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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 Comments Common Names Common Uses Countries of Distribution Cutting Resistance Distribution Overview Drying Defects Ease of Drying Environmental Profile Family Name Grain Heartwood Color Kiln Drying Rate Kiln Schedules Luster Mortising Moulding Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Planing Polishing Product Sources References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Abrasion Resistance to Impregnation Resistance to Splitting Response to Hand Tools Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Steam Bending Strength Properties Synonyms Texture Trade Name Tree Identification Tree Size Turning Veneering Qualities Scientific Name Bucida buceras Trade Name Jucaro Family Name Combretaceae Synonyms Buceras bucida Common Names Amarillo, Black olive, Bois gli gli, Bois gli-gli, Bois gri gri, Bois gri-gri, Bois gris gris, Bois gris-gris, Brier tree, Bucaro, Bucida, Bullet tree, Bullet wood, Bullet-tree, Bully tree, Bully-tree, Bullywood, Cacho de toro, Campeche, Caracoli, Caracoli de Puerto Rico, Chaipas, Gregory wood, Gregre, Gri gri, Grignon, Gris gris, Gris-gris de montagnes, Guaraguao, Jucara comun, Jucarillo, Jucaro, Jucaro bravo, Jucaro de costa, Jucaro espinoso, Jucaro negro, Jucaro prieto, Jukaro, Laertouwarsboom, Leertouwarsboom, Marion, Negro, Olive bark-tree, Oxhorn bucida, Pocte, Prickly tree, Pucte, Pukjte, Pukte, Quintana roo, Spiny black olive, Tabasco, Ucar, Water gregre, Yucatan Regions of Distribution Central America, Latin America, Oceania and S.E. Asia Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Bahamas, Colombia, Columbia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, French Guiana, Guadelope [France], Guadeloupe, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, Netherlands, Panama, Puerto Rico [US], Puerto Rico, Suriname, Venezuela Common Uses Boat building (general), Boat building: framing, Building construction, Building materials, Cabin construction, Cabinetmaking, Charcoal, Construction, Crossties, Factory construction, Factory flooring, Flooring, Flooring: industrial heavy traffic, Foundation posts, Handles: woodworking tools, Heavy construction, Joinery, Light construction, Lock gates, Mine timbers, Piling, Poles, Posts, Railroad ties, Stakes, Sub-flooring, Utility poles, Vehicle parts, Workbenches Environmental Profile Widespread Status unknown in many of its growth areas Some long-term concern for the species Data source is World Conservation Monitoring Center Data source is Nature Conservancy Distribution Overview Upper Florida Keys, Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands, and Leeward Islands to Guadeloupe in Lesser Antilles. Also from southern Mexico to Panama and northern South America along the coasts of Colombia, Venezuela, and the Guianas. West Indies, Coastal Central and South America, from Mexico to the Guyanas. Owing to this species' ability to withstand salt-water spray, coupled with its attractive appearance, it has been widely planted for landscaping in Southern Florida, where it is mostly known as Black Olive and sold as Oxhorn Bucida. Grown in the open, Jucaro quickly branches out and leaves tend to cluster toward the branches' tips.In forest environment, the tree will reach heights in excess of 100 feet and diameters up to five feet. Mostly free of branches to 40 or 50 feet, it produces massive straight logs of excellent quality Heartwood Color Brown Red Purple Black Green/grey Pink Greenish to greyish Brown Yellowish to greenish brown Yellow to golden-yellow to orange Olive cast Sapwood Color Brown Red Green/Grey White Pink White to yellow Clearly differentiated from the heartwood Yellowish-green Usually sharply defined Grain Figure Straight Stripe (figure) Interlocked Rippled (figure) Even Closed Wavy Straight Striped figure Rippled figure Interlocked Wavy Interlocked The grain is typically interlocked, and quartersawn material often exhibit a very attractive ribbon-striped figure. The high sheen of the surface enhances appearance with light Texture Medium Fine Fine to medium Medium Luster Medium Low Pronounced Lustrous High Natural