Scientific Name
Myristica buchneriana
Trade Name
Darah darah
Family Name
Juglandaceae
Common Names
Darah darah, Duguan, Kaudamu, Kumpang, Mutwinda, Nutmeg, Penarahan, Tambolau
Regions of Distribution
Oceania and S.E. Asia
Countries of Distribution [VIEW MAP]
Fiji, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Philippines
Common Uses
Bedroom suites, Building materials, Cabinetmaking, Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Core Stock, Decorative plywood, Decorative veneer, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Excelsior, Figured veneer, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Framing, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, General carpentry, Hatracks, Interior construction, Interior trim, Joinery, Kitchen cabinets, Living-room suites, Moldings, Office furniture, Plain veneer, Plywood, Radio – stereo – TV cabinets, Rustic furniture, Stools, Structural plywood, Tables , Turnery, Utility furniture, Veneer
Environmental Profile
| Status has not been officially assessed |
Species in the Myristica genus are distributed in the Indo-Malayan region, Indonesia, Philippines, and Western Pacific Islands
Heartwood Color
| Reddish brown | ||||||||||||
| Grey brown | ||||||||||||
| Greenish to greyish | ||||||||||||
| Brown |
The heartwood is light reddish brown, dull brown, brownish-gray or olive-gray in color
Sapwood Color
| Sapwood is lighter than heartwood | ||||||||||||
| Not clearly differentiated from the heartwood |
Grain
| Even | ||||||||||||
| Straight |
| Straight |
Texture
| Fine | ||||||||||||
| Medium | ||||||||||||
| Fine | ||||||||||||
| Fine to medium | ||||||||||||
| Fair to medium coarse |
Luster
| Medium | ||||||||||||
| Slightly lustrous |
Natural Durability
| Perishable | ||||||||||||
| Susceptible to insect attack | ||||||||||||
| Non-durable | ||||||||||||
| Non-resistant to powder post beetles | ||||||||||||
| Non-resistant to termites | ||||||||||||
| Moderately durable | ||||||||||||
| Sapwood is vulnerable to attack by powder-post beetles | ||||||||||||
| Heartwood susceptible to attack by termites | ||||||||||||
| Heartwood susceptible to attack by decay fungi |
Odor
| No specific smell or taste |
Kiln Schedules
| T10 – D4S (4/4) US/T10 – D4S (4/4) U |
Drying Defects
| Distortion | ||||||||||||
| Checking | ||||||||||||
| Thinner stock may warp |
Ease of Drying
| Dries slowly with little degrade |
Tree Size
| Bole length is 20-30 m | ||||||||||||
| Tree height is 30-40 m |
Mature Myristica trees are reported to vary in size from medium to large. Boles are often straight and of good form
Boring
| Very good results |
Cutting Resistance
| Easy to saw | ||||||||||||
| Low cutting resistance | ||||||||||||
| Fairly easy to saw |
Gluing
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
Mortising
| Good mortising properties |
Moulding
| Easy to mould |
Nailing
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult | ||||||||||||
| Tends to split during nailing | ||||||||||||
| Poor nailing properties |
Planing
| Yields clean surfaces | ||||||||||||
| Easy to plane |
Resistance to Impregnation
| Resistant heartwood | ||||||||||||
| Resistant sapwood | ||||||||||||
| Timber responds readily to preservative treatment |
Response to Hand Tools
| Easy to Work | ||||||||||||
| Responds well to hand tools |
Routing & Recessing
| Routs and recesses easily |
Sanding
| Good sanding properties |
Turning
| Very easy to turn |
Polishing
| Good results |
Strength Properties
| Compression strength (parallel to grain) = medium |
Bending strength in the air-dried condition (about 12% moisture content) is medium, but lower than Mahogany, and much lower than White oak. It is not hard and can be dented and marred easily. It is of average, or medium, density.
Numerical Data
| Item | Green | Dry | English |
| Bending Strength | 6997 | 10192 | psi |
| Density | 25 | lbs/ft3 | |
| Hardness | 534 | lbs | |
| Maximum Crushing Strength | 3361 | 6213 | psi |
| Shearing Strength | 1294 | psi | |
| Static Bending | 4871 | 7056 | psi |
| Stiffness | 1401 | 1597 | 1000 psi |
| Toughness | 56 | inch-lbs | |
| Specific Gravity | 0.36 | 0.41 | |
| Item | Green | Dry | Metric |
| Bending Strength | 491 | 716 | kg/cm2 |
| Density | 400 | kg/m3 | |
| Hardness | 242 | kg | |
| Maximum Crushing Strength | 236 | 436 | kg/cm2 |
| Shearing Strength | 90 | kg/cm2 | |
| Static Bending | 342 | 496 | kg/cm2 |
| Stiffness | 98 | 112 | 1000 kg/cm2 |
| Toughness | 64 | cm-kg |
References
Bolza, E., Kloot, N. H. 1966. The Mechanical Properties of 81 New Guinea Timbers. Technological Paper No. 41. Division of Forest Products, Center for Scientific and Industrial Organization (CSIRO, Melbourne, Australia
Chudnoff, M.,1984,Tropical Timbers of the World,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products,Laboratory, Madison.
Eddowes, P.J. 1977. Commercial Timbers of Papua New Guinea – Their Properties and Uses. Forest Products Research Center, Office of Forests, Department of Primary Industry, Papua New Guinea.