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Blunting Effect
Boring
Comments
Common Names
Common Uses
Countries of Distribution
Cutting Resistance
Distribution Overview
Drying Defects
Ease of Drying
Environmental Profile
Family Name
Gluing
Grain
Heartwood Color
Kiln Drying Rate
Luster
Nailing
Natural Durability
Numerical Data
Odor
Planing
Polishing
Product Sources
References
Regions of Distribution
Resin Content
Resistance to Impregnation
Response to Hand Tools
Sanding
Sapwood Color
Scientific Name
Screwing
Silica Content
Strength Properties
Texture
Toxicity
Trade Name
Tree Identification
Tree Size

Scientific Name
Lannea welwitschii

Trade Name
Kumbi

Family Name
Anacardiaceae

Wood Image 1

Wood Image 1

Common Names
Abala puli, Abalapuli, Aberewa nyansid, Acajou magona, Asogedaka, Awpaw, Bopire, Borepore, Duko, Durgo, Duroko, Ekika, Ekika aja, Ekikaja, Eknalokpoe, Ekoa, Ekoe, Ewinwan, Kakoro, Kala, Kumbi, Kumenini, Kuntunkuni, Lannea, Leko, Loloti, Ngolo ngoloti, Oyinyin, Purukuma, Tchiko, Tyetebu

Regions of Distribution
Africa

Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP]
Angola, Cameroon, Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Uganda, Zaire

Common Uses
Balusters, Bedroom suites, Boxes and crates, Building construction, Building materials, Cabinetmaking, Canoes, Casks, Chairs, Chemical derivatives, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Construction, Core Stock, Decorative plywood, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Domestic flooring, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Excelsior, Factory flooring, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Flooring, Fuelwood, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Hardboards, Hatracks, Interior construction, Interior trim, Joinery, Kitchen cabinets, Light construction, Living-room suites, Matchboxes, Matches, Millwork, Moldings, Office furniture, Packing cases, Parquet flooring, Particleboard, Plywood, Pulp/Paper products

Environmental Profile
Secure in many areas of its range
Little threat to its survival, at least in the immediate future
Data source is World Conservation Monitoring Center


Distribution Overview
West and Central Africa (mainly in Ivory Coast, Ghana, Cameroon, and Zaire).

Heartwood Color
Pale red to pink
Yellow to golden-yellow to orange
White to cream
Red - pale
Pink-Gray
Pale brown
Greenish to greyish

A silvery luster or brown veining is sometimes present.

Sapwood Color
White to yellow
Color not distinct from heartwood


Grain
Straight
Even
Interlocked

Straight
Occasionally interlocked, but not always

Quartersawn surfaces exhibit a ribbon-like, striped or mottled figure.

Texture
Fine
Medium
Fine to medium
Even textured


Luster
Silvery luster


Natural Durability
Resistant to marine borers
Non durable
Susceptible to attack from termites (Isoptera)
Susceptible to marine borer attack
Susceptible to attack from powder post (Lyctid & Bostrychid) beetles
Susceptible to attack by marine borers and termites
Sapwood is susceptible to wood staining fungal attack
Perishable

Logs should be converted as soon as possible, to prevent losses due to blue stain and pinhole borer attack

Odor
Tasteless
Distinctive resinous odor


Silica Content
He wood contains silica which tends to interfere with some machining operations.

Resin Content
Contains numerous resin canals which contain a brownish-yellow substance.


Toxicity
Sawdust from machining operations has been reported to cause dermatitis, nose, and throat irritation in some individuals.

Drying Defects
Distortion
Splitting
Checking


Slight tendency for the wood to warp and check. Shrinkage in the radial and tangential directions are medium

Ease of Drying
Fairly Easy
Rapidly
Veneer dries relatively rapidly, with little degrade except slight tendency to split
Fairly easy


Kiln Drying Rate
Naturally dries quickly


Tree Identification
Bole/stem form is not buttressed
Bole/stem form is buttressed
Bole/stem form is straight
Bole/stem form is cylindrical


Tree Size
Tree height is 10-20 m
Trunk diameter is 150-200 cm


Product Sources
The ITTO reports that timber from this species is produced and exported in negligible quantities.

