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MEDANG (Cinnamomum porrectum)

Trade Name

Medang

Scientific Name

Cinnamomum porrectum (Roxb.) Kosterm.

Family

LAURACEAE

Common Names

Theptharo (Thailand); Medang serai (Indonesia); Medang lesah (Indonesia); Medang busok (Indonesia); Laso; Keplah wangi (Malaysia); Kepaleh; Kayu gadis; Kajoe lada; Kajoe gadis; Gadis; Chintamula hitam; Safrol laurel (United Kingdom); Re huong (Vietnam); Thep tharo (Thailand); Karawa (Myanmar); Ki sereh (Indonesia); Safrol laurel (United States of America); Bunsod (Sabah); Keplah wangi (Sarawak); Medang kemangi (Malaysia); Rawali (Borneo); Selasihan (Indonesia); Teja (Sarawak); Teja (Malaysia); Huru (Indonesia); Medang (Indonesia)

Scientific Name Synonyms

Cinnamomum sumatranum (Miq.) Meissner; Cinnamomum porrectum (Roxb.); Cinnamomum glanduliferum C. Nees (Roxb.)

Description Of The Tree

Botanical Description

It is a medium-sized to large tree up to 45 m tall. The bole is straight, cylindrical and up to 105 cm in diameter, sometimes buttressed.

Natural Habitat

This species occurs commonly in lowlands to montane forest, on both fertile and poor soils, usually on well drained areas.

Non Timber Uses

Essential oils are obtained by steam distillation of medang.

Wood Identification

Anatomic Description Of Wood

Tyloses common. Vessels per mm2 more than 20 (very abundant). Vessel-ray pits reticulate and/or foraminate. Simple perforation plates. Intervessel pits medium, 7 to 10 micras. Axial parenchyma in marginal or in seemingly marginal bands. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse and/or diffuse in aggregates. Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty and/or vasicentric. Occasionally axial parenchyma lozenge-aliform. 4 to 10 rays per mm (medium). Oil and/or mucilage cells associated with the axial and/or ray parenchyma (idioblasts). Body ray cells procumbent with mostly 2 to 4 rows of upright and/or square marginal cells (Kribs-II). Occasionally septate fibers present. 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

Usually the wood has a persistent camphor-like odor.

Color

The heartwood varies in color from grayish-green to pinkish, reddish or pale brown, sometimes turning to red-brown or walnut-brown on exposure, and is usually not distinctly demarcated from the straw-colored, pale pink or pale brown sapwood.

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

5

Grain

The grain is straight to moderately interlocked.

Texture

Texture of this species is reported to vary from fine to medium.

Natural Durability

The wood is moderately durable when exposed to the weather or in contact with the ground. C. porrectum is rated as the most durable species among the medang group.

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

3

Resistance To Impregnation

The wood is extremely resistant to preservative treatment.

Wood Physical Properties

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

0.52

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

0.57

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

5.7

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

3.3

Drying Defects

Ease of Drying: Drying is reported to be slow but rarely develops serious seasoning defects, except for slight cupping. Drying Defects: Risk of surface checking and end splitting. Kiln Schedules: Schedule suggested for Merawan. In Malaysia kiln-drying schedule H is recommended. It takes 5 days for 25 mm thick boards to kiln dry from 50% to 10% moisture content.

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

1.7

Wood Chemical Properties

Wood Mechanical Properties

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

591

Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)

84934

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

598

Shear strength radial 12%MC (kgf/cm²)

74

Janka hardness (side) 12%MC (kgf)

241

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

242

Workability

Sawing

Sawing of this species is reported to be rather easy.

Blunting Effect

It has a moderate blunting effect on the cutting tools.

Machining

It is easy to machine.

Turning

30

Nailing

This species is reported to have a good nailing behavior.

Finishing

Wood of this species is easy to finish.

Staining

It has a good staining.

Coatings

Painting or varnishing of this species is reportedly easy.

Response To Hand Tools

It has a good response to hand tools.

REFERENCED USES

End Uses Summary

HOUSING GENERAL, panelling, FURNITURE AND CABINETS, luxury furniture, cabinets, PLYWOOD AND VENEER, TURNING, SPORTS, TOOLS, agricultural tools, CONTAINERS, truck bodies, NAVAL CONSTRUCTION, OTHER AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, handicrafts, shoes, coffin, moldings

General Housing
  • 10 - Silica in Timbers
Paneling
  • 18 - W3TROPICOS Missouri Botanical Garden
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
Turning
  • 30 - Embassy of Honduras in Japan
Sports
  • 38 - Annual Review and Assessment of the World Timber Situation 1998-ITTO
Tools
  • 42 - Utilización Industrial de Nuevas Especies Forestales en el Perú.
Agricultural Tools
  • 44 - Atlas of Peruvian Woods
Truck Body
  • 53 - Timbers of the New World
Shipbuilding
  • 55 - Tropical Timber Atlas of Latin America
Other & Musical Instruments
  • 63 - Madeiras do Brazil II
Handcraft
  • 66 - Maderas latinoamericanas. VII. Caracteristicas anatomicas. propiedades fisicomecanicas, de secado, y tratabilidad de la madera juvenil de Cordia alliodora (Ruiz & Pav. Oken.)
Shoes
  • 70 - Proprietes physiques et mecaniques des bois tropicaux de l`union francaise
Coffin
  • 78 - Amazonian Timbers for the International Market
Molding
  • 79 - Padronização da Nomenclatura Comercial Brasileira das Madeiras Tropicais Amazônicas, Sugestão

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