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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 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 Painting Planing Polishing References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Routing & Recessing Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Staining Strength Properties Texture Toxicity Trade Name Tree Size Turning Scientific Name Vitex micrantha Trade Name Andofiti Family Name Verbenaceae Common Names Andofiti Regions of Distribution Africa Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Angola, Australia, Benin, Botswana, Brazil, Cabinda, Cameroon, Central America, Columbia, Congo, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, French Guiana, Gabon, Ghana, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Liberia, Malaysia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Peru, Philippines, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe Common Uses Bedroom suites, Building materials, Cabinetmaking, Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Core Stock, Decorative veneer, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Domestic flooring, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Excelsior, Figured veneer, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Flooring, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Hardboards, Hatracks, Interior construction, Interior trim, Joinery, Kitchen cabinets, Living-room suites, Millwork, Moldings, Office furniture, Parquet flooring, Precision instruments, Radio - stereo - TV cabinets, Rustic furniture, Shipbuilding, Stools, Sub-flooring, Tables , Trimming Environmental Profile Status has not been officially assessed Distribution Overview The genus Vitex is large, and consists of shrubs and species that are distributed throughout the tropical regions of the world. Heartwood Color Red Pink Yellowish brown Whitish Darkens significantly upon exposure Brown Sapwood Color Yellow White Color not distinct from heartwood Grain Even Closed Wavy Straight Straight May be wavy or curly Texture Coarse Medium Even textured Luster High Medium Natural Durability Durable Perishable Non-durable Non-resistant to termites Susceptible to termite attack Susceptible to marine borer attack Odor Has an odor No specific smell or taste Toxicity Sawdust can cause irritation in some individuals Drying Defects Distortion Collapse Ease of Drying Slowly Rapidly Thick Stock Requires Care Tree Size Tree height is 30-40 m Trunk diameter is 150-200 cm Blunting Effect Moderate Little Boring Fair to good results Fairly easy to very easy Responds readily to ordinary machine tools to yield clean surfaces in boring Carving Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Good results Cutting Resistance Easy to saw Low resistance Saws readily Gluing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Glues well Easy to glue Mortising Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Finishes well Easy to mortise Moulding Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Good finishing results Easy to mould Movement in Service Stable Nailing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Planing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fair to Good Results Planes to a smooth surface Resistance to Impregnation Permeable sapwood Permeable heartwood Heartwood is moderately permeable Response to Hand Tools Responds Readily Easy to Work Responds well Routing & Recessing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Good in both routing and recessing. Sanding Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Easy to sand Screwing Screwing yields satisfactory results Turning Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Yields smooth, clean surface. Easy to turn Painting Fair to Good Results Polishing Fair to Good Results Good results Staining Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Very Good to Excellent Results Strength Properties Crushing strength = high 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