Comments
Fairly stiff

General finishing qualities are rated as good

Moderately resiliant

Pliable

Soft

Blunting Effect
Little
Severe blunting effect on cutting tools due to high silica content


Boring
Fair to good results
Fairly easy to very easy


Cutting Resistance
Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult to saw
Moderate to saw
Cutting Resistance with dry wood is difficult

Larger sized material is hard to saw. Silica in the wood may cause saws to overheat and bind up.

Gluing
Very good properties


Nailing
Holds nails well
Good nailing properties
Easy to nail


Planing
Very Good to Excellent Results
Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Fair to Good Results
Easy to plane

Planed surfaces may be woolly, but smooth surfaces can be obtained with some care. The material responds well to ordinary tools in most woodworking operations, including turning, boring, moulding, mortising, and routing.

Resistance to Impregnation
Sapwood is moderately resistant
Heartwood is resistant


Response to Hand Tools
Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work
Easy to Work
Easy to machine

The timber has a fairly good response to hand tools.

Sanding
Although there is a tendency for surfaces to be fuzzy, a good finish can be obtained with care

Screwing
Good screwing properties
Good screw holding properties


Polishing
Good results


Strength Properties
Bending strength (MOR) = medium
Max. crushing strength = medium
Hardness (side grain) = very soft
Density (dry weight) = 38-45 lbs/cu. ft.
Density (dry weight) = 31-37 lbs/cu. ft.
Density (dry weight) = 23-30 lbs/cu. ft.
Bending strength (MOR) = low
Shrinkage, Volumetric = moderate
Shrinkage, Volumetric = fairly large
Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = low


Numerical Data
ItemGreenDryEnglish
Bending Strength795612335psi
Density29lbs/ft3
Hardness319lbs
Maximum Crushing Strength38736614psi
Shearing Strength1666psi
Stiffness135315751000 psi
Weight3528lbs/ft3
Volumetric Shrinkage12%
ItemGreenDryMetric
Bending Strength559867kg/cm2
Density464kg/m3
Hardness144kg
Maximum Crushing Strength272465kg/cm2
Shearing Strength117kg/cm2
Stiffness951101000 kg/cm2
Weight560448kg/m3

References
Bolza, E., Keating, W.G.,1972,African Timbers - the Properties, Uses and Characteristics of 700 Species,C.S.I.R.O. Div. of Building Research

Eggeling, W.J.,1940,Indigenous Trees of Uganda,Govt. Printer Entebbe Uganda

Erfurth, T., Rusche, H.,1976,The Marketing of Tropical Wood A. Wood Species from African Moist Forests,F.A.O. Forestry Department

Fouarge, J., Gerard, G.,1964,Bois du Mayumbe,I.N.E.A.C. Belguim

Hedin, L.,1930,Etude sur la Foret et les Bois du Cameroun,Haut-Commissaire de la Cameroun

Irvine, F.R.,1961,Woody Plants of Ghana,O.U.P. London

ITTO. 1986. Tropical Timber Atlas, Volume 1 - Africa. International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) and Centre Technique Forestier Tropical (CTFT, 45bis, Avenue de la Belle Gabrielle, Nogent-sur-Marne Cedex, France.

Keay, R.W.J.,1964,Nigerian Trees Vol.2,Nigeria Federal Department of Forest Research, Ibadan

Kennedy, J.D.,1936,Forest Flora of Southern Nigeria,Government Printer Lagos

Pieters, A.,1977,Essences Forestieres du Zaire,R.U.G. Gent Belguim

Sallenave, P.,1955,Proprietes Phyiques et Mecaniques des Bois Tropicaux de l'Union Francaise,C.T.F.T

Takahashi, A.,1978,Compilation of Data on the Mechanical Properties of Foreign Woods (Part,III) Africa,Shimane University, Japan, Research Report on Foreign Wood No. 7

Taylor, C.J.,1960,Synecology and Silviculture in Ghana,University College of Ghana Thomas Nelson and Sons

WCMC. 1992. Conservation Status Listing - Trees and Timbers of the World. World Conservation Monitoring Center-Plants Programme, Cambridge, CB3 ODL, United Kingdom.