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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
Movement in Service
Nailing
Natural Durability
Numerical Data
Odor
Planing
Polishing
Product Sources
References
Regions of Distribution
Resistance to Impregnation
Resistance to Splitting
Response to Hand Tools
Routing & Recessing
Sanding
Sapwood Color
Scientific Name
Screwing
Staining
Strength Properties
Synonyms
Texture
Toxicity
Trade Name
Tree Identification
Tree Size
Turning
Varnishing
Veneering Qualities
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Synonyms
Terebinthus brownei, Amyris toxifera, Metopium linnaei, Metopium toxiferum
Common Names
Black poison, Black poisonwood, Boarwood, Bois mulatre, Boxcheche, Bumwood, Burn wood, Cedro prieto, Chachin, Chechem, Chechem negro, Chechen, Cochinilla, Cochinillo, Coral sumach, Cotinillo, Doctor gum, Florida poisontree, Guao, Guao de costa, Guao de peadero, Hog doctor, Hog gum, Hog plum, Honduras walnut, Jamaica sumach, Kabal'chechem, Manceniller, Mountain manchineel, Mulatre, Palo de rosa, Papayo, Papyo, Poison tree, Poison wood, Poisontree
Regions of Distribution
Central America, Latin America, North America, Oceania and S.E. Asia
Countries of Distribution
[VIEW MAP]
Bahamas, Belize, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Netherlands, Puerto Rico [US], United States
Common Uses
Boxes and crates, Bridge construction, Cabinetmaking, Chairs, Charcoal, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Core Stock, Decorative veneer, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Domestic flooring, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Factory flooring, Figured veneer, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Flooring, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Furniture, Hatracks, Heavy construction, Kitchen cabinets, Living-room suites, Office furniture, Paneling, Parquet flooring, Piling, Plain veneer, Plywood, Posts, Radio - stereo - TV cabinets, Railroad ties, Rustic furniture, Stools, Sub-flooring, Tables , Turnery, Utility furniture, Vehicle parts, Veneer, Veneer: decorative, Wardrobes
Environmental Profile
| May be rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery |
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| Globally secure |
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| Data source is Nature Conservancy |
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| Abundant |
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Distribution Overview
The species occurs in the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Jamaica, northern Guatemala, Belize, and from the Yucatan to Vera Cruz in Mexico. It is often found growing alongside Sapodilla (Manilkara zapota) in calcareous soils.
Heartwood Color
| Yellow |
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| Brown |
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| Orange |
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| Red |
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| Brown |
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| Yellow to golden-yellow to orange |
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| Reddish brown |
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| Red |
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| Greenish to greyish |
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| Dark brown |
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| Color variation is significant |
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| Alternating bands of light and dark tissue |
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Sapwood Color
| White |
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| Yellow |
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| Brown |
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| Red |
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| Pink |
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| White to yellow |
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| Well defined |
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| Yellowish brown |
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| Pinkish |
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Grain
| Figure |
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| Straight |
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| Even |
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| Interlocked |
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| Closed |
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| Other (figure) |
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| Growth rings (figure) |
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| Distinct (figure) |
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| Mottle |
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| Wavy |
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| Variable (figure) |
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| Straight |
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| Other figure |
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| Wavy |
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| Variable figure |
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| Mottled or streaked figure sometimes |
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| Interlocked |
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| Generally interlocked |
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| Figure shows attractive grain pattern |
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| Distinct figure |
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| Clear growth rings (figure) |
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Texture
| Coarse |
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| Fine |
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| Uniform |
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| Medium |
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Luster
| Medium |
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| Lustrous |
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| Slightly lustrous |
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| Pronounced |
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| Golden luster |
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Natural Durability
| Durable |
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| Susceptible to insect attack |
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| Resistant to termites |
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| Resistant to powder post beetles |
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| Very durable |
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| Durable |
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| Susceptible to marine borer attack |
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| Moderately durable |
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| Heartwood resistant to decay |
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Odor
| No specific smell or taste |
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Toxicity
| Dermatitic effects |
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| Unspecified toxicity |
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| Sap in bark may be very irritating |
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| Non-toxic |
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Kiln Schedules
| T2 - C2 (4/4 - 6/4) US |
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| Dry at a slow speed |
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Drying Defects
| Splitting |
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| Checking |
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| Severe twisting/warping |
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| Severe surface checking |
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| Severe end splitting |
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| Expect resin/gum exudation |
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Ease of Drying
| Moderately Difficult to Difficult |
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| Difficult |
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Tree Identification
| Bole/stem form is straight |
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| Bole/stem form is not buttressed |
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| Bole/stem form is misshapen |
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Tree Size
| Sapwood width is 10-15 cm |
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| Tree height is 10-20 m |
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| Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm |
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| Tree height is 30-40 m |
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Sap contained in the thin, reddish brown bark is caustic and should be avoided.
