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ILOMBA (Pycnanthus angolensis)

Trade Name

Ilomba

Scientific Name

Pycnanthus angolensis Warb.

Family

MYRISTICACEAE

Common Names

Kpoyei (Sierra Leone); Ilomba (Zaire); White cedar; Whismore; Walfle; Walehe; Tshimbbuku; Tshilombe; Tika; Tidea; Tian; Teng; Ten; Teke; Pitchong; Oti; Ote; Ongano; Omachan; Nigerian boxwood; Ngosame; Ngitsa; Netere; N`laomba; N`kombo; Muno; Munaba; Mukagato; Moulomba; Lunaba; Llombo; Lamba; Kuurul; Kpoyei; Komo; Etsu; Etsiw; Etsi; Etienh; Etan; Etama; Escamba; Entro; Edna; Diehn; Denke; Dean; Cardboard; Boxboard; Bosambe; Bokongo; Bassa; Bakondo; Atenli; Antenli; Anakue; African nutmeg; Adre; Pycnanthus (United Kingdom); Lifondo (Zaire); Lolako (Zaire); Ilomba (Angola); Ilomba (Congo); Eteng (Gabon); Eteng (Cameroon); Calabo (Equatorial Guinea); Akomu (Nigeria); Otie (Ghana); Walele (Côte d`Ivoire); Oualele (Côte d`Ivoire); Gboyei (Liberia); Gboyei (Sierra Leone)

Scientific Name Synonyms

Pycnanthus microcephalus (Benth. & Hook. f.) Warb.; Pycnanthus microcephalus (Benth. & Hook.) Warb.; Pycnanthus mechowi Warb.; Pycnanthus kombo (Baill.) Warb.; Pycnanthus kombo var. angolensis De Wildeman P. P.; Myristica microcephala Benth. & Hook. f.; Myristica kombo Baill.; Myristica angolensis Welw.

Description Of The Tree

Botanical Description

The tree reaches a height of 43 m. The bole is cylindrical, straight and clear to 20 m in length, sometimes with a swollen base or root swellings. The trunk diameter attains 70 to 100 cm.

Natural Habitat

Pycnanthus angolensis is reported in rain forests, transitional, and secondary formations.

Natural Distribution

West Africa.

Plantations Available?

It is a long rotation species for plantation. The duration of the rotation is 30 years to reach 50 cm diameter, or 45 years to reach 60 cm in diameter.

Wood Identification

Anatomic Description Of Wood

Wood diffuse porous. Occasionally vessels exclusively solitary (over 90%). Tangential diameter of vessel lumina 200 micras or more (large). Tyloses thin walled. Non-vestured pits. Vessels per mm2 less than 6 (rare). Simple perforation plates. Scalariform perfora Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty and/or vasicentric. 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 heartwood is greyish white to pale pinkish beige, it is not demarcated. The silver figure is medium.

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

5

Grain

Straight; grain has no particular influence on drying, machining and finishing qualities.

Texture

Texture is usually medium to coarse.

Luster

Timber of this species is moderate in luster.

Natural Durability

Not durable; important risks of decay attacks at any processing step, from logs up to final products. It must receive preservative treatment. Sensible to termites attack. The heartwood is sensible to Lyctus attacks.

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

5

Internal Growth Stresses

Residual growth stresses are absent.

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

Easy to treat with a full penetration of the preservative products using vacuum-pressure method.

Wood Physical Properties

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

0.45

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

0.49

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

8.6

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

4.6

Drying Defects

Ease of Drying: Drying is moderately difficult to difficult; special care is systematically needed. Drying Defects: Risks of distortions.

Recommended Dry Kiln Schedule

FR-9

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

1.9

Wood Chemical Properties

Wood Mechanical Properties

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

646

Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)

103275

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

389

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

44

Shear strength radial 12%MC (kgf/cm²)

64

Janka hardness (side) 12%MC (kgf)

289

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

389

Workability

Sawing

It is easy to saw.

Rotary Veneer Cutting

Suitable for peeling without treatment.

Sliced Veneer

Suitable for peeling without treatment.

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.

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

Difficult to obtain very good results because of interlocked grain.

Polishing

Needs pre-coating.

Response To Hand Tools

No particular problems.

REFERENCED USES

End Uses Summary

EXTERIOR GENERAL, stakes posts, HOUSING GENERAL, boards, frames, steps, panelling, fittings, FURNITURE AND CABINETS, common furniture, PLYWOOD AND VENEER, faces, cores, PACKING, heavy packing, pallets, OTHER AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, pencil, door core, coffin, moldings

Exterior General
  • 1 - Tabela de resultados de ensaios fisicos e mecanicos
Stake Posts
  • 5 - Propriedades fisicas e mecanicas da madeira e do contraplacado de Pinus elliottii
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, Common
  • 23 - Handbook of Hardwoods
Panels, Veneers
  • 25 - Directory of Timber Trade Malaysia
Faces
  • 26 - Annual Review and Assessment of the World Timber Situation 1998-ITTO
Cores
  • 27 - Embassy of Brazil in Japan
Packing
  • 45 - Recopilación y Análisis de Estudios Tecnológicos de Maderas Peruanas
Heavy Packing
  • 47 - Arvores Brasileiras
Pallets
  • 48 - The strength properties of timbers
Pencils
  • 67 - Maderas latinoamericanas. VIII, Calophyllum brasilense, Couratari panamensis, Dendropanax arboreum y Bombacopsis sessilis
Door Cores
  • 76 - Descripción General y Anatómica de 105 Maderas del Grupo Andino.
Coffin
  • 78 - Amazonian Timbers for the International Market
Molding
  • 79 - Padronização da Nomenclatura Comercial Brasileira das Madeiras Tropicais Amazônicas, Sugestão

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