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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 Schedules Luster Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Planing Polishing Product Sources References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Resistance to Splitting Response to Hand Tools Routing & Recessing Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Staining Strength Properties Synonyms Texture Toxicity Trade Name Tree Identification Tree Size Turning Varnishing Veneering Qualities		Scientific Name Metopium brownei Trade Name Black poisonwood Family Name Anacardiaceae Synonyms Terebinthus brownei, Amyris toxifera, Metopium linnaei, Metopium toxiferum Common Names Black poison, Black poisonwood, Boarwood, Bois mulatre, Boxcheche, Bumwood, Burn wood, Cedro prieto, Chachin, Chechem, Chechem negro, Chechen, Cochinilla, Cochinillo, Coral sumach, Cotinillo, Doctor gum, Florida poisontree, Guao, Guao de costa, Guao de peadero, Hog doctor, Hog gum, Hog plum, Honduras walnut, Jamaica sumach, Kabal'chechem, Manceniller, Mountain manchineel, Mulatre, Palo de rosa, Papayo, Papyo, Poison tree, Poison wood, Poisontree Regions of Distribution Central America, Latin America, North America, Oceania and S.E. Asia Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Bahamas, Belize, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Netherlands, Puerto Rico [US], United States Common Uses Boxes and crates, Bridge construction, Cabinetmaking, Chairs, Charcoal, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Core Stock, Decorative veneer, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Domestic flooring, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Factory flooring, Figured veneer, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Flooring, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Furniture, Hatracks, Heavy construction, Kitchen cabinets, Living-room suites, Office furniture, Paneling, Parquet flooring, Piling, Plain veneer, Plywood, Posts, Radio - stereo - TV cabinets, Railroad ties, Rustic furniture, Stools, Sub-flooring, Tables , Turnery, Utility furniture, Vehicle parts, Veneer, Veneer: decorative, Wardrobes Environmental Profile May be rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery Globally secure Data source is Nature Conservancy Abundant Distribution Overview The species occurs in the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Jamaica, northern Guatemala, Belize, and from the Yucatan to Vera Cruz in Mexico. It is often found growing alongside Sapodilla (Manilkara zapota) in calcareous soils. Heartwood Color Yellow Brown Orange Red Brown Yellow to golden-yellow to orange Reddish brown Red Greenish to greyish Dark brown Color variation is significant Alternating bands of light and dark tissue Sapwood Color White Yellow Brown Red Pink White to yellow Well defined Yellowish brown Pinkish Grain Figure Straight Even Interlocked Closed Other (figure) Growth rings (figure) Distinct (figure) Mottle Wavy Variable (figure) Straight Other figure Wavy Variable figure Mottled or streaked figure sometimes Interlocked Generally interlocked Figure shows attractive grain pattern Distinct figure Clear growth rings (figure) Texture Coarse Fine Uniform Medium Luster Medium Lustrous Slightly lustrous Pronounced Golden luster Natural Durability Durable Susceptible to insect attack Resistant to termites Resistant to powder post beetles Very durable Durable Susceptible to marine borer attack Moderately durable Heartwood resistant to decay Odor No specific smell or taste Toxicity Dermatitic effects Unspecified toxicity Sap in bark may be very irritating Non-toxic Kiln Schedules T2 - C2 (4/4 - 6/4) US Dry at a slow speed Drying Defects Splitting Checking Severe twisting/warping Severe surface checking Severe end splitting Expect resin/gum exudation Ease of Drying Moderately Difficult to Difficult Difficult Tree Identification Bole/stem form is straight Bole/stem form is not buttressed Bole/stem form is misshapen Tree Size Sapwood width is 10-15 cm Tree height is 10-20 m Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm Tree height is 30-40 m Sap contained in the thin, reddish brown bark is caustic and should be avoided. Product Sources A lesser-known