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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 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 Moulding Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Planing Polishing References Regions of Distribution Response to Hand Tools Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Strength Properties Texture Trade Name Tree Identification Tree Size Turning Veneering Qualities Scientific Name Cordia dodecandra Trade Name Canalete Family Name Boraginaceae Common Names Amapa asta, Amapa beba, Amapa bola, Anacuite, Asta, Baria, Barl, Bocote, Bojon, Bonom, Canalete, Canaletta, Chackopte, Copite, Cupane, Freijo, Grisino, Gueramo, Habeen, K'an-k'opte, Keopte, Kopte, Laurel, Negra, Ocotillo meco, Palo de asta, Pardillo del monte, Peterebi, Siricote, Siricote blanco, Trompillo, Varia, Veria, Veria prieta, Zac-copte, Ziricote Regions of Distribution Central America, Latin America Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico Common Uses Beams, Bedroom suites, Billiard-cue butts, Boat building, Building construction, Cabin construction, Cabinetmaking, Canoes, Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Concrete formwork, Construction, Core Stock, Decks, Decorative veneer, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Domestic flooring, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Excelsior, Factory construction, Figured veneer, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Flooring, Flooring: industrial heavy traffic, Form work, Foundation posts, Framing, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Furniture, Hatracks, Heavy construction, Joinery, Joists, Kitchen cabinets, Lifeboats, Light construction, Living-room suites, Office furniture, Paneling, Plywood, Railroad ties, Sporting Goods, Tool handles, Turnery, Veneer: decorative Environmental Profile Vulnerable in parts of its natural habitat Generally secure within most of its natural habitat, but note exceptions. Data source is World Conservation Monitoring Center Vulnerable in Mexico Distribution Overview Belize, Brazil, Colombia, Florida, Guatemala, Mexico (Campeche, Chiapas, Quintana Roo,Veracruz, Yucatan), Venezuela, West Indies. A lowland rainforest species. In Quintana Roo, the species occurs in forests on black soils and in secondary formations. Heartwood Color Brown Purple Green/grey Red Reddish brown Greenish to greyish Dark brown Contains dark streaks Sapwood Color White Pink Yellow Yellow reddish-brown White to yellow Well defined Same as heartwood Grain Straight Figure Interlocked Even Distinct (figure) Growth rings (figure) Straight Distinct figure Straight to interlocked Interlocked Clear growth rings (figure) Texture Fine Medium Fine Luster Medium Lustrous Natural Durability Naturally resistant Kiln Schedules UK=E US=T6D2/T3D1 Fr=5 T6 - D2 (4/4 - 6/4) US T3 - D1 (8/4) US Dry at a slow speed Drying Defects Severe end splitting Moderate end spitting Ease of Drying Difficult Easy Tree Identification Bole/stem form is straight Tree Size Tree height is 10-20 m Comments General finishing qualities are rated as good Boring Good results Cutting Resistance Easy to saw Gluing Glues well Moulding Easy to mould Nailing Good nailing properties Planing Good planing properties Easy to plane Response to Hand Tools Easy to Work Easy to machine Excellent response Sanding Very good results Turning Good results Veneering Qualities Suitable for slicing Diifficult to veneer Polishing Excellent results Strength Properties Hardness (side grain) = hard Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = low Shrinkage, Volumetric = small Shrinkage, Tangential = small Shrinkage, Tangential = moderate Shrinkage, Radial = small Shrinkage, Radial = moderate Resists denting and marring Density = very high Density (dry weight) = 53-60 lbs/cu. ft. Density (dry weight) = 46-52 lbs/cu. ft. Bending strength (MOR) = medium Bending strength (MOR) = low Bending strength (MOR) = high Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 10784 14481 psi Density 53 lbs/ft3 Hardness 2282 lbs Stiffness 1388 1590 1000 psi Toughness 333 inch-lbs Specific Gravity 0.66 Weight 50 40 lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 3 % Tangential Shrinkage 6 % Volumetric Shrinkage 8 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 758 1018 kg/cm2 Density 849 kg/m3 Hardness 1035 kg Stiffness 97 111 1000 kg/cm2 Toughness 383 cm-kg Specific Gravity 0.66 Weight 801 641 kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 3 % Tangential Shrinkage 6 % References Boone, R.S., C.J. Kozlik, P.J. Bois, E.M. Wengert. 1988. Dry Kiln Schedules for Commercial Hardwoods -Temperate and Tropical. USDA, Forest Service, General Technical Report FPL-GTR-57, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin. 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, 45bis 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. Echenique-Manrique, R., Diaz Gomez, V.,1969,Algunas Caracteristicas Technologicas de la Madera de once Especies,Mexicanas. (Some technological characteristics of the wood of eleven,Mexican species.,Inst. Nac. Inv. For. Mexico Boletin Tecnico,27 Gomez-Vazquez, B.G.,1981,Wood structure and potential end uses of some lesser known Mexican timber,species,Thesis for Msc. Univ. Wales Bangor Handloggers. 1993. Personal Communication. Howard, A.L.,1948,A Manual of Timbers of the World.,Macmillan & Co. Ltd. London 3rd ed. Kribbs, D.A. 1959. Commercial Foreign Woods on the American Market. Buckhout Lab., Dept. of Botany, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania. Pennington, T.D., Sarukhan, J.,1968,Manual para la Identificacion de campo de los Principales Arboles,Tropicales de Mexico,Inst. Nac. Inv. For. Mexico Perpetua Hardwoods. Sea Star Trading Co. - Purveyors of Fine Wood. Newport, Oregon. Personal Communication, 1993. Record, S.J., Hess, R.W.,1943,Timbers of the New World,Yale University Press Saks, E.V.,1954,Tropical Hardwoods for veneer Production in Mexico,Caribbean Forester,15(3&4, pp112-9 WCMC. 1992. Conservation Status Listing - Trees and Timbers of the World. World Conservation Monitoring Center - Plants Programme, Cambridge, CB3 ODL, United Kingdom.