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Clicking any heading in the main data area (at right) will scroll the page back to this top position. Use the following links to jump to the associated section in the main data. Blunting Effect Boring Carving Certified Source 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 Mortising Moulding Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Planing Polishing Product Sources References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Routing & Recessing Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Staining Steam Bending Strength Properties Texture Toxicity Trade Name Tree Size Turning Varnishing Veneering Qualities Weathering Scientific Name Strychnos sp. Trade Name Mkoulouku Family Name Loganiaceae Common Names Mkoulouku Regions of Distribution Africa Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Brazil, Cameroon, Columbia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Equatorial Guinea, French Guiana, Gabon, Ghana, Guyana, Honduras, Ivory Coast, Tanzania, Venezuela, Zaire Common Uses Balusters, Bedroom suites, Building construction, Building materials, Cabinetmaking, Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Construction, Core Stock, Decorative plywood, 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, Hatracks, Interior construction, Kitchen cabinets, Light construction, Living-room suites, Mine timbers, Moldings, Office furniture, Parquet flooring, Pile-driver cushions, Piling, Plain veneer, Plywood, Poles, Turnery, Veneer Environmental Profile Endangered Abundant/Secure Extinct Rare Vulnerable Questionable Status has not been officially assessed Distribution Overview The genus Strychnos consists of several species of shrubs, vines, and small to medium-sized trees which are distributed in most of the tropical regions of the world. Heartwood Color Brown Red Yellow Orange Pink White Purple Black Highly variable Yellowish brown Brown - gray Bark inclusions are common Sapwood Color White Yellow Brown Red Green/Grey Pink Same as heartwood Grain Even Straight Interlocked Straight to interlocked Texture Medium Fine Coarse Uniform Medium to fairly course Luster High Medium Low Natural Durability Susceptible to insect attack Durable Non-resistant to marine borers Non-resistant to termites Non-resistant to powder post beetles Very durable Moderately durable Perishable Non-durable Resistant to marine borers Susceptible to termite attack Weathering Excellent Odor Has an odor No specific smell or taste Toxicity Some toxic effects Drying Defects Distortion Checking Splitting Severe surface checking Ease of Drying Fairly Easy Rapidly Slowly Reconditioning Treatement Requires carefully controlled drying to prevent degrade Kiln Drying Rate Naturally dries quickly Drying rate is fairly rapid to fast Naturally dries at a moderate speed Rapid Tree Size Trunk diameter is 150-200 cm Bole length is 10-20 m Tree height is 30-40 m Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm Trunk diameter is 200-250 cm Tree height is 40-50 m Tree height is 20-30 m Sapwood width is 0-5 cm Sapwood width is 5-10 cm Tree height is 50-60 m Bole length is 20-30 m Tree height is 60-70 m Bole length is 30-40 m Tree height is 10-20 m Product Sources Species in the genus are less important as a source of timber than for some of their non-timber products. St. Ignatius bean or Igasud (S. ignatti), a woody vine that is found in the forests of the Philippines, produces seeds which are a source of strychnine. S. toxifera , which occurs from Brazil to Costa Rica, yields Curare which is considered as one of the deadliest poisons. The poison is obtained from the bark and roots, and is widely used by some native Indians in South and Central America for poisoning their arrows. Curare paralyze almost instantaneously and soon causes death, even in very small doses. Certified Source Certified Source Blunting Effect Little Moderate Severe Boring Fairly easy to very easy Fair to good results Carving Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Cutting Resistance Easy to saw Difficult to saw Wood is often used in the round form Gluing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Mortising Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fair to Good Results Poor to Very Poor Results Moulding Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Movement in Service Excellent Stability - Small Movement Nailing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Pre-Boring Recommended Very Good to Excellent Results Planing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Straight grained and easy to work in most machining operations Severe dulling effect on cutting edges Difficult to plane Resistance to Impregnation Resistant heartwood Resistant sapwood Permeable sapwood Permeable heartwood Response to Hand Tools Easy to Work Responds Readily Routing & Recessing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Sanding Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Screwing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Very Good to Excellent Results Turning Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Timber is usually used in the round Timber dulls cutters severely Poor to very poor response to preservative treatment Difficult to turn Veneering Qualities Suitable for peeling Suitable for slicing Veneers easily Veneers moderately easy Steam Bending Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Polishing Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Staining Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Varnishing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Strength Properties Compression strength (parallel to grain) = high Bending strength (MOR) = high Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 8820 13328 psi Maximum Crushing Strength 4410 7595 psi Shearing Strength 1862 psi Stiffness 1519 1764 1000 psi Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 620 937 kg/cm2 Maximum Crushing Strength 310 533 kg/cm2 Shearing Strength 130 kg/cm2 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 Record, S.J. and R.W. Hess. 1943. Timbers of the New World. Published on the Charles Lathrop Pack Foundation, Yale University Press, New Haven CT. Reyes, L.J. 1938. Philippine Woods. Department of Agriculture and Commerce, Technical Bulletin 7, Commonwealth of the Philippines, Bureau of Printing, Manila.