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Blunting Effect
Boring
Carving
Common Names
Common Uses
Countries of Distribution
Cutting Resistance
Distribution Overview
Drying Defects
Ease of Drying
Environmental Profile
Family Name
Grain
Heartwood Color
Kiln Drying Rate
Luster
Mortising
Moulding
Nailing
Natural Durability
Numerical Data
Odor
Planing
References
Regions of Distribution
Resistance to Impregnation
Response to Hand Tools
Routing & Recessing
Sapwood Color
Scientific Name
Screwing
Staining
Steam Bending
Strength Properties
Texture
Trade Name
Tree Size
Turning

Scientific Name
Ormosia monosperma

Trade Name
Baracara

Family Name
Leguminosae

Wood Image 1

Wood Image 1

Common Names
Amargo blanco, Baracara, Chocho, Jatobahy do igapo, Kokriki, Mekoe, Palo de matos, Peonio, Tento

Regions of Distribution
Central America, Latin America

Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP]
Bahamas, Brazil, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico

Common Uses
Balusters, Bent Parts, Building materials, Cabinetmaking, Ceiling, Chairs, Chests, Core Stock, Decorative veneer, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Drawer sides, Figured veneer, Fine furniture, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, General carpentry, Hatracks, Interior construction, Kitchen cabinets, Living-room suites, Millwork, Office furniture, Plain veneer, Radio - stereo - TV cabinets, Rustic furniture, Stair rails, Stairworks, Stools, Stringers, Utility furniture, Veneer, Wainscotting, Wardrobes

Environmental Profile
Vulnerable
Status within range has not been officially determined


Distribution Overview
Various species in the Ormosia genus are reported to occur in the Amazons, but may extend southward to São Paulo and northward to the West Indies, Central America and southern Mexico.

Heartwood Color
Brown
Red
Yellow
Pink
White
Orange
Yellow/Brown
Somewhat streaked
Pinkish to reddish

The heartwood is mostly salmon colored

Sapwood Color
White
Yellow
Brown
Yellowish
Not always clearly differentiated from the heartwood


Grain
Figure
Irregular

Irregular


Texture
Coarse
Even or uniform
Uniform
Medium
Medium coarse to coarse


Luster
Medium
Medium


Natural Durability
Moderately durable
Susceptible to insect attack
Non-resistant to powder post beetles
Non-durable
Perishable
Durable
Non-resistant to marine borers
Non-resistant to termites
Vulnerable to dry-wood termite attack
Sapwood susceptible to attack by powder post beetles
Highly susceptible to attack by decay fungi


Odor
No specific smell or taste


Drying Defects
Distortion
Discoloration
Checking
May warp and check slightly to moderately


Ease of Drying
Fairly Easy
Slowly
Air dry very slowly


Kiln Drying Rate
Naturally dries slowly


Tree Size
Sapwood width is 5-10 cm
Tree height is 20-30 m
Tree height is 30-40 m
Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm
Trunk diameter is 150-200 cm
Trunk diameter is 200-250 cm


Ize varies with species, but the trees attain a height of up to 100 feet (30 m), with a trunk diameter of16 to 28 inches (40 to 70 cm)

Blunting Effect
Moderate
High to severe


Boring
Fairly easy to very easy
Fairly difficult to very difficult


Carving
Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult
Easy to carve

Carved surfaces may be fuzzy

Cutting Resistance
Easy to saw
Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult to saw


Timber produced by species in the genus are generally easy to saw

Mortising
Very Good to Excellent Results
Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult
Fair to Good Results


Moulding
Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult


Nailing
Fairly Easy to Very Easy


Planing
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Fair to Good Results
Very Good to Excellent Results
Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult
Worked surfaces tend to be fuzzy and difficult to finish
Results are rated from fair to good

The timbers are easy to work in most operations, including planing, turning, moulding, boring, and mortising

Resistance to Impregnation
Resistant heartwood
Resistant sapwood
Sapwood is moderately resistant
Heartwood is moderately resistant

Incising is recommended in stock with little end-grain exposure

Response to Hand Tools
Easy to Work


Routing & Recessing
Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult


Screwing
Fairly Easy to Very Easy


Turning
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Very Good to Excellent Results
Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult
Fair to Good Results


Steam Bending
Unsuitable
Poor to Very Poor Results


Staining
Very Good to Excellent Results
Fair to Good Results


Strength Properties
Heavy
Hardness = medium
Density = high
Compression strength (parallel to grain) = high
Bending strength in the air-dry condition (about 12 percent moisture content) is very high

Other species in this range include Teak, White oak, and Hard maple. It resists denting and marring about as well as white oak or birch

Numerical Data
ItemGreenDryEnglish
Bending Strength1324015513psi
Density43lbs/ft3
Hardness1259lbs
Maximum Crushing Strength63908139psi
Stiffness201919891000 psi
Toughness148inch-lbs
Specific Gravity0.53
Weight4234.lbs/ft3
Radial Shrinkage4%
Tangential Shrinkage7%
Volumetric Shrinkage12%
ItemGreenDryMetric
Bending Strength9301090kg/cm2
Density689kg/m3
Hardness571kg
Maximum Crushing Strength449572kg/cm2
Stiffness1411391000 kg/cm2
Toughness170cm-kg
Specific Gravity0.53
Weight673544.kg/m3
Radial Shrinkage4%
Tangential Shrinkage7%

References
Chudnoff, M.,1984,Tropical Timbers of the World,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products,Laboratory, Madison.