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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 Drying Rate Kiln Schedules Luster Mortising Moulding Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Painting Planing Polishing Product Sources References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Routing & Recessing Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Staining Strength Properties Synonyms Texture Trade Name Tree Identification Tree Size Turning Scientific Name Manilkara zapota Trade Name Chicle Family Name Sapotaceae Synonyms Sapota zapotilla, Achras sapota, Manilkara zapahilla Common Names Black bully, Breiapfel, Cal-que-lidze-na, Chewing gum tree, Chicle, Chicle macho, Chicle tree, Chicltree, Chico, Chicosapote, Chicozapote, Chiczapotl, Chiquibul, Dilly, Guela-china, Gueladao guenda-china, Guenda-guina, Guendaxina, Iban, Jaas, Jega, Jiga, Korob, Licsujacat, Mespel, Mispel, Mispelboom, Mispoe, Mispu, Mo-ta, Muy, Muyozapot, Naseberry, Neesberry, Nisberry, Nisperillo, Nispero, Nispero de montana, Nispero de monte, Nispero quitense, Nispero tierno, No-yumna, Pernetamo, Peruetano, Red silion, Sak-ya, Sapatija, Sapodilla, Sapodilla plum, Sapote, Sapoti, Sapotier, Sapotilha, Sapotillbaum, Sapotille, Sapotiller, Sheink, Shene, Silion, Ta-nich, Tiaca-ia, Tzabitath, Tzaput, Tzicozapotl, Xicozapotl, Yaga-guelde, Zapote, Zapote blanco, Zapote chico, Zapote colorado, Zapote de abejas, Zapote morado, Zapotillo, Zaya Regions of Distribution Central America, Latin America, North America, Oceania and S.E. Asia Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Bahamas, Belize, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, United States, Venezuela Common Uses Bridge construction, Cabinetmaking, Chemical derivatives, Construction, Crossties, Factory flooring, Flooring, Flooring: industrial heavy traffic, Furniture , Furniture, Heavy construction, Light construction, Marine construction, Mathematical instruments, Mine timbers, Musical instruments, Piling, Posts, Railroad ties, Rulers, Shade rollers, Shuttles, Structural work, Textile equipment, Tool handles, Turnery, Vehicle parts, Wharf construction Environmental Profile Status has not been officially assessed Distribution Overview The sapodilla is believed native to Yucatan and possibly other nearby parts of southern Mexico, as well as northern Belize and Northeastern Guatemala. In this region there were once 100,000,000 trees. The species is found in forests throughout Central America where it has apparently been cultivated since ancient times. It was introduced long ago throughout tropical America and the West Indies, the Bahamas, Bermuda, the Florida Keys and the southern part of the Florida mainland. Early in colonial times, it was carried to the Philippines and later was adopted everywhere in the Old World tropics. It reached Ceylon in 1802. Cultivation is most extensive in coastal India (Maharastra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Madras and Bengal States), where plantations are estimated to cover 4,942 acres (2,000 ha), while Mexico has 3,733.5 acres (1,511 ha) devoted to the production of fruit (mainly in the states of Campeche and Veracruz) and 8,192 acres (4,000 ha) primarily for extraction of chicle (see under "Other Uses") as well as many dooryard and wild trees. Commercial plantings prosper in Sri Lanka, the Philippines, the interior valleys of Palestine, as well as in various countries of South and Central America, including Venezuela and Guatemala. Heartwood Color Red Brown Purple Pink Reddish brown Dark brown Greenish to greyish Pale red to pink Sapwood Color White Yellow Pink Grey Brown Pinkish Well defined Different than heartwood Color not distinct from heartwood Grain Straight Even Figure Interlocked Rippled (figure) Stripe (figure) Straight Striped figure Rippled figure Interlocked Generally straight, but not always Texture Medium Coarse Fine Fine Fine to medium Luster Medium Low Lustrous Natural Durability Durable Resistant to termites Moderately durable Non-resistant to powder post beetles Susceptible to insect attack Very durable Durable Resistant to attack from marine borers Resistant to wood staining fungal attack Resistant to attack from termites (Isoptera) Highly resistant to decay and wood destroying insects Odor No specific smell or taste Kiln Schedules Dry at a slow speed Drying Defects Moderate surface checking Moderate end spitting Severe surface checking Severe end splitting Ease of Drying Fairly Easy Rapidly Thick Stock Requires Care Reconditioning Treatement Little degrade Difficult Air dries easily and uniformly Kiln Drying Rate Drying rate is fairly rapid to fast Naturally dries quickly Rapid Tree Identification Bole/stem form is straight Bole/stem form is not buttressed Tree Size Tree height is 20-30 m Tree height is 10-20 m Sapwood width is 5-10 cm Sapwood width is 10-15 cm Bole length is 0-10 m The tree used to be the primary source of chicle, a prime ingredient in chewing gum. Trees scarred with machete are scattered throughout the understory in forests in the northern