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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 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 Mortising Moulding Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Planing References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Routing & Recessing Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Staining Steam Bending Strength Properties Texture Trade Name Tree Size Turning Varnishing Scientific Name Triplaris spp. Trade Name Long John Family Name Polygonaceae Common Names Formigueira, Hormigo, Long John, Mierenhout, Palo hormiguero, Palo mulato, Palo santo, Tangarana, Vara de maria Regions of Distribution Central America, Latin America Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Columbia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela Common Uses Boxes and crates, Building materials, Dining-room furniture, Fiberboard, Furniture , Furniture components, Interior construction, Joinery, Millwork, Packing cases, Particleboard Environmental Profile Rare Status has not been officially assessed Distribution Overview Several species in the Triplaris genus are reported to occur from southern Mexico through Central America and tropical South America. They are reported to grow predominantly in swamps and are also common on low riverbanks in Surinam. The trees are sometimes found in pure stands on abandoned clearings. Heartwood Color Brown Pinkish brown Grey brown Sapwood Color Color not distinct from heartwood Grain Even Interlocked Straight Straight Slightly interlocked Texture Medium Fine Medium coarse to coarse Luster Medium Natural Durability Perishable Very little natural resistance against attack by decay fungi Heartwood is moderately susceptible to attack by dry-wood termites Odor No specific smell or taste Kiln Schedules T6 - D2 (4/4) US Schedule E (4/4) United Kingdom Drying Defects Moderate warping and checking Ease of Drying Variable results. Depending upon species, drying rate may be fairly slow or rapid Tree Size Triplaris trees are often medium-sized, develop slightly angled or fluted boles, and buttresses that are typically low and narrow Comments Hollowed stems are reported to often contain aggressive ants, which tend to attack individuals felling the tree Boring Fairly easy to very easy Bores well with ordinary machine tools Carving Fairly Easy to Very Easy Good results Cutting Resistance Fairly easy to saw The timber is reported to cut and saw with very little difficulty Gluing Responds well to gluing Mortising Fairly Easy to Very Easy Responds well to machine tools in mortising operations Moulding Fairly Easy to Very Easy Material responds well to moulding operations Nailing Good nailing characteristics Planing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Good planing operations with ordinary machine tools Resistance to Impregnation Heartwood is difficult to treat with preservatives Routing & Recessing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Good routing qualities Sanding Good sanding properties Screwing Good screwing properties Turning Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fair Steam Bending Good Staining Stains well Varnishing Good results Strength Properties Resists denting and marring Heavy Hard Dense Compression strength (parallel to grain) = medium Bending strength (MOR) = high Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 11409 psi Density 42 lbs/ft3 Hardness 1401 lbs Maximum Crushing Strength 5658 psi Stiffness 1732 1000 psi Toughness 151 inch-lbs Specific Gravity 0.55 Weight 41 34. lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 4 % Tangential Shrinkage 9 % Volumetric Shrinkage 12 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 802 kg/cm2 Density 673 kg/m3 Hardness 635 kg Maximum Crushing Strength 397 kg/cm2 Stiffness 121 1000 kg/cm2 Toughness 173 cm-kg Specific Gravity 0.55 Weight 657 544. kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 4 % Tangential Shrinkage 9 % References Boone, R.S., C.J. Kozlik, P.J. Bois, E.M. Wengert. 1988. Dry Kiln Schedules for Commercial Woods - Temperate and Tropical. USDA., Forest Service, Preliminary Copy, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin. Chudnoff, M.,1984,Tropical Timbers of the World,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products,Laboratory, Madison.