Scientific Name
Widdringtonia whytei
Trade Name
Mlanje Cedar
Family Name
Common Names
Mkungusa, Mlanje Cedar, Mlanje Cypress
Regions of Distribution
Africa
Countries of Distribution [VIEW MAP]
Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe
Common Uses
Balusters, Building construction, Building materials, Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Construction, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Domestic flooring, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Exterior trim & siding, Exterior uses, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Flooring, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Hatracks, Interior construction, Interior trim, Kitchen cabinets, Light construction, Living-room suites, Millwork, Moldings, Office furniture, Paneling , Parquet flooring, Pencil, Radio – stereo – TV cabinets, Rustic furniture, Shingles, Stairworks, Stools, Stringers, Sub-flooring, Tables
Environmental Profile
| Status has not been officially assessed |
Distribution Overview
Described as a bush or a small tree, and occurs in South Africa, from the southwest Cape, east and northwards through Natal to the Soutpansberg in the northern Transvaal, up to an elevation of 8500 feet (2490 m). It is rather common along gullies and steep slopes on grassy mountain sides at Giant’s Castle Cathedral Peak in Natal.
Heartwood Color
| Yellow | ||||||||||||
| Orange | ||||||||||||
| White | ||||||||||||
| Red | ||||||||||||
| Brown | ||||||||||||
| Yellow to golden-yellow to orange | ||||||||||||
| Light brown |
Sapwood Color
| White | ||||||||||||
| Yellow | ||||||||||||
| Paler than heartwood | ||||||||||||
| Clearly differentiated from the heartwood |
Grain
| Even | ||||||||||||
| Straight |
| Straight |
Texture
| Medium | ||||||||||||
| Fine | ||||||||||||
| Fine |
Luster
| Medium | ||||||||||||
| Lustrous | ||||||||||||
| High and satiny luster |
Natural Durability
| Susceptible to insect attack | ||||||||||||
| Non-resistant to termites | ||||||||||||
| Non-durable | ||||||||||||
| Perishable | ||||||||||||
| Moderately durable | ||||||||||||
| Resistant to powder post beetles |
Very resistant to termites, borers and fungi, except the honey fungus, Armillaria sp oil in wood acts as preservative
Odor
| No characteristic taste |
Cedar-Like odor
Drying Defects
| Distortion | ||||||||||||
| Splitting | ||||||||||||
| Checking |
Ease of Drying
| Moderately Difficult to Difficult | ||||||||||||
| Rapidly |
Good seasoning characteristics.
Kiln Drying Rate
| Naturally dries quickly |
Tree Size
| Tree height is 10-20 m | ||||||||||||
| Tree height is 20-30 m | ||||||||||||
| Bole length is 0-10 m | ||||||||||||
| Tree height is 0-10 m |
Blunting Effect
| Blunting effect on machining is slight |
Boring
| Fair to good results | ||||||||||||
| Fairly easy to very easy |
Timber responds well to machine tools to yield clean surfaces in boring
Carving
| Good results |
Cutting Resistance
| Saws readily although it is hard and tough | ||||||||||||
| Easy to saw |
Gluing
| Satisfactory gluing properties |
Mortising
| Fair to Good Results | ||||||||||||
| Yields clean and smooth surfaces |
Moulding
| Good finishing results | ||||||||||||
| Easy to mould |
Nailing
| Good nailing properties |
Planing
| Fair to Good Results | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy | ||||||||||||
| Good planing properties |
Response to Hand Tools
| Easy to Work | ||||||||||||
| Responds well |
Routing & Recessing
| Responds well to routing operations |
Sanding
| Poor to Very Poor Results | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult | ||||||||||||
| Yields smooth, clean surfaces | ||||||||||||
| Easy to sand |
Screwing
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy | ||||||||||||
| Good screwing properties |
Turning
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult | ||||||||||||
| Poor to Very Poor Results | ||||||||||||
| Yields smooth, clean surface. | ||||||||||||
| Responds well |
Painting
Does not take paint well because of its oily nature
Polishing
| Polishes to a lustrous shine | ||||||||||||
| Cut surfaces are usually smooth and glossy |
Staining
| Very Good to Excellent Results | ||||||||||||
| Fair to Good Results |
Varnishing
| Interlocked slightly to moderately |
Strength Properties
| Bending strength (MOR) = high |
Moderate weight and high density
Numerical Data
| Item | Green | Dry | English |
| Bending Strength | 7350 | 11270 | psi |
| Density | 33 | lbs/ft3 | |
| Maximum Crushing Strength | 3675 | 6566 | psi |
| Shearing Strength | 1666 | psi | |
| Stiffness | 1294 | 1519 | 1000 psi |
| Specific Gravity | 0.44 | ||
| Weight | 32 | 26. | lbs/ft3 |
| Item | Green | Dry | Metric |
| Bending Strength | 516 | 792 | kg/cm2 |
| Density | 528 | kg/m3 | |
| Maximum Crushing Strength | 258 | 461 | kg/cm2 |
| Shearing Strength | 117 | kg/cm2 | |
| Stiffness | 90 | 106 | 1000 kg/cm2 |
| Specific Gravity | 0.44 |
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
Chudnoff, M.,1984,Tropical Timbers of the World,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products,Laboratory, Madison.
Palmer, E. and N. Pitman. 1972. Trees of Southern Africa, Volume 1 – Covering All Known Indidenous Species in the Republic of South Africa, South-West Africa, Botswana, Lesotho & Swaziland. A.A. Balkema, Publisher. Cape Town, South Africa.