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BENUANG (Octomeles sumatrana)

Trade Name

Benuang

Scientific Name

Octomeles sumatrana Miq.

Family

Datiscaceae

Common Names

Usu; Sanai; Samak; Para; Libas-blanco; Kinem; Kakerim; Kabal; Ipa; Fote; Binua; Binonang; Binoewang; Bilus; Biluan; Bilua; Benumba; Benoewang; Barousan; Barosing; Barong; Barobalobo; Barauisan; Banuang; Banosan; Benuang (Indonesia); Binuang (Philippines); Benuang (Malaysia); Ilimo (Papua New Guinea); Erima (Papua New Guinea); Sarrai (Philippines); Libas (Philippines); Benuang (Sarawak)

Scientific Name Synonyms

Octomeles moluccana Teijsm. & Binend. Ex Hassk.

Description Of The Tree

Botanical Description

It is a large to very large dioecious evergreen tree up to 60 m tall. The bole cylindrical, straight, branchless for up to 30 m, up to 250 cm in diameter, with prominent buttresses up to 6 m high.

Natural Habitat

Octomeles sumatrana is a low altitude riverside pioneer species, growing up to 1,000 m of altitude.

Natural Distribution

It extends from Sumatra to Papua New Guinea and the Solomons and northwards to the Philippines.

Plantations Available?

Within the South East Asian and Pacific regions plantations are reported in the Solomon Islands and in Bogor (Indonesia). It is recommended for plantations in Malaysia.

Non Timber Uses

O. sumatrana is reported to present brittle heart.

Wood Identification

Anatomic Description Of Wood

Wood diffuse porous. Tangential diameter of vessel lumina 200 micras or more (large). Occasionally tyloses common. Vessels per mm2 less than 6 (rare). Simple perforation plates. Vessel-ray pits coarse throughout the ray cell. Intervessel pits medium, 7 to 10 mi Occasionally axial parenchyma in marginal or in seemingly marginal bands. Axial parenchyma confluent unilateral paratracheal. Axial parenchyma thin vasicentric. 3 to 4 cells per parenchyma strand. 4 to 10 rays per mm (medium). Ray height more than 1 mm. Larger rays more than 4 seriate. 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.

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

Availability

Cites Status

Unrestricted

General Wood Description

Odor

It has no taste but green or wetted stock may have fetid odor.

Color

The sapwood is slightly distinguishable, it varies from white to gray-yellowish. The heartwood is pale brown to pink-brown occasionally light brown.

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

6

Grain

It is often interlocked, occasionally straight.

Texture

The texture is comparatively coarse, not glossy.

Luster

The surfaces are not glossy.

Natural Durability

It is perishable and prone to blue stain and insect damage.

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

5

Silica Content

Silica Content: It is non-siliceous. Silica Value: 0

Resistance To Impregnation

The heartwood is moderately resistant to preservatives, the sapwood is permeable.

Wood Physical Properties

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

0.35

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

0.38

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

8.8

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

3.8

Drying Defects

Ease of Drying: In Malaysia surian timber is reported to dry rapidly. Boards 25 mm thick take 1 to 3.5 months to air dry. Drying Defects: Slight warping is reported. Kiln Schedules: Boards 25 mm thick can be kiln dried from 50% to 10% moisture content in 3 to 6 days without any degrade.

Recommended Dry Kiln Schedule

UK-C; US-T3-C2; JP-24

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

2.3

Wood Chemical Properties

Wood Mechanical Properties

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

449

Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)

69088

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

285

Shear strength radial 12%MC (kgf/cm²)

36

Janka hardness (side) 12%MC (kgf)

112

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

113

Workability

Sawing

Sawing of this species is reported to be rather easy.

Rotary Veneer Cutting

The timber peels readily to smooth, tight veneer of uniform thickness.

Sliced Veneer

The timber peels readily to smooth, tight veneer of uniform thickness.

Blunting Effect

It is considered to have a slight blunting effect on the cutting elements. Occasional white deposits tend to chip the cutting edges.

Machining

Machining is considered as easy, but results in a woolly surface.

Planing

It often exhibits a woolly finish after planing but this can be alleviated by reducing the cutting angle to 20 degrees.

Boring

Boring is reported to be difficult.

Nailing

It nails moderately well, but screw and nail-holding characteristics are sometimes poor.

Gluing

Gluing behavior is reportedly good.

Finishing

It is easy to finish.

Staining

It is easy to stain.

Polishing

Polishing of this wood is easy.

Steam Bending

This species is difficult to bend.

REFERENCED USES

End Uses Summary

HOUSING GENERAL, boards, shutter boards, FURNITURE AND CABINETS, PLYWOOD AND VENEER, cores, PACKING, NAVAL CONSTRUCTION, OTHER AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, shoes, matches, coffin, moldings

General Housing
  • 10 - Silica in Timbers
Boards
  • 13 - Dry kiln schedules for commercial woods. Temperate and tropical. Section III. Latin American (Mexico, Central, and South America) Woods–Conventional Temperatures
Shutter Boards
  • 20 - Prospect: The wood database
Furniture Cabinets
  • 21 - Tropical timbers of the world. Part III-Southeast Asian and Oceanian Species.
Panels, Veneers
  • 25 - Directory of Timber Trade Malaysia
Cores
  • 27 - Embassy of Brazil in Japan
Packing
  • 45 - Recopilación y Análisis de Estudios Tecnológicos de Maderas Peruanas
Shipbuilding
  • 55 - Tropical Timber Atlas of Latin America
Other & Musical Instruments
  • 63 - Madeiras do Brazil II
Shoes
  • 70 - Proprietes physiques et mecaniques des bois tropicaux de l`union francaise
Matches
  • 71 - Proprietes physiques et mecaniques des bois tropicaux, premier supplement
Coffin
  • 78 - Amazonian Timbers for the International Market
Molding
  • 79 - Padronização da Nomenclatura Comercial Brasileira das Madeiras Tropicais Amazônicas, Sugestão

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