Burkea Africana (Burkea)

Scientific Name
Burkea africana

Trade Name
Burkea

Family Name
Leguminosae

Common Names
Aradibo, Atakpla, Avadibo, Bak’in, Bomni, Burkea, Bwamiri, Bwanzalenga, Cabilangan, Dagbongum, Esseresu opirimu, Gbagbongum, K’iryar dutse, Kapanga, Karya gatari, Kinkili, Kinkiri, Kirintanga, Kokobi, Kolo, Kombo, Kur’di, Kuru, Langengu, M’carati, Maccarati, Mak’arfo, Makarati, Make, Malawi, Mgando, Mkarati, Monoodo, Msangala, Mucarala, Mucarati, Mukalati, Mukarati, Musheshe, Mutundungu, Namijin k’irya, Pinimo, Pirimo, Pirimu, Sandering, Siri, Tachale, Tschesili, Tschingli, Umnondo, Wild seringa, Wilde sering, Wildesering

Regions of Distribution
Africa

Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP]
Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Common Uses
Agricultural implements, Bedroom suites, Boat building (general), Boxes and crates, Building construction, Building materials, Cabin construction, Cabinetmaking, Charcoal, Construction, Crossties, Domestic flooring, Drawer sides, Excelsior, Factory construction, Flooring, Flooring: commercial heavy traffic, Fuelwood, Furniture , Furniture, Heavy construction, Joinery, Kitchen cabinets, Light construction, Living-room suites, Millwork, Mine timbers, Office furniture, Parquet flooring, Poles, Posts, Radio – stereo – TV cabinets, Railroad ties, Tool handles, Turnery, Vats, Vehicle parts

Environmental Profile

Distribution Overview
Widely distributed in dry savanna forests from Nigeria southward to Transvaal.

Heartwood Color

Sapwood Color

Grain

Texture

Luster

Natural Growth Defects

Natural Durability

Odor

Light-Induced Color Change

Kiln Schedules

Drying Defects

Ease of Drying

Kiln Drying Rate

Tree Size

Comments
General finishing qualities are rated as good

Cutting Resistance

Gluing

Moulding

Movement in Service

Nailing

Planing

Resistance to Impregnation

Resistance to Splitting

Response to Hand Tools

Sanding

Screwing

Turning

Polishing

Staining

Strength Properties

Numerical Data

References
Babajide, Lucas E., Shegun, Ajayi D.,1966,Stiffness and specific gravity related to other mechanical properties for,seven tropical timbers.,Nigeria Federal Department Forest Research, Ibadan, Report No.10

Banks, C.H. and J.P. Schoeman. 1963. Railway Sleeper and Crossing Timbers. Bulletin No. 41, Republic of South Africa. The Government Printer, Pretoria, South Africa.

Banks, C.H., Kromhout, C.P.,1966,Notes on the Timber of Burkea africana Hook with Particular Reference to,Material from S.W.Africa,Bosbou in Suid-Afrika,No.7, pp17-29

Banks, C.H., Schoeman, J.P., Otto, K.P.,1977,The Mechanical Properties of Timbers with particular reference to South,Africa,South African Forestry Research Institute Bulletin,(Ed.,Schoeman, J.P. 1973 & Otto K.P. 1976,No.48

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

Bryce, J.M.,1967,Commercial Timbers of Tanzania,Tanzanian Forestry Division Util. Sec. Moshi

Chudnoff, M.,1984,Tropical Timbers of the World,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products,Laboratory, Madison.

Dalziel, J.M.,1937,The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa,Crown Agents for the Colonies

Eggeling, W.J.,1940,Indigenous Trees of Uganda,Govt. Printer Entebbe Uganda

Erfurth, T., Rusche, H.,1976,The Marketing of Tropical Wood A. Wood Species from African Moist Forests,F.A.O. Forestry Department

Fanshawe, D.B.,1962,Fifty Common Trees of Northern Rhodesia,Natural Resources Board and Forestry Department, Ndola

Farmer, R.H.,1972,Handbook of Hardwoods,HMSO

Ferreirinha, M.P.,1955,Catalogo des Madeiras de Mocambique (pt 1,Min. do Ultramar Junta Invest. do Ultranar Memorias Serie Botanica, 2

Fortin, Y., Poliquin, J.,1976,Natural Durability and Preservation of 100 Tropical African Woods,International Development Research Centre, Canada

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.

Irvine, F.R.,1961,Woody Plants of Ghana,O.U.P. London

Jay, B.A.,1968,Timbers of West Africa,TRADA, Red Booklet Series

Keay, R.W.J. 1989. Trees of Nigeria. Revised Version of Nigerian Trees. Clarendon Press, Oxford.

Murira, K.,1984,Natural Durability Tests of Tanzanian Timbers 1955 – 1982,Tanzania Forestry Research Institute, Timber Utilisation Research Centre,,Moshi.

Organisation for European Economic Co-operation,1951,African Tropical Timber (Nomenclature, Description,OEEC

Pardy, A.A.,1952,Notes on Indigenous Trees and Shrubs of S. Rhodesia – Burkea africana,(Hook,Ministry of Agriculture and Lands S. Rhodesia Bulletin No.1651

Scott, J.D.,1950,Some Nigerian Timbers,Nigerian Forestry Department

Scott, M.H.,1935,Weights of South African Growth Timbers,South African Department of Agriculture and Forestry Bulletin,No.145,Forest Products Institute, Forestry Series No.1

Scott, M.H.,1950,Notes on the more Important African Timbers Imported into the Union with,Special Ref. to Port. E.A. Species,Journal of the South African Forestry Association,No.19,pp18-62,[South,African Forestry Journal]

Scott, M.H.,1953,Utilisation Notes on South African Timbers,South African Forestry Department Bulletin No.36

Storrs, A.E.G.,1979,Know your Trees – Some of the Common Trees found in Zambia,Zambia Forestry Department, Ndola

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

Tanzania Forest Department,1960,The Natural Durability of Local Timbers,Tanzanian Forest Dept. Tech. Note,No.14

Tanzania Forest Department,1961,Timbers of Tanganyika – Brachystegia spiciformis,Tanzania Forest Dept. Util. Sec. Moshi – Timbers of Tanganyika

Tanzania Forest Division,1966,Kiln Drying Schedules for Tanzania Timbers Technical Note no.38,Tanzania Forest Div. Util. Sec. Moshi

Tanzania Forest Division,1967,Timbers of Tanganyika – Burkea africana,Tanzania Forest Div. Util. Sec. Moshi – Timbers of Tanganyika

WCMC. 1992. Conservation Status Listing – Trees and Timbers of the World. World Conservation Monitoring Center-Plants Programme, Cambridge, CB3 ODL, United Kingdom.

White, F.,1962,Forest Flora of Northern Rhodesia,O.U.P. London