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BREU (Protium aracouchini)

Trade Name

Breu

Scientific Name

Protium aracouchini (Aubl.) Marchand

Family

BURSERACEAE

Common Names

Anime (Colombia); Breu (Brazil); Isica (Peru); Uvilla (Bolivia)

Scientific Name Synonyms

Protium aracouchini var. angustifolium Swart; Icica aracouchini Aubl.

Description Of The Tree

Botanical Description

A very large tree, it attains heights of up to 40 m. It presents small to medium sized buttresses.

Natural Habitat

Protium aracouchini grows between 80 to 600 m of altitude.

Natural Distribution

P. aracouchini is reported in Colombia, Peru and Bolivia.

Non Timber Uses

The resin of this species is locally used as medicine against the "Chagas" disease (trypanosomiasis).

Wood Identification

Anatomic Description Of Wood

Wood diffuse porous. Vessels solitary and in short radial multiples. Tangential diameter of vessel lumina 100 to 150 micras (small). Occasionally tangential diameter of vessel lumina 100 micras or less. Occasionally tyloses common. Vessels per mm2 more than 20 Axial parenchyma absent or extremely rare, non visible with magnifying glass (8x). Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty and/or vasicentric. Prismatic crystals in non-chambered axial parenchyma cells. Occasionally siliceous bodies in the axial parenchyma. 4 to 10 rays per mm (medium). Rays exclusively uniseriate. Occasionally prismatic crystals in the ray cells. Homogeneous rays and/or sub-homogeneous rays (all ray cells procumbent). Oil and/or mucilage cells associated with the axial and/or ray parenchyma (id Septate fibers present. Silica bodies in 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

Odor

Odor and taste are indistinct.

Color

The sapwood is not differentiated, the heartwood is pinkish gray.

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

5

Grain

The grain is reported to be straight or interlocked.

Texture

The wood is reported to be frequently medium textured.

Luster

The wood exhibits a moderate to high luster.

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

5

Wood Physical Properties

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

0.71

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

0.80

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

8.4

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

4.1

Drying Defects

Ease of Drying: It is reported to air season rapidly. Drying Defects: Little warping or checking are reported.

Recommended Dry Kiln Schedule

US-T3-C2

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

2.0

Wood Chemical Properties

Wood Mechanical Properties

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

1460

Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)

166000

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

710

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

86

Shear strength radial 12%MC (kgf/cm²)

126

Janka hardness (side) 12%MC (kgf)

468

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

669

Workability

Machining

Machining operations are rated as easy to fair.

Finishing

Wood of this species is easy to finish.

REFERENCED USES

End Uses Summary

HOUSING GENERAL, boards, FURNITURE AND CABINETS

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
Furniture Cabinets
  • 21 - Tropical timbers of the world. Part III-Southeast Asian and Oceanian Species.

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