Scientific Name
Cordia platythyrsa
Trade Name
West African cordia
Family Name
Boraginaceae
Common Names
Ebe, Omo, West African cordia
Regions of Distribution
Africa
Countries of Distribution [VIEW MAP]
Cameroon, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Togo, Zaire
Common Uses
Boat building, Cabinetmaking, Canoes, Core Stock, Decorative veneer, Furniture , Furniture, Interior construction, Joinery, Paneling , Sounding boards
Environmental Profile
| Status unknown in many of its growth areas | ||||||||||||
| Data source is World Conservation Monitoring Center |
Distribution Overview
Cameroon, Ghana, C�te.d’ivoire, Liberia and Sierra Leone, in the dense forests and in the old secondary vegetable formations. It is a pioneer species. The trees of bigger size belonging to this species (by considerant C millenii and C platythyrsa together) prefer the intact and well drained places, while the smaller trees frequently grow in disturbed forests.
Heartwood Color
| White | ||||||||||||
| Brown | ||||||||||||
| Red | ||||||||||||
| Pink | ||||||||||||
| Tan | ||||||||||||
| Yellow to golden-yellow to orange | ||||||||||||
| Pale brown | ||||||||||||
| Brown | ||||||||||||
| Golden brown | ||||||||||||
| Golden brown with a reddish cast | ||||||||||||
| Dark brown | ||||||||||||
| Contains dark streaks |
Sapwood Color
| Brown | ||||||||||||
| Red | ||||||||||||
| White | ||||||||||||
| Pink | ||||||||||||
| Tan | ||||||||||||
| Paler than heartwood |
Grain
| Figure | ||||||||||||
| Interlocked | ||||||||||||
| Stripe (figure) | ||||||||||||
| Rays (figure) | ||||||||||||
| Mottle |
| Striped figure | ||||||||||||
| Interlocked | ||||||||||||
| Rays figure | ||||||||||||
| Mottled or streaked figure sometimes | ||||||||||||
| Interlocked |
Grain is irregular in direction and is often interlocked. Medium sized rays combine with interlocked grain to produce an attractive striped and mottled ray figure on quarter sawn surfaces.
Texture
| Medium | ||||||||||||
| Coarse | ||||||||||||
| Medium |
Luster
| Medium | ||||||||||||
| Low | ||||||||||||
| Lustrous |
Natural Growth Defects
| Brittleheart is often frequent and extensive |
Natural Durability
| Perishable | ||||||||||||
| Non-durable | ||||||||||||
| Moderately durable | ||||||||||||
| Durable |
Natural resistance to decay varies from high in the outer heartwood to medium or low in the inner heartwood. Inner heartwood is less dense and less durable because of the prevalence of brittleheart.
Odor
| No specific smell or taste |
Kiln Schedules
| Drying (speed) is fast | ||||||||||||
| UK=K US=T13C4S/T11D3S | ||||||||||||
| T12 – C4S(4/4) US | ||||||||||||
| T11 – D3S (8/4) US | ||||||||||||
| Schedule K (4/4) United Kingdom |
Drying Defects
| Slight twist/warp | ||||||||||||
| Water pockets | ||||||||||||
| Slight spring/bow |
Ease of Drying
| Rapidly | ||||||||||||
| Reconditioning Treatement | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Easy | ||||||||||||
| Easy | ||||||||||||
| Dries rapidly |
Kiln Drying Rate
| Naturally dries quickly |
Tree Identification
| Bole/stem form is cylindrical | ||||||||||||
| Bole/stem form is buttressed |
Tree Size
| Tree height is 20-30 m | ||||||||||||
| Tree height is 30-40 m |
Comments
General finishing qualities are rated as good
Blunting Effect
| Slight | ||||||||||||
| Blunting effect on machining is slight |
Boring
| Fair to good results | ||||||||||||
| Easy | ||||||||||||
| Requires strong hold to prevent chipping of exit holes |
Carving
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
Cutting Resistance
| Cutting resistance with dry wood is moderate |
Cross-Cutting may cause bottom of cut to break out, and narrow band-sawing is rated as satisfactory
Gluing
| Glues well |
Mortising
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy | ||||||||||||
| Worked surfaces tend to be woolly | ||||||||||||
| Sharp cutting edges are essential |
Moulding
| Satisfactory moulding results |
Movement in Service
| Stable | ||||||||||||
| Small |
