SAPOTE (Matisia cordata)
Trade Name
Sapote
Scientific Name
Matisia cordata Bonpl.
Family
BOMBACACEAE
Common Names
Sapote (Colombia); Sapote (Peru); Mame Colorado (Venezuela); Sapote (Ecuador); Zapote (Peru)
Scientific Name Synonyms
Quararibea cordata (Bonpl.) Vischer
Description Of The Tree
Botanical Description
It is a large tree, sometimes about 50 m in height, with a trunk diameter of 90 cm. The bole is straight and cylindrical, it presents slim but well developed buttresses.
Natural Habitat
Matisia cordata is commonly found in the Amazonian dry and rain forests. In primary forests it can grow in fairly homogeneous stands, it prefers well drained terra firme areas.
Natural Distribution
The species is reported to be distributed from Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil and Peru. It is reported to be abundant in the southern forests of Peru.
Plantations Available?
Matisia cordata is planted for its fruits in the tropical areas of Colombia and Peru.
Wood Identification
Anatomic Description Of Wood
Wood diffuse porous. Vessels solitary and in short radial multiples. Occasionally tangential diameter of vessel lumina 200 micras or more. Vessels per mm2 less than 6 (rare). Simple perforation plates. Vessel-ray pits similar to intervessel pits in size and sh Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse and/or diffuse in aggregates. Prismatic crystals in non-chambered axial parenchyma cells. Occasionally prismatic crystals in chambered axial parenchyma cells and/or in fibers. Over 9 cells per parenchyma strand. Axial pare Rays more than 10 per mm (abundant). Rays of two distinct sizes. Rays non-storied. Larger rays more than 4 seriate. Rays exclusively uniseriate. Prismatic crystals in the ray cells. Heterogeneous rays and/or multiseriate heterogeneous rays. Body ray cells procum Fibers with simple to minutely bordered pits.
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Wood Macro Photo Radial Plane
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Wood Micro Photo Of Transversal Section
Availability
Cites Status
Unrestricted
General Wood Description
Odor
This species is reported to have an almond smell.
Color
The sapwood is not clearly differentiated, the heartwood is pale yellow when dry.
COLOR INDEX (1=Black, 7=Light yellow,white)
7
Grain
It has straight grain.
Texture
The texture is typically fine to medium.
Luster
Wood luster is reported to be rather high.
Natural durability index (1= Very high durability, 7=Vey low durability)
6
Wood Physical Properties
Basic Density or Specific Gravity (O.D. weight/vol. green) (g/cm³)
0.43
Air-dry Density (Weight and volume at 12%MC) (g/cm³)
0.46
Total shrinkage Tangential (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
9.0
Total shrinkage Radial (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
3.8
Dimensional stability ratio (Total Tangential Shrinkage %/Total Radial Shrinkage %)
2.4
Wood Chemical Properties
Wood Mechanical Properties
Bending Strength (MOR),12%MC (kgf/cm²)
488
Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
89000
Compression parallel to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
239
Compression perpendicular to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
40
Shear strength radial 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
55
Janka hardness (side) 12%MC (kgf)
272
Workability
Sawing
This species is easy to saw.
Planing
Planing is reported to be easy.
Moulding
Molding is reported to be easy.
Boring
Boring is reported to be easy.
REFERENCED USES
End Uses Summary
HOUSING GENERAL, joists, boards, frames, shutter boards, FURNITURE AND CABINETS, common furniture, PLYWOOD AND VENEER, PACKING, light packing
General Housing
- 10 - Silica in Timbers
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
Frames
- 16 - Woods of the World
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
Packing
- 45 - Recopilación y Análisis de Estudios Tecnológicos de Maderas Peruanas
Light Packing
- 46 - ECUADOR, Inventario y Aprovechamiento de los Bosques del Sur Ecuatoriano
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