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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 Drying Rate
Luster
Mortising
Moulding
Movement in Service
Nailing
Natural Durability
Natural Growth Defects
Numerical Data
Odor
Painting
Planing
Plantation species?
Polishing
References
Regions of Distribution
Resistance to Impregnation
Response to Hand Tools
Routing & Recessing
Sanding
Sapwood Color
Scientific Name
Screwing
Staining
Steam Bending
Strength Properties
Texture
Toxicity
Trade Name
Tree Identification
Tree Size
Turning
Veneering Qualities

Scientific Name
Eucalyptus citriodora

Trade Name
Lemon scented gum

Family Name
Myrtaceae

Wood Image 1

Common Names
Eucalyptus, Lemon eucalyptus, Lemon scented gum, Spotted gum, Spotted iron gum

Plantation species?
Yes

Regions of Distribution
Africa, Latin America, Oceania and S.E. Asia

Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP]
Australia, Brazil, Congo, Fiji [Polynesia], Fiji, India, Madagascar, South Africa

Common Uses
Agricultural implements, Artificial limbs, Axles, Baseball bats, Bedroom suites, Boat building (general), Boat building, Boat building: framing, Boat building: planking, Boxes and crates, Bridge construction, Broom handles, Brush backs & handles, Building construction, Building materials, Cabin construction, Cabinetmaking, Canoes, Carvings, Charcoal, Construction, Cooperages, Decks, Domestic flooring, Drawer sides, Factory construction, Flooring, Flooring: commercial heavy traffic, Flooring: industrial heavy traffic, Furniture , Furniture, Handles, Handles: general, Handles: woodworking tools, Heavy construction, Joinery, Kitchen cabinets, Ladders, Lifeboats, Living-room suites, Medicinal use, Mine timbers, Office furniture, Paneling, Parquet flooring, Particleboard, Piling, Plywood, Pulp/Paper products, Radio - stereo - TV cabinets, Railroad ties, Shafts/Handles, Shipbuilding, Sporting Goods, Sub-flooring, Tool handles, Turnery, Vehicle parts, Veneer, Wharf construction, Wheel spokes, agricultural implements

Environmental Profile
Abundant/Secure
Status has not been officially assessed


Distribution Overview
Occurs naturally only on the central and northern coasts of Queensland, Australia, but does well in much of Africa, Brazil, California, Hawaii, India and even Portugal.

Heartwood Color
Yellow
Brown
Orange
Red
White
Purple
Tan
Pink
Green/grey
Pale brown
Greenish to greyish
Dark brown
Brown
Light brown
Grey brown


Sapwood Color
White
Yellow
Brown
Red
Green/Grey
White to yellow
Wide
Whitish
Well defined
Cream

Up to 2 inches (5 cm) wide

Grain
Wavy
Straight
Figure
Interlocked
Variable (figure)
Closed
Even
Other (figure)
Fiddleback (figure)

Wavy
Straight
Interlocked
Variable figure
Other figure
Fiddleback figure


Texture
Medium
Fine
Coarse
Coarse
Medium to coarse
Medium


Luster
Low
Medium


Natural Growth Defects
Gum/resin streaks
Gum canals


Natural Durability
Moderately durable
Susceptible to insect attack
Durable
Non-resistant to powder post beetles
Non-durable
Non-resistant to termites
Resistant to marine borers
Perishable
Very durable
Non-resistant to marine borers
Resistant to termites
Resistant to powder post beetles
Susceptible to attack from powder post (Lyctid & Bostrychid) beetles
Durable
Moderately durable
Susceptible to marine borer attack
Susceptible to attack from termites (Isoptera)
Susceptible to attack by marine borers and termites
Good weathering properties, well suited for exterior applications.


Odor
No specific smell or taste


Toxicity
Dermatitic effects


Drying Defects
Distortion
Checking
Internal Honeycombing Possible
Collapse
Splitting
Moderate surface checking
Moderate collapse and honeycombing
Moderate twist/warp
Slight collapse and honeycomb
Collapse
Checking

Reconditioning is not recommended because of the possibility of opening up existing checks.

