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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 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 Drying Rate Kiln Schedules Luster Mortising Moulding Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Natural Growth Defects Numerical Data Odor Planing Polishing References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Resistance to Splitting Response to Hand Tools Routing & Recessing Sapwood Color Scientific Name Silica Content Staining Steam Bending Strength Properties Synonyms Texture Trade Name Tree Identification Tree Size Turning Veneering Qualities Scientific Name Vitex gaumeri Trade Name Fiddlewood Family Name Verbenaceae Synonyms Vitex pyramidata Common Names Crucillo, Fiddlewood, Higuerillo, Lizardwood, Nichte, Vitex, Ya-axnic, Yashcabte, Yashnik, Yasnic, Yaxnic, Yaxnik Regions of Distribution Central America Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama Common Uses Agricultural implements, Farm vehicles, Flooring, Furniture , General carpentry, Golf club heads, Millwork, Plywood, Sporting Goods, Tool handles, Vehicle parts, Veneer, Veneer: decorative Environmental Profile Status has not been officially assessed Distribution Overview The genus Vitex is vary large, and is composed of shrubs and trees that are widely distributed throughout the tropics, with a small representation in the temperate regions. V. gaumeri occurs in Central America, and is found in Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico. Heartwood Color Red Brown Yellow Purple Pink Orange Greenish to greyish White to cream Pale brown Darkens significantly upon exposure Sapwood Color White Yellow Color not distinct from heartwood White to yellow Pale brown Grain Figure Interlocked Other (figure) Distinct (figure) Growth rings (figure) Rippled (figure) Stripe (figure) Interlocked Other figures are possible or common Distinct figure Striped figure Rippled figure Clear growth rings (figure) Ribbon figure Texture Medium Coarse Fine Fine to medium Luster High Low Lustrous Natural Growth Defects Brittleheart is rare or absent, and generally sparse in amount Natural Durability Perishable Non-durable Susceptible to marine borer attack Susceptible to attack from termites (Isoptera) Resistant to marine borer attack Resistant to fungal attack Resistant to attack from powder post (Lyctid & Bostrychid) beetles Resistant to attack from pinworms (ambrosia beetles) Resistant to attack from marine borers Non durable Moderately durable Odor No specific smell or taste Silica Content Silica levels of 0.19% to 1.08% Kiln Schedules Drying (speed) is fast Dry at a moderate speed Drying Defects Distortion Splitting Checking Slight surface checking Slight end splitting Moderate surface checking Moderate end spitting Slight spring/bow No surface checking No end splitting should be expected No cupping, generally Drying degrade from spring and bow is often moderate Ease of Drying Moderately Difficult to Difficult Fairly Easy Rapidly Slowly Difficult Moderate Easy Kiln Drying Rate Naturally dries at a moderate speed Naturally dries quickly Tree Identification Bole/stem form is not buttressed Bole/stem form is misshapen Bole/stem form is fluted Tree Size Tree height is 30-40 m Bark width is 25-30 mm Bark width is 30-40 mm Bark width is 20-25 mm Sapwood width is 0-5 cm Sapwood width is 5-10 cm Tree height is 20-30 m Bole length is 10-20 m Comments General finishing qualities are rated as good Blunting Effect Blunting effect on sawing dry wood is mild Boring Easy Cutting Resistance Cutting Resistance with dry wood is easy Cutting Resistance with green wood is easy Gluing Difficult to glue Mortising Easy to mortise Moulding Good finishing results Easy to mould Movement in Service Unstable with Poor Stability - Large Movement Stable Minimal dimensional changes Nailing Holds nails well Easy to nail Planing Easy to plane Planes well, to a good finish Planes to a satisfactory finish Irregular grain interferes Resistance to Impregnation Resistant heartwood Resistant sapwood Heartwood is resistant Heartwood is permeable Sapwood has good absorption and penetration Resistance to Splitting Good Response to Hand Tools Easy to Work Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work