Scientific Name
Scytopetalium tieghemii
Trade Name
Moussanghoue
Family Name
Scytopetalaceae
Common Names
Moussanghoue
Regions of Distribution
Africa
Countries of Distribution [VIEW MAP]
Ivory Coast
Common Uses
Decorative plywood, Medicinal use, Plywood
Environmental Profile
| Abundant/Secure | ||||||||||||
| Status has not been officially assessed |
Heartwood Color
| Pink | ||||||||||||
| Red | ||||||||||||
| Pink or yellow, changing upon exposure to yellow brown |
Sapwood Color
| Red | ||||||||||||
| Grey | ||||||||||||
| Brown | ||||||||||||
| Not distinct from heartwood |
Grain
| Even | ||||||||||||
| Straight |
| Generally straight, but not always |
Texture
| Coarse | ||||||||||||
| Medium |
Luster
| Low | ||||||||||||
| High | ||||||||||||
| Medium |
Natural Durability
| Perishable | ||||||||||||
| Durable | ||||||||||||
| Moderately susceptible to termite attack |
Odor
| Has an odor |
Drying Defects
| Checking | ||||||||||||
| Distortion | ||||||||||||
| Tendency to check and end-split if drying conditions are not controlled carefully |
Ease of Drying
| Reconditioning Treatement | ||||||||||||
| Seasons slowly but well, and requires care to prevent degrade |
Tree Size
| Bole length is 20-30 m | ||||||||||||
| Tree height is 40-50 m | ||||||||||||
| Tree height is 50-60 m | ||||||||||||
| Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm | ||||||||||||
| Trunk diameter is 150-200 cm |
Comments
Medicinal purposes
Blunting Effect
| Little |
Boring
| Fairly easy to very easy | ||||||||||||
| Fair to good results |
Carving
| Very Good to Excellent Results |
Cutting Resistance
| Easy to saw |
Gluing
| Fair to Good Results | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy | ||||||||||||
| Good gluing properties |
Mortising
| Very Good to Excellent Results | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy | ||||||||||||
| Fair to Good Results |
Moulding
| Fair to Good Results | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
Movement in Service
| Fair to Good Stability – Medium Movement | ||||||||||||
| Excellent Stability – Small Movement |
Nailing
| Fair to Good Results | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy | ||||||||||||
| Pre-boring recommended | ||||||||||||
| Good nailing characteristics |
Planing
| Fair to Good Results | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult | ||||||||||||
| Difficult to plane |
Timber is strong and tough,
Resistance to Impregnation
| Resistant sapwood | ||||||||||||
| Resistant heartwood | ||||||||||||
| Difficult to treat with presevatives |
Response to Hand Tools
| Responds Readily | ||||||||||||
| Easy to Work | ||||||||||||
| Poor response to hand tools |
Routing & Recessing
| Fair to Good Results | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
Sanding
| Fair to Good Results |
Screwing
| Fair to Good Results | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
Turning
| Fair to Good Results | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
Steam Bending
| Tends to Degrade | ||||||||||||
| Poor to Very Poor Results |
Polishing
| Fair to Good Results | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy | ||||||||||||
| Takes a good polish |
Staining
| Fair to Good Results | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult | ||||||||||||
| Very Good to Excellent Results |
Strength Properties
| Compression strength (parallel to grain)=very high | ||||||||||||
| Bending strength in the air-dry condition…very high |
Numerical Data
| Item | Green | Dry | English |
| Bending Strength | 10388 | 16170 | psi |
| Maximum Crushing Strength | 5194 | 8820 | psi |
| Shearing Strength | 2136 | psi | |
| Stiffness | 1764 | 2019 | 1000 psi |
| Item | Green | Dry | Metric |
| Bending Strength | 730 | 1136 | kg/cm2 |
| Maximum Crushing Strength | 365 | 620 | kg/cm2 |
| Shearing Strength | 150 | kg/cm2 |
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