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MEDANG (Litsea firma)
Trade Name
Medang
Scientific Name
Litsea firma (Blume) Hook. f.
Family
Lauraceae
Common Names
Blue laurel (United Kingdom); Blue laurel (United States of America); Bakunib (Philippines); Medang kawan (Malaysia); Medang telur (Malaysia); Medang sekem (Indonesia); Medang miang (Indonesia); Medang kuning belukar (Indonesia); Medang seluang (Sumatra); Medang padi (Indonesia); Medang (Indonesia); Medang api-api (Indonesia); Perawas (Borneo)
Scientific Name Synonyms
Tetranthera firma Blume; Litsea sibuyanensis Elmer
Description Of The Tree
Botanical Description
It is a medium-sized to large tree up to 42 m tall. The bole is up to 80 cm in diameter, with buttresses up to 2.5 m high.
Natural Habitat
This species is common in primary and secondary lowland forests up to 550 m of altitude.
Wood Identification
Anatomic Description Of Wood
Wood diffuse porous. Tyloses common. Vessels per mm2 5 to 20. Vessel-ray pits reticulate and/or foraminate. Simple perforation plates. Intervessel pits medium, 7 to 10 micras. Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty and/or vasicentric. Axial parenchyma aliform. Axial parenchyma confluent. 5 to 8 cells per parenchyma strand. 4 to 10 rays per mm (medium). Body ray cells procumbent with mostly 2 to 4 rows of upright and/or square marginal cells (Kribs-II). Septate fibers present. Fibers with distinctly bordered pits. Fibers with simple to minutely bordered pits.
Availability
Cites Status
Unrestricted
General Wood Description
Odor
It is reported to have a characteristic odor.
Color
The heartwood usually ranges from pale olive-brown or creamy yellow to dark greenish-brown. The sapwood is often not distinctly demarcated from the heartwood.
COLOR INDEX (1=Black, 7=Light yellow,white)
5
Grain
The grain is straight or slightly to moderately interlocked.
Texture
Texture is reported to be moderately fine and even.
Natural Durability
The wood is generally not durable and it is susceptible to fungal and Lyctus attack.
Natural durability index (1= Very high durability, 7=Vey low durability)
5
Resistance To Impregnation
The sapwood is reported as easy to preserve.
Wood Physical Properties
Basic Density or Specific Gravity (O.D. weight/vol. green) (g/cm³)
0.55
Air-dry Density (Weight and volume at 12%MC) (g/cm³)
0.61
Total shrinkage Tangential (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
7.0
Total shrinkage Radial (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
3.6
Drying Defects
Drying Defects: The wood air dries with little defects.
Recommended Dry Kiln Schedule
UK-H; US-52-35; JP-28
Dimensional stability ratio (Total Tangential Shrinkage %/Total Radial Shrinkage %)
1.9
Wood Chemical Properties
Wood Mechanical Properties
Bending Strength (MOR),12%MC (kgf/cm²)
652
Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
102919
Compression parallel to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
357
Compression perpendicular to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
31
Shear strength radial 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
76
Workability
Sawing
Sawmilling of this species is reportedly easy to slightly difficult.
Planing
This species is easy to plane.
Nailing
This species is reported to have a good nailing behavior.
Finishing
Finishing properties are rated as good to fair.
REFERENCED USES
End Uses Summary
HOUSING GENERAL, boards, panelling, FURNITURE AND CABINETS, cabinets, PLYWOOD AND VENEER, TOOLS, tool handles, agricultural tools, PACKING, OTHER AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, handicrafts
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
Paneling
- 18 - W3TROPICOS Missouri Botanical Garden
Furniture Cabinets
- 21 - Tropical timbers of the world. Part III-Southeast Asian and Oceanian Species.
Cabinet
- 24 - Empire Timbers
Panels, Veneers
- 25 - Directory of Timber Trade Malaysia
Tools
- 42 - Utilización Industrial de Nuevas Especies Forestales en el Perú.
Tool Handles
- 43 - Maderas de Bolivia (Características y Usos de 55 Maderas Tropicales)
Agricultural Tools
- 44 - Atlas of Peruvian Woods
Packing
- 45 - Recopilación y Análisis de Estudios Tecnológicos de Maderas Peruanas
Handcraft
- 66 - Maderas latinoamericanas. VII. Caracteristicas anatomicas. propiedades fisicomecanicas, de secado, y tratabilidad de la madera juvenil de Cordia alliodora (Ruiz & Pav. Oken.)
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