Scientific Name
Cordia collococea
Trade Name
Candelera
Family Name
Boraginaceae
Common Names
Ateje, Candelera, Cereza cimarrona, Manjak, Mapou blanc
Regions of Distribution
Central America
Countries of Distribution [VIEW MAP]
Guadeloupe
Environmental Profile
| Abundant/Secure | ||||||||||||
| Status has not been officially assessed |
Distribution Overview
Various species in the hard-wooded or dark-colored Gerascanthus group of the genus Cordia grow in northern Florida, the West Indies, Central America southward to Brazil and Argentina. Species from Mexico grow at altitudes up to1640 feet (500 m) in tropical dry regions with average precipitation of about 40 inches (1000 mm).
Heartwood Color
| Brown | ||||||||||||
| Yellow | ||||||||||||
| Red | ||||||||||||
| Black | ||||||||||||
| Orange | ||||||||||||
| Pink | ||||||||||||
| Reddish brown | ||||||||||||
| Contains dark streaks |
Sapwood Color
| White | ||||||||||||
| Yellow | ||||||||||||
| Green/Grey | ||||||||||||
| Red | ||||||||||||
| Brown | ||||||||||||
| Yellow reddish-brown |
Grain
| Even | ||||||||||||
| Straight | ||||||||||||
| Interlocked |
| Straight to interlocked |
Texture
| Coarse | ||||||||||||
| Medium | ||||||||||||
| Medium |
Luster
| Lustrous |
Natural Durability
| Durable | ||||||||||||
| Very durable | ||||||||||||
| Resistant to termites | ||||||||||||
| Non-resistant to marine borers | ||||||||||||
| Non-durable | ||||||||||||
| Non-resistant to termites | ||||||||||||
| Poor weathering properties | ||||||||||||
| Naturally resistant | ||||||||||||
| Develops severe surface and end checks upon exposure to exterior conditions |
Kiln Schedules
| T6 – D2 (4/4 – 6/4) US | ||||||||||||
| T3 – D1 (8/4) US |
Drying Defects
| Splitting | ||||||||||||
| Checking | ||||||||||||
| Distortion | ||||||||||||
| Slight twist/warp | ||||||||||||
| Slight surface checking |
Checking and warping can be prevented by drying under milder conditions
Ease of Drying
| Fairly Easy | ||||||||||||
| Rapidly | ||||||||||||
| Slowly | ||||||||||||
| Medium to High Shrinkage | ||||||||||||
| Easy | ||||||||||||
| Dries rapidly |
Kiln Drying Rate
| Naturally dries quickly | ||||||||||||
| Naturally dries slowly |
Tree Size
| Tree height is 20-30 m | ||||||||||||
| Bole length is 10-20 m | ||||||||||||
| Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm | ||||||||||||
| Tree height is 30-40 m | ||||||||||||
| Sapwood width is 5-10 cm | ||||||||||||
| Tree height is 10-20 m | ||||||||||||
| Trunk diameter is 150-200 cm | ||||||||||||
| Trunk diameter is 200-250 cm |
Certified Source
| Certified Source |
Blunting Effect
| Moderate | ||||||||||||
| Little |
Boring
| Fairly easy to very easy | ||||||||||||
| Fair to good results | ||||||||||||
| Good results |
Carving
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
Cutting Resistance
| Easy to saw | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult to saw | ||||||||||||
| Easy to saw |
Gluing
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy | ||||||||||||
| Glues well |
Mortising
| Fair to Good Results | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy | ||||||||||||
| Very Good to Excellent Results |
Moulding
| Fair to Good Results | ||||||||||||
| Very Good to Excellent Results | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult | ||||||||||||
| Easy to mould |
Movement in Service
| Fair to Good Stability – Medium Movement |
Nailing
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult | ||||||||||||
| Pre-Boring Recommended | ||||||||||||
| Good nailing properties |
Planing
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult | ||||||||||||
| Very Good to Excellent Results | ||||||||||||
| Poor to Very Poor Results | ||||||||||||
| Fair to Good Results | ||||||||||||
| Good planing properties | ||||||||||||
| Easy to plane |
Resistance to Impregnation
| Resistant heartwood | ||||||||||||
| Resistant sapwood | ||||||||||||
| Permeable sapwood |
Response to Hand Tools
| Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work | ||||||||||||
| Responds Poorly | ||||||||||||
| Easy to Work | ||||||||||||
| Excellent response |
Routing & Recessing
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult |
Sanding
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy | ||||||||||||
| Fair to Good Results | ||||||||||||
| Very good results |
Screwing
| Pre-boring recommended |
Turning
| Poor to Very Poor Results | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult | ||||||||||||
| Good results |
Polishing
| Fair to Good Results | ||||||||||||
| Excellent results |
Varnishing
| Very Good to Excellent Results | ||||||||||||
| Fair to Good Results | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
Strength Properties
| Resists denting and marring | ||||||||||||
| Hardness (side grain) = hard | ||||||||||||
| Compression strength (parallel to grain) = medium | ||||||||||||
| Bending strength (MOR) = medium |
Numerical Data
| Item | Green | Dry | English |
| Bending Strength | 6831 | 11094 | psi |
| Crushing Strength | 882 | 372 | psi |
| Hardness | 794 | lbs | |
| Maximum Crushing Strength | 3440 | 5978 | psi |
| Shearing Strength | 1294 | psi | |
| Static Bending | 4508 | 6850 | psi |
| Stiffness | 1323 | 1715 | 1000 psi |
| Toughness | 84 | inch-lbs | |
| Work to Maximum Load | 5 | 10 | inch-lbs/in3 |
| Specific Gravity | 0.43 | 0.5 | |
| Radial Shrinkage | 5 | % | |
| Tangential Shrinkage | 9 | % | |
| Volumetric Shrinkage | 13 | % | |
| Item | Green | Dry | Metric |
| Bending Strength | 480 | 780 | kg/cm2 |
| Crushing Strength | 62 | 26 | kg/cm2 |
| Hardness | 360 | kg | |
| Maximum Crushing Strength | 241 | 420 | kg/cm2 |
| Shearing Strength | 90 | kg/cm2 | |
| Static Bending | 316 | 481 | kg/cm2 |
| Stiffness | 93 | 120 | 1000 kg/cm2 |
| Toughness | 96 | cm-kg | |
| Work to Maximum Load | 0.35 | 0.70 | cm-kg/cm3 |
| Specific Gravity | 0.43 | 0.5 | |
| Radial Shrinkage | 5 | % | |
| Tangential Shrinkage | 9 | % |
References
Boone, R.S., C.J. Kozlik, P.J. Bois, E.M. Wengert. 1988. Dry Kiln Schedules for Commercial Hardwoods -Temperate and Tropical. USDA, 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.
Wangaard, F.F., and A.F. Muschler. 1952. Tropical Woods – Properties and Uses of Tropical Woods, Volume III, No. 98. School of Forestry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.