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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 Common Names Common Uses Countries of Distribution Cutting Resistance Drying Defects Ease of Drying Family Name Gluing Grain Heartwood Color Kiln Schedules Mortising Moulding Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Painting Planing Polishing References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Routing & Recessing Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Staining Steam Bending Strength Properties Synonyms Texture Trade Name Tree Identification Tree Size Turning Varnishing Scientific Name Polyscias ferruginea Trade Name Lunga Family Name Araliaceae Synonyms Panax fulvum, Polyscias fulva Common Names Lunga, Monge, Mujugantara, Mungu, Mutengambiya, Mwadzi, Parasol tree Regions of Distribution Africa Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Benin, Cameroon, Congo, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Togo, Zimbabwe Common Uses Boxes and crates, Joinery Heartwood Color White Brown Red Green/grey Pink White to cream Pale red to pink Sapwood Color Red Brown White Grain Even Straight Figure Weak (figure) Weak figure Straight Texture Even or uniform Uniform Fine Coarse Coarse Natural Durability Perishable Non-durable Susceptible to attack from termites (Isoptera) Sapwood is susceptible to wood staining fungal attack Perishable Non durable Durable Kiln Schedules Dry at a slow speed Drying Defects Uneven Moisture Content Splitting Moderate twist/warp Moderate cupping Ease of Drying Rapidly Fairly Easy Little degrade Tree Identification Bole/stem form is straight Bole/stem form is not buttressed Bole/stem form is cylindrical Tree Size Bole length is 10-20 m Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm Blunting Effect Little Boring Fair to good results Fairly difficult to very difficult Carving Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Cutting Resistance Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult to saw Cutting Resistance with green wood is easy Cutting Resistance with dry wood is easy Gluing Very Good to Excellent Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Easy to glue Mortising Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Moulding Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Movement in Service Fair to Good Stability - Medium Movement Nailing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Holds nails well Planing Easy to plane Resistance to Impregnation Sapwood is permeable Heartwood is moderately resistant Response to Hand Tools Easy to machine Routing & Recessing Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Screwing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Turning Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Steam Bending Unsuitable Tends to Degrade Painting Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Satisfactory results Polishing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Staining Fair to Good Results Surface Preparation Fairly Easy to Very Easy Varnishing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Satisfactory Strength Properties Max. crushing strength = low Bending strength (MOR) = low Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = very low Hardness (side grain) = very soft Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 6111 9589 psi Hardness 319 lbs Maximum Crushing Strength 2139 3916 psi Stiffness 1017 1199 1000 psi Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 429 674 kg/cm2 Hardness 144 kg Maximum Crushing Strength 150 275 kg/cm2 References Eggeling, W.J.,1940,Indigenous Trees of Uganda,Govt. Printer Entebbe Uganda Fouarge, J.,1970,Essais Physiques,Mecaniques et de Durabilite de Bois de la Republique,Democratique du Congo,I.N.E.A.C. Belgium Serie Technique,No.76 Goldsmith, B., Carter, D.T.,1981,The Indigenous Timbers of Zimbabwe,Forestry Commission, Zimbabwe Research Bulletin No.9 Irvine, F.R.,1961,Woody Plants of Ghana,O.U.P. London Keay, R.W.J.,1964,Nigerian Trees Vol.2,Nigeria Federal Department of Forest Research, Ibadan Murira, K.,1984,Natural Durability Tests of Tanzanian Timbers 1955 - 1982,Tanzania Forestry Research Institute, Timber Utilisation Research Centre,,Moshi. Takahashi, A.,1978,Compilation of Data on the Mechanical Properties of Foreign Woods (Part,III) Africa,Shimane University, Japan, Research Report on Foreign Wood No. 7