Durability Very durable Durable Susceptible to insect attack Non-resistant to termites Moderately durable Non-resistant to marine borers Resistant to termites Durable Susceptible to marine borer attack Resistant to attack from termites (Isoptera) Very durable Susceptible to attack from powder post (Lyctid & Bostrychid) beetles Susceptible to attack by marine borers Resistant to wood staining fungal attack Resistant to dry-wood termite attack Resistant to attack from pinworms (ambrosia beetles) Moderately durable Good weathering characteristics Odor Tarry smell when green No taste in seasoned wood Kiln Schedules Dry at a slow speed Dry at a moderate speed Drying Defects Distortion Checking Splitting Slight surface checking Moderate twist/warp Slight twist/warp Slight end splitting Moderate surface checking Moderate end spitting Ease of Drying Fairly Easy Thick Stock Requires Care Slowly Reconditioning Treatement Moderately Difficult to Difficult Easy Moderate Dries slowly with moderate ease Kiln Drying Rate Naturally dries slowly Naturally dries at a moderate speed Tree Identification Bole/stem form is buttressed Tree Size Tree height is 30-40 m Bole length is 10-20 m Bole length is 20-30 m Tree height is 0-10 m Tree height is 10-20 m Tree height is 20-30 m Bark width is 15-20 mm Tree height is 40-50 m Forest grown trees are reported to develop straight cylindrical boles that are well suited for timber. Trees growing in the open tend to branch out too quickly and develop boles of poor form Product Sources Although Jucaro is available in large quantities within its growth range, it is rare in the lumber form on the world market. For general construction uses, the wood is rather too hard to be useful. It is as dense as Lignum-vitae, but it lacks the natural self-lubrication which makes Lignum-vitae such a popular wood for making marine bearings. Certified Source Certified Source Comments General finishing qualities are rated as good Blunting Effect Moderate Boring Fairly difficult to very difficult Easy Carving Fairly Easy to Very Easy Cutting Resistance Easy to saw Easy to saw Mortising Fairly Easy to Very Easy Easy to mortise Finishes well Moulding Fairly Easy to Very Easy Easy to mould Movement in Service Fair to Good Stability - Medium Movement Small Good stability after seasoning Nailing Pre-Boring Recommended Possible if prebored Nails hold poorly Difficult to nail Planing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Difficult to plane Planes to a poor finish Torn grain is common Resistance to Abrasion Highly resistant to wear Good for flooring Resistance to Impregnation Resistant heartwood Resistant sapwood Heartwood is resistant Wood is resistant Heartwood is extremely resistant Resistance to Splitting Very Poor Response to Hand Tools Easy to Work Difficult to machine Poor response Sanding Easy to sand Screwing Pre-boring recommended Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Difficult to screw Turning Easy to turn Good results Requires very sharp cutting edges Poor results Difficult to turn Veneering Qualities Difficult to veneer No drying degrade Suitable for peeling Steam Bending Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Poor Polishing Satisfactory results Good results Takes a very high polish Strength Properties Shrinkage, Tangential = moderate Shrinkage, Radial = moderate Density (dry weight) = 67-75 lbs/cu. ft. Density (dry weight) = 61-67 lbs/cu.ft. Shrinkage, Tangential = very small Shrinkage, Tangential = fairly large Shrinkage, Radial = very small Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = high Hardness (side grain) = very hard Density (dry weight) = 38-45 lbs/cu. ft. Density (dry weight) = 31-37 lbs/cu. ft. Bending strength (MOR) = medium Shrinkage, Tangential = large Shrinkage, Radial = large Shrinkage, Radial = fairly large Resists denting and marring Heavy Hardness = very high Bending strength (MOR) = very high Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 12451 14566 psi Density 57 lbs/ft3 Hardness 2940 lbs Stiffness 2108 2494 1000 psi Specific Gravity 0.85 Weight 56 44 lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 4 % Tangential Shrinkage 7 % Volumetric Shrinkage 12 % Item Green