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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. Boring 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 Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Planing Polishing Product Sources References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Abrasion Resistance to Impregnation Resistance to Splitting Response to Hand Tools Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Silica Content Steam Bending Strength Properties Texture Trade Name Tree Identification Tree Size Veneering Qualities Scientific Name Chrysophyllum perpulchrum Trade Name Samfona Family Name Sapotaceae Common Names Aninguerirouge, Longui, Mkuti, Monkey star apple, Mubakampungu, Mululu, Munyamata, Samfona, Samfonda Regions of Distribution Africa Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Cameroon, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Tanzania, Uganda Common Uses Balusters, Barge fenders, Bedroom suites, Boat building (general), Boxes and crates, Building construction, Building materials, Cabinetmaking, Carvings, Casks, Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Construction, Crossties, Decorative plywood, Decorative veneer, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Docks, Dockwork, Domestic flooring, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Excelsior, Figured veneer, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Flooring, Flooring: industrial heavy traffic, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Furniture, Harbor work, Hatracks, Interior construction, Joinery, Kitchen cabinets, Light construction, Marine construction, Piling, Plywood, Poles, Railroad ties, Toys, Turnery, Vats, Veneer Environmental Profile Vulnerable in parts of its natural habitat Status unknown in many of its growth areas Data source is World Conservation Monitoring Center This species is officially classified as Vulnerable within its natural habitat in Cameroon and the Ivory Coast. Its status in the wild in Benin, Ghana, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, and Zaire is currently listed as unknown due to lack of information Distribution Overview West Africa, from Liberia to Zaire, Uganda, and Tanzania. Heartwood Color Brown Red Pink Black Pale brown Yellowish tan Yellow to golden-yellow to orange White to cream Sapwood Color White Yellow Same as heartwood Clearly differentiated from the heartwood Grain Straight Even Straight Generally straight, but not always Texture Coarse Fine Medium Fine and uniform Luster Low Lustrous Natural Durability Durable Moderately durable Susceptible to insect attack Resistant to termites Resistant to marine borers Non-resistant to termites Non-resistant to marine borers Resistant to powder post beetles Perishable Very little natural resistance Susceptible to attack from powder post (Lyctid & Bostrychid) beetles Susceptible to attack by Lyctus Silica Content Siliceous Kiln Schedules Drying (speed) is fast Drying Defects Moderate twist/warp Ease of Drying Requires a controlled drying to prevent shrinkage Tree Identification Bole/stem form is fluted Bole/stem form is buttressed Bole/stem form is straight Tree Size Tree height is 30-40 m Bole length is 10-20 m Tree height is 40-50 m Product Sources The ITTO reports that timber production from the species is not regular. It is exported only in low volumes. Boring Requires strong hold to prevent chipping of exit holes Cutting Resistance Cutting Resistance with green wood is easy Gluing Glues well Easy to glue Mortising Support material during mortising to prevent break out. Finishes satisfactorily Difficult to mortise Moulding Good finishing results Movement in Service Not stable/prone to move Medium Large Nailing Holds nails well Pre-boring recommended Easy to nail Planing Planes well, to a good finish Easy to plane Resistance to Abrasion Fair resistance Resistance to Impregnation Heartwood is resistant Sapwood is permeable Sapwood is modertely permeable Heartwood is permeable Heartwood is moderately resistant Resistance to Splitting Satisfactory Poor Response to Hand Tools Easy to Work Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work Easy to machine Screwing Screwing yields good results Good screw holding properties Veneering Qualities Suitable for slicing Easy to cut Steam Bending Good Polishing Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Strength Properties Max. crushing strength = high Density (dry weight) = 46-52 lbs/cu. ft. Shrinkage, Tangential = large Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = medium Density (dry weight) = 38-45 lbs/cu. ft. Bending strength (MOR) = high Shrinkage, Tangential = very small Shrinkage, Tangential = small Shrinkage, Radial = small Shrinkage, Radial = moderate Shrinkage, Radial = fairly large Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = low Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = high Hardness (side grain) = soft Density (dry weight) = 53-60 lbs/cu. ft. Bending strength (MOR) = very high Bending strength (MOR) = medium Shrinkage, Radial = very small Shrinkage, Radial = large Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = medium Density = very high Compression strength (parallel to grain) = very high Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 13089 20116 psi Density 50 lbs/ft3 Hardness 995 lbs Maximum Crushing Strength 6670 10224 psi Shearing Strength 2340 psi Stiffness 1919 2205 1000 psi Weight 45 36 lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 3 % Tangential Shrinkage 6 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 920 1414 kg/cm2 Density 801 kg/m3 Hardness 451 kg Maximum Crushing Strength 468 718 kg/cm2 Shearing Strength 164 kg/cm2 Stiffness 134 155 1000 kg/cm2 Weight 721 576 kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 3 % 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 Eggeling, W.J.,1940,Indigenous Trees of Uganda,Govt. Printer Entebbe Uganda ITTO. 1986. Tropical Timber Atlas, Volume 1 - Africa. International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) and Centre Technique Forestier Tropical (CTFT, 45bis, Avenue de la Belle Gabrielle, Nogent-sur-Marne Cedex, France. Keay, R.W.J. 1989. Trees of Nigeria. Revised Version of Nigerian Trees. Clarendon Press, Oxford. Kryn, J.M., Forbes, E.W.,1959,The Woods of Liberia,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture,Forest Products Laboratory, Madison,,Report No. 2159 Murira, K.,1984,Natural Durability Tests of Tanzanian Timbers 1955 - 1982,Tanzania Forestry Research Institute, Timber Utilisation Research Centre,,Moshi. Pardy, A.A.,1951,Notes on Indigenous Trees and Shrubs in Southern Rhodesia - Pterocarpus,angolensis,Ministry of Agriculture and Lands S. Rhodesia Bulletin No.1592 Sallenave, P.,1955,Proprietes Phyiques et Mecaniques des Bois Tropicaux de l'Union Francaise,C.T.F.T Tack, C.H.,1969,Uganda Timbers,Govt. Printer Uganda Takahashi, A.,1978,Compilation of Data on the Mechanical Properties of Foreign Woods (Part,III) Africa,Shimane University, Japan, Research Report on Foreign Wood No. 7 Tanzania Forestry Department,1962,Timbers of Tanganyika - Chrysophyllum perpulchrum,Tanzania Forestry Department, Utilisation Section, Moshi - Timbers of,Tanganyika WCMC. 1992. Conservation Status Listing - Trees and Timbers of the World. World Conservation Monitoring Center - Plants Programme, Cambridge, CB3 ODL, United Kingdom.