Select Language:  

MENTIGI (Pemphis acidula)

Trade Name

Mentigi

Scientific Name

Pemphis acidula J.R. Forst.

Family

LYTHRACEAE

Common Names

Ligad (Philippines); Kabantigi (Philippines); Sentigi (Indonesia); Mentigi (Indonesia); Mentigi (Malaysia); Bantigi (Philippines); Thian le (Thailand); Cantigi (Indonesia)

Scientific Name Synonyms

Pemphis setosa Blanco; Pemphis angustifolia Roxb.; Millania rupestre Zipp.; Melanium fruticosum Spreng.; Mangium porcellanicum Rumph.; Lythrum pemphis L.

Description Of The Tree

Botanical Description

It is an evergreen large branching shrub to small tree to 10 m tall, up to 30 cm in diameter. The stem is usually short and stocky.

Natural Habitat

Pemphis acidula is found on sandy and rocky shores, and in exposed mangrove vegetation.

Plantations Available?

This species is occasionally planted as an ornamental tree.

Wood Identification

Anatomic Description Of Wood

Wood diffuse porous. Occasionally wood semi-ring porous and/or ring porous. Tangential diameter of vessel lumina 100 micras or less (very small). Colored deposits in heartwood vessels. Tyloses common. Vestured pits. Vessels per mm2 more than 20 (very abundant). Occasionally apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse and/or diffuse in aggregates. Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty and/or vasicentric. Axial parenchyma aliform. Occasionally axial parenchyma confluent. Occasionally two cells per parenchyma strand. 3 to 4 cel 4 to 10 rays per mm (medium). Rays more than 10 per mm (abundant). Sheath cells. Body ray cells procumbent with over 4 rows of upright and/or square marginal cells (Kribs-I). Body ray cells procumbent with mostly 2 to 4 rows of upright and/or square marginal Fibers very thick walled. Fibers with simple to minutely bordered pits.

Availability

Cites Status

Unrestricted

General Wood Description

Color

The heartwood is reddish-brown to dark reddish-brown, turning dark brown with age, clearly differentiated from the pale sapwood.

Grain

The grain is frequently interlocked.

Texture

Fine texture is reported in this species.

Luster

Timber of this species is lustrous.

Natural Durability

The wood is very durable when exposed to the weather or in contact with the ground. The heartwood is very resistant to dry-wood termites.

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

1

Wood Physical Properties

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

0.98

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

1.16

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

8.5

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

5.4

Drying Defects

Kiln Schedules: Kiln drying from green condition to 12% moisture content takes 9 to10 days. Checking of this species wood may be severe during kiln drying.

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

1.6

Wood Chemical Properties

Wood Mechanical Properties

Workability

Machining

Machining operations are rather difficult.

Turning

30

Finishing

With care it is reported to take a high finish.

REFERENCED USES

End Uses Summary

EXTERIOR GENERAL, stakes posts, HOUSING GENERAL, TURNING, cutlery, TOOLS, tool handles, NAVAL CONSTRUCTION, OTHER AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, handicrafts

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
Turning
  • 30 - Embassy of Honduras in Japan
Knife Handles
  • 33 - Embassy of Gabon in Japan
Tools
  • 42 - Utilización Industrial de Nuevas Especies Forestales en el Perú.
Tool Handles
  • 43 - Maderas de Bolivia (Características y Usos de 55 Maderas Tropicales)
Shipbuilding
  • 55 - Tropical Timber Atlas of Latin America
Handcraft
  • 66 - Maderas latinoamericanas. VII. Caracteristicas anatomicas. propiedades fisicomecanicas, de secado, y tratabilidad de la madera juvenil de Cordia alliodora (Ruiz & Pav. Oken.)

Please Provide Information To View Producer Information

* Or, continue as guest