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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. 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 Luster Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Planing Polishing References Regions of Distribution Response to Hand Tools Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Strength Properties Substitutes Texture Trade Name Tree Size Turning Scientific Name Zanthoxylum rhetsa Trade Name Cabrit Family Name Rutaceae Common Names Cabrit, Kaitana, Kasabang, Kayetana, Kayutana, Noyer, Salai, Sarai Regions of Distribution Oceania and S.E. Asia Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sri Lanka Common Uses Blinds, Bridge beams, Bridge construction, Bridge joists, Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Decorative plywood, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Gunstocks, Handles, Hatracks, Kitchen cabinets, Living-room suites, Office furniture, Planks, Plywood, Radio - stereo - TV cabinets, Rifle stock, Rustic furniture, Shafts/Handles, Shutters, Sills, Sporting Goods, Stools, Tables , Tool handles, Utility furniture, Wardrobes, Windows Environmental Profile Vulnerable in parts of its natural habitat Status in wild unknown due to insufficient information May be rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery Extinct, Endangered, Vulnerable, or Rare within parts of its range Endangered within its natural habitat Data source is World Conservation Monitoring Center Endangered within its natural habitat in Bangladesh, Vulnerable in the Philippines, Rare in Kelentan in the Malay Peninsula, Extinct, Endangered, Vulnerable, or Rare in Indonesia. Its status in the wild in Thailand, Vietnam, Papua New Guinea, Java, Sulawesi, and Sri Lanka is currently listed as unknown because of insufficient information Distribution Overview Various species in the genus Zanthoxylum are reported to occur in the Philippines and the Malay Peninsula. The most important species in the genus for timber in the Philippines is Cabrit (Z. rhetsa), which is widely but sparsely distributed from northern Luzon to Palawan and Mindanao. It grows in thickets and forests at low and medium elevations. Heartwood Color Yellow Orange Brown Red Pink Black Uniform yellow to buff No distinct markings Sapwood Color Red Brown Yellow Pink Not distinct from heartwood Grain Even Closed Straight, occasionally curly or wavy Texture Fine Moderately fine Even textured Luster Glossy Natural Durability Very durable Resistant to termites Durable Susceptible to insect attack Resistant to marine borers Resistant to powder post beetles Not readily attacked by insects Moderately resistant to decay Odor No specific smell or taste Drying Defects Checking Splitting Distortion Ease of Drying Fairly Easy Slowly Moderately Difficult to Difficult Seasons without difficulty Not subject to splitting Kiln Drying Rate Naturally dries slowly Slow Drying rate is slow Tree Size Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm Tree height is 20-30 m Tree height is 10-20 m Sapwood width is 5-10 cm Sapwood width is 0-5 cm Trunk diameter is 150-200 cm Tree height is 30-40 m Tree height is 40-50 m The tree is described as small to medium-sized Substitutes Suggested as a good substitute for Maple (Acer) Similar characteristics to Maple (Acer) Comments Timber produced by various species of the genus are similar and difficult to differentiate Cutting Resistance Easy to saw Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult to saw Too heavy for general purpose plywood Saws readily although it is hard and tough Hardly distinguishable from heartwood Easy to saw Gluing Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Movement in Service Excellent Stability - Small Movement Nailing Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Planing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Very Good to Excellent Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Fair to Good Results Response to Hand Tools Easy to Work Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work Smooth, shiny surface Responds well to ordinary tools in mortising Screwing Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Turning Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Very Good to Excellent Results Good turning qualities Polishing Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Glossy surface Strength Properties Resists denting and marring High in density Heavy Hardness = medium Compression strength (parallel to grain) = medium Bending strength (MOR) = medium It is closer in strength to Mahogany than either Teak or White oak, which have higher bending strength. It resists denting and marring about as well as white oak or birch Its strength in compression parallel to grain is medium, but ower than that of Teak. Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 7851 9868 psi Crushing Strength 551 846 psi Density 40 lbs/ft3 Hardness 699 lbs Impact Strength 35 32 inches Maximum Crushing Strength 3832 5615 psi Shearing Strength 1120 psi Static Bending 4833 6659 psi Stiffness 1258 1431 1000 psi Toughness 101 inch-lbs Work to Maximum Load 8 12 inch-lbs/in3 Specific Gravity 0.5 0.56 Weight 50 39 lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 4 % Tangential Shrinkage 6 % Volumetric Shrinkage 10 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 551 693 kg/cm2 Crushing Strength 38 59 kg/cm2 Density 641 kg/m3 Hardness 317 kg Impact Strength 88 81 cm Maximum Crushing Strength 269 394 kg/cm2 Shearing Strength 78 kg/cm2 Static Bending 339 468 kg/cm2 Stiffness 88 100 1000 kg/cm2 Toughness 116 cm-kg Work to Maximum Load 0.56 0.84 cm-kg/cm3 Specific Gravity 0.5 0.56 Weight 801 624 kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 4 % Tangential Shrinkage 6 % References 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 Lumberman, 12(5):A-H. Limaye, V.D. 1954. Grouping of Indian Timbers and Their Properties, Uses, and Suitability. Indian Forest Records (New Series). Timber Mechanics. Volume 1 No. 2. Manager of Publications (Publisher, Delhi Negi, G.S. and D.N. Bhatia. 1958. Physical and Mechanical Properties of Woods Tested at the Forest Research Institute, Report X. Indian Forest Records, New Series. Timber Mechanics, Vol. 1, No. 11. Timber Mechanics Branch, Forest Research Institute, Dehra Dun. Reyes, L.J. 1938. Philippine Woods. Department of Agriculture and Commerce, Technical Bulletin 7, Commonwealth of the Philippines, Bureau of Printing, Manila. WCMC. 1992. Conservation Status Listing - Trees and Timbers of the World. World Conservation Monitoring Center-Plants Programme, Cambridge, CB3 ODL, United Kingdom.