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GREENHEART (Ocotea rodiei)

Trade Name

Greenheart

Scientific Name

Ocotea rodiei (R.H. Schomb.) Mez

Family

LAURACEAE

Common Names

Sipiri; Kevatuk; Itaube; Ishpingo Moena (Peru); Groen Hart; Demerara Groenhart; Demerara Greenheart; Beeberoe; Sepeira; White Greenheart; Brown Greenheart; Black Greenheart; Sipiroe; Groenhart; Demerara; Torchwood; Wainop; Viruviru; Tugul; Tugui; Supeira (Brazil); Sipira; Sipeiro; Rora-Ek; Cipira; Cipiri; Bibiroo; Bibiri; Bibira; Bibir; Bebeeru; Bebeeren; Bebeeree; Bibiru; Demerara Green Heart; Green Heart

Scientific Name Synonyms

Nectandra rodioei R.H. Schomb.

Description Of The Tree

Botanical Description

It attains heights up to 40 m and 100 cm in diameter, but it is more often 50 to 70 cm in diameter. The boles are straight and cylindrical up to 20 to 30 m long. It presents low buttresses.

Natural Habitat

Ocotea rodiei is found in primary tropical rain forests in northern South America, growing on well drained areas.

Natural Distribution

The natural range of the species is includes the Guyanas, Venezuela and Brazil.

Non Timber Uses

It is reported to be resistant to acids.

Wood Identification

Anatomic Description Of Wood

Wood diffuse porous. Vessels solitary and in short radial multiples. Tangential diameter of vessel lumina 200 micras or more (large). Tyloses common. Vessels per mm2 10 to 20 (abundant). Vessel-ray pits coarse throughout the ray cell. Intervessel pits small, 7 Axial parenchyma absent or extremely rare, non visible with magnifying glass (8x). Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty and/or vasicentric. 3 to 4 cells per parenchyma strand. 4 to 10 rays per mm (medium). Rays 1 to 4 seriate. Body ray cells procumbent with one row of upright and/or square marginal cells (Kribs-III). 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

When dry it has no characteristic odor or taste.

Color

The sapwood is not clearly distinct from the heartwood. The color of the heartwood varies from light to dark olive or blackish, sometimes with irregular dark veins.

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

4

Grain

The grain is straight to interlocked.

Texture

The texture is fine and uniform.

Luster

The surface of the wood is naturally high in luster.

Natural Durability

It is very resistant to pinhole borers, marine borers, and dry-wood termites attack.

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

1

Resistance To Impregnation

This timber is reported to be impermeable to preservatives.

Wood Physical Properties

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

0.82

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

0.94

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

8.6

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

7.8

Drying Defects

Ease of Drying: This species air dries rapidly. Drying Defects: Warping can be severe. Kiln Schedules: To reduce warping it is recommended to place the separation stickers closer together. Chemical protection is recommended to avoid blue stain.

Recommended Dry Kiln Schedule

UK-B; US-T2-C2

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

1.1

Wood Chemical Properties

Wood Mechanical Properties

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

2176

Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)

237731

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

972

Shear strength radial 12%MC (kgf/cm²)

130

Janka hardness (side) 12%MC (kgf)

1152

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

971

Workability

Sawing

Cutting resistance is reported to be generally high.

Rotary Veneer Cutting

It is unsuitable for plywood because of its density.

Sliced Veneer

It is unsuitable for plywood because of its density.

Blunting Effect

Blunting effect on cutting edges is rated as moderate to high.

Machining

The wood of green heart gives satisfactory results in all machining operations.

Planing

A reduced cutting angle of 20 degrees is recommended for planing because of interlocked grain and high density.

Nailing

The material is reported to require pre-boring.

Gluing

Gluing properties are reported to be variable. Special care needed in gluing.

Finishing

The timber is reported to give a lustrous finish.

Steam Bending

It is reported to have moderate steam bending properties but it is not recommended for that application.

REFERENCED USES

End Uses Summary

EXTERIOR GENERAL, bridges, stakes posts, crossties, HOUSING GENERAL, boards, flooring, steps, panelling, CONTAINERS, cooperage, NAVAL CONSTRUCTION, port pillar

Exterior General
  • 1 - Tabela de resultados de ensaios fisicos e mecanicos
Bridges
  • 2 - 25 madeiras da amazonia de valor comercial, caracterizacao, macroscopica, usos comuns e indices qualificativos
Stake Posts
  • 5 - Propriedades fisicas e mecanicas da madeira e do contraplacado de Pinus elliottii
Crossties
  • 8 - Maderas latinoamericas. III, Podocarpus standleyi ,Podocarpus oleifolius, Drims granadensis, Magnolia poasana y Didymopanax pittieri
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
Flooring
  • 14 - Handbook of Hardwoods
Steps
  • 17 - Tree Conservation Database
Paneling
  • 18 - W3TROPICOS Missouri Botanical Garden
Containers
  • 50 - Properties of imported tropical woods
Cooperage
  • 51 - Recopilacion de propiedades mecanicas de maderas creciendo en Chile
Shipbuilding
  • 55 - Tropical Timber Atlas of Latin America
Port Pillar
  • 61 - Manual de Diseño para Maderas del Grupo Andino

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