MEDANG (Litsea costalis)
Trade Name
Medang
Scientific Name
Litsea costalis (Nees) Kosterm.
Family
LAURACEAE
Common Names
Elephant laurel (United Kingdom); Medang daun besar (Malaysia); Medang keladi (Malaysia); Elephant laurel (United States of America); Medang pisang (Malaysia)
Scientific Name Synonyms
Litsea megacarpa Gamble; Alseodaphne costalis Nees
Description Of The Tree
Botanical Description
It is a medium-sized tree up to 30 m tall. The bole is up to 60 cm in diameter, not buttressed.
Natural Habitat
This species is fairly common in lowland primary and secondary forests, up to 500 m of altitude.
Wood Identification
Anatomic Description Of Wood
Vessels per mm2 5 to 20. Wood diffuse porous. Tyloses common. Tangential diameter of vessel lumina 100 to 200 micras. Vessel-ray pits reticulate and/or foraminate. Simple perforation plates. Intervessel pits medium, 7 to 10 micras. Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty and/or vasicentric. Axial parenchyma aliform. Axial parenchyma confluent. 5 to 8 cells per parenchyma strand. Ray width 1 to 3 cells. Body ray cells procumbent with mostly 2 to 4 rows of upright and/or square marginal cells (Kribs-II). Fibers with simple to minutely bordered pits. Fibers with distinctly 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
Odor
It is reported to have a characteristic odor.
Color
The heartwood usually ranges from pale olive-brown or creamy yellow to dark greenish-brown. The sapwood is often not distinctly demarcated from the heartwood.
COLOR INDEX (1=Black, 7=Light yellow,white)
5
Grain
The grain is straight or slightly to moderately interlocked.
Texture
Texture is usually moderately fine and even.
Natural Durability
The wood is generally not durable and it is susceptible to fungal and Lyctus attack.
Natural durability index (1= Very high durability, 7=Vey low durability)
5
Resistance To Impregnation
The heartwood is resistant to impregnation with preservatives, even under pressure. The sapwood is permeable to preservatives.
Wood Physical Properties
Basic Density or Specific Gravity (O.D. weight/vol. green) (g/cm³)
0.35
Air-dry Density (Weight and volume at 12%MC) (g/cm³)
0.37
Total shrinkage Tangential (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
6.0
Total shrinkage Radial (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
2.6
Drying Defects
Ease of Drying: The wood air dries rather slowly. Boards 15 mm thick take about 2 months to air dry. Drying Defects: It is liable to some bowing, end checking and splitting.
Recommended Dry Kiln Schedule
UK-H
Dimensional stability ratio (Total Tangential Shrinkage %/Total Radial Shrinkage %)
2.3
Wood Chemical Properties
Wood Mechanical Properties
Workability
Sawing
Sawmilling of this species is reportedly easy to slightly difficult.
Planing
This species is easy to plane.
Nailing
Nailing properties are good.
Finishing
Finishing properties are rated as good to fair.
REFERENCED USES
End Uses Summary
HOUSING GENERAL, boards, panelling, FURNITURE AND CABINETS, cabinets, PLYWOOD AND VENEER, TOOLS, tool handles, agricultural tools, PACKING, 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
Paneling
- 18 - W3TROPICOS Missouri Botanical Garden
Furniture Cabinets
- 21 - Tropical timbers of the world. Part III-Southeast Asian and Oceanian Species.
Cabinet
- 24 - Empire Timbers
Panels, Veneers
- 25 - Directory of Timber Trade Malaysia
Tools
- 42 - Utilización Industrial de Nuevas Especies Forestales en el Perú.
Tool Handles
- 43 - Maderas de Bolivia (Características y Usos de 55 Maderas Tropicales)
Agricultural Tools
- 44 - Atlas of Peruvian Woods
Packing
- 45 - Recopilación y Análisis de Estudios Tecnológicos de Maderas Peruanas
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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