MALAS (Homalium longifolium)
Trade Name
Malas
Scientific Name
Homalium longifolium
Family
FLACOURTIACEAE
Common Names
Petaling padang; Petaling gajah (Malaysia); Rukam babi (Thailand); Masikang (Malaysia); Chen kiang (Thailand); Selumbar (Malaysia); Pauh kijang jantan (Thailand)
Description Of The Tree
Botanical Description
It is a medium-sized to fairly large tree up to 42 m tall. The bole is rather slender, fluted, up to at least 50 cm in diameter.
Natural Habitat
Homalium longifolium is locally common in evergreen forests, reported on hills and ridges growing in a range from 50 to 650 m of altitude.
Wood Identification
Anatomic Description Of Wood
Wood diffuse porous. Vessels per mm2 more than 20 (very abundant). 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. Rays more than 10 per mm (abundant). Ray height more than 1 mm. Larger rays more than 4 seriate. Body ray cells procumbent with over 4 rows of upright and/or square marginal cells (Kribs-I). Septate fibers present. Fibers with distinctly 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
Freshly sawn wood has a distinct iodine-like odor that often persists through to the seasoned material.
Color
The heartwood is brown, reddish-brown or sometimes yellow-brown. The sapwood is slightly paler and not distinctly demarcated from the heartwood.
COLOR INDEX (1=Black, 7=Light yellow,white)
6
Grain
The grain is straight or shallowly interlocked, sometimes deeply interlocked.
Texture
The wood is typically fine in texture.
Natural Durability
The wood is fairly resistant to termite attack.
Natural durability index (1= Very high durability, 7=Vey low durability)
4
Silica Content
Silica Content: It is non-siliceous. Silica Value: 0
Resistance To Impregnation
The absorption of preservatives by the heartwood is only fair, the sapwood can be treated well.
Wood Physical Properties
Basic Density or Specific Gravity (O.D. weight/vol. green) (g/cm³)
0.70
Air-dry Density (Weight and volume at 12%MC) (g/cm³)
0.79
Total shrinkage Tangential (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
8.1
Total shrinkage Radial (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
4.1
Drying Defects
Ease of Drying: Air seasoning is reported to be difficult. Drying Defects: Prone to warp, check and collapse. Kiln Schedules: Schedule suggested for Putat paya. It is recommended to air dry until 25% of moisture content before kiln drying.
Dimensional stability ratio (Total Tangential Shrinkage %/Total Radial Shrinkage %)
2.0
Wood Chemical Properties
Wood Mechanical Properties
Compression parallel to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
576
Compression perpendicular to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
102
Shear strength radial 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
158
Janka hardness (side) 12%MC (kgf)
908
Workability
Sawing
Sawing operations are rated as easy to fair due to the wood density.
Rotary Veneer Cutting
Lamination of this species is possible.
Sliced Veneer
Lamination of this species is possible.
Blunting Effect
Wood of this species produces a slight blunting effect.
Machining
Machining operations are rather easy.
Planing
Planing of this species is reported to be easy, with slight picking up on the radial faces.
Turning
30
Nailing
Pre-boring is needed.
Gluing
Gluing behavior is reportedly good.
Sanding
It has a good sanding behavior.
Finishing
It is easy to finish.
Polishing
This species is reported to be easy to polish.
REFERENCED USES
End Uses Summary
EXTERIOR GENERAL, bridges, stakes posts, crossties, HOUSING GENERAL, flooring, FURNITURE AND CABINETS, TURNING, TOOLS, tool handles, PACKING, CONTAINERS, truck bodies, NAVAL CONSTRUCTION, boat oars, port pillar, port storage, OTHER AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, axle
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
Flooring
- 14 - Handbook of Hardwoods
Furniture Cabinets
- 21 - Tropical timbers of the world. Part III-Southeast Asian and Oceanian Species.
Turning
- 30 - Embassy of Honduras 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
Truck Body
- 53 - Timbers of the New World
Shipbuilding
- 55 - Tropical Timber Atlas of Latin America
Boat Oars
- 60 - Amazonian Timbers, Characteristics and Utilization Volume II; Curuá-Una Experimental Forest Station
Port Pillar
- 61 - Manual de Diseño para Maderas del Grupo Andino
Port Storage
- 62 - Estudio Tecnológico de Maderas del Perú (Zona Pucallpa) Vol I
Axles
- 73 - Handbook of Hardwoods
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