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VIROLA (Dialyanthera gracilipes)

Trade Name

Virola

Scientific Name

Dialyanthera gracilipes A.C. Sm.

Family

MYRISTICACEAE

Common Names

White Cedar (Panama); Sebo (Costa Rica); Otoba (Venezuela); Sangre De Gallina (Ecuador); Coco (Ecuador); Otobo (Colombia); Cuángare (Ecuador); Cuángare (Colombia)

Scientific Name Synonyms

Otoba gracilipes (A.C. Sm.) A.H. Gentry

Description Of The Tree

Botanical Description

It attains heights from 30 to 35 m, with a diameter over the buttresses of 60 cm. The bole has a commercial length of 20 m.

Natural Habitat

Dialyanthera gracilipes is a gregarious species ( grouped in "Guandales"-Colombia-), it prefers swampy freshwater tropical forests of the Pacific coast.

Natural Distribution

Various species in this genus are reported to be distributed from Costa Rica and Panama through Venezuela, Colombia and Peru.

Wood Identification

Anatomic Description Of Wood

Wood diffuse porous. Vessels solitary and in short radial multiples. Tangential diameter of vessel lumina 150 to 200 micras (medium). Vessels per mm2 6 to 10 (medium). Simple perforation plates. Multiple perforation plates. Vessel-ray pits coarse throughout the Axial parenchyma absent or extremely rare, non visible with magnifying glass (8x). Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty and/or vasicentric. 4 to 10 rays per mm (medium). Rays 1 to 2 seriate. Body ray cells procumbent with over 4 rows of upright and/or square marginal cells (Kribs-I). Occasionally septate fibers present. Fibers with simple to minutely bordered pits. Fibers storied.

  • Wood Macro Photo Tangential Plane

Availability

Cites Status

Unrestricted

General Wood Description

Odor

It has a typical odor when freshly cut.

Color

The sapwood is pink, the heartwood is reddish yellow color.

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

4

Grain

This species is reported to have straight grain.

Texture

Medium texture is reported in this species.

Luster

The wood is described as moderate in luster.

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

5

Silica Content

Silica Content: Cuangare (Dialyanthera spp.) is reported to have 0.06% of silica. Silica Value: 0.06

Resistance To Impregnation

The heartwood is rated as moderately permeable, but the sapwood can be readily treated.

Wood Physical Properties

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

0.32

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

0.34

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

9.7

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

4.3

Drying Defects

Ease of Drying: Air drying is reported to be fast. Drying Defects: Risk of bowing and twisting is reported. Sometimes severe checking in quarter sawn boards. Kiln Schedules: Careful drying is recommended.

Recommended Dry Kiln Schedule

US-T5-C3; JUNAC-A

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

2.3

Wood Chemical Properties

Wood Mechanical Properties

Workability

Sawing

Sawing of this species is reportedly easy.

Planing

Good results are reported with an angle of 25 degrees.

Moulding

Molding of this species is reported to be easy.

Boring

Boring operations are fair.

Sanding

Wood of this species is easy to sand.

REFERENCED USES

End Uses Summary

HOUSING GENERAL, joists, boards, frames, fittings, PLYWOOD AND VENEER, PACKING, OTHER AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, handicrafts, moldings, particleboard

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
Fittings
  • 19 - Silica in Timbers
Panels, Veneers
  • 25 - Directory of Timber Trade Malaysia
Packing
  • 45 - Recopilación y Análisis de Estudios Tecnológicos de Maderas Peruanas
Handcraft
  • 66 - Maderas latinoamericanas. VII. Caracteristicas anatomicas. propiedades fisicomecanicas, de secado, y tratabilidad de la madera juvenil de Cordia alliodora (Ruiz & Pav. Oken.)
Molding
  • 79 - Padronização da Nomenclatura Comercial Brasileira das Madeiras Tropicais Amazônicas, Sugestão
Particleboard
  • 80 - Estudio Integral de la Madera para Construcción

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