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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 Kiln Drying Rate Luster Mortising Moulding Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Painting Planing Polishing Product Sources References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Routing & Recessing Sapwood Color Scientific Name Staining Strength Properties Texture Trade Name Tree Size Turning Veneering Qualities Scientific Name Vitex parviflora Trade Name Molave Family Name Verbenaceae Common Names Bitum, Gupasa, Kulim papa, Leban, Milla, Molave, Teen nok Regions of Distribution Oceania and S.E. Asia Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Thailand Common Uses Balusters, Brooders, Building materials, Carvings, Chairs, Chests, Clogs, Concealed parts (Furniture), Crossties, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Domestic flooring, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Factory flooring, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Flooring, Framing, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Hatracks, Kitchen cabinets, Living-room suites, Office furniture, Parquet flooring, Poultry coops, Radio - stereo - TV cabinets, Railroad ties, Rustic furniture, Shipbuilding, Stools, Sub-flooring, Tables , Utility furniture, Wardrobes, Windows, Woodwork Environmental Profile Vulnerable in parts of its natural habitat Data source is World Conservation Monitoring Center Distribution Overview The genus Vitex is composed of a large number of tree species distributed throughout the tropics and sub-tropics, many of which provide valuable timber. V. parviflora occurs throughout the Philippine Islands, and is common in the secondary forests and open primary forests. Heartwood Color Red Pink Brown Black Straw colored Greenish-Yellow Lime water or other alkalis are reported to turn the wood bright greenish yellow and wood chips are reported to impart a yellowish to greenish yellow color to water Sapwood Color White Red Green/Grey Yellow Paler than heartwood Color not distinct from heartwood Grain Even Closed Figure Crossed Straight Wavy Wavy Straight Crossed Texture Medium Coarse Fine Very smooth under sharp tools Luster Medium High Lustrous Dull Natural Durability Susceptible to insect attack Perishable Non-durable Non-resistant to termites Non-resistant to powder post beetles Moderately durable Resistant to powder post beetles Very high natural resistance Susceptible to marine borer attack Odor No specific smell or taste Drying Defects Internal Honeycombing Possible Collapse Checking Distortion Checking Ease of Drying Slowly Little degrade if dried properly Easy Kiln Drying Rate Naturally dries at a moderate speed Tree Size Tree height is 30-40 m Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm Bole length is 10-20 m Bole length is 20-30 m Tree height is 20-30 m Bark width is 10-15 mm Tree height is 40-50 m Bark width is 15-20 mm Product Sources The genus is the most importatnt in its family as a source of timber in the Philippines, with Molave and Dangula (V. aherniana) being the best known species in the genus. Blunting Effect Moderate Boring Easy Carving Good results Cutting Resistance Low resistance Easy to saw Gluing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Mortising Finishes well Responds readily to machine tools Moulding Easy to mould Movement in Service Small Medium Nailing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Planing Yields a clean surface Planes to a smooth surface Easy to plane Responds readily to hand and machine tools. Resistance to Impregnation Resistant heartwood Resistant sapwood Response to Hand Tools Easy to Work Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work Responds well Good Routing & Recessing Responds well to routing operations Turning Easy to turn Veneering Qualities Suitable for peeling Veneers easily Veneers moderately easy Painting Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Polishing Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Staining Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Strength Properties Compression strength (parallel to grain) = high Bending strength (MOR) = high High density Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 12969 17005 psi Crushing Strength 1826 2188 psi Density 49 lbs/ft3 Impact Strength 21 inches Maximum Crushing Strength 6767 9255 psi Shearing Strength 1854 psi Static Bending 8223 10677 psi Stiffness 1450 1965 1000 psi Toughness 431 inch-lbs Specific Gravity 0.64 0.68 Weight 48 39. lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 4 % Tangential Shrinkage 6 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 911 1195 kg/cm2 Crushing Strength 128 153 kg/cm2 Density 785 kg/m3 Impact Strength 53 cm Maximum Crushing Strength 475 650 kg/cm2 Shearing Strength 130 kg/cm2 Static Bending 578 750 kg/cm2 Stiffness 101 138 1000 kg/cm2 Toughness 496 cm-kg Specific Gravity 0.64 0.68 Weight 769 624. kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 4 % References Chudnoff, M.,1984,Tropical Timbers of the World,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products,Laboratory, Madison. Desch, H. E. 1954. Manual of Malayan Timbers - Volume II. Malayan Forest Records, No. 15. Malaysia Publishing House Ltd., Singapore. Lauricio, F. M., Bellosillo, S. B., The Mechanical and Related Properties of Philippine Woods, The Philippine Lumber Journal, 12(5):A-H. 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. Schneider, E.E. 1916. Commercial Woods of the Philippines: Their Preparation and Uses. Bulletin No. 14. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Forestry, Manila, Philippines. WCMC. 1992. Conservation Status Listing - Trees and Timbers of the World. World Conservation Monitoring Center-Plants Programme, Cambridge, CB3 ODL, United Kingdom.