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UMGUSI (Baikiaea plurijuga)

Trade Name

Umgusi

Scientific Name

Baikiaea plurijuga Harms

Family

LEGUMINOSAE

Common Names

Rhodesian teak (United Kingdom); Mukusi (Germany); Nkoba (Uganda); Zambrezi redwood (Zimbabwe); Umgusi (Zimbabwe); Mukusi (Zimbabwe)

Description Of The Tree

Botanical Description

The tree is small, from 15 to 20 m in height with a short bole of 3 to 5 m. The trunk diameter is usually under 50 cm.

Natural Habitat

Baikiaea plurijuga occurs in dry regions of open forests. It is reported up to 900 to 1,200 m of altitude.

Natural Distribution

Zambia and Zimbabwe and bordering areas to the west.

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Wood Identification

Anatomic Description Of Wood

Wood diffuse porous. Occasionally vessels exclusively solitary (over 90%). Tangential diameter of vessel lumina 100 micras or less (very small). Red-colored deposits in heartwood vessels. Vestured pits. Vessels per mm2 more than 20 (very abundant). Simple perfo Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty and/or vasicentric. Axial parenchyma lozenge-aliform. Axial parenchyma confluent. Axial parenchyma storied. 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 storied. Rays commonly 2 seriate. Homogeneous rays and/or sub-homogeneous rays (all ray cells procumbent). Non-septate fibers. Fibers with simple to minutely bordered pits.

Availability

Cites Status

Unrestricted

General Wood Description

Color

The sapwood is pale brown-pink, it has a thickness of 2.5 to 4 cm. The heartwood is brown-red turning dark red on exposure and sometimes marked with irregular brown lines, it is clearly demarcated.

Grain

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

Texture

This species is usually reported to have a fine texture.

Luster

The surface of the wood is naturally low in luster.

Natural Durability

Durable to decay; this species can be utilized without preservative treatment for exterior joinery or similar uses. Resistant to termites attack. Heartwood is resistant to Lyctus attacks.

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

1

Resistance To Impregnation

Nearly impossible to treat with a too much low penetration of the preservative substances.

Wood Physical Properties

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

0.79

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

0.90

Drying Defects

Ease of Drying: The rate of shrinkage is medium. Drying is easy to moderately difficult. Drying Defects: Some drying defects such as end-checking, splitting , cupping and springing may occur. Weighting down of stacks during air drying is recommended to reduce the tendency of the timber to warp and twist. Kiln Schedules: Mild kiln schedule are requiring in drying. In Malaysia, kiln schedule C is considered most suitable.

Wood Chemical Properties

Wood Mechanical Properties

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

859

Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)

86442

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

675

Workability

Sawing

Sawing of this species requires powerful equipment.

Rotary Veneer Cutting

Suitable for slicing.

Sliced Veneer

Suitable for slicing.

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

Easy; no particular problems.

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

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

Working with hand tools is difficult.

REFERENCED USES

End Uses Summary

EXTERIOR GENERAL, poles, stakes posts, crossties, HOUSING GENERAL, parquet, fittings, FURNITURE AND CABINETS, cabinets, PLYWOOD AND VENEER, TURNING, PACKING, CONTAINERS, cooperage, truck bodies, truck flooring, NAVAL CONSTRUCTION, boats, OTHER AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, handicrafts

Exterior General
  • 1 - Tabela de resultados de ensaios fisicos e mecanicos
Poles
  • 3 - Estudo dendrologico e determinacao das caracteristicas fisicas e mecanicas do genipapo (Genipa americana)
Stake Posts
  • 5 - Propriedades fisicas e mecanicas da madeira e do contraplacado de Pinus elliottii
Crossties
  • 8 - Maderas latinoamericas. III, Podocarpus standleyi ,Podocarpus oleifolius, Drims granadensis, Magnolia poasana y Didymopanax pittieri
Parquet
  • 15 - Empire Timbers
Fittings
  • 19 - Silica in Timbers
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
Turning
  • 30 - Embassy of Honduras in Japan
Packing
  • 45 - Recopilación y Análisis de Estudios Tecnológicos de Maderas Peruanas
Containers
  • 50 - Properties of imported tropical woods
Cooperage
  • 51 - Recopilacion de propiedades mecanicas de maderas creciendo en Chile
Truck Body
  • 53 - Timbers of the New World
Truck Flooring
  • 54 - Bulletin of the Government Forest Experiment Station N.157: Identification of Tropical Woods
Shipbuilding
  • 55 - Tropical Timber Atlas of Latin America
Boats
  • 56 - Manual de Identificación de Especies Forestales de la Subregión Andina.
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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