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AWOURA (Julbernardia pellegriniana)

Trade Name

Awoura

Scientific Name

Julbernardia pellegriniana Troupin

Family

LEGUMINOSAE

Common Names

Zebreli (France); Zebrali (for sliced veneers) (France); Zebreli (Germany); Zebrali (for sliced veneers) (Germany); Awoura (Gabon); Ekop-Beli (Cameroon); Zebreli; Erop-beli; Beli; Awoura

Scientific Name Synonyms

Paraberlinia bifolialata Pellegr.

Description Of The Tree

Botanical Description

The tree reaches a height of 25 to 30 m, with diameters up to 150 cm. The bole is straight, cylindrical but occasionally slightly curved, up to 10 to 15 m in length. Small buttresses are present.

Natural Habitat

Julbernardia pellegriniana is a dominant tree, forming large forests or in smaller groups in coastal areas.

Wood Identification

Anatomic Description Of Wood

Wood diffuse porous. Occasionally vessels exclusively solitary (over 90%). Tangential diameter of vessel lumina 150 to 200 micras (medium). Vestured pits. Vessels per mm2 less than 6 (rare). Simple perforation plates. Vessel-ray pits similar to intervessel pits Axial parenchyma in marginal or in seemingly marginal bands. Axial parenchyma aliform. Prismatic crystals in chambered axial parenchyma cells and/or in fibers. 3 to 4 cells per parenchyma strand. 4 to 10 rays per mm (medium). Rays non-storied. Rays exclusively uniseriate. Body ray cells procumbent with one row of upright and/or square marginal cells (Kribs-III). Non-septate fibers. Fibers with simple to minutely bordered pits.

  • Wood Macro Photo Tangential Plane
  • Wood Micro Photo Of Transversal Section

Availability

Cites Status

Unrestricted

General Wood Description

Color

The sapwood is yellowish white, it has a thickness of 3 to 5 cm. The heartwood is brown with yellowish veins, it is clearly demarcated.

COLOR INDEX (1=Black, 7=Light yellow,white)

4

Grain

It has highly interlocked grain.

Texture

This species is usually reported to have a medium texture.

Natural Durability

Moderately durable to decay. Without preservative treatment, this species can be used only under risk of occasional re-humidification. It is not suited for uses with risks of permanent or long-lasting humidification. Moderately resistant to termites attack

Natural durability index (1= Very high durability, 7=Vey low durability)

3

Internal Growth Stresses

Residual stresses are reported to be absent.

Silica Content

Silica Content: Negligible content of silica is reported. Amounts over 0.05% may affect wood processing. Silica Value: 0.01

Resistance To Impregnation

Difficult to treat with only a low penetration of the preservative products.

Wood Physical Properties

Basic Density or Specific Gravity (O.D. weight/vol. green) (g/cm³)

0.69

Air-dry Density (Weight and volume at 12%MC) (g/cm³)

0.77

Total shrinkage Tangential (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)

8.9

Total shrinkage Radial (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)

4.3

Drying Defects

Ease of Drying: Reported that air drying is good. Boards of 13 mm and 38 mm thick take respectively 2.5 months and 6 months. Drying Defects: Slight risk of surface checking. Risk of warping and splitting has been reported but is probably does not pose a problem.

Recommended Dry Kiln Schedule

FR-7

Dimensional stability ratio (Total Tangential Shrinkage %/Total Radial Shrinkage %)

2.1

Wood Chemical Properties

Wood Mechanical Properties

Bending Strength (MOR),12%MC (kgf/cm²)

1308

Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)

181890

Compression parallel to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)

696

Compression perpendicular to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)

96

Shear strength radial 12%MC (kgf/cm²)

108

Janka hardness (side) 12%MC (kgf)

746

Janka hardness (end grain) 12%MC (kgf)

829

Workability

Sawing

Sawing of this species requires powerful equipment.

Rotary Veneer Cutting

Suitable for slicing.

Sliced Veneer

Suitable for slicing.

Blunting Effect

Slight blunting effect; ordinary tools can be used for sawing and machining.

Machining

It needs powerful tools for processing. Possible difficulties caused by interlocked grain are reported.

Planing

Moderately easy; tools must be cautiously sharpened.

Moulding

Easy; no particular problems.

Turning

30

Boring

Easy; no particular problems.

Mortising

Easy; no particular problems.

Nailing

Pre-boring is necessary.

Gluing

Glues well if basic gluing technical rules are followed.

Sanding

Easy to perform; it gives good results.

Polishing

Can be polished without surface preparation.

Response To Hand Tools

Working with hand tools is difficult.

REFERENCED USES

End Uses Summary

HOUSING GENERAL, beams, joists, boards, flooring, parquet, frames, steps, panelling, fittings, FURNITURE AND CABINETS, luxury furniture, cabinets, PLYWOOD AND VENEER, Decorative veneer, TURNING, ornaments, turned furniture, CONTAINERS, truck bodies, truck flooring

General Housing
  • 10 - Silica in Timbers
Beams
  • 11 - Prospect: The wood database
Joists
  • 12 - Tropical timbers of the world. Part I-Tropical American Species
Boards
  • 13 - Dry kiln schedules for commercial woods. Temperate and tropical. Section III. Latin American (Mexico, Central, and South America) Woods–Conventional Temperatures
Flooring
  • 14 - Handbook of Hardwoods
Parquet
  • 15 - Empire Timbers
Frames
  • 16 - Woods of the World
Steps
  • 17 - Tree Conservation Database
Paneling
  • 18 - W3TROPICOS Missouri Botanical Garden
Fittings
  • 19 - Silica in Timbers
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
Panels, Veneers
  • 25 - Directory of Timber Trade Malaysia
Decorative veneer
  • 28 - Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forest of Fiji
Turning
  • 30 - Embassy of Honduras in Japan
Ornaments
  • 31 - Embassy of Colombia in Japan
Turned Articles
  • 32 - Embassy of Cote d`Ivoire in Japan
Truck Body
  • 53 - Timbers of the New World
Truck Flooring
  • 54 - Bulletin of the Government Forest Experiment Station N.157: Identification of Tropical Woods

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