MENTIGI (Pemphis acidula)
Trade Name
Mentigi
Scientific Name
Pemphis acidula J.R. Forst.
Family
LYTHRACEAE
Common Names
Ligad (Philippines); Kabantigi (Philippines); Sentigi (Indonesia); Mentigi (Indonesia); Mentigi (Malaysia); Bantigi (Philippines); Thian le (Thailand); Cantigi (Indonesia)
Scientific Name Synonyms
Pemphis setosa Blanco; Pemphis angustifolia Roxb.; Millania rupestre Zipp.; Melanium fruticosum Spreng.; Mangium porcellanicum Rumph.; Lythrum pemphis L.
Description Of The Tree
Botanical Description
It is an evergreen large branching shrub to small tree to 10 m tall, up to 30 cm in diameter. The stem is usually short and stocky.
Natural Habitat
Pemphis acidula is found on sandy and rocky shores, and in exposed mangrove vegetation.
Plantations Available?
This species is occasionally planted as an ornamental tree.
Wood Identification
Anatomic Description Of Wood
Wood diffuse porous. Occasionally wood semi-ring porous and/or ring porous. Tangential diameter of vessel lumina 100 micras or less (very small). Colored deposits in heartwood vessels. Tyloses common. Vestured pits. Vessels per mm2 more than 20 (very abundant). Occasionally apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse and/or diffuse in aggregates. Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty and/or vasicentric. Axial parenchyma aliform. Occasionally axial parenchyma confluent. Occasionally two cells per parenchyma strand. 3 to 4 cel 4 to 10 rays per mm (medium). Rays more than 10 per mm (abundant). Sheath cells. Body ray cells procumbent with over 4 rows of upright and/or square marginal cells (Kribs-I). Body ray cells procumbent with mostly 2 to 4 rows of upright and/or square marginal Fibers very thick walled. Fibers with simple to minutely bordered pits.
Availability
Cites Status
Unrestricted
General Wood Description
Color
The heartwood is reddish-brown to dark reddish-brown, turning dark brown with age, clearly differentiated from the pale sapwood.
Grain
The grain is frequently interlocked.
Texture
Fine texture is reported in this species.
Luster
Timber of this species is lustrous.
Natural Durability
The wood is very durable when exposed to the weather or in contact with the ground. The heartwood is very resistant to dry-wood termites.
Natural durability index (1= Very high durability, 7=Vey low durability)
1
Wood Physical Properties
Basic Density or Specific Gravity (O.D. weight/vol. green) (g/cm³)
0.98
Air-dry Density (Weight and volume at 12%MC) (g/cm³)
1.16
Total shrinkage Tangential (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
8.5
Total shrinkage Radial (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
5.4
Drying Defects
Kiln Schedules: Kiln drying from green condition to 12% moisture content takes 9 to10 days. Checking of this species wood may be severe during kiln drying.
Dimensional stability ratio (Total Tangential Shrinkage %/Total Radial Shrinkage %)
1.6
Wood Chemical Properties
Wood Mechanical Properties
Workability
Machining
Machining operations are rather difficult.
Turning
30
Finishing
With care it is reported to take a high finish.
REFERENCED USES
End Uses Summary
EXTERIOR GENERAL, stakes posts, HOUSING GENERAL, TURNING, cutlery, TOOLS, tool handles, NAVAL CONSTRUCTION, OTHER AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, handicrafts
Exterior General
- 1 - Tabela de resultados de ensaios fisicos e mecanicos
Stake Posts
- 5 - Propriedades fisicas e mecanicas da madeira e do contraplacado de Pinus elliottii
General Housing
- 10 - Silica in Timbers
Turning
- 30 - Embassy of Honduras in Japan
Knife Handles
- 33 - Embassy of Gabon 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)
Shipbuilding
- 55 - Tropical Timber Atlas of Latin America
Handcraft
- 66 - Maderas latinoamericanas. VII. Caracteristicas anatomicas. propiedades fisicomecanicas, de secado, y tratabilidad de la madera juvenil de Cordia alliodora (Ruiz & Pav. Oken.)
Please Provide Information To View Producer Information