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VéSAMBATA (Oldfieldia africana)
Trade Name
Vésambata
Scientific Name
Oldfieldia africana Benth. et Hook.
Family
EUPHORBIACEAE
Common Names
Turtosa (Sierra Leone); Paulai (Sierra Leone); Kpaolai (Sierra Leone); Paulai (Liberia); Kpaolai (Liberia); Dantoué (Côte d`Ivoire); Vésambata (Congo); Turtosa; Tortorza; Tanalia; Saye; Saintue; Rla; Real African oak; Pau-lai; Mbaimba; Kpaolai; Ka-tosa; Fu; Fou; Etui; Etu; Esui; Esson fu; Esson; Dantoue; Angouran; African teak; African oak
Description Of The Tree
Botanical Description
The tree reaches a height of 43 m. Boles up to 26 m in length, usually straight but fluted over its total height. The trunk diameter may attain up to 200 cm.
Natural Habitat
Oldfieldia africana is common in rain forests and transitional formations.
Natural Distribution
West Africa, especially in Gabon.
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). White deposits in heartwood vessels. Non-vestured pits. Vessels per mm2 more than 20 (very abundant). Simple perfora Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse and/or diffuse in aggregates. Axial parenchyma in discontinuous tangential lines. Occasionally prismatic crystals in non-chambered axial parenchyma cells. Prismatic crystals in short chains in chambered axial parenchyma c Rays more than 10 per mm (abundant). Rays non-storied. Rays 1 to 4 seriate. Non-septate fibers. Fibers with simple to minutely bordered pits.
Availability
Cites Status
Unrestricted
General Wood Description
Color
The sapwood is pale red. The heartwood is dark red-brown, sometimes with a purple tinge, it is clearly demarcated.
Grain
Straight or slightly interlocked, sometimes with an influence on further processing operations.
Texture
Medium texture is reported in this species.
Luster
Luster is usually low.
Natural Durability
Very durable to decay; without preservative treatment. This species is especially suited for all the uses with risks of permanent or long-lasting humidification. Resistant to termites attack. Heartwood is resistant to Lyctus attacks.
Natural durability index (1= Very high durability, 7=Vey low durability)
1
Internal Growth Stresses
Residual stresses are reported to be absent.
Silica Content
Silica Content: Silica content is negligible. Amounts over 0.05% may affect wood processing. Silica Value: 0.01
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)
0.79
Air-dry Density (Weight and volume at 12%MC) (g/cm³)
0.91
Total shrinkage Tangential (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
9.5
Total shrinkage Radial (Saturated to 0%MC) (%)
5.5
Drying Defects
Ease of Drying: Drying is moderately easy; some particular care is needed. Drying Defects: No particular risks of drying defects, subject to normal drying conditions. Kiln Schedules: The kiln schedule has been tested.
Recommended Dry Kiln Schedule
FR-8
Dimensional stability ratio (Total Tangential Shrinkage %/Total Radial Shrinkage %)
1.7
Wood Chemical Properties
Wood Mechanical Properties
Bending Strength (MOR),12%MC (kgf/cm²)
1408
Stiffness (MOE) 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
183519
Compression parallel to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
782
Compression perpendicular to fiber 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
113
Shear strength radial 12%MC (kgf/cm²)
102
Janka hardness (side) 12%MC (kgf)
1034
Janka hardness (end grain) 12%MC (kgf)
1074
Workability
Sawing
Sawing of this species requires powerful equipment.
Rotary Veneer Cutting
Not suitable for veneering.
Sliced Veneer
Not suitable for veneering.
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
Moderately easy; tools must be cautiously sharpened.
Moulding
Moderately easy; tools must be cautiously sharpened.
Boring
Moderately easy; tools must be cautiously sharpened.
Mortising
Moderately easy; tools must be cautiously sharpened.
Nailing
Pre-boring is necessary.
Gluing
Difficult to glue because of high density.
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, bridges, poles, paling, stakes posts, rails, crossarms, crossties, piers, HOUSING GENERAL, beams, joists, boards, flooring, parquet, frames, CONTAINERS, truck bodies, truck flooring
Exterior General
- 1 - Tabela de resultados de ensaios fisicos e mecanicos
Bridges
- 2 - 25 madeiras da amazonia de valor comercial, caracterizacao, macroscopica, usos comuns e indices qualificativos
Poles
- 3 - Estudo dendrologico e determinacao das caracteristicas fisicas e mecanicas do genipapo (Genipa americana)
Paling Fence Pickets
- 4 - Estudo dendrologico e determinacao das caracteristicas fisicas e mecanicas da bicuiba
Stake Posts
- 5 - Propriedades fisicas e mecanicas da madeira e do contraplacado de Pinus elliottii
Rails
- 6 - Physical and mechanical properties of Eucalyptus deglupta Blume grown in Costa Rica
Crossheads Crossarms
- 7 - Maderas latinoamericanas. II, Quercus alata Q. costaricensis y Q. eugeniaefolia
Crossties
- 8 - Maderas latinoamericas. III, Podocarpus standleyi ,Podocarpus oleifolius, Drims granadensis, Magnolia poasana y Didymopanax pittieri
Piers
- 9 - Maderas latinoamericanas. IV, Nectandra sp. Ocotea austinii, Persea sp. aff. vesticula, Persea schiedeana
General Housing
- 10 - Silica in Timbers
Beams
- 11 - Prospect: The wood database
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
Flooring
- 14 - Handbook of Hardwoods
Parquet
- 15 - Empire Timbers
Frames
- 16 - Woods of the World
Truck Body
- 53 - Timbers of the New World
Truck Flooring
- 54 - Bulletin of the Government Forest Experiment Station N.157: Identification of Tropical Woods
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