Nailing
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy | ||||||||||||
| Very Good to Excellent Results | ||||||||||||
| Fair to Good Results | ||||||||||||
| Holds satisfactorily | ||||||||||||
| Good nailing properties |
Planing
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy | ||||||||||||
| Fair to Good Results | ||||||||||||
| Sharp cutting edges recommended | ||||||||||||
| Reduction of cutting angle recommended | ||||||||||||
| Easy to plane | ||||||||||||
| Ease of planing is moderate | ||||||||||||
| Areas of interlocked grain may cause tearing |
Resistance to Impregnation
| Permeable heartwood | ||||||||||||
| Permeable sapwood | ||||||||||||
| Heartwood is resistant | ||||||||||||
| Heartwood is highly resistant |
Response to Hand Tools
| Easy to Work | ||||||||||||
| Responds Readily | ||||||||||||
| Easy to machine |
Routing & Recessing
| Fair to Good Results | ||||||||||||
| Satisfactory routing results |
Sanding
| Fair to Good Results |
Screwing
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy | ||||||||||||
| Very Good to Excellent Results | ||||||||||||
| Fair to Good Results | ||||||||||||
| Good screwing properties |
Turning
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy | ||||||||||||
| Finish is generally satisfactory | ||||||||||||
| Difficult to achieve clean surfaces against the grain |
Veneering Qualities
| Suitable for peeling |
Steam Bending
| Very poor |
Polishing
| Satisfactory results | ||||||||||||
| Requires a filler |
Staining
| Stains well after surface treatment |
Strength Properties
| Bending strength (MOR) = low | ||||||||||||
| Density (dry weight) = 23-30 lbs/cu. ft. | ||||||||||||
| Shrinkage, Tangential = very small | ||||||||||||
| Shrinkage, Radial = small | ||||||||||||
| Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = very low | ||||||||||||
| Max. crushing strength = medium | ||||||||||||
| Hardness (side grain) = very soft | ||||||||||||
| Resistance to shock loads is very low | ||||||||||||
| Max. crushing strength = low | ||||||||||||
| Density = low | ||||||||||||
| Compression strength (parallel to grain) = medium | ||||||||||||
| Bending strength (MOR) = medium |
Numerical Data
| Item | Green | Dry | English |
| Bending Strength | 7149 | 10007 | psi |
| Density | 25 | lbs/ft3 | |
| Hardness | 457 | lbs | |
| Maximum Crushing Strength | 3525 | 5338 | psi |
| Stiffness | 989 | 1146 | 1000 psi |
| Specific Gravity | 0.39 | ||
| Weight | 25 | 21 | lbs/ft3 |
| Radial Shrinkage | 3 | % | |
| Tangential Shrinkage | 4 | % | |
| Volumetric Shrinkage | 8 | % | |
| Item | Green | Dry | Metric |
| Bending Strength | 502 | 703 | kg/cm2 |
| Density | 400 | kg/m3 | |
| Hardness | 207 | kg | |
| Maximum Crushing Strength | 247 | 375 | kg/cm2 |
| Stiffness | 69 | 80 | 1000 kg/cm2 |
| Specific Gravity | 0.39 | ||
| Weight | 400 | 336 | kg/m3 |
| Radial Shrinkage | 3 | % | |
| Tangential Shrinkage | 4 | % |
References
Boone, R.S., C.J. Kozlik, P.J. Bois and E.M. Wengert. 1988. Dry Kiln Schedules for Commercial Woods: Temperate and Tropical. United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, General Technical Report FPL-GTR-57, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin.
Chudnoff, M.,1984,Tropical Timbers of the World,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products,Laboratory, Madison.
Erfurth, T., Rusche, H.,1976,The Marketing of Tropical Wood A. Wood Species from African Moist Forests,F.A.O. Forestry Department
HMSO. 1981. Handbook of Hardwoods, 2nd Edition. Revised by R.H. Farmer. Department of the Environment, Building Research Establishment, Princes Risborough Laboratory, Princes Risborough, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.
Keay, R.W.J. 1989. Trees of Nigeria. Revised Version of Nigerian Trees. Clarendon Press, Oxford.
Lincoln, W.A. 1986. World Woods in Color. Linden Publishing Co. Inc. Fresno, California.
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
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.