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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 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 Schedules Luster Mortising Moulding Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Planing Polishing References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Staining Strength Properties Texture Trade Name Tree Identification Tree Size Turning Scientific Name Caryocar villosum Trade Name Piqui_ Family Name Caryocaraceae Common Names Ají, Almendrillo, Almendro, Almendrón, Alméndro, Arbe a buerre, Bats souari, Cagüí, Chawari, Pekia, Pequi, Pequia, Piquia, Piquia bravo, Piquia-ete, Piquiá, Sawarie, Souari, Vinagreira Regions of Distribution Central America, Latin America Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Brazil, Columbia, Costa Rica, French Guiana, Guyana Common Uses Boat building (general), Boat building: decking, Boat building: framing, Cabinetmaking, Cooperages, Flooring: commercial heavy traffic, Flooring: industrial heavy traffic, Furniture, Heavy construction, Joinery, Light construction, Marine construction, Mine timbers, Oars, Piling, Railroad ties, Turnery, Vehicle parts, Wheels Environmental Profile Data source is World Conservation Monitoring Center The environmental status of this species in the wild in Peru and Brazil is currently listed as unknown because of inadequate informatio Distribution Overview Originally Upper Amazon; dispersed in all the Amazon; introduced in tropical Asia. Heartwood Color Yellow White Green/grey Orange Yellow to golden-yellow to orange Pale brown Greenish to greyish Yellowish - light graysh brown Pale red to pink Brown Sapwood Color Yellow White Color not distinct from heartwood Grain Figure Interlocked Stripe (figure) Other (figure) Growth rings (figure) Interlocked Striped figure Other figure Clear growth rings (figure) Texture Fine Medium Even or uniform Uniform Medium Medium to coarse Luster Dull Natural Durability Perishable Non-durable Non-resistant to marine borers Non-resistant to termites Non-resistant to termites Resistant to attack from termites (Isoptera) Moderately resistant to marine borer attack Very durable Susceptible to marine borer attack Resistant to wood staining fungal attack Resistant to attack from powder post (Lyctid & Bostrychid) beetles Moderately resistant to attack by marine borers Heartwood resistant to attack by white rot and brown rot fungi Heartwood moderately resistant to dry-wood termites Durable Odor Has an odor Green material may have a faint odor of vinegar, but seasoned wood has no characteristic odor or taste Kiln Schedules Dry at a slow speed Drying Defects Splitting Distortion Moderate twist/warp Moderate surface checking Surface checks Slight twist/warp Slight surface checking Slight spring/bow Slight end splitting Prone to casehardening Distortion (twist/warp) is likely Ease of Drying Slowly Moderately Difficult to Difficult Difficult Moderate Requires care and special attention Dries slowly Tree Identification Bole/stem form is straight Tree Size Tree height is 10-20 m Comments General finishing qualities are rated as good Blunting Effect Cutting edges are dulled quickly because of interlocked grain. Boring Fair to good results Carving Fair to Good Results Cutting Resistance Easy to saw Cutting Resistance with green wood is moderate Cutting Resistance with green wood is easy Cutting Resistance with dry wood is moderate Cutting Resistance with dry wood is easy The wood is moderately difficult to saw. Internal stresses may be present in logs. Gluing Fair to Good Results Use special attention for best results Mortising Fair to Good Results Moulding Fair to Good Results Nailing Satisfactory nailing properties Difficult to nail Planing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Moderate difficulty Smooth surfaces are rather difficult to achieve on radial surfaces, and material containing interlocked material tends to dull cutters rapidly Resistance to Impregnation Resistant heartwood Resistant sapwood Difficult to treat with preservatives Response to Hand Tools Easy to Work Responds Readily Moderate working qualities Easy to machine Sanding Fair to Good Results Screwing Difficult to screw Turning Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fair to Good Results Polishing Fair to Good Results Satisfactory results Staining Requires care to stain Strength Properties Bending strength (MOR) = high Density (dry weight) = 46-52 lbs/cu. ft. Bending strength (MOR) = very high Bending strength (MOR) = medium Compression strength (parallel to grain) = high Density (dry weight) = 53 - 60 lbs Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 13598 19502 psi Crushing Strength 2038 3165. psi Density 54 lbs/ft3 Hardness 2036 lbs Maximum Crushing Strength 6893 9544 psi Shearing Strength 2185 psi Static Bending 8095 10770 psi Stiffness 1802 2109 1000 psi Toughness 147 inch-lbs Work to Maximum Load 7 13 inch-lbs/in3 Specific Gravity 0.65 0.76 Weight 56 54 lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 5 % Tangential Shrinkage 8 % Volumetric Shrinkage 13 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 956 1371 kg/cm2 Crushing Strength 143 222. kg/cm2 Density 865 kg/m3 Hardness 923 kg Maximum Crushing Strength 484 671 kg/cm2 Shearing Strength 153 kg/cm2 Static Bending 569 757 kg/cm2 Stiffness 126 148 1000 kg/cm2 Toughness 169 cm-kg Work to Maximum Load 0.49 0.91 cm-kg/cm3 Specific Gravity 0.65 0.76 Weight 897 865 kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 5 % Tangential Shrinkage 8 % References Berni, C.A., Bolza, E., Christensen, F.J.,1979,South American Timbers - The Characteristics, Properties and Uses of 190,Species,C.S.I.R.O Div. Building Research Brown, W.H.,1978,Timbers of the World, No. 2 South America,TRADA, Red Booklet Series Chichignoud, M., G. Deon, P. Detienne, B. Parant and P. Vantomme. 1990. Tropical Timber Atlas of Latin America. International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO, Centre Technique Forestier Tropical, Division of CIRAD, 45 bis Avenue de la Belle Gabrielle, Nogent-sur-Marne, CEDEX, France. Chudnoff, M.,1984,Tropical Timbers of the World,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products,Laboratory, Madison. Dickinson, F.E.,1949,Properties and Uses of Tropical Woods 1,Tropical Woods,13(95,pp1-140 Ducke, A.,1943,The Most Important Woods of the Amazon Valley,Tropical Woods,12(74,pp1-15 Erfurth, T., Rusche, H.,1976,The Marketing of Tropical Wood B. Wood Species from S. American Tropical,Moist Forests,F.A.O. Forestry Department Takahashi, A.,1975,Compilation of data on the Mechanical Properties of Foreign Woods (Part 2,Central and South America,Shimane University, Japan, Research Report on Foreign Wood No.4 Teixeira, D. E., M. A. E. Santana and M. Rabelo de Souza. 1988. Amazonian Timbers for the International Market. ITTO Technical Series 1. Brazilian Institute for Forestry Development, Brazil. Wangaard, F.F., and A.F. Muschler. 1952. Tropical Woods - Properties and Uses of Tropical Woods, Volume III, No. 98. School of Forestry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut. Wangaard, F.F., Muschler, A.F.,1952,Properties and Uses of Tropical Woods 3,Tropical Woods,14(98, pp1-190