parts of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. Product Sources Supplies are limited since the timber is believed to be exported in only small quantities, if at all. It is available in small quantities in Florida where the tree has naturalized. Comments General finishing qualities are rated as good General finishing qualities are rated as satisfactory Blunting Effect Little Boring Fairly easy to very easy Fair to good results Easy Carving Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Cutting Resistance Easy to saw Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult to saw Moderate to saw Cutting Resistance with green wood is difficult Cutting Resistance with dry wood is difficult Gluing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Mortising Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Moulding Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Very Good to Excellent Results Movement in Service Excellent Stability - Small Movement Nailing Pre-Boring Recommended Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Possible if prebored Difficult to nail Planing Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Planes well, to a good finish Splinters easily High density makes planing difficult Difficult to plane Resistance to Impregnation Permeable sapwood Resistant heartwood Resistant sapwood Response to Hand Tools Easy to Work Responds Readily Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work Difficult to machine Easy to machine Routing & Recessing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fair to Good Results Sanding Fair to Good Results Turning Very Good to Excellent Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fair to Good Results Good results Easy to turn Painting Fair to Good Results Polishing Poor to Very Poor Results Fair to Good Results Satisfactory results Polishes to a clean surface Good results Staining Fair to Good Results Strength Properties Density (dry weight) = 67-75 lbs/cu. ft. Density (dry weight) = >75 lbs/cu. ft. Density (dry weight) = 61-67 lbs/cu. ft. Weight = high Hardness = very high Bending strength (MOR) = high Some Mayan structures are reported to still contain sound members of Sapodilla wood. Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 18259 27966. psi Crushing Strength 2175 3377. psi Density 51 lbs/ft3 Maximum Crushing Strength 8154 13069. psi Static Bending 8851 13800. psi Stiffness 2634 3114. 1000 psi Specific Gravity 0.71 Weight 55 50 lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 6 % Tangential Shrinkage 9 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 1283 1966. kg/cm2 Crushing Strength 152 237. kg/cm2 Density 817 kg/m3 Maximum Crushing Strength 573 918. kg/cm2 Static Bending 622 970. kg/cm2 Stiffness 185 218. 1000 kg/cm2 Specific Gravity 0.71 Weight 881 801 kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 6 % References Belize,1946,42 Secondary Hardwood Timbers of British Honduras,British Honduras Forest Department Bulletin,No.1 Benitez Ramos, R.F and J.L. Montesinos Lagos. 1988. Catalogo de cien especies forestales de Honduras: Distribution, Propiedades y Usos. Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Forestales, Siguatepeque, Honduras. Brazier, J.D., Franklin, G.L.,1967,An Appraisal of the Wood Characteristics and Potential Uses of some,Nicaraguan Timbers,FAO for Forest Products Research Laboratory, Princes Risborough Britton, N.L., Millspaugh, C.F.,1920,The Bahama Flora,Britton & Millspaugh,New York Flynn Jr., J.H. 1993. Manilkara zapota - Sapodilla. In A Guide to Useful Woods of the World. Flynn Jr., J.H., Editor. King Philip Publishing Co., Portland, Maine. 1994. Page 228-229. Fors, A.J.,1965,Maderas Cubanas,Inst. Nac. Ref. Agraria La Habara Howard, A.L.,1948,A Manual of Timbers of the World.,Macmillan & Co. Ltd. London 3rd ed. Kribs, D.A.,1950,Commercial and Foreign Woods on the American Market (a manual to their,structure, identification, uses and distribution,U.S.A. Penn. State College, Tropical Woods Laboratory Little, E.L., Wadsworth, F.H.,1964,Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Handbook,No.249 Patterson, D.,1988,Commercial Timbers of the World, 5th Edition,Gower Technical Press Pearson, R.S.,1929,Summary of preliminary reports on British Honduras sapodilla (Achras,sapota,Forest Products Research Laboratory, Princes Risborough Project O,Investigation No.8 Pennington, T.D., Sarukhan, J.,1968,Manual para la Identificacion de campo de los Principales Arboles,Tropicales de Mexico,Inst. Nac. Inv. For. Mexico Record, S.J., Hess, R.W.,1943,Timbers of the New World,Yale University Press Record, S.J., Mell, C.D.,1924,Timbers of Tropical America,Yale Univ. Press Record, S.J.,1939,American Woods of the Family Sapotaceae,Tropical Woods 8(59) pp21-51 Titmuss, F.H.,1965,Commercial Timbers of the World,Technical Press Ltd., London, 3rd edition Volkart, C.,1965,Recopilacion dedatos sobre propiedacies y usos maderos del Bosque Tropical,de las Costa Atlantica de Nicaragua,Turrialba,15(1, pp43-57 Woods, R.P.,1949,Timbers of South America,TRADA, Red Booklet Series