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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 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 Luster Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Painting Planing Polishing References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Staining Strength Properties Texture Trade Name Tree Size Scientific Name Ocotea comoriensis Trade Name Camphre noir Family Name Lauraceae Common Names Camphre noir, E. African black camphorwood Regions of Distribution Africa Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Comoros Common Uses Balusters, Boat building, Building construction, Building materials, Cabin construction, Canoes, Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Construction, Decorative plywood, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Domestic flooring, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Excelsior, Factory construction, Factory flooring, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Flooring, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Hatracks, Heavy construction, Interior construction, Interior trim, Joinery, Kitchen cabinets, Lifeboats, Light construction, Living-room suites, Millwork, Mine timbers, Moldings, Office furniture, Parquet flooring, Plywood Environmental Profile Status has not been officially assessed Distribution Overview The species is indigenous to the Comoro Islands. Heartwood Color Brown Yellow Red Orange Pink Green/grey Light reddish-brown to yellowish-brown The heartwood ranges from yellowish brown to a walnut color, and darkens in color from the outer edges towards the center of the tree Sapwood Color White Yellow Red Not clearly differentiated from the heartwood Grain Even Closed Straight Wavy Wavy Straight The grain is usually wavy, but sometimes straight, producing an attractive figure Texture Medium Fine Medium Fine Fine to medium Luster High Medium Low Natural Durability Moderately durable Resistant to termites Non-resistant to marine borers Susceptible to insect attack Non-resistant to termites Resistant to powder post beetles Moderately resistant to attack by termites Reported as moderately resistant to termites, occasionally attacked by pinhole borers Odor Freshly sawn timber may have unpleasent odor, which fades with seasoning Drying Defects Distortion End splitting Ease of Drying Quartersawn material yields the best results Moderate Figure Occurrence is variable The material dries moderately well, but stock in thicker dimensions tends to dry with difficulty because of marked differential shrinkage Tree Size Bole length is 10-20 m Tree height is 20-30 m Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm Bole length is 20-30 m Tree height is 30-40 m Sapwood width is 5-10 cm Bark width is 10-15 mm Sapwood width is 0-5 cm Bark width is 15-20 mm Comments Oil Cells - Timber occasionally contains tyloses and oil cells. Blunting Effect Slight dulling effect on cutting tools Cutting Resistance Easy to saw Low cutting resistance Gluing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Good gluing properties Nailing Good nailing characteristics Planing Slight dulling effect on cutting edges Responds well to ordinary tools in mortising Planing, turning, boring, moulding, and mortising operations are rather easy Resistance to Impregnation Resistant heartwood Resistant sapwood Sapwood is moderately resistant Heartwood is resistant Response to Hand Tools Easy to Work Slight dulling effect on cutting edges Responds well to hand tools Sanding Good sanding properties Screwing Good screwing properties Painting Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Polishing Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Staining Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Good staining qualities Strength Properties Compression strength (parallel to grain) = high Bending strength (MOR) = high The species has high bending strength in the air-dry condition (about 12 percent moisture content). It compares favorably with Teak, which also has high bending strength. Maximum crushing strength, or compression strength parallel to grain, is high. Some familiar species with high crushing strength parallel to grain include Hard maple, Teak, and White oak Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 8820 14161 psi Maximum Crushing Strength 4410 7130 psi Shearing Strength 1862 psi Stiffness 1519 1764 1000 psi Specific Gravity 0.28 0.51 Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 620 995 kg/cm2 Maximum Crushing Strength 310 501 kg/cm2 Shearing Strength 130 kg/cm2 Stiffness 106 124 1000 kg/cm2 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