NEEM (Azadirachta indica)
Trade Name
Neem
Scientific Name
Azadirachta indica A. Juss.
Family
MELIACEAE
Common Names
Yepa; Yapa; Veppu; Veppam; Vepa; Venpa; Vempu; Vembu; Taruka; Tamaka; Tama; Sedyappa; Paraiso de la India; Olle-bevu; Nimuri; Nimbay; Nim; Margosa tree; Maranggo; Limbo; Limb; Kohomba; Kai-bevu; Bevu; Bevina; Betain; Bal-nimb; Azad-darakht; Arya-veppu; Agas; Neem; Cornucopia (United Kingdom); Margosa (United Kingdom); Margosa (United States of America); Margousier (France); Nimba (Singapore); Safu dau (Vietnam); Saliam (Thailand); Sadao (Thailand); Cornucopia (United States of America); Ka dao (Laos); Azadirac de l`Inde (France); Kohumba (Singapore); Mambu (Malaysia); Baypay (Malaysia); Intaran (Indonesia); Mimba (Indonesia); Kwinin (Thailand)
Scientific Name Synonyms
Melia indica (A. Juss.) Brandis
Description Of The Tree
Botanical Description
It is a small to medium-sized evergreen to deciduous (in drier regions) tree up to 25 m tall. The bole is usually short and branchless for up to 7.5 m, up to 90 cm in diameter, sometimes fluted.
Natural Habitat
Sentang usually grows scattered in secondary forests. It is reported from the lowlands up to 350 m of altitude.
Plantations Available?
Plantations are reported in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Central and South America.
Wood Identification
Anatomic Description Of Wood
Wood diffuse porous. Occasionally wood semi-ring porous and/or ring porous. Vessels of two distinct diameter classes, wood not ring-porous. Colored deposits in heartwood vessels. Vessels per mm2 5 to 20. Simple perforation plates. Vessel-ray pits similar to int Prismatic crystals in non-chambered axial parenchyma cells. Over 9 cells per parenchyma strand. Axial parenchyma bands more than 3 cells wide. 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.
Availability
Cites Status
Unrestricted
General Wood Description
Color
The heartwood is reddish, becoming reddish-brown upon exposure, distinctly demarcated from the grayish-white sapwood.
Grain
The grain is mostly interlocked.
Texture
A coarse texture is reported in this species.
Natural Durability
It is resistant to termite, powder-post beetle and fungal attacks and even durable under exposed conditions.
Natural durability index (1= Very high durability, 7=Vey low durability)
4
Wood Physical Properties
Basic Density or Specific Gravity (O.D. weight/vol. green) (g/cm³)
0.61
Air-dry Density (Weight and volume at 12%MC) (g/cm³)
0.67
Total shrinkage Tangential (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
6.2
Total shrinkage Radial (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
4.5
Drying Defects
Ease of Drying: Plantation material is easy to dry, otherwise it is difficult. Drying Defects: Forest grown stock is reported to be prone to honeycomb and collapse. Kiln Schedules: Kiln drying of heavier grades of eucalyptus timber is only practicable in boards up to 25 mm in thickness. It is strongly recommended to air dry the wood to 30% moisture content prior to kiln drying. Boards of this species wood of 25 m thick will require
Dimensional stability ratio (Total Tangential Shrinkage %/Total Radial Shrinkage %)
1.4
Wood Chemical Properties
Wood Mechanical Properties
Bending Strength (MOR),12%MC (kgf/cm²)
805
Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
70922
Compression parallel to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
469
Workability
Rotary Veneer Cutting
This species can be used for lamination.
Sliced Veneer
This species can be used for lamination.
Machining
Wood processing is reported to be easy.
Planing
Planing operations are rather easy.
Moulding
It is easy to mold.
Turning
30
Nailing
Pre-boring is necessary.
Finishing
Finishing of this wood is easy.
REFERENCED USES
End Uses Summary
HOUSING GENERAL, flooring, panelling, FURNITURE AND CABINETS, PLYWOOD AND VENEER, TURNING, OTHER AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, cigar boxes, matches
General Housing
- 10 - Silica in Timbers
Flooring
- 14 - Handbook of Hardwoods
Paneling
- 18 - W3TROPICOS Missouri Botanical Garden
Furniture Cabinets
- 21 - Tropical timbers of the world. Part III-Southeast Asian and Oceanian Species.
Panels, Veneers
- 25 - Directory of Timber Trade Malaysia
Turning
- 30 - Embassy of Honduras in Japan
Other & Musical Instruments
- 63 - Madeiras do Brazil II
Cigar Box
- 68 - Contribucion al conocimiento de la resistencia mecanica de la madera de peumo
Matches
- 71 - Proprietes physiques et mecaniques des bois tropicaux, premier supplement
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