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OKAN (Cylicodiscus gabunensis)

Trade Name

Okan

Scientific Name

Cylicodiscus gabunensis Harms

Family

LEGUMINOSAE

Common Names

Denya (Ghana); Bouemon (Côte d`Ivoire); Edoum (Gabon); N'duma (Congo); Uzhi; Usi; Owese; Osung; Olosan; Olisan; Okain; Odenya; Odekowese; Ode owese; Muduma; Mobonran; Mbeli-deli; Lisan; Kendum; Inbeli-deli; Eyee; Emang; Ekam; Edoum; Doum; Djom; Denya; Bouemon; Boueman; Anyan; Aja-igi; Adum; Adada; N`duma (Congo); Oduma (Gabon); Edum (Gabon); African greenheart (Cameroon); Bokoka (Cameroon); Adoum (Cameroon); Okan (Nigeria); Adadua (Ghana); Benya (Ghana)

Scientific Name Synonyms

Piptadenia gabunensis (Harms) Roberty; Erythrophleum le-testui A. Chev.; Erythrophleum gabunense (Harms) Taub.; Cyrtoxiphus staudtii Harms

Description Of The Tree

Botanical Description

The tree reaches a height of more than 50 m. The bole is straight, cylindrical and clear to 26 m in length. The trunk diameter attains from 100 to 130 cm, but it may reach over 300 cm above the buttresses.

Natural Habitat

Cylicodiscus gabunensis occurs in rain forests.

Natural Distribution

West Africa, from Sierra Leone to Gabon.

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). Brown-colored deposits in heartwood vessels. Vestured pits. Vessels per mm2 less than 6 (rare). Vessel-ray pits similar t Axial parenchyma lozenge-aliform. Axial parenchyma aliform. Prismatic crystals in chambered axial parenchyma cells and/or in fibers. 3 to 4 cells per parenchyma strand. 4 to 10 rays per mm (medium). Rays non-storied. Rays 1 to 4 seriate. 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 greyish pink, it has a thickness of 5 cm. The heartwood is yellow-brown to golden brown, with greenish tinge, it is clearly demarcated. The silver figure is fine.

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

2

Grain

Straight or slightly interlocked, sometimes with an influence on further processing operations.

Texture

The texture is typically medium to coarse.

Luster

Luster is usually low.

Natural Durability

Very durable to decay; without preservative treatment. This species is especially suited for all the uses with risks of permanent or long-lasting humidification. Resistant to termites attack. Heartwood is resistant to Lyctus attacks.

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

1

Internal Growth Stresses

No growth stresses are reported in this species.

Silica Content

Silica Content: This timber is reported to have a negligible silica content. Silica contents over 0.05% may affect wood processing. Silica Value: 0

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)

0.80

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

0.91

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

7.9

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

5.9

Drying Defects

Ease of Drying: Air drying is rated as good.

Recommended Dry Kiln Schedule

FR-12

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

1.3

Wood Chemical Properties

Wood Mechanical Properties

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

1367

Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)

226919

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

835

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

123

Shear strength radial 12%MC (kgf/cm²)

105

Janka hardness (side) 12%MC (kgf)

1047

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

1085

Workability

Sawing

Sawing of this species requires powerful equipment.

Rotary Veneer Cutting

Not suitable for veneering.

Sliced Veneer

Not suitable for veneering.

Blunting Effect

Moderate blunting effect; stellited blades for sawing and carbide tools for machining are advised.

Machining

It needs powerful tools for processing. Possible difficulties caused by interlocked grain are reported.

Planing

Rather difficult; special tools are needed.

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

Pre-boring is necessary.

Gluing

Difficult to glue because of high density.

Sanding

Easy to perform; it gives good results.

Polishing

Needs pre-coating.

Response To Hand Tools

Working with hand tools is difficult.

REFERENCED USES

End Uses Summary

HOUSING GENERAL, beams, joists, boards, flooring, parquet, frames, FURNITURE AND CABINETS, luxury furniture, cabinets, TURNING, ornaments, turned furniture, cutlery, lasts, CONTAINERS, truck bodies, truck flooring, 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
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
Turning
  • 30 - Embassy of Honduras in Japan
Ornaments
  • 31 - Embassy of Colombia in Japan
Turned Articles
  • 32 - Embassy of Cote d`Ivoire in Japan
Knife Handles
  • 33 - Embassy of Gabon in Japan
Lasts
  • 34 - Embassy of Indonesia in Japan
Truck Body
  • 53 - Timbers of the New World
Truck Flooring
  • 54 - Bulletin of the Government Forest Experiment Station N.157: Identification of Tropical Woods
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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