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MERBATU (Parinari costata)
Trade Name
Merbatu
Scientific Name
Parinari costata (Korth.) Blume
Family
CHRYSOBALANACEAE
Common Names
Merbatu pipit (Malaysia); Mengkudur (Indonesia); Bugan (Malaysia); Tayas (Sumatra); Tayas (Indonesia); Sekepal kemalau (Malaysia); Sukupal (Indonesia); Mengkudur (Borneo); Sukupal (Sumatra); Bugan (Sabah)
Scientific Name Synonyms
Parinari rubiginosa Ridley; Parinari polyneurum Miq.; Parinari bicolor Merr.
Description Of The Tree
Botanical Description
It is a tree up to 60 m tall, 90 cm diameter. The trunk is buttressed up to 2 m.
Natural Habitat
It is reported in primary or ,occasionally, in secondary evergreen or semi-evergreen forests. This species is often found along rivers and streams, sometimes ascending into montane areas up to 1,400 m of altitude. Not enough information available to apply
Wood Identification
Anatomic Description Of Wood
Wood diffuse porous. Vessels in diagonal and/or radial pattern. Vessels exclusively solitary (over 90%). Vessels of two distinct diameter classes, wood not ring-porous. Tangential diameter of vessel lumina 200 micras or more (large). Vessels per mm2 5 to 20. Ve Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse and/or diffuse in aggregates. Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty and/or vasicentric. Occasionally siliceous bodies in the axial parenchyma. 5 to 8 cells per parenchyma strand. Over 9 cells per parenchyma strand. Axial par Rays more than 10 per mm (abundant). Ray height more than 1 mm. Occasionally rays exclusively uniseriate. Silica bodies in the ray cells. Occasionally body ray cells procumbent with mostly 2 to 4 rows of upright and/or square marginal cells (Kribs-II). Body ra Fibers very thick walled. Fibers with distinctly bordered pits.
Availability
Cites Status
Unrestricted
General Wood Description
Color
The heartwood is red-brown, sometimes with a yellow tinge and not clearly demarcated from the paler sapwood.
Grain
The grain is straight to slightly interlocked.
Texture
The texture is moderately coarse.
Natural Durability
The wood is only moderately durable when exposed to the weather or in contact with the ground and it is easily attacked by termites.
Natural durability index (1= Very high durability, 7=Vey low durability)
3
Internal Growth Stresses
Growth stresses are reported in this species.
Silica Content
Silica Content: Silica presence is reported. Amounts over 0.05% may affect wood processing. Silica Value: 0
Resistance To Impregnation
It has a good absorption of preservative substances.
Wood Physical Properties
Basic Density or Specific Gravity (O.D. weight/vol. green) (g/cm³)
0.75
Air-dry Density (Weight and volume at 12%MC) (g/cm³)
0.85
Total shrinkage Tangential (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
9.5
Total shrinkage Radial (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
4.9
Drying Defects
Ease of Drying: It takes 5 months to air dry boards 40 mm thick. Drying Defects: It is subject to warping, particularly in case of back-sawn boards. Distortion and surface checking are also reported, although not severe considering its density.
Dimensional stability ratio (Total Tangential Shrinkage %/Total Radial Shrinkage %)
1.9
Wood Chemical Properties
Wood Mechanical Properties
Bending Strength (MOR),12%MC (kgf/cm²)
978
Compression parallel to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
489
Shear strength radial 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
117
Janka hardness (side) 12%MC (kgf)
733
Workability
Sawing
Wood of this species is difficult to cut because of its silica content.
Blunting Effect
The wood has a rapid blunting effect due to silica inclusions. Tungsten tipped tools are recommended.
Machining
Wood processing is reported to be difficult.
Planing
It tends to pick up in planing.
Response To Hand Tools
It has a poor response to hand tools.
REFERENCED USES
End Uses Summary
EXTERIOR GENERAL, stakes posts, crossties, HOUSING GENERAL, beams, parquet, panelling, PACKING, heavy packing, NAVAL CONSTRUCTION, port pillar
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
Crossties
- 8 - Maderas latinoamericas. III, Podocarpus standleyi ,Podocarpus oleifolius, Drims granadensis, Magnolia poasana y Didymopanax pittieri
General Housing
- 10 - Silica in Timbers
Beams
- 11 - Prospect: The wood database
Parquet
- 15 - Empire Timbers
Paneling
- 18 - W3TROPICOS Missouri Botanical Garden
Packing
- 45 - Recopilación y Análisis de Estudios Tecnológicos de Maderas Peruanas
Heavy Packing
- 47 - Arvores Brasileiras
Shipbuilding
- 55 - Tropical Timber Atlas of Latin America
Port Pillar
- 61 - Manual de Diseño para Maderas del Grupo Andino
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