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PENAGA (Mesua ferrea)
Trade Name
Penaga
Scientific Name
Mesua ferrea L.
Family
CLUSIACEAE
Common Names
Legno ferro de l`india (Italy); Mesua (India); Gangaw (Myanmar); Ceylon ironwood (Sri Lanka); Penaga (Malaysia); Nagasari (Indonesia); Bunnag (Thailand); Indian rose chesnut (United Kingdom); Vap (Vietnam); Panagua (Malaysia); Lengapus (Malaysia); Bosneak (Cambodia)
Scientific Name Synonyms
Mesua nagassarium (Burm. f.) Kosterm.; Calophyllum nagassarium Burm. f.
Description Of The Tree
Botanical Description
It is a medium-sized tree up to 30 m tall. The bole is straight, branchless for up to 20 m, up to 65 cm in diameter, fluted or with small buttresses at base.
Natural Habitat
Mesua ferrea is common in evergreen forests, from the sea level up to 500 m.
Natural Distribution
It is distributed in the forests of India and Ceylon and extending into Indonesia, Malaya, and Cambodia.
Plantations Available?
This species is planted as an ornamental or shade tree in the Malaysian region.
Wood Identification
Anatomic Description Of Wood
Vessels exclusively solitary (over 90%). Colored deposits in heartwood vessels. Tyloses common. Vessels per mm2 5 to 20. Occasionally helical thickenings in vessel elements present. Simple perforation plates. Vessel-ray pits coarse throughout the ray cell. Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty and/or vasicentric. Prismatic crystals in chambered axial parenchyma cells and/or in fibers. 5 to 8 cells per parenchyma strand. Axial parenchyma in narrow bands on lines up to 3 cells wide. 4 to 10 rays per mm (medium). Rays exclusively uniseriate. 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
Odor
No particular smell is reported.
Color
The sapwood is grayish brown, clearly distinct. The heartwood is reddish brown with purple tinge, darkening to deep red-brown.
COLOR INDEX (1=Black, 7=Light yellow,white)
3
Grain
It is mostly straight, occasionally interlocked grain is reported.
Texture
The texture varies from fine to medium, with tyloses.
Natural Durability
It is durable and rarely affected by fungi and insects, but not durable in exposed situations.
Natural durability index (1= Very high durability, 7=Vey low durability)
3
Resistance To Impregnation
This species is reported to be impermeable.
Wood Physical Properties
Basic Density or Specific Gravity (O.D. weight/vol. green) (g/cm³)
0.92
Air-dry Density (Weight and volume at 12%MC) (g/cm³)
1.07
Total shrinkage Tangential (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
9.7
Total shrinkage Radial (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
6.9
Drying Defects
Ease of Drying: Air seasoning is quite rapid. Boards 25 mm thick can be air dried in 2 to 2.5 months. Drying Defects: Slight bowing, twisting and some end checking are reported. Staining may also occur. Kiln Schedules: The wood can be kiln dried rapidly, but a mild kiln schedule is recommended.
Dimensional stability ratio (Total Tangential Shrinkage %/Total Radial Shrinkage %)
1.4
Wood Chemical Properties
Wood Mechanical Properties
Bending Strength (MOR),12%MC (kgf/cm²)
1628
Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
199700
Compression parallel to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
917
Janka hardness (side) 12%MC (kgf)
1286
Workability
Sawing
Sawing is only possible when fresh. Powerful equipment is required for cutting.
Blunting Effect
Despite its hardness, it is considered to have a slight blunting effect on the cutting elements.
Planing
It is easy to plane.
Moulding
This species is easy to mold.
Boring
Boring of this species is reported to be easy.
Nailing
Pre-bore is needed.
Finishing
This species is reported to take a smooth finish.
Substitute Species
Suitable substitute for African Tali and Azobe, South American Basralocus.
REFERENCED USES
End Uses Summary
HOUSING GENERAL, beams, flooring, frames, panelling, FURNITURE AND CABINETS, cabinets, TOOLS, tool handles, agricultural tools, CONTAINERS, truck bodies, truck flooring, NAVAL CONSTRUCTION, boats, boat hulls, boat fins, boat deck, boat oars, port pillar, OTHER AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
General Housing
- 10 - Silica in Timbers
Beams
- 11 - Prospect: The wood database
Flooring
- 14 - Handbook of Hardwoods
Frames
- 16 - Woods of the World
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
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
Truck Body
- 53 - Timbers of the New World
Truck Flooring
- 54 - Bulletin of the Government Forest Experiment Station N.157: Identification of Tropical Woods
Shipbuilding
- 55 - Tropical Timber Atlas of Latin America
Boats
- 56 - Manual de Identificación de Especies Forestales de la Subregión Andina.
Boat Hulls
- 57 - Estadísticas de Aprovechamiento, Exportación y comercialización Nacional de Productos Forestales
Boat Fins
- 58 - Guía de Árboles de Bolivia
Boat Decking
- 59 - Programa Nacional de uso Sostenible de los Bosques e Incremento a las Exportaciones.
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
Other & Musical Instruments
- 63 - Madeiras do Brazil II
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