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DIFOU (Morus mesozygia)

Trade Name

Difou

Scientific Name

Morus mesozygia Stapf.

Family

MORACEAE

Common Names

Wonton (Ghana); Difou (Côte d`Ivoire); Mecodze (Mozambique); Mecobze (Mozambique); Kankate (Zaire); Aye (Nigeria); Difou

Description Of The Tree

Botanical Description

The tree reaches a height of 30 to 40 m. The bole is generally cylindrical, up to 20 m in length, with wide-spreading root ridges. The trunk diameter attains 60 to 90 cm.

Natural Habitat

Morus mesozygia occurs in the drier parts of closed forests, in dry savanna formations, also in coastal evergreen locations, and in some ravines.

Natural Distribution

West Africa, from Senegal to Gabon.

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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). Tyloses thin walled. Non-vestured pits. Vessels per mm2 less than 6 (rare). Simple perforation plates. Vessel-ray pits sim Axial parenchyma in thick bands. Prismatic crystals in short chains in chambered axial parenchyma cells. 5 to 8 cells per parenchyma strand. Axial parenchyma bands more than 3 cells wide. 4 to 10 rays per mm (medium). Rays non-storied. Rays 1 to 4 seriate. Body ray cells procumbent with mostly 2 to 4 rows of upright and/or square marginal cells (Kribs-II). 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 pale grey or white. The heartwood is yellow when freshly cut, darkening with age to a coffee brown, it is clearly demarcated.

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

5

Grain

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

Texture

The wood is mostly medium in texture.

Luster

The surface of the wood is naturally low in luster.

Natural Durability

Very durable to decay; without preservative treatment. This species is especially suited for all the uses with risks of permanent or long-lasting humidification. 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

No residual growth stresses are found.

Silica Content

Silica Content: Negligible contents of silica are found in timber of this species. Amounts over 0.05% may affect the 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)

0.74

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

0.84

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

5.8

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

3.2

Recommended Dry Kiln Schedule

FR-6

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

1.8

Wood Chemical Properties

Wood Mechanical Properties

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

1461

Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)

188482

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

872

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

130

Shear strength radial 12%MC (kgf/cm²)

76

Janka hardness (side) 12%MC (kgf)

888

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

952

Workability

Sawing

Sawing of this species requires powerful equipment.

Rotary Veneer Cutting

Suitable for slicing.

Sliced Veneer

Suitable for slicing.

Blunting Effect

Moderate blunting effect; stellited blades for sawing and carbide tools for machining are advised.

Machining

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

Planing

Rather difficult; special tools are needed.

Moulding

Moderately easy; tools must be cautiously sharpened.

Turning

30

Boring

Moderately easy; tools must be cautiously sharpened.

Mortising

Moderately easy; tools must be cautiously sharpened.

Nailing

Pre-boring is necessary.

Gluing

Difficult to glue because of high density.

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, NAVAL CONSTRUCTION, boat deck, port storage, OTHER AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, handicrafts, shingle

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
Shipbuilding
  • 55 - Tropical Timber Atlas of Latin America
Boat Decking
  • 59 - Programa Nacional de uso Sostenible de los Bosques e Incremento a las Exportaciones.
Port Storage
  • 62 - Estudio Tecnológico de Maderas del Perú (Zona Pucallpa) Vol I
Handcraft
  • 66 - Maderas latinoamericanas. VII. Caracteristicas anatomicas. propiedades fisicomecanicas, de secado, y tratabilidad de la madera juvenil de Cordia alliodora (Ruiz & Pav. Oken.)
Shingles
  • 77 - Amazonian Timbers, Characteristics and Utilization Volume I; Tapajós National Forest

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