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Blunting Effect
Boring
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
Light-Induced Color Change
Luster
Mortising
Moulding
Nailing
Natural Durability
Numerical Data
Odor
Planing
Product Sources
References
Regions of Distribution
Resistance to Impregnation
Response to Hand Tools
Sapwood Color
Scientific Name
Screwing
Silica Content
Staining
Steam Bending
Strength Properties
Synonyms
Texture
Toxicity
Trade Name
Tree Identification
Tree Size
Turning
Veneering Qualities

Scientific Name
Parashorea lucida

Trade Name
Meranti-gerutu

Family Name
Dipterocarpaceae

Synonyms
Shorea subpeltata


Wood Image 1

Common Names
Chengal tiga banir, Damar, Damar cirik ayam, Gerutu, Gerutu gerutu, Icap, Katuko, Lemsa meluit, Meluit, Meranti gerutu, Meranti hitam, Meranti putih, Meranti-gerutu, Red meranti, Surantih, Tambun ranggas, Tengkawang pasir, Timbalon

Regions of Distribution
Oceania and S.E. Asia

Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP]
Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar

Common Uses
Boat building (general), Boat building, Boat building: framing, Boxes and crates, Bridge construction, Cabinetmaking, Construction, Flooring, Furniture, Heavy construction, Joinery, Light construction, Paneling, Particleboard, Plywood, Poles, Pulp/Paper products, Railroad ties, Vehicle parts, Veneer

Environmental Profile
Data source is World Conservation Monitoring Center

This species is Vulnerable within its natural growth range and may move into the Endangered classification if current trends persist. These trends include decreasing population due to over-exploitation, extensive destruction of natural habitat, uncertain future security due to severe depletion, and threat from serious adverse environmental factors currently existing in growth range and which has the potential to drastically reduce species population

Distribution Overview
This species is one of three in the Parashorea genus that are reported to occur in the Malay Peninsula. The other two are P. densiflora and P. globosa . Their distribution is restricted and they are comparatively rare.

Heartwood Color
Red
Brown
Pink
Purple
Yellow to golden-yellow to orange
Pale red to pink
Pale brown
Pinkish tint
Light brown
Brown

Exposure darkens the color. The color is intermediate between those of White meranti and Light red meranti

Sapwood Color
Brown
White to yellow

The natural color of the sapwood is light yellow brown, but it is often darker in color than the heartwood because of staining from severe fungal attack. The sapwood is clearly differentiated in green and air-dry timber, but is less so in kiln-dry lumber. Width is about 2 inches (5 cm)

Grain
Figure
Interlocked
Stripe (figure)
Closed
Wavy
Variable (figure)

Interlocked
Striped figure
Wavy
Variable figure

The grain is often rather deeply interlocked and wavy. Longitudinal surfaces are rather plain in appearance, but quarter-sawn material usually has a broad striped figure.

Texture
Coarse
Coarse
Medium coarse to coarse
Even textured


Luster
Lustrous

Planed surfaces are somewhat lustrous.

Natural Durability
Perishable
Susceptible to insect attack
Resistant to powder post beetles
Non-durable
Moderately durable
Non-resistant to termites
Resistant to marine borers
Sapwood is susceptible to wood staining fungal attack
Moderately durable
Non durable
Susceptible to attack from powder post (Lyctid & Bostrychid) beetles
Heartwood is susceptible to wood staining fungal attack
Susceptible to marine borer attack
Susceptible to attack from termites (Isoptera)
Sapwood susceptible to attack by powder post beetles
Pinworms (ambrosia beetles) often present in the standing tree
Pinworms (ambrosia beetles) may be present in the felled log
Moderately resistant to decay

The wood is reported to compare favorably with some Red meranti (Shorea ) timber in this property

Odor
No specific smell or taste


Silica Content
High


Light-Induced Color Change
Darker


Toxicity
Some toxic effects


Kiln Schedules
Dry at a slow speed
UK=C US=T3C2/T3C1 Fr=3


Drying Defects
Checking
Splitting
Slight surface checking
Moderate twist/warp
Slight twist/warp
Freshly converted sapwood is susceptible to sap stain


Ease of Drying
Fairly Easy
Moderately Difficult to Difficult
Easy
Dries slowly

Shrinkage during drying is lower than in Light red meranti (Shorea) and Kapur

Tree Identification
Bole/stem form is buttressed


Tree Size
Bole length is 10-20 m
Tree height is 20-30 m
Sapwood width is 0-5 cm
Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm


Parashorea genus is reported to produce very large trees, some of which mature to a height of 200 feet (60 m) and a trunk diameter of 36 to 60 inches (90 to 150 cm) or more overly large buttresses. They develop straight, well-formed stems that are often clear of branches to 100 feet (30 m).