Ease of Drying
Moderately Difficult to Difficult
Thick Stock Requires Care
Slowly
Variable results.
Easy
Apt to degrade


Kiln Drying Rate
Naturally dries slowly


Tree Identification
Bole/stem form is straight
Bole/stem form is not buttressed


Tree Size
Trunk diameter is 150-200 cm
Tree height is 40-50 m
Trunk diameter is 200-250 cm
Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm
Tree height is 50-60 m
Tree height is 30-40 m
Tree height is 20-30 m
Tree height is 60-70 m
Tree height is greater than 70 m


Comments
The tree is reported to yield good honey, and the leaves contain oil which is used for medicinal purposes. The species is closely related to Spotted irongum (Eucalyptus maculata ).

Blunting Effect
Slight effect


Boring
Fair to good results
Fairly difficult to very difficult
Fairly easy to very easy
Good results


Carving
Fair to Good Results
Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult
Easy to carve


Cutting Resistance
Easy to saw
Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult to saw
Cutting Resistance with green wood is easy
Cutting Resistance with dry wood is easy
Easy to saw
Cutting Resistance with green wood is moderate
Cutting Resistance with dry wood is moderate


Gluing
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Moderate gluing properties
May require surface treatment for best results
Easy to glue


Mortising
Fair to Good Results
Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult
Easy to mortise

Seasoned wood with interlocked grain may chip in mortising operations

Moulding
Fair to Good Results
Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Good moulding properties

Occasional chipping when working seasoned wood.

Movement in Service
Unstable with Poor Stability - Large Movement


Nailing
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult
Difficult to nail


Planing
Fair to Good Results
Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult
Planes well, to a good finish
Ease of planing is moderate
Easy to plane

Chipping may occur in seasoned material due to interlocked grain.

Resistance to Impregnation
Resistant heartwood
Resistant sapwood
Permeable sapwood
Sapwood is permeable
Heartwood is highly resistant
Sapwood is treatable
Heartwood is resistant


Response to Hand Tools
Easy to Work
Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work
Responds Readily
Easy to machine
Moderate working qualities
May tear when working with hand tools


Routing & Recessing
Fair to Good Results
Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult
Good in both routing and recessing.


Sanding
Fair to Good Results
Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Responds well


Screwing
Fairly Easy to Very Easy
Easy to screw
Screwing yields satisfactory results
Fairly good characteristics


Turning
Fair to Good Results
Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult
Easy to turn

Seasoned material with interlocked grain may chip

Veneering Qualities
Suitable for peeling
Veneers easily
Veneers moderately easy
Difficult to veneer


Steam Bending
Fair to Good Results
Good
Moderate


Painting
Good results


Polishing
Very Good to Excellent Results
Good results
Satisfactory results
Very good results


Staining
Finish is generally good
Finish is generally satisfactory
Stains well


Strength Properties
Max. crushing strength = high
Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = medium
Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = high
Bending strength (MOR) = high
Density (dry weight) = 61-67 lbs/cu.ft
Shrinkage, Tangential = fairly large
Shrinkage, Radial = moderate
Shrinkage, Radial = small
Bending strength (MOR) = medium
Shrinkage, Tangential = moderate
Shrinkage, Tangential = large
Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = medium
Max. crushing strength = medium
Density (dry weight) = 53-60 lbs/cu. ft
Shrinkage, Radial = large
Shrinkage, Radial = fairly large
Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = low
Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = high
Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = low
Density (dry weight) = 46-52 lbs/cu. ft.
Density (dry weight) = 67-75 lbs/cu. ft
Bending strength (MOR) = low
Shrinkage, Tangential = small
Max. crushing strength = very high
Hardness (side grain) = medium
Hardness (side grain) = hard
Bending strength (MOR) = very high


