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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 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 Light-Induced Color Change Luster Mortising Moulding Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Planing Product Sources References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Silica Content Staining Steam Bending Strength Properties Synonyms Texture Toxicity Trade Name Tree Identification Tree Size Turning Veneering Qualities Scientific Name Parashorea lucida Trade Name Meranti-gerutu Family Name Dipterocarpaceae Synonyms Shorea subpeltata Common Names Chengal tiga banir, Damar, Damar cirik ayam, Gerutu, Gerutu gerutu, Icap, Katuko, Lemsa meluit, Meluit, Meranti gerutu, Meranti hitam, Meranti putih, Meranti-gerutu, Red meranti, Surantih, Tambun ranggas, Tengkawang pasir, Timbalon Regions of Distribution Oceania and S.E. Asia Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar Common Uses Boat building (general), Boat building, Boat building: framing, Boxes and crates, Bridge construction, Cabinetmaking, Construction, Flooring, Furniture, Heavy construction, Joinery, Light construction, Paneling, Particleboard, Plywood, Poles, Pulp/Paper products, Railroad ties, Vehicle parts, Veneer Environmental Profile Data source is World Conservation Monitoring Center This species is Vulnerable within its natural growth range and may move into the Endangered classification if current trends persist. These trends include decreasing population due to over-exploitation, extensive destruction of natural habitat, uncertain future security due to severe depletion, and threat from serious adverse environmental factors currently existing in growth range and which has the potential to drastically reduce species population Distribution Overview This species is one of three in the Parashorea genus that are reported to occur in the Malay Peninsula. The other two are P. densiflora and P. globosa . Their distribution is restricted and they are comparatively rare. Heartwood Color Red Brown Pink Purple Yellow to golden-yellow to orange Pale red to pink Pale brown Pinkish tint Light brown Brown Exposure darkens the color. The color is intermediate between those of White meranti and Light red meranti Sapwood Color Brown White to yellow The natural color of the sapwood is light yellow brown, but it is often darker in color than the heartwood because of staining from severe fungal attack. The sapwood is clearly differentiated in green and air-dry timber, but is less so in kiln-dry lumber. Width is about 2 inches (5 cm) Grain Figure Interlocked Stripe (figure) Closed Wavy Variable (figure) Interlocked Striped figure Wavy Variable figure The grain is often rather deeply interlocked and wavy. Longitudinal surfaces are rather plain in appearance, but quarter-sawn material usually has a broad striped figure. Texture Coarse Coarse Medium coarse to coarse Even textured Luster Lustrous Planed surfaces are somewhat lustrous. Natural Durability Perishable Susceptible to insect attack Resistant to powder post beetles Non-durable Moderately durable Non-resistant to termites Resistant to marine borers Sapwood is susceptible to wood staining fungal attack Moderately durable Non durable Susceptible to attack from powder post (Lyctid & Bostrychid) beetles Heartwood is susceptible to wood staining fungal attack Susceptible to marine borer attack Susceptible to attack from termites (Isoptera) Sapwood susceptible to attack by powder post beetles Pinworms (ambrosia beetles) often present in the standing tree Pinworms (ambrosia beetles) may be present in the felled log Moderately resistant to decay The wood is reported to compare favorably with some Red meranti (Shorea ) timber in this property Odor No specific smell or taste Silica Content High Light-Induced Color Change Darker Toxicity Some toxic effects Kiln Schedules Dry at a slow speed UK=C US=T3C2/T3C1 Fr=3 Drying Defects Checking Splitting Slight surface checking Moderate twist/warp Slight twist/warp Freshly converted sapwood is susceptible to sap stain Ease of Drying Fairly Easy Moderately Difficult to Difficult Easy Dries slowly Shrinkage during drying is lower than in Light red meranti (Shorea) and Kapur Tree Identification Bole/stem form is buttressed Tree Size Bole length is 10-20 m Tree height is 20-30 m Sapwood width is 0-5 cm Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm Parashorea genus is reported to produce very large trees, some of which mature to a height of 200 feet (60 m) and a trunk diameter of 36 to 60 inches (90 to 150 cm) or more overly large buttresses. They develop straight, well-formed stems that are often clear of branches to 100 feet (30 m). Product Sources It is considered to be of little or no economic importance as a source of timber because of its scarcity. Blunting Effect High to severe Blunting effect on sawing dry wood is moderate Blunting effect on machining is moderate Blunting effect on machining is fairly severe Boring Easy Cutting Resistance Easy to saw Cutting Resistance with dry wood is easy Cutting Resistance with green wood is easy Cutting Resistance with dry wood is difficult Gluing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Mortising Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Finishes well Moulding Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Nailing Pre-Boring Recommended Easy to nail Planing Planes to a satisfactory finish Easy to plane Planes well, to a good finish Ease of planing is moderate Meranti-Gerutu is more difficult to saw than Red meranti (Shorea leprosula). It is also reported to dull cutting edges rather rapidly and requires thin and sharp tools for a good finish Resistance to Impregnation Resistant heartwood Resistant sapwood Permeable sapwood Permeable heartwood Heartwood is resistant Heartwood is moderately resistant The timber responds rather poorly to preservative treatment by pressure treatment or by open-tank method Response to Hand Tools Easy to Work Easy to machine Screwing Easy to screw Turning Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Good results Easy to turn Veneering Qualities Difficult to veneer Steam Bending Very poor Staining Finish is generally good Strength Properties Density (dry weight) = 38-45 lbs/cu. ft. Density (dry weight) = 46-52 lbs/cu. ft. Density (dry weight) = 53-60 lbs/cu. ft Density (dry weight) = 31-37 lbs/cu. ft. Shrinkage, Tangential = fairly large Toughness-Hammer drop (Impact Strength) = low Shrinkage, Tangential = large Shrinkage, Radial = moderate Shrinkage, Radial = large Shrinkage, Radial = fairly large Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = low Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = high Max. crushing strength = high Hardness (side grain) = soft Bending strength (MOR) = medium Weight = heavy Shrinkage, Tangential = small Shrinkage, Tangential = moderate Shrinkage, Radial = very small Density = high Mechanical properties of material from Burma and Malaysia are very similar, but timber from Borneo is rated as inferior in all strength properties. The strength properties of Meranti-gerutu are intermediate between those of heavy Red meranti and White meranti Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 9310 14566 psi Density 44 lbs/ft3 Hardness 995 lbs Impact Strength 28 inches Maximum Crushing Strength 6899 9945 psi Shearing Strength 1560 psi Stiffness 2167 2494 1000 psi Weight 43 34 lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 5 % Tangential Shrinkage 8 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 654 1024 kg/cm2 Density 705 kg/m3 Hardness 451 kg Impact Strength 71 cm Maximum Crushing Strength 485 699 kg/cm2 Shearing Strength 109 kg/cm2 Stiffness 152 175 1000 kg/cm2 Weight 689 544 kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 5 % References Brown, W.H.,1978,Timbers of the World, No. 4 South East Asia,TRADA, Red Booklet Series Chudnoff, M.,1984,Tropical Timbers of the World,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products,Laboratory, Madison. Desch, H. E. 1957. Manual of Malayan Timbers - Volume I. Malayan Forest Records, No. 15. Malaya Publishing House Ltd., Singapore. Desch, H.E.,1954,Manual of Malayan Timbers (2 vols,Malayan Forest Records,no.15 Fundter, J.M.,1982,Names for Dipterocarp timbers and trees from Asia,Pudoc, Wageningen, Netherlands I. Soerianegara and R.H.M.J. Lemmens (Editors,1993,Plant Resources of South-East Asia 5,(PROSEA, 1,Timber trees: Major commercial timbers,Pudoc Scientific Publishers, Wageningen 1993 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 Lee, Y.H., et al,1974,Commercial Timbers of Peninsular Malaysia,Kuala Lumpur Malaysia Department of Forestry Peninsular Malaysia and,Malaysian Timber Industry Board Lee, Y.H., Lopez, D.T.,1968,The Machining Properties of some Malayan Timbers,Malayan Forester,3,pp194-210 Thomas, A.V.,1936,Timber Tests - Gerutu-genitu (Parashorea luada (Miq) Kurz,Malayan Forester 5 pp24-8 WCMC. 1992. Conservation Status Listing: Trees and Timbers of the World. World Conservation Monitoring Center (WCMC, Plants Program, 219 Huntingdon Road, Cambridge, CB3 ODL, United Kingdom.