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CORALTREE (Erythrina variegata)

Trade Name

Coraltree

Scientific Name

Erythrina variegata L.

Family

LEGUMINOSAE

Common Names

Variegated coral tree; Rolouhs bay (Cambodia); Dadap ayam (Indonesia); Arbre immortel (France); Dok kho (Laos); Arbre au corail (France); Dadap blendung (Indonesia); Thong ban (Laos); Galala itam (Indonesia); Chengkering (Malaysia); Andorogat (Philippines); Penglay-kathit (Myanmar); Indian coral tree; Caay voong nem (Vietnam); Dan ro (Vietnam); Bagbag (Philippines); Thong lang lai (Thailand); Thong phueak (Thailand); Hafi doofng bif (Vietnam)

Scientific Name Synonyms

Tetradapa javanorum Osbeck; Gelala alba Rumphius; Erythrina corallodendron var. orientalis L.; Erythrina alba Cogniaux & Marchal; Chirocalyx indicus Walp.; Chirocalyx divaricatus Walp.; Chirocalyx candolleanus Walp.

Description Of The Tree

Botanical Description

It is a small to medium sized tree, up to 27 m tall. The bole and branches are often armed with conical spines, sometimes crooked or fluted, up to 90 cm in diameter. Occasionally buttresses up to 2 m high are reported. It is reported as a corkwood tree.

Natural Habitat

Erythrina variegata is adapted to coastal forests, but it is frequently cultivated inland, up to 1,200 m of altitude.

Plantations Available?

It is planted as a shadow tree.

Wood Identification

Anatomic Description Of Wood

Wood diffuse porous. Tangential diameter of vessel lumina 200 micras or more (large). Vestured pits. Vessels per mm2 less than 6 (rare). Simple perforation plates. Vessel-ray pits similar to intervessel pits in size and shape. Intervessel pits medium, 7 to 10 m Occasionally axial parenchyma confluent. Axial parenchyma storied. Prismatic crystals in chambered axial parenchyma cells and/or in fibers. Two cells per parenchyma strand. Axial parenchyma bands more than 3 cells wide. Rays less than 4 per mm (rare). Larger rays more than 4 seriate. Homogeneous rays and/or sub-homogeneous rays (all ray cells procumbent). Occasionally body ray cells procumbent with one row of upright and/or square marginal cells (Kribs-III). Fibers with simple to minutely bordered pits.

Availability

Cites Status

Unrestricted

General Wood Description

Color

The heartwood is pale straw or buff-colored, not clearly differentiated from the white sapwood.

Grain

The grain is straight, slightly interlocked or wavy.

Texture

The wood is mostly coarse in texture.

Natural Durability

It is reported as non-durable, it is susceptible to sap-stain fungi and dry-wood termites.

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)

0.26

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

0.28

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

7.7

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

3.3

Drying Defects

Ease of Drying: It is reported that boards of 3 cm thick took about 2 months to air dry from 40% to 15% moisture content. Drying Defects: It is liable to end-splitting, warping and surface checking if not carefully seasoned.

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

2.3

Wood Chemical Properties

Wood Mechanical Properties

Workability

Machining

Wood processing is reported to be easy.

Turning

30

Finishing

It is difficult to finish because of the coarse texture.

REFERENCED USES

End Uses Summary

TURNING, cutlery, PACKING, NAVAL CONSTRUCTION, OTHER AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, handicrafts, shoes, matches

Turning
  • 30 - Embassy of Honduras in Japan
Knife Handles
  • 33 - Embassy of Gabon in Japan
Packing
  • 45 - Recopilación y Análisis de Estudios Tecnológicos de Maderas Peruanas
Shipbuilding
  • 55 - Tropical Timber Atlas of Latin America
Handcraft
  • 66 - Maderas latinoamericanas. VII. Caracteristicas anatomicas. propiedades fisicomecanicas, de secado, y tratabilidad de la madera juvenil de Cordia alliodora (Ruiz & Pav. Oken.)
Shoes
  • 70 - Proprietes physiques et mecaniques des bois tropicaux de l`union francaise
Matches
  • 71 - Proprietes physiques et mecaniques des bois tropicaux, premier supplement

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