species, Black poisonwood is currently under consideration and exploration by timber merchants as a possible substitute for more exotic and endangered species. Comments Careful selection and matching is essential because of wide color variations. General finishing qualities are rated as good Wood is attractive, hard, and dense Boring Difficult Cutting Resistance Easy to saw Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult to saw Cutting Resistance with green wood is difficult Cutting Resistance with dry wood is difficult Gluing Glues well Movement in Service Excellent Stability - Small Movement Medium Nailing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Possible if prebored Difficult to nail Planing Poor to Very Poor Results The wood responds well to sharp tools in most machining operations. Resistance to Impregnation Permeable sapwood Resistant heartwood Resistant sapwood Resistant Heartwood is extremely resistant Resistance to Splitting Poor Response to Hand Tools Easy to Work Difficult to machine Easy to machine Routing & Recessing Satisfactory routing results Sanding Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Screwing Possible if prebored Turning Good results Easy to turn Veneering Qualities Suitable for slicing Veneers easily Veneers moderately easy Suitable for peeling Easy to cut Polishing Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Good results Satisfactory results Polishes to a clean surface Staining Takes lacquer finishes well, but responds poorly to polyurethane Varnishing Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Strength Properties Density (dry weight) = 53-60 lbs/cu. ft. Shrinkage, Tangential = fairly large Shrinkage, Radial = fairly large Resists denting and marring Hardness (side grain) = medium Density = very high Density (dry weight) = 61-67 lbs/cu. ft. Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Density 63 lbs/ft3 Hardness 941 lbs Specific Gravity 0.74 Weight 55 52 lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 4 % Tangential Shrinkage 7 % Volumetric Shrinkage 10 % Item Green Dry Metric Density 1009 kg/m3 Hardness 426 kg Specific Gravity 0.74 Weight 881 833 kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 4 % Tangential Shrinkage 7 % References Belize,1946,42 Secondary Hardwood Timbers of British Honduras,British Honduras Forest Department Bulletin,No.1 Britton, N.L., Millspaugh, C.F.,1920,The Bahama Flora,Britton & Millspaugh,New York Flynn Jr., J.H. Metopium brownii - Chechem. In A Guide to Useful Woods of the World. Flynn Jr., J.H., Editor. King Philip Publishing Co., Portland, Maine. 1994. Page 234-235. Fors, A.J.,1965,Maderas Cubanas,Inst. Nac. Ref. Agraria La Habara Kribs, D.A.,1950,Commercial and Foreign Woods on the American Market (a manual to their,structure, identification, uses and distribution,U.S.A. Penn. State College, Tropical Woods Laboratory Little, E.L., Wadsworth, F.H.,1964,Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Handbook,No.249 Pennington, T.D., Sarukhan, J.,1968,Manual para la Identificacion de campo de los Principales Arboles,Tropicales de Mexico,Inst. Nac. Inv. For. Mexico Perpetua Hardwoods. Sea Star Trading Co. - Purveyors of Fine Wood. Newport, Oregon. Personal Communication, 1993. Record, S.J., Hess, R.W.,1943,Timbers of the New World,Yale University Press Record, S.J., Mell, C.D.,1924,Timbers of Tropical America,Yale Univ. Press Record, S.J.,1939,American Woods of the Family Anacardiaceae,Tropical Woods,8(60,pp11-45 Saks, E.V.,1954,Tropical Hardwoods for veneer Production in Mexico,Caribbean Forester,15(3&4, pp112-9 Schiffino, J.,1945,Riqueza Forestal Dominicana (Three volumes,Secretaria de Estado de Agric. Ind. y Trabajo Swabey, C.,1941,The Principal Timbers of Jamaica,Department of Science and Agriculture Jamaica Bulletin No.29 Tim Mahoney. Handloggers Hardwood Lumber, Larkspur, California. Personal Communication, 1993. WARP. 1995. Getting to Know LKS: Chechem - Metopium brownei. Published Results of Test Conducted by Students at the Woodworking Centre of Ontario, Conestoga College under the Supervision of Dennis Harlock and John Buss. Understory, Volume 5, Number 1, Fall/Winter 1995. Page 9. Wood, B., Calnan, D.,1976,Toxic Woods,British Journal of Dermat 94 Suppl. 13