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OKOUMé (Aucoumea klaineana)

Trade Name

Okoumé

Scientific Name

Aucoumea klaineana Pierre

Family

BURSERACEAE

Common Names

Okume (Equatorial Guinea); N'goumi (Equatorial Guinea); N'kumi (Congo); Zouga; Uume; Ongoumi; Ojoume; Mofoumou; M`goumi; Koumi; Gaboon wood; Gaboon mahogany; Cape Lomez mahogany; Bengouma; Acoume; N`koumi (Gabon); Moukoumi (Gabon); Gaboon (United Kingdom); N`kumi (Congo); Angouma (Gabon); Okoume (Gabon); N`goumi (Equatorial Guinea)

Description Of The Tree

Botanical Description

The tree reaches a height of 32 to 43 m, sometimes to more than 50 m. The bole is cylindrical and clear to 23 m in length and more. The trunk diameter attains 100 up to 250 cm over large buttresses.

Natural Habitat

Okoumé occurs abundantly in an area covering west and central Gabon and small areas of neighboring countries. It is known or inferred that the harvesting of specimens from the wild for international trade has, or may have, a detrimental impact on the spec

Natural Distribution

From Cameroon down to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Plantations Available?

It is a long rotation species for plantation. The duration of the rotation is 40 years, to reach 60 cm in diameter.

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Wood Identification

Anatomic Description Of Wood

Wood diffuse porous. Occasionally vessels exclusively solitary (over 90%). Tangential diameter of vessel lumina 150 to 200 micras (medium). Tyloses thin walled. Non-vestured pits. Vessels per mm2 6 to 10 (medium). Simple perforation plates. Vessel-ray pits large Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty and/or vasicentric. 4 to 10 rays per mm (medium). Rays non-storied. Rays commonly 2 seriate. Silica bodies in the ray cells. Homogeneous rays and/or sub-homogeneous rays (all ray cells procumbent). Septate fibers present. Fibers with simple to minutely bordered pits.

  • Wood Macro Photo Radial Plane
  • Wood Micro Photo Of Transversal Section

Availability

Cites Status

Unrestricted

General Wood Description

Color

The sapwood is greyish white, it has a thickness of 2 to 5 cm. The heartwood is salmon-pink to dark-pink, darkening on exposure, it is clearly demarcated. The silver figure is fine (barely visible).

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

5

Grain

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

Texture

The texture varies from fine to medium.

Luster

It is reported to be low in luster.

Natural Durability

Slightly durable to decay. This species needs preservative treatment for uses with risks of occasional re-humidification. It is not suited for uses with risks of permanent or long-lasting humidification. Sensible to termites attack. The heartwood is resistant

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

6

Internal Growth Stresses

No 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: 0.17

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)

0.41

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

0.44

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

6.9

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

4.6

Recommended Dry Kiln Schedule

FR-7

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

1.5

Wood Chemical Properties

Wood Mechanical Properties

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

632

Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)

98819

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

370

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

41

Shear strength radial 12%MC (kgf/cm²)

58

Janka hardness (side) 12%MC (kgf)

240

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

336

Workability

Sawing

It is easy to saw.

Rotary Veneer Cutting

Suitable for slicing and peeling.

Sliced Veneer

Suitable for slicing and peeling.

Blunting Effect

Severe blunting effect; stellited blades for sawing and carbide tools for machining are recommended.

Machining

Possible difficulties caused by interlocked grain are reported.

Planing

Easy; no particular problems.

Moulding

Easy; no particular problems.

Boring

Easy; no particular problems.

Mortising

Easy; no particular problems.

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.

Response To Hand Tools

No particular problems.

REFERENCED USES

End Uses Summary

HOUSING GENERAL, boards, frames, steps, panelling, fittings, shutter boards, FURNITURE AND CABINETS, common furniture, PLYWOOD AND VENEER, faces, Decorative veneer, PACKING, heavy packing, pallets, OTHER AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, door core, coffin, moldings

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
Frames
  • 16 - Woods of the World
Steps
  • 17 - Tree Conservation Database
Paneling
  • 18 - W3TROPICOS Missouri Botanical Garden
Fittings
  • 19 - Silica in Timbers
Shutter Boards
  • 20 - Prospect: The wood database
Furniture Cabinets
  • 21 - Tropical timbers of the world. Part III-Southeast Asian and Oceanian Species.
Furniture, Common
  • 23 - Handbook of Hardwoods
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
Packing
  • 45 - Recopilación y Análisis de Estudios Tecnológicos de Maderas Peruanas
Heavy Packing
  • 47 - Arvores Brasileiras
Pallets
  • 48 - The strength properties of timbers
Door Cores
  • 76 - Descripción General y Anatómica de 105 Maderas del Grupo Andino.
Coffin
  • 78 - Amazonian Timbers for the International Market
Molding
  • 79 - Padronização da Nomenclatura Comercial Brasileira das Madeiras Tropicais Amazônicas, Sugestão

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