Easy to machine Routing & Recessing Routing yields good results Routing is easy Turning Good results Easy to turn Veneering Qualities Suitable for peeling Easy to cut Steam Bending Poor Polishing Very good results Satisfactory results Good results Staining Staining (Characteristic) = non-staining Strength Properties Bending strength (MOR) = low Shrinkage, Tangential = moderate Shrinkage, Radial = moderate Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = medium Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = low Max. crushing strength = low Hardness (side grain) = medium Bending strength (MOR) = medium Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = very low Max. crushing strength = very high Hardness (side grain) = hard Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = medium Density (dry weight) = 46-52 lbs/cu. ft. Density (dry weight) = 38-45 lbs/cu. ft. Shrinkage, Volumetric = moderate Shrinkage, Tangential = small Shrinkage, Radial = very small Max. crushing strength = medium Crushing strength = high Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 8938 14296 psi Crushing Strength 774 1078 psi Density 43 lbs/ft3 Hardness 1685 lbs Maximum Crushing Strength 4490 7654 psi Shearing Strength 1570 psi Static Bending 6047 11486 psi Stiffness 1571 1870 1000 psi Toughness 140 inch-lbs Work to Maximum Load 10 11 inch-lbs/in3 Specific Gravity 0.55 Weight 42 34 lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 4 % Tangential Shrinkage 7 % Volumetric Shrinkage 11 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 628 1005 kg/cm2 Crushing Strength 54 75 kg/cm2 Density 689 kg/m3 Hardness 764 kg Maximum Crushing Strength 315 538 kg/cm2 Shearing Strength 110 kg/cm2 Static Bending 425 807 kg/cm2 Stiffness 110 131 1000 kg/cm2 Toughness 161 cm-kg Work to Maximum Load 0.70 0.77 cm-kg/cm3 Specific Gravity 0.55 Weight 673 544 kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 4 % Tangential Shrinkage 7 % References Belize,1946,42 Secondary Hardwood Timbers of British Honduras,British Honduras Forest Department Bulletin,No.1 Chudnoff, M.,1984,Tropical Timbers of the World,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products,Laboratory, Madison. Flores Rodriguez, L.J.,1969,Description Caracteristicas y usos de 25 Maderas tropicales,Mexicanas,Camera Nacional de la Industria de la Construccion Serie Maderas de Mexico Hess, R.W. F. F. Wangaard and F. E. Dickinson. 1952. Properties and Uses of Tropical Woods, Volume II. Tropical Woods No. 97, Yale University Press, School of Forestry, New Haven Connecticut. Hess, R.W., Wangaard, F.F., Dickinson, F.E.,1950,Properties and Uses of Tropical Woods 2,Tropical Woods,13(97,pp1-132 Kribbs, D.A. 1959. Commercial Foreign Woods on the American Market. Buckhout Lab., Dept. of Botany, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania. Lamb, A.F.A., Wangaard, F.F.,1950,The Gluing Properties of certain Tropical American Woods,Yale Univ. School of Forestry Technical Report,4 Longwood, F.R.,1961,Puerto Rican Woods - Their Machining Seasoning and Related Characteristics,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Handbook,No.205 Pennington, T.D., Sarukhan, J.,1968,Manual para la Identificacion de campo de los Principales Arboles,Tropicales de Mexico,Inst. Nac. Inv. For. Mexico 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. Record, S.J., Hess, R.W.,1943,Timbers of the New World,Yale University Press Saks, E.V.,1954,Tropical Hardwoods for veneer Production in Mexico,Caribbean Forester,15(3&4, pp112-9 Wangaard, F.F. and A.F. Muschler. 1952. Properties and Uses of Tropical Woods III, Tropical Woods, No. 98, Yale University Press, School of Forestry, New Haven, Connecticut. Wangaard, F.F., Chudnoff, M.,1950,The Steam Bending Properties of Certain Tropical American Woods,Yale Univ. School of Forestry Technical Report No. 6 Wangaard, F.F., Muschler, A.F.,1952,Properties and Uses of Tropical Woods 3,Tropical Woods,14(98, pp1-190 Wangaard, F.F.,1951,The Physical Properties of Tropical Woods,F.A.O. For. & For. Prod. Studies Series No.3 Tropical Woods and Ag.,Residues as sources of pulp,pp10-16 Wolcott, G.N.,1950,An Index to the Termite Resistance of Woods,Agricultural Experimental Station, University of Puerto Rico Bulletin,No.85