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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. Boring Carving 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 Mortising Moulding Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Planing Polishing References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Routing & Recessing Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Silica Content Strength Properties Texture Trade Name Tree Size Turning Veneering Qualities Scientific Name Piptadenia psilostachya Trade Name Carbonero Family Name Mimosaceae Common Names Bocachico, Carabali, Carbonero, Hediondo, Huilca, Rabo de iguana, Tarahuilca, Yiguire Regions of Distribution Central America, Latin America Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Columbia, French Guiana, Guyana, Venezuela Common Uses Building construction, Building materials, Cabin construction, Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Construction, Crossties, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Domestic flooring, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Factory construction, Factory flooring, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Flooring, Foundation posts, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Hatracks, Heavy construction, Kitchen cabinets, Living-room suites, Mine timbers, Office furniture, Parquet flooring, Posts, Radio - stereo - TV cabinets, Railroad ties, Rustic furniture, Stakes, Stools, Sub-flooring, Tables , Turnery, Utility furniture, Wardrobes Environmental Profile Data source is World Conservation Monitoring Center This species is officially classified as Rare within its natural growth ranges in French Guiana and Guyana Distribution Overview Various species in the Piptadenia genusare distributed in abundance throughout tropical South America. Heartwood Color Brown Red White Pink Brown, yellowish brown, or reddish brown Sapwood Color Red Brown White Not always distinct from heartwood Light brown to whitish Grain Even Figure Straight Irregular May be straight, irregular, or wavy Texture Even or uniform Uniform Fine Medium Medium Fine Fine to medium Luster Low Highly lustrous Natural Durability Susceptible to attack by decay fungi and insects Durable Odor No specific smell or taste Silica Content Siliceous Drying Defects Prone to severe checking Ease of Drying Thick Stock Requires Care Reconditioning Treatement Little degrade Should be air-dried with care to minimize degrade Dries slowly Tree Size They often develop straight to irregular boles that are clear of branches Boring Fair to good results Fairly easy to very easy Fair results Carving Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Good results Cutting Resistance Easy to saw Gluing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Mortising Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fair to good in mortising operations Moulding Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fairly easy to mould Nailing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Planing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Good planing properties Resistance to Impregnation Fairly treatable with preservatives Fair to good treatability Response to Hand Tools Responds Readily Easy to Work Responds well to hand tools Routing & Recessing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Routs fairly easily Sanding Good sanding properties Fair sanding qualities Screwing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Turning Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fairly easy to turn Veneering Qualities Veneers moderately easy Veneers easily Polishing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Strength Properties Very heavy Resists wearing and marring Resists denting and marring High in density Hardness = medium Exceptionally high bending strength in air-dry condition (about 12% moisture content) Compression strength (parallel to grain) = very high Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 19306 psi Density 45 lbs/ft3 Hardness 1583 lbs Maximum Crushing Strength 9036 psi Stiffness 2430 1000 psi Specific Gravity 0.59 Weight 44 36. lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 4 % Tangential Shrinkage 7 % Volumetric Shrinkage 10 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 1357 kg/cm2 Density 721 kg/m3 Hardness 718 kg Maximum Crushing Strength 635 kg/cm2 Stiffness 170 1000 kg/cm2 Specific Gravity 0.59 Weight 705 576. kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 4 % Tangential Shrinkage 7 % References Chudnoff, M. 1984. Tropical Timbers of the World. United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Agriculture Handbook No. 607, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin.