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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 Luster Mortising Moulding Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Planing Polishing References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Routing & Recessing Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Silica Content Staining Steam Bending Strength Properties Texture Trade Name Tree Size Turning Veneering Qualities Scientific Name Uapaca heudelotii Trade Name Akun Family Name Euphorbiaceae Common Names Akun, Assam, Borikio, Bosenge, Kindi, Kuntan, Mole, Nsanvi, Oli, Rikio, Rikio Riviere, Sugar Plum, Yeye Regions of Distribution Africa Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Benin, Cameroon, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Togo, Zaire Common Uses Barge fenders, Bedroom suites, Building construction, Building materials, Cabin construction, Cabinetmaking, Charcoal, Construction, Crossties, Decorative plywood, Docks, Dockwork, Drawer sides, Excelsior, Factory construction, Furniture , Harbor work, Heavy construction, Interior construction, Interior trim, Joinery, Kitchen cabinets, Living-room suites, Marine construction, Millwork, Mine timbers, Moldings, Naval architecture, Office furniture, Plywood, Radio - stereo - TV cabinets, Raft floats, Rafts, Railroad ties, Trimming, Wainscotting, Wharf construction Environmental Profile Status unknown in some areas due to inadequate information Secure within many parts of its natural range, but not completely assessed Data source is World Conservation Monitoring Center Secure in Cameroon, Congo and the Ivory Coast. Status unknown in other areas of Africa Distribution Overview Distributed throughout West Africa, and extends into Zaire. Its habitat is described as swampy and close to water, and it is usually found on the edge of forests in the savannah regions within its range. Heartwood Color Brown Reddish brown The timber is very similar in appearance to mahogany Sapwood Color Color not distinct from heartwood Grain Even Straight Straight Texture Coarse Coarse Luster Low Natural Durability Perishable Non-resistant to powder post beetles Non-durable Moderately resistant to attack by termites Moderately resistant to attack by teredo worms Odor No specific smell or taste Silica Content Contains high levels of silica (> 0.5% of dry weight) Drying Defects Checking Distortion Collapse Splitting High differential shrinkage may cause distortion Ease of Drying Rapidly Requires special attention Thick Stock Requires Care Medium to High Shrinkage Use care to avoid degrade Difficult to season Tree Size Bole length is 10-20 m Tree height is 30-40 m Tree height is 40-50 m Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm The tree is described as large, with very well developed stilt-roots since it is always found near water. Reddish aerial roots are occasionally present, and stilt roots may be up to 19 feet (5 m) high Certified Source Certified Source Blunting Effect Moderate Cutting edges dull severely and rapidly Boring Fairly difficult to very difficult Carving Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Cutting Resistance Easy to saw Difficult to saw The timber is rather difficult to saw because of its density and high silica content. Saw blades may heat up Gluing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Satisfactory gluing properties Mortising Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Moulding Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Movement in Service Fair to Good Stability - Medium Movement Nailing Very Good to Excellent Results Pre-boring required Holds nails well Difficult to nail Planing Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult High density and silica levels make the wood difficult to work in most machining operations Difficult to plane High density and high levels of silica are reported to make the material generally difficult to work in most machining operations. Planing sometimes yields fuzzy surfaces. Resistance to Impregnation Permeable sapwood Resistant heartwood Resistant sapwood Heartwood is somewhat permeable Response to Hand Tools Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work Responds poorly to hand tools Routing & Recessing Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Sanding Satisfactory sanding properties Screwing Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Turning Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Poor turning characteristics Veneering Qualities Suitable for slicing Steam Bending Fair to Good Results Polishing Very Good to Excellent Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Staining Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Very Good to Excellent Results Strength Properties Very heavy Dense Compression strength (parallel to grain) = high Bending strength (MOR) = high Some familiar species with high crushing strength parallel to grain include Hard maple, Teak, and White oak Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 8820 13328 psi Density 45 lbs/ft3 Maximum Crushing Strength 4410 7595 psi Shearing Strength 1862 psi Stiffness 1519 1764 1000 psi Specific Gravity 0.59 Weight 44 36. lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 5 % Tangential Shrinkage 10 % Volumetric Shrinkage 14 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 620 937 kg/cm2 Density 721 kg/m3 Maximum Crushing Strength 310 533 kg/cm2 Shearing Strength 130 kg/cm2 Stiffness 106 124 1000 kg/cm2 Specific Gravity 0.59 Weight 705 576. kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 5 % Tangential Shrinkage 10 % 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. WCMC. 1992. Conservation Status Listing - Trees and Timbers of the World, World Conservation Monitoring Centre, Plants Programme, 219 Huntingdon Road, Cambridge, CB3 ODL, United Kingdom.