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CORDIA D`AFRIQUE (Cordia platythyrsa)

Trade Name

Cordia d`Afrique

Scientific Name

Cordia platythyrsa Bak.

Family

BORAGINACEAE

Common Names

Omo (Nigeria); Ebe (Gabon); African cordia (Germany); African cordia (United Kingdom); Ebais (Gabon); Ebais (Cameroon); Ebe (Cameroon); Mukumari (Kenya); Mugoma (Kenya); Mukebu (Uganda); Sumba (Zaire); Bon (Côte d`Ivoire); Cordia d`Afrique

Scientific Name Synonyms

Cordia irvingii Baker pro parte; Cordia candidissima A. Chev.

Description Of The Tree

Botanical Description

The tree reaches a height of 20 to 32 m. The bole is cylindrical but rarely straight, 10 to 13 m in length. The trunk attains about 100 cm in diameter above the buttresses.

Natural Habitat

Cordia platythyrsa is a timber species occurring in closed forest and old secondary formations. It regenerates well in disturbed forest.

Natural Distribution

Widely distributed in tropical Africa, from Sierra Leone to Gabon and Central Africa.

Wood Identification

Anatomic Description Of Wood

Wood diffuse porous. Occasionally vessels exclusively solitary (over 90%). Vessel clusters common. Tangential diameter of vessel lumina 200 micras or more (large). Tyloses thin walled. Non-vestured pits. Vessels per mm2 6 to 10 (medium). Simple perforation plate Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty and/or vasicentric. Axial parenchyma aliform. Axial parenchyma in thick bands. Occasionally axial parenchyma storied. Crystal sand in axial parenchyma cells. Two cells per parenchyma strand. 4 to 10 rays per mm (medium). Rays non-storied. Larger rays more than 4 seriate. Prismatic crystals in the ray cells. Heterogeneous rays and/or multiseriate heterogeneous rays. 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 heartwood is from pale golden brown to brown, occasionally pinkish brown, it is sometimes not clearly demarcated. The silver figure is medium.

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

4

Grain

Straight or slightly interlocked, sometimes with an influence on further processing operations.

Texture

This wood has a somewhat coarse texture.

Luster

The surface of the wood is naturally moderate in luster.

Natural Durability

Durable to decay; this species can be utilized without preservative treatment for exterior joinery or similar uses. Resistant to termites attack. Heartwood is resistant to Lyctus attacks.

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

1

Internal Growth Stresses

Residual stresses are reported to be absent.

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)

0.39

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

0.41

Drying Defects

Kiln Schedules: Based on its low density and air drying properties, terentang timber can be kiln dried using red meranti (F) or jeludong (H) kiln drying schedules.

Recommended Dry Kiln Schedule

FR-5

Wood Chemical Properties

Wood Mechanical Properties

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

740

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

387

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

44

Janka hardness (side) 12%MC (kgf)

204

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

295

Workability

Sawing

It is easy to saw.

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

Machining of this species is reportedly easy.

Planing

Easy; no particular problems.

Moulding

Easy; no particular problems.

Turning

30

Boring

Easy; no particular problems.

Mortising

Easy; no particular problems.

Nailing

No particular problem.

Gluing

Glues well if basic gluing technical rules are followed.

Sanding

Easy to perform; it gives good results.

Polishing

Needs pre-coating.

Response To Hand Tools

No particular problems.

REFERENCED USES

End Uses Summary

HOUSING GENERAL, boards, frames, steps, panelling, fittings, FURNITURE AND CABINETS, luxury furniture, cabinets, PLYWOOD AND VENEER, Decorative veneer, TURNING, ornaments, turned furniture

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
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

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