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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. Boring Carving Common Names Common Uses Countries of Distribution Cutting Resistance Distribution Overview Environmental Profile Grain Heartwood Color Mortising Moulding Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Planing Product Sources References Regions of Distribution Routing & Recessing Sapwood Color Scientific Name Strength Properties Texture Trade Name Tree Size Turning Scientific Name Anonidium mannii Trade Name Asumpa Family Name Common Names Asumpa, Bombi, Tahu Regions of Distribution Africa Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Cameroon, Central African Republic Common Uses Boxes and crates, Carvings, Casks, Core Stock, Decorative plywood, Decorative veneer, Figured veneer, Gunstocks, Hardboards, Packing cases, Particleboard, Plain veneer, Plywood, Pulp/Paper products, Pulpwood, Rifle stock, Sporting Goods, Structural plywood, Utility plywood, Veneer, Woodwork Environmental Profile Status has not been officially assessed Distribution Overview Often found in West and Central Africa, specifically in Cameroon. Also occurs in southern Nigeria and from Ghana to Zaire, primarily in lowland rain forests. Heartwood Color White Yellow Brown Tan Yellowish tan Whitish Darkens slightly upon exposure Sapwood Color Brown Yellow White Heartwood and sapwood are not differentiated Grain Interlocked Interlocked Texture Coarse Coarse Natural Durability Susceptible to attack by blue stain fungi and termites Odor No specific smell or taste Tree Size Tree height is 10-20 m Product Sources The tree yields Gatty gum, which is a good substitute for gum arabic. Boring Fairly difficult to very difficult Carving Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Cutting Resistance Easy to saw Saws rapidly without difficulty Low resistance to cutting Mortising Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Moulding Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Movement in Service Unstable with Poor Stability - Large Movement Unstable in service Nailing Very Good to Excellent Results Poor to Very Poor Results Poor nail-holding properties Nails without splitting Planing Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Difficult to plane Crumbles easily and machined surfaces are usually uneven Routing & Recessing Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Turning Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Strength Properties Compression strength (parallel to grain) = low Bending strength (MOR) = low The bending strength of the species in the air-dry condition (about 12 percent moisture content) is considered low - much lower than Teak, for example. It is weaker than Mahogany or Teak Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 5194 8085 psi Maximum Crushing Strength 2597 4900 psi Shearing Strength 1294 psi Stiffness 980 1127 1000 psi Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 365 568 kg/cm2 Maximum Crushing Strength 182 344 kg/cm2 Shearing Strength 90 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 Keay, R.W.J. 1989. Trees of Nigeria. Revised Version of Nigerian Trees . Clarendon Press, Oxford.