lemah
Scientific Name
Zanthoxylum rhetsa
Family
RUTACEAE
Common Names
Kayu lemah (Indonesia); Cosc hooi (Vietnam); Caay hoafng moojc hooi (Vietnam); Kaitana (Philippines); Kasabang (Philippines); Indian ivy-rue; Kayu tanah (Indonesia); Kayutana (Philippines); Khen (Laos); Kathit-pyu (Myanmar); Ma khuang (Thailand); Luk ra mat (Thailand); Kamehat ton (Thailand); Khouang (Laos); Hantu duri (Malaysia)
Scientific Name Synonyms
Zanthoxylum limonella (Dennst) Alston; Zanthoxylum budrunga (Roxb.) DC.; Fagara rhetsa Roxb.
Description Of The Tree
Botanical Description
Small to medium sized tree, up to 20 m tall and 120 to 150 cm in diameter, without buttresses.
Natural Habitat
Zanthoxylum rhetsa is reported in primary and secondary forests, up to 500 m of altitude. It prefers rather dry, often monsoon forests.
Wood Identification
Anatomic Description Of Wood
Wood diffuse porous. Occasionally tangential diameter of vessel lumina 100 micras or less. Colored deposits in heartwood vessels. Vessels per mm2 5 to 20. Vessels per mm2 more than 20 (very abundant). Simple perforation plates. Vessel-ray pits similar to interv Axial parenchyma in marginal or in seemingly marginal bands. Occasionally paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty and/or vasicentric. Occasionally prismatic crystals in chambered axial parenchyma cells and/or in fibers. Occasionally two cells per parenchyma str 4 to 10 rays per mm (medium). Rays less than 4 per mm (rare). Occasionally larger rays more than 4 seriate. Occasionally body ray cells procumbent with one row of upright and/or square marginal cells (Kribs-III). Occasionally septate fibers present. Fibers with simple to minutely bordered pits.
Availability
Cites Status
Unrestricted
General Wood Description
Color
The heartwood is bright yellow to pale brown, not clearly differentiated from the pale brown sapwood.
Grain
This species is reported to have straight grain.
Texture
Texture is mostly fine to moderately fine and even.
Luster
This wood is frequently lustrous.
Natural Durability
The heartwood is resistant to dry-wood termites and moderately resistant to fungi.
Natural durability index (1= Very high durability, 7=Vey low durability)
3
Wood Physical Properties
Basic Density or Specific Gravity (O.D. weight/vol. green) (g/cm³)
0.33
Air-dry Density (Weight and volume at 12%MC) (g/cm³)
0.35
Total shrinkage Tangential (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
5.6
Total shrinkage Radial (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
3.5
Drying Defects
Ease of Drying: Drying is rather slow and sometimes difficult to perform. Drying Defects: Risks of checks. Kiln Schedules: Schedule proposed as a reference by comparison with well known species taking into account to the general technological behavior of this species.
Dimensional stability ratio (Total Tangential Shrinkage %/Total Radial Shrinkage %)
1.6
Wood Chemical Properties
Wood Mechanical Properties
Bending Strength (MOR),12%MC (kgf/cm²)
593
Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
82030
Compression parallel to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
295
Compression perpendicular to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
32
Shear strength radial 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
56
Janka hardness (side) 12%MC (kgf)
171
Janka hardness (end grain) 12%MC (kgf)
272
Workability
Machining
It is easy to machine.
Finishing
It has a good finishing.
Response To Hand Tools
The wood responds well to hand tools.
REFERENCED USES
End Uses Summary
HOUSING GENERAL, joists, boards, FURNITURE AND CABINETS, TOOLS, tool handles, OTHER AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, handicrafts
General Housing
- 10 - Silica in Timbers
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
Furniture Cabinets
- 21 - Tropical timbers of the world. Part III-Southeast Asian and Oceanian Species.
Tools
- 42 - Utilización Industrial de Nuevas Especies Forestales en el Perú.
Tool Handles
- 43 - Maderas de Bolivia (Características y Usos de 55 Maderas Tropicales)
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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