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PETAI (Parkia singularis)
Trade Name
Petai
Scientific Name
Parkia singularis Miq.
Family
LEGUMINOSAE
Common Names
Petai papan (Indonesia); Parira hayu (Indonesia); Parira hayu (Sumatra); Belungai (Malaysia); Petai meranti (Malaysia); Empamai (Indonesia); Empamai (Borneo)
Description Of The Tree
Botanical Description
It is a deciduous, medium-sized to large tree up to 50 m tall. The bole is up to 100 cm in diameter. The buttresses are small to up to 4 m high and spreading up to 2 m.
Natural Habitat
Parkia species are reported scattered in lowland rain forests, sometimes in tall secondary forests. They are also found in waterlogged locations, in freshwater swamp forests and riverbanks, up to 1,000 m of altitude.
Natural Distribution
It is distributed in Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo.
Wood Identification
Anatomic Description Of Wood
Wood semi-ring porous and/or ring porous. Occasionally vessels with colored deposits. Vestured pits. Vessels per mm2 less than 6 (rare). Simple perforation plates. Vessel-ray pits similar to intervessel pits in size and shape. Intervessel pits small, 7 micras o Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse and/or diffuse in aggregates. Axial parenchyma aliform. Axial parenchyma confluent. Prismatic crystals in chambered axial parenchyma cells and/or in fibers. Occasionally two cells per parenchyma strand. 3 to 4 cells per par 4 to 10 rays per mm (medium). Occasionally larger rays more than 4 seriate. Homogeneous rays and/or sub-homogeneous rays (all ray cells procumbent). Fibers with simple to minutely bordered pits.
Availability
Cites Status
Unrestricted
General Wood Description
Odor
The wood has unpleasant garlic or bean-like odor when fresh.
Color
The heartwood is white, yellow-white or pale yellowish-brown, not clearly differentiated from the paler sapwood.
COLOR INDEX (1=Black, 7=Light yellow,white)
7
Grain
The grain is straight or slightly interlocked.
Texture
The texture of this species is reported as moderately coarse.
Natural Durability
The wood is not resistant to any kind of insect or wood-borer attack nor to wood-staining fungi.
Natural durability index (1= Very high durability, 7=Vey low durability)
5
Resistance To Impregnation
Stock absorbs preservatives readily.
Wood Physical Properties
Basic Density or Specific Gravity (O.D. weight/vol. green) (g/cm³)
0.63
Air-dry Density (Weight and volume at 12%MC) (g/cm³)
0.70
Total shrinkage Tangential (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
6.8
Total shrinkage Radial (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
3.4
Drying Defects
Ease of Drying: Air seasoning of Resak is reported to be moderately slow. It takes about 3 months to air dry 15 mm thick boards. Drying Defects: Risk of warping and checking. Kiln Schedules: Schedule suggested for Resak.
Recommended Dry Kiln Schedule
JP-24
Dimensional stability ratio (Total Tangential Shrinkage %/Total Radial Shrinkage %)
2.0
Wood Chemical Properties
Wood Mechanical Properties
Bending Strength (MOR),12%MC (kgf/cm²)
591
Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
107505
Compression parallel to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
330
Shear strength radial 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
81
Workability
Sawing
The wood is relatively easy to saw both in green and in air-dry condition.
Rotary Veneer Cutting
The production of rotary veneer is satisfactory, but the production of good-quality plywood is doubtful.
Sliced Veneer
The production of rotary veneer is satisfactory, but the production of good-quality plywood is doubtful.
Machining
The wood is relatively easy to machine both in green and air-dry condition.
Planing
The wood can be planed well and gives a smooth surface.
Boring
Boring gives a rough finish.
Finishing
It gives a smooth finish.
REFERENCED USES
End Uses Summary
HOUSING GENERAL, shutter boards, FURNITURE AND CABINETS, cabinets, PLYWOOD AND VENEER, PACKING, OTHER AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, shoes, matches, moldings
General Housing
- 10 - 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.
Cabinet
- 24 - Empire Timbers
Panels, Veneers
- 25 - Directory of Timber Trade Malaysia
Packing
- 45 - Recopilación y Análisis de Estudios Tecnológicos de Maderas Peruanas
Shoes
- 70 - Proprietes physiques et mecaniques des bois tropicaux de l`union francaise
Matches
- 71 - Proprietes physiques et mecaniques des bois tropicaux, premier supplement
Molding
- 79 - Padronização da Nomenclatura Comercial Brasileira das Madeiras Tropicais Amazônicas, Sugestão
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