Product Sources
A lesser-known species, Black poisonwood is currently under consideration and exploration by timber merchants as a possible substitute for more exotic and endangered species.
Comments
Careful selection and matching is essential because of wide color variations.
General finishing qualities are rated as good
Wood is attractive, hard, and dense
Boring
Cutting Resistance
| Easy to saw |
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| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult to saw |
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| Cutting Resistance with green wood is difficult |
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| Cutting Resistance with dry wood is difficult |
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Gluing
Movement in Service
| Excellent Stability - Small Movement |
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| Medium |
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Nailing
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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| Very Good to Excellent Results |
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| Fair to Good Results |
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| Possible if prebored |
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| Difficult to nail |
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Planing
| Poor to Very Poor Results |
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The wood responds well to sharp tools in most machining operations.
Resistance to Impregnation
| Permeable sapwood |
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| Resistant heartwood |
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| Resistant sapwood |
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| Resistant |
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| Heartwood is extremely resistant |
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Resistance to Splitting
Response to Hand Tools
| Easy to Work |
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| Difficult to machine |
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| Easy to machine |
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Routing & Recessing
| Satisfactory routing results |
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Sanding
| Very Good to Excellent Results |
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| Fair to Good Results |
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Screwing
Turning
| Good results |
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| Easy to turn |
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Veneering Qualities
| Suitable for slicing |
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| Veneers easily |
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| Veneers moderately easy |
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| Suitable for peeling |
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| Easy to cut |
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Polishing
| Fair to Good Results |
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| Very Good to Excellent Results |
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| Good results |
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| Satisfactory results |
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| Polishes to a clean surface |
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Staining
| Takes lacquer finishes well, but responds poorly to polyurethane |
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Varnishing
| Very Good to Excellent Results |
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| Fair to Good Results |
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| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
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Strength Properties
| Density (dry weight) = 53-60 lbs/cu. ft. |
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| Shrinkage, Tangential = fairly large |
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| Shrinkage, Radial = fairly large |
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| Resists denting and marring |
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| Hardness (side grain) = medium |
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| Density = very high |
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| Density (dry weight) = 61-67 lbs/cu. ft. |
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Numerical Data
| Item | Green | Dry | English |
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| Density | | 63 | lbs/ft3 |
| Hardness | | 941 | lbs |
| Specific Gravity | 0.74 | | |
| Weight | 55 | 52 | lbs/ft3 |
| Radial Shrinkage | 4 | | % |
| Tangential Shrinkage | 7 | | % |
| Volumetric Shrinkage | 10 | | % |
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| Item | Green | Dry | Metric |
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| Density | | 1009 | kg/m3 |
| Hardness | | 426 | kg |
| Specific Gravity | 0.74 | | |
| Weight | 881 | 833 | kg/m3 |
| Radial Shrinkage | 4 | | % |
| Tangential Shrinkage | 7 | | % |
References
Belize,1946,42 Secondary Hardwood Timbers of British Honduras,British Honduras Forest Department Bulletin,No.1
Britton, N.L., Millspaugh, C.F.,1920,The Bahama Flora,Britton & Millspaugh,New York
Flynn Jr., J.H. Metopium brownii - Chechem. In A Guide to Useful Woods of the World. Flynn Jr., J.H., Editor. King Philip Publishing Co., Portland, Maine. 1994. Page 234-235.
Fors, A.J.,1965,Maderas Cubanas,Inst. Nac. Ref. Agraria La Habara
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
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
Record, S.J., Mell, C.D.,1924,Timbers of Tropical America,Yale Univ. Press
Record, S.J.,1939,American Woods of the Family Anacardiaceae,Tropical Woods,8(60,pp11-45
Saks, E.V.,1954,Tropical Hardwoods for veneer Production in Mexico,Caribbean Forester,15(3&4, pp112-9
Schiffino, J.,1945,Riqueza Forestal Dominicana (Three volumes,Secretaria de Estado de Agric. Ind. y Trabajo
Swabey, C.,1941,The Principal Timbers of Jamaica,Department of Science and Agriculture Jamaica Bulletin No.29
Tim Mahoney. Handloggers Hardwood Lumber, Larkspur, California. Personal Communication, 1993.
WARP. 1995. Getting to Know LKS: Chechem - Metopium brownei. Published Results of Test Conducted by Students at the Woodworking Centre of Ontario, Conestoga College under the Supervision of Dennis Harlock and John Buss. Understory, Volume 5, Number 1, Fall/Winter 1995. Page 9.
Wood, B., Calnan, D.,1976,Toxic Woods,British Journal of Dermat 94 Suppl. 13
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