MANSONIA BéTé (Mansonia altissima)
Trade Name
Mansonia bété
Scientific Name
Mansonia altissima A.Chev.
Family
STERCULIACEAE
Common Names
Bete (Côte d`Ivoire); Urodo; Pruno; Prono; Oprono; Ododo; Odo; Nkoul; Guissepa; Essai; Boroua; Bodua; Baule; Aprend; Anyi; African walnut; African black walnut; Mansonia (United Kingdom); Bete (France); Koul (Cameroon); Ofun (Nigeria); Aprono (Ghana)
Scientific Name Synonyms
Achantia altissima A. Chev.
Description Of The Tree
Botanical Description
The tree reaches a height of 40 m. The bole is usually straight, clear to 20 m in length, buttressed. The trunk diameter attains 70 to 100 cm.
Natural Habitat
Mansonia altissima is found in closed deciduous and semi-deciduous forests and scattered in the more arid zones as well. It occurs particularly in disturbed areas or light gaps in lowland moist forest. Regeneration is good after disturbance. National con
Natural Distribution
West Africa, from Cote d`Ivoire to Cameroon.
Non Timber Uses
Contains some resins or extracts which could pose problems when machining or finishing.
Wood Identification
Anatomic Description Of Wood
Wood diffuse porous. Occasionally vessels exclusively solitary (over 90%). Tangential diameter of vessel lumina 100 to 150 micras (small). Non-vestured pits. Vessels per mm2 more than 20 (very abundant). Simple perforation plates. Vessel-ray pits similar to int Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse and/or diffuse in aggregates. Axial parenchyma storied. Prismatic crystals in non-chambered axial parenchyma cells. 3 to 4 cells per parenchyma strand. Rays more than 10 per mm (abundant). Rays storied. Rays 1 to 4 seriate. Homogeneous rays and/or sub-homogeneous rays (all ray cells procumbent). Body ray cells procumbent with one row of upright and/or square marginal cells (Kribs-III). Non-septate fibers. Fibers with simple to minutely bordered pits.
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Wood Macro Photo Radial Plane
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Wood Micro Photo Of Transversal Section
Availability
Cites Status
Unrestricted
General Wood Description
Color
The sapwood is white to pinkish white, it has a thickness of 2 to 4 cm. The heartwood is yellowish brown to dark grey brown with purple tinge, fades on exposure, it is clearly demarcated. The silver figure is fine.
COLOR INDEX (1=Black, 7=Light yellow,white)
4
Grain
Straight; grain has no particular influence on drying, machining and finishing qualities.
Texture
The wood is reported to be frequently medium textured.
Luster
This species is low in luster.
Natural Durability
Very durable to decay; without preservative treatment. This species is especially suited for all the uses with risks of permanent or long-lasting humidification. Resistant to termites attack. Heartwood is resistant to Lyctus attacks.
Natural durability index (1= Very high durability, 7=Vey low durability)
1
Internal Growth Stresses
For this species no growth stresses are reported.
Resistance To Impregnation
Nearly impossible to treat with a too much low penetration of the preservative substances.
Wood Physical Properties
Basic Density or Specific Gravity (O.D. weight/vol. green) (g/cm³)
0.59
Air-dry Density (Weight and volume at 12%MC) (g/cm³)
0.66
Total shrinkage Tangential (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
7.3
Total shrinkage Radial (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
4.5
Recommended Dry Kiln Schedule
FR-1
Dimensional stability ratio (Total Tangential Shrinkage %/Total Radial Shrinkage %)
1.6
Wood Chemical Properties
Wood Mechanical Properties
Bending Strength (MOR),12%MC (kgf/cm²)
1118
Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
140563
Compression parallel to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
606
Compression perpendicular to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
80
Shear strength radial 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
82
Janka hardness (side) 12%MC (kgf)
533
Janka hardness (end grain) 12%MC (kgf)
634
Workability
Sawing
It is easy to saw.
Rotary Veneer Cutting
Suitable for slicing, also suitable for peeling if treated.
Sliced Veneer
Suitable for slicing, also suitable for peeling if treated.
Blunting Effect
Moderate blunting effect; stellited blades for sawing and carbide tools for machining are advised.
Machining
Possible difficulties caused by interlocked grain are reported.
Planing
Moderately easy; tools must be cautiously sharpened.
Moulding
Moderately easy; tools must be cautiously sharpened.
Turning
30
Boring
Moderately easy; tools must be cautiously sharpened.
Mortising
Moderately easy; tools must be cautiously sharpened.
Nailing
No particular problem.
Gluing
Difficult to glue because of the extracts content.
Sanding
Easy to perform; it gives good results.
Polishing
Can be polished without surface preparation.
Steam Bending
It is well suited for wood bending uses.
Response To Hand Tools
No particular problems.
REFERENCED USES
End Uses Summary
HOUSING GENERAL, beams, joists, boards, flooring, parquet, frames, steps, panelling, fittings, FURNITURE AND CABINETS, luxury furniture, cabinets, PLYWOOD AND VENEER, faces, Decorative veneer, TURNING, ornaments, turned furniture, cutlery, lasts, BENDING, chairs, NAVAL CONSTRUCTION, boat deck, port storage, OTHER AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, handicrafts, shingle, moldings
General Housing
- 10 - Silica in Timbers
Beams
- 11 - Prospect: The wood database
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
Flooring
- 14 - Handbook of Hardwoods
Parquet
- 15 - Empire Timbers
Frames
- 16 - Woods of the World
Steps
- 17 - Tree Conservation Database
Paneling
- 18 - W3TROPICOS Missouri Botanical Garden
Fittings
- 19 - Silica in Timbers
Furniture Cabinets
- 21 - Tropical timbers of the world. Part III-Southeast Asian and Oceanian Species.
Furniture, Luxury
- 22 - Dry kiln schedules for commercial woods. Temperate and tropical. Section IV-Asian and Oceanian Woods
Cabinet
- 24 - Empire Timbers
Panels, Veneers
- 25 - Directory of Timber Trade Malaysia
Faces
- 26 - Annual Review and Assessment of the World Timber Situation 1998-ITTO
Decorative veneer
- 28 - Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forest of Fiji
Turning
- 30 - Embassy of Honduras in Japan
Ornaments
- 31 - Embassy of Colombia in Japan
Turned Articles
- 32 - Embassy of Cote d`Ivoire in Japan
Knife Handles
- 33 - Embassy of Gabon in Japan
Lasts
- 34 - Embassy of Indonesia in Japan
Bending
- 35 - Embassy of Myanmar in Japan
Chairs
- 36 - Autoridad Nacional del Ambiente, Panama
Shipbuilding
- 55 - Tropical Timber Atlas of Latin America
Boat Decking
- 59 - Programa Nacional de uso Sostenible de los Bosques e Incremento a las Exportaciones.
Port Storage
- 62 - Estudio Tecnológico de Maderas del Perú (Zona Pucallpa) Vol I
Handcraft
- 66 - Maderas latinoamericanas. VII. Caracteristicas anatomicas. propiedades fisicomecanicas, de secado, y tratabilidad de la madera juvenil de Cordia alliodora (Ruiz & Pav. Oken.)
Shingles
- 77 - Amazonian Timbers, Characteristics and Utilization Volume I; Tapajós National Forest
Molding
- 79 - Padronização da Nomenclatura Comercial Brasileira das Madeiras Tropicais Amazônicas, Sugestão
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