Select Language:  

RENGAS (Gluta torquata)

Trade Name

Rengas

Scientific Name

Gluta torquata (King) Tard.

Family

ANACARDIACEAE

Common Names

Sitorngom horbojalang (Indonesia); Rengas kerbau jalang (Malaysia)

Scientific Name Synonyms

Melanorrhoea torquata King

Description Of The Tree

Botanical Description

It is a medium-sized tree up to 30 m tall, with boles up to 80 cm in diameter. The buttresses are steep, up to 3 m high. This species yields a latex which is made into black lacquer, it is also poisonous and causes severe skin irritation.

Natural Habitat

This species is reported in lowland forests.

Wood Identification

Anatomic Description Of Wood

Wood diffuse porous. Tyloses common. Vessel-ray pits reticulate and/or foraminate. Simple perforation plates. Intervessel pits large, 10 micras or more. Axial parenchyma in marginal or in seemingly marginal bands. Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty and/or vasicentric. Rays exclusively uniseriate. Silica bodies in the ray cells. Homogeneous rays and/or sub-homogeneous rays (all ray cells procumbent). Body ray cells procumbent with over 4 rows of upright and/or square marginal cells (Kribs-I).

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

Availability

Cites Status

Unrestricted

General Wood Description

Color

The heartwood is red or blood-red becoming dark red or dark reddish-brown upon exposure, and distinctly demarcated from the grayish, yellowish or pinkish-brown sapwood.

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

5

Grain

The grain is frequently interlocked.

Texture

The texture varies from the moderately fine to moderately coarse.

Luster

Planed surfaced are lustrous.

Natural Durability

This species is reported to be non-durable to moderately durable.

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

6

Resistance To Impregnation

It is easy to preserve.

Wood Physical Properties

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

0.59

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

0.65

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

4.6

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

2.5

Recommended Dry Kiln Schedule

UK-E

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

1.8

Wood Chemical Properties

Wood Mechanical Properties

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

1131

Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)

151916

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

554

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

76

Shear strength radial 12%MC (kgf/cm²)

133

Janka hardness (side) 12%MC (kgf)

631

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

631

Workability

Sawing

Sawing operations are rated as easy to slightly difficult.

Rotary Veneer Cutting

For good results in slicing, steaming is required.

Sliced Veneer

For good results in slicing, steaming is required.

Machining

This species is easy to machine, though slightly difficult when dry.

Planing

Planing of dry wood is reported to be easy to fair.

Turning

30

Boring

The response of this species to boring operations is fair to bad.

Nailing

Nailing properties are good.

Gluing

Gluing of this species is easy.

Finishing

Finishing of this wood is easy.

REFERENCED USES

End Uses Summary

HOUSING GENERAL, beams, flooring, panelling, FURNITURE AND CABINETS, luxury furniture, PLYWOOD AND VENEER, faces, Decorative veneer, TURNING, TOOLS, tool handles, NAVAL CONSTRUCTION, OTHER AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, handicrafts

General Housing
  • 10 - Silica in Timbers
Beams
  • 11 - Prospect: The wood database
Flooring
  • 14 - Handbook of Hardwoods
Paneling
  • 18 - W3TROPICOS Missouri Botanical Garden
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
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
Tools
  • 42 - Utilización Industrial de Nuevas Especies Forestales en el Perú.
Tool Handles
  • 43 - Maderas de Bolivia (Características y Usos de 55 Maderas Tropicales)
Shipbuilding
  • 55 - Tropical Timber Atlas of Latin America
Handcraft
  • 66 - Maderas latinoamericanas. VII. Caracteristicas anatomicas. propiedades fisicomecanicas, de secado, y tratabilidad de la madera juvenil de Cordia alliodora (Ruiz & Pav. Oken.)

Please Provide Information To View Producer Information

* Or, continue as guest