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NAGA (Brachystegia cynometroides)

Trade Name

Naga

Scientific Name

Brachystegia cynometroides Harms

Family

LEGUMINOSAE

Common Names

Bodgei (Sierra Leone); Ekop; Brown teak; Okwen (United Kingdom); Mendou (Gabon); Ekop-naga (Cameroon); Okwen (Nigeria); Meblo (Côte d`Ivoire); Tebako (Liberia); Naga

Description Of The Tree

Botanical Description

The tree reaches a height of 40 m, with trunk diameters up to 2 m. The bole is short, up to 15 m in length and often curved, with large buttresses or with rounded ridges at the base.

Natural Habitat

Brachystegia cynometroides is common in dense rain forests or coastal areas.

Natural Distribution

Central Africa

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). Vessels per mm2 less than 6 (rare). Simple perforation plates. Vessel-ray pits similar to intervessel pits in size and s Axial parenchyma in marginal or in seemingly marginal bands. Axial parenchyma lozenge-aliform. Prismatic crystals in chambered axial parenchyma cells and/or in fibers. 3 to 4 cells per parenchyma strand. Rays more than 10 per mm (abundant). Rays and/or axial elements irregularly storied. Rays exclusively uniseriate. Homogeneous rays and/or sub-homogeneous rays (all ray cells procumbent). 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 sapwood is white to yellowish white, it has a thickness of 15 cm. The heartwood is pale brown to copper brown, it is clearly demarcated. The silver figure is fine (barely visible).

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

5

Grain

It has highly interlocked grain; special care is needed when drying because of frequent risks of distortion.

Texture

The wood is reported to be frequently medium textured.

Luster

This wood is commonly of low luster.

Natural Durability

Moderately durable to decay. Without preservative treatment, this species can be used only under risk of occasional re-humidification. It is not suited for uses with risks of permanent or long-lasting humidification. Moderately resistant to termites attack

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

3

Internal Growth Stresses

No residual stresses are reported in this species.

Resistance To Impregnation

Difficult to treat with only a low penetration of the preservative products.

Wood Physical Properties

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

0.58

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

0.64

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

6.7

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

4.5

Drying Defects

Ease of Drying: Drying is rather slow and sometimes difficult to perform. Drying Defects: Risks of distortions. and discoloration caused by decay Kiln Schedules: The kiln schedule has been tested.

Recommended Dry Kiln Schedule

FR-6

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

1.5

Wood Chemical Properties

Wood Mechanical Properties

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

940

Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)

133610

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

582

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

76

Shear strength radial 12%MC (kgf/cm²)

79

Janka hardness (side) 12%MC (kgf)

508

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

610

Workability

Sawing

It is easy to saw.

Rotary Veneer Cutting

Suitable for slicing, also suitable for peeling if treated.

Sliced Veneer

Suitable for slicing, also suitable for peeling if treated.

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

Moderately easy; tools must be cautiously sharpened.

Turning

30

Boring

Moderately easy; tools must be cautiously sharpened.

Mortising

Moderately easy; tools must be cautiously sharpened.

Nailing

No particular problem.

Gluing

Glues well if basic gluing technical rules are followed.

Sanding

Easy to perform; it gives good results.

Polishing

Can be polished without surface preparation.

Steam Bending

This species can be used for steam bending.

Response To Hand Tools

No particular problems.

REFERENCED USES

End Uses Summary

HOUSING GENERAL, beams, joists, boards, flooring, parquet, frames, steps, panelling, fittings, FURNITURE AND CABINETS, luxury furniture, cabinets, PLYWOOD AND VENEER, faces, Decorative veneer, TURNING, ornaments, turned furniture, OTHER AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, handicrafts

General Housing
  • 10 - Silica in Timbers
Beams
  • 11 - Prospect: The wood database
Joists
  • 12 - Tropical timbers of the world. Part I-Tropical American Species
Boards
  • 13 - Dry kiln schedules for commercial woods. Temperate and tropical. Section III. Latin American (Mexico, Central, and South America) Woods–Conventional Temperatures
Flooring
  • 14 - Handbook of Hardwoods
Parquet
  • 15 - Empire Timbers
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, 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
Faces
  • 26 - Annual Review and Assessment of the World Timber Situation 1998-ITTO
Decorative veneer
  • 28 - Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forest of Fiji
Turning
  • 30 - Embassy of Honduras in Japan
Ornaments
  • 31 - Embassy of Colombia in Japan
Turned Articles
  • 32 - Embassy of Cote d`Ivoire in Japan
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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