Product Sources
It is considered to be of little or no economic importance as a source of timber because of its scarcity.

Blunting Effect
High to severe
Blunting effect on sawing dry wood is moderate
Blunting effect on machining is moderate
Blunting effect on machining is fairly severe


Boring
Easy


Cutting Resistance
Easy to saw
Cutting Resistance with dry wood is easy
Cutting Resistance with green wood is easy
Cutting Resistance with dry wood is difficult


Gluing
Fairly Easy to Very Easy


Mortising
Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult
Finishes well


Moulding
Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult


Nailing
Pre-Boring Recommended
Easy to nail


Planing
Planes to a satisfactory finish
Easy to plane
Planes well, to a good finish
Ease of planing is moderate

Meranti-Gerutu is more difficult to saw than Red meranti (Shorea leprosula). It is also reported to dull cutting edges rather rapidly and requires thin and sharp tools for a good finish

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

The timber responds rather poorly to preservative treatment by pressure treatment or by open-tank method

Response to Hand Tools
Easy to Work
Easy to machine


Screwing
Easy to screw


Turning
Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult
Good results
Easy to turn


Veneering Qualities
Difficult to veneer


Steam Bending
Very poor


Staining
Finish is generally good


Strength Properties
Density (dry weight) = 38-45 lbs/cu. ft.
Density (dry weight) = 46-52 lbs/cu. ft.
Density (dry weight) = 53-60 lbs/cu. ft
Density (dry weight) = 31-37 lbs/cu. ft.
Shrinkage, Tangential = fairly large
Toughness-Hammer drop (Impact Strength) = low
Shrinkage, Tangential = large
Shrinkage, Radial = moderate
Shrinkage, Radial = large
Shrinkage, Radial = fairly large
Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = low
Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = high
Max. crushing strength = high
Hardness (side grain) = soft
Bending strength (MOR) = medium
Weight = heavy
Shrinkage, Tangential = small
Shrinkage, Tangential = moderate
Shrinkage, Radial = very small
Density = high

Mechanical properties of material from Burma and Malaysia are very similar, but timber from Borneo is rated as inferior in all strength properties. The strength properties of Meranti-gerutu are intermediate between those of heavy Red meranti and White meranti

Numerical Data
ItemGreenDryEnglish
Bending Strength931014566psi
Density44lbs/ft3
Hardness995lbs
Impact Strength28inches
Maximum Crushing Strength68999945psi
Shearing Strength1560psi
Stiffness216724941000 psi
Weight4334lbs/ft3
Radial Shrinkage5%
Tangential Shrinkage8%
ItemGreenDryMetric
Bending Strength6541024kg/cm2
Density705kg/m3
Hardness451kg
Impact Strength71cm
Maximum Crushing Strength485699kg/cm2
Shearing Strength109kg/cm2
Stiffness1521751000 kg/cm2
Weight689544kg/m3
Radial Shrinkage5%

References
Brown, W.H.,1978,Timbers of the World, No. 4 South East Asia,TRADA, Red Booklet Series

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

Desch, H. E. 1957. Manual of Malayan Timbers - Volume I. Malayan Forest Records, No. 15. Malaya Publishing House Ltd., Singapore.

Desch, H.E.,1954,Manual of Malayan Timbers (2 vols,Malayan Forest Records,no.15

Fundter, J.M.,1982,Names for Dipterocarp timbers and trees from Asia,Pudoc, Wageningen, Netherlands

I. Soerianegara and R.H.M.J. Lemmens (Editors,1993,Plant Resources of South-East Asia 5,(PROSEA, 1,Timber trees: Major commercial timbers,Pudoc Scientific Publishers, Wageningen 1993

Keating, W.G., Bolza, E.,1982,Characteristics properties and uses of timbers. South East Asia, Northern,Australia and the Pacific,C.S.I.R.O. Div. Chemical Technology,Inkata Press,1

Lee, Y.H., et al,1974,Commercial Timbers of Peninsular Malaysia,Kuala Lumpur Malaysia Department of Forestry Peninsular Malaysia and,Malaysian Timber Industry Board

Lee, Y.H., Lopez, D.T.,1968,The Machining Properties of some Malayan Timbers,Malayan Forester,3,pp194-210

Thomas, A.V.,1936,Timber Tests - Gerutu-genitu (Parashorea luada (Miq) Kurz,Malayan Forester 5 pp24-8

WCMC. 1992. Conservation Status Listing: Trees and Timbers of the World. World Conservation Monitoring Center (WCMC, Plants Program, 219 Huntingdon Road, Cambridge, CB3 ODL, United Kingdom.