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ESSIA (Petersianthus macrocarpus)
Trade Name
Essia
Scientific Name
Petersianthus macrocarpus Liben
Family
COMBRETACEAE
Common Names
Tivegui (Guinea); Esia (Ghana); Abalé (Côte d`Ivoire); Abalé (France); Wulo (Zaire); Bossoho (Zaire); Abing (Gabon); Minzu (Congo); Wulo; Vulo; Tutwo; Tuntue; Tufei; Tu-tue; Stinkwood tree; Soap tree; Pen; Oze; Oto; Osa; Okpoha; Nonong; Nfunzo; Mubwabwa; Mubuabua; Miuza; Kpa; Kochibibi; Kapuku mutshi; Essia; Esiapi; Esia-kokobin; Esia; Dekolambunda; Busheki; Boto; Bosaki; Bine; Bayombi; Awewe; Angwushi; Akusun; Abine; Abale; Minzu (Zaire); Abin (Gabon); Abing (Cameroon); Owewe (Nigeria)
Scientific Name Synonyms
Petersianthus africanus (Welw.) Merr.; Petersia viridiflora (A. Chev.) A. Chev.; Petersia africana Welw. ex Benth. & Hook.; Combretodendron viridiflorum A. Chev.; Combretodendron macrocarpum (P. Beauv.) Keay; Combretodendron africanum (Welw. ex Benth. & Hook.
Description Of The Tree
Botanical Description
The tree reaches a height of 40 m or more. The bole is straight, cylindrical, sometimes shallowly fluted. It may be up to 20 to 26 m in length and unbuttressed but flared at the base. The trunk diameter attains 80 to 170 cm.
Natural Habitat
Petersianthus macrocarpus is fairly common in wet forest areas, infrequent in the dry primary forests.
Natural Distribution
West Africa.
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 6 to 10 (medium). Simple perforation plates. Vessel-ray pits simil Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty and/or vasicentric. Axial parenchyma confluent. Non-crystals in axial parenchyma cells. 5 to 8 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. Occasionally septate fibers present. Fibers with simple to minutely bordered pits.
Availability
Cites Status
Unrestricted
General Wood Description
Odor
Unpleasant odor.
Color
The sapwood is yellowish white, it has a thickness of 8 to 10 cm. The heartwood is pinkish brown, it is clearly demarcated.
COLOR INDEX (1=Black, 7=Light yellow,white)
3
Grain
The grain is highly and systematically interlocked; special care is needed when drying because of frequent risks of distortion.
Texture
The wood is reported to be frequently medium textured.
Luster
The wood is described as low in luster.
Natural Durability
Moderately durable to decay. Without preservative treatment, this species can be used only under risk of occasional re-humidification. It is not suited for uses with risks of permanent or long-lasting humidification. Moderately resistant to termites attack
Natural durability index (1= Very high durability, 7=Vey low durability)
3
Internal Growth Stresses
Residual growth stresses are 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)
0.71
Air-dry Density (Weight and volume at 12%MC) (g/cm³)
0.80
Total shrinkage Tangential (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
9.2
Total shrinkage Radial (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
4.7
Drying Defects
Ease of Drying: Drying is very slow and difficult to perform; defects are frequent. Drying Defects: Risks of checks and distortions. Kiln Schedules: Schedule proposed as a reference by comparison with well known species taking into account to the general technological behavior of this species.
Recommended Dry Kiln Schedule
FR-7
Dimensional stability ratio (Total Tangential Shrinkage %/Total Radial Shrinkage %)
2.0
Wood Chemical Properties
Wood Mechanical Properties
Bending Strength (MOR),12%MC (kgf/cm²)
1047
Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
131195
Compression parallel to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
582
Compression perpendicular to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
76
Shear strength radial 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
109
Janka hardness (side) 12%MC (kgf)
804
Janka hardness (end grain) 12%MC (kgf)
879
Workability
Sawing
Sawing of this species requires powerful equipment.
Rotary Veneer Cutting
Suitable for slicing.
Sliced Veneer
Suitable for slicing.
Machining
It needs powerful tools for processing. Possible difficulties caused by interlocked grain are reported.
Planing
Moderately easy; tools must be cautiously sharpened.
Moulding
Moderately easy; tools must be cautiously sharpened.
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 the extracts content.
Sanding
Difficult to obtain very good results because of interlocked grain.
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, PLYWOOD AND VENEER, Decorative veneer, CONTAINERS, truck bodies, truck flooring
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
Panels, Veneers
- 25 - Directory of Timber Trade Malaysia
Decorative veneer
- 28 - Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forest of Fiji
Truck Body
- 53 - Timbers of the New World
Truck Flooring
- 54 - Bulletin of the Government Forest Experiment Station N.157: Identification of Tropical Woods
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