Numerical Data
ItemGreenDryEnglish
Bending Strength1290319490psi
Crushing Strength11171583psi
Density52lbs/ft3
Hardness1913lbs
Maximum Crushing Strength66009595psi
Shearing Strength2287psi
Static Bending854610800psi
Stiffness203624161000 psi
Toughness241inch-lbs
Specific Gravity0.620.65
Weight5648lbs/ft3
Radial Shrinkage4%
Tangential Shrinkage8%
ItemGreenDryMetric
Bending Strength9071370kg/cm2
Crushing Strength78111kg/cm2
Density833kg/m3
Hardness867kg
Maximum Crushing Strength464674kg/cm2
Shearing Strength160kg/cm2
Static Bending600759kg/cm2
Stiffness1431691000 kg/cm2
Toughness277cm-kg
Specific Gravity0.620.65
Weight897769kg/m3
Radial Shrinkage4%

References
Ali, M.O., Yakub, M.D. and Bhattacharjee, D.K.,1972,Physical and mechanical properties of Toon, Bhadi and Eucalyptus,Bangladesh FRI, Chittagong Bulletin 3 Timber Physics Series

Alston, A.S.,1966,Powder Post Beetle Lyctus Species,Fiji Forestry Department, Suva. Fiji timbers and their uses No.6

Banks, C.H., Schoeman, J.P., Otto, K.P.,1977,The Mechanical Properties of Timbers with particular reference to South,Africa,South African Forestry Research Institute Bulletin,(Ed.,Schoeman, J.P. 1973 & Otto K.P. 1976,No.48

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

Boas, I.H.,1947,The Commercial Timbers of Australia - Their Properties and Uses,Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Melbourne

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

Bolza, E., Kloot, N.H.,1972,The Mechanical Properties of 56 Fijian Timbers,Australia C.S.I.R.O. Division of Forest Products Technological Paper,No.,62

Chinchole, P.R., Salgiya, S.C.,1971,Anatomical and Chemical Characteristics of Indian Hardwoods with Special,Reference to their Suitability for Pulp: Part IV Eucalyptus citriodora,,Terminalia tomentosa, Strychnos niuxvomica,Indian Pulp and Paper 26(1/6) pp7-13

Fiji Forestry Department,1967,The Properties and Potential Uses of the Exotic Species 2- Lemon Scented,Gum (E.citriodora) A Summary of C.S.I.R.O. Investigations,Fiji Timbers and their Uses No.24, Department of Forestry, Suva, Fiji

Fiji Forestry Department,1981,The Properties and Uses of 43 Indigenous and Exotic Timbers,Fiji Forestry Department, Fiji Timbers and their Uses No.71

Hillis, W.E. and A.G. Brown, Editors. 1984. Eucalyptus for Wood Production. Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Academic Press, Australia.

Keating, W.G., Bolza, E.,1982,Characteristics properties and uses of timbers. South East Asia, Northern,Australia and the Pacific,C.S.I.R.O. Div. Chemical Technology,Inkata Press,1

Poynton, R.J.,1957,Notes on Exotic Forest Trees in South Africa (Second Edition, Revised,South African Forestry Department Bulletin No.38

Queensland Department of Forestry,1987,Timber Species - Spotted Gum (Eucalyptus maculata, E. citriodora, E.,henryi,Queensland Deparment of Forestry, Timber Utilisation Branch, Timber,Species No. 14

Scott, M.H.,1935,Weights of South African Growth Timbers,South African Department of Agriculture and Forestry Bulletin,No.145,Forest Products Institute, Forestry Series No.1

Shukla, N.K. and Rajput, S.S.,1983,Physical and Mechanical Properties of Eucalypts grown in India,Indian Forester 109(112) 933-43

Smith, W.J., W.T. Knyaston, M.L. Cause, and J.G. Grimmett. 1991. Building Timbers - Properties and Recommendations for their Uses in Queensland. Technical Pamphlet No. 1. Queensland Forest Service, Department of Primary Industries, Queensland, Australia.

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









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