RAIN TREE (Samanea saman)
Trade Name
Rain tree
Scientific Name
Samanea saman (Jacq.) Merril
Family
Lequminosae
Common Names
Bordao de velho (Brazil); Ohai (Hawaii); Saman (Mexico); Rain tree (Fiji); Kihudjau, Trembesi (India); Kampoo (Thailand); Monky Pod (Philippines)
Scientific Name Synonyms
Pithecolobium saman Benth
Description Of The Tree
Botanical Description
Evergreen, 20~30m tall. Usually has a short, massive trunk which divides into wide spreading branches.Tree may have originated from Venezuela.
Natural Habitat
Fast-growing species,prefers low-lying areas,gregarious
Natural Distribution
The West lndies, Central and Sauth America. Planted Hawaii,Fiji,Pacihic area, Sauth-east Asia
Wood Identification
Anatomic Description Of Wood
Wood diffuse porous. Simple perforation plates. Vestured pits. Vessel-ray pits similar to intervessel pits in size and shape. Intervessel pits large, 10 micras or more. Vessels per mm2 less than 6 (rare). Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty and/or vasicentric. Axial parenchyma aliform. Axial parenchyma confluent. Prismatic crystals in chambered axial parenchyma cells and/or in fibers. Occasionally rays more than 10 per mm (abundant). Fibers with simple to minutely bordered pits. Larger rays more than 4 seriate. Ray width 1 to 3 cells. Homogeneous rays and/or sub-homogeneous rays (all ray cells procumbent).
Availability
Cites Status
Unrestricted
General Wood Description
Color
Heartwood is a lustrous pale brown to Pinkish -brown colour with dark brown streak. Sapwood is distinct, straw coloured, 60mm or more wide.
COLOR INDEX (1=Black, 7=Light yellow,white)
3
Grain
The grain is interlocked often quite severely.
Texture
Texture is intermediate, although vessels are conspicuous because of surrounding soft tissue.
Luster
Lustrous.
Natural Durability
Durability rating variable reported to be. Durable under water. Heartwood reported to be resistant to termites, Liable to blue-stain. Heartwood is not durable. Sapwood highly susceptible to Lyctus attack
Natural durability index (1= Very high durability, 7=Vey low durability)
6
Wood Physical Properties
Basic Density or Specific Gravity (O.D. weight/vol. green) (g/cm³)
4.60
Air-dry Density (Weight and volume at 12%MC) (g/cm³)
0.53
Total shrinkage Tangential (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
1.8
Total shrinkage Radial (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
1.0
Drying Defects
Ease of Drying: Sarosaro dries rapidly but even under miled conditions backsawn stock develops surface checks, most of which are shallow enough in 25mm material to be removed by machining. Some boards wrap slightly, but final steaming is not recommended as checks reopen. Kiln Schedules: about 6 days are required to kiln dry from green to 12%m.c. reduced to 3 1/2 day of preliminary air drying to 25% is under taken. A 24 hour high humidity trearment shuold follow kiln drying. 50mm stoke; Prelimnary air drying to 20% m.c. is recommmended. F
Dimensional stability ratio (Total Tangential Shrinkage %/Total Radial Shrinkage %)
1.8
Wood Chemical Properties
Wood Mechanical Properties
Bending Strength (MOR),12%MC (kgf/cm²)
450
Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
79000
Compression parallel to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
300
Shear strength radial 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
90
Workability
Sawing
Tension wood may be encountered causing excessive springing and fibrous sawn surfaces packed with sawdust.
Rotary Veneer Cutting
logs selected for relatively straight grain and good figure could yield high quality sliced veneer.
Sliced Veneer
logs selected for relatively straight grain and good figure could yield high quality sliced veneer.
Machining
Despite the relatively low density, air dry machining properties are below average. Radial surfaces suffer some moderate to rough chipping because of interlocked grain. Soft tissue surrounding the vessels tend to give rough radial surfaces.
REFERENCED USES
End Uses Summary
HOUSING GENERAL, beams, boards, frames, panelling, FURNITURE AND CABINETS, luxury furniture, cabinets, PLYWOOD AND VENEER, faces, cores, SPORTS, bowling polo balls, OTHER AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, handicrafts
General Housing
- 10 - Silica in Timbers
Beams
- 11 - Prospect: The wood database
Boards
- 13 - Dry kiln schedules for commercial woods. Temperate and tropical. Section III. Latin American (Mexico, Central, and South America) Woods–Conventional Temperatures
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.
Furniture, Luxury
- 22 - Dry kiln schedules for commercial woods. Temperate and tropical. Section IV-Asian and Oceanian Woods
Cabinet
- 24 - Empire Timbers
Faces
- 26 - Annual Review and Assessment of the World Timber Situation 1998-ITTO
Cores
- 27 - Embassy of Brazil in Japan
Balls Bowling Polo
- 40 - Internet
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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