Search for

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 Comments Common Names Common Uses Countries of Distribution Cutting Resistance Distribution Overview Drying Defects Ease of Drying Environmental Profile Family Name Grain Heartwood Color Kiln Schedules Light-Induced Color Change Luster Mortising Moulding Movement in Service Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Planing References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Routing & Recessing Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Silica Content Strength Properties Synonyms Texture Trade Name Tree Identification Tree Size Turning Scientific Name Poulsenia armata Trade Name Mastate Family Name Moraceae Synonyms Poulsenia aculeata, Coussapoa requoi, Inophloeum armatum Common Names Abababite, Carnero, Chirimoya, Cocua, Corbon, Cucua, Cucua damagua, Damagua, Majagua, Maragua, Mastate, Namagua, Tachore, Tumu, Yanchama Regions of Distribution Central America, Latin America Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Bolivia, Colombia, Columbia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru Common Uses Boxes and crates, Construction, Furniture, Interior construction, Light construction, Mine timbers, Plywood corestock, Toys, Turnery, Veneer Environmental Profile Status unknown in many of its growth areas Data source is World Conservation Monitoring Center Distribution Overview The geographical range of the species extends from Vera Cruz, Mexico, through Central America and southward into Colombia, Ecuador and Bolivia in South America. Heartwood Color Brown Red Yellow to golden-yellow to orange Not clearly defined from sapwood Sapwood Color Pink White to yellow Same as heartwood Paler than heartwood Matures to brown or oatmeal upon esposure Grain Straight Figure Interlocked Even Other (figure) Straight Interlocked Other figure Straight to interlocked Texture Fine Coarse Coarse Medium Generally coarse Luster High Pronounced Lustrous High Natural Durability Perishable Resistant to marine borers Perishable Very little natural resistance when in contact with ground Very durable Heartwood is susceptible to wood staining fungal attack Odor No specific smell or taste Silica Content Siliceous Severe Moderate silica contact Likely to have significant impact on machining Contains very high levels of silica (>8.0% of dry weight) Light-Induced Color Change Darker Kiln Schedules Dry at a moderate speed Drying Defects No twisting or warping No surface checking Ease of Drying Fairly Easy Moderately Difficult to Difficult Moderate Dries with very little or no degrade Tree Identification Bole/stem form is buttressed Tree Size Tree height is 20-30 m Comments General finishing qualities are rated as poor Blunting Effect High to severe Blunting effect on machining is severe Severe and rapid blunting effect Boring Fairly easy to very easy Carving Fairly Easy to Very Easy Cutting Resistance Gum-Up Easy to saw Cutting Resistance with green wood is easy Surfaces tend to be woolly Cutting Resistance with green wood is difficult Mortising Fairly Easy to Very Easy Moulding Fairly Easy to Very Easy Movement in Service Stable Planing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Difficult to plane Areas of interlocked grain may cause tearing Resistance to Impregnation Resistant heartwood Resistant sapwood Permeable sapwood Heartwood is permeable Response to Hand Tools Responds Readily Easy to machine Routing & Recessing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Sanding Fairly Easy to Very Easy Turning Fairly Easy to Very Easy Interlocked grain & silica content affect results Clean finish is difficult to obtain Strength Properties Bending strength (MOR) = low Hardness (side grain) = very soft Density (dry weight) = 23-30 lbs/cu. ft. Shrinkage, Tangential = moderate Shrinkage, Radial = small Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = very low Max. crushing strength = medium Max. crushing strength = low Low resistance to denting and marring Density = medium Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 6111 8372 psi Density 25 lbs/ft3 Hardness 327 lbs Maximum Crushing Strength 3027 5157 psi Stiffness 1017 1089 1000 psi Specific Gravity 0.31 Weight 25 21 lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 3 % Tangential Shrinkage 7 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 429 588 kg/cm2 Density 400 kg/m3 Hardness 148 kg Maximum Crushing Strength 212 362 kg/cm2 Stiffness 71 76 1000 kg/cm2 Specific Gravity 0.31 Weight 400 336 kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 3 % References Altamirano, S.V.,1992,Maderas de Bolivia (Caracteristicas y usos de 55 maderas tropicals,Camara Nacional Forestal Chudnoff, M.,1984,Tropical Timbers of the World,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products,Laboratory, Madison. Little, E.L.,1948,A Collection of Tree Specimens from Western Ecuador,Caribbean Forester,9(3,pp215-98 Peru - P.A.D.T.,1981,Descripcion general y anatomica de 105 Maderas del Grupo Andino,Junta del Acuerdo de Cartagena, P.A.D.T. Report, Junac, Lima, Peru. Record, S.J., Hess, R.W.,1940,American Woods of the Family Moraceae,Tropical Woods,8(61,pp11-54 Record, S.J., Hess, R.W.,1943,Timbers of the New World,Yale University Press Takahashi, A.,1975,Compilation of data on the Mechanical Properties of Foreign Woods (Part 2,Central and South America,Shimane University, Japan, Research Report on Foreign Wood No.4 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.