Scientific Name
Dacryodes excelsa
Trade Name
Gommier
Family Name
Burseraceae
Common Names
Candle tree, Candlewood, Gommier, Gommier a canot, Gommier blanc, Gommier montagne, Tabonu, Tabonuco
Regions of Distribution
Central America, Oceania and S.E. Asia
Countries of Distribution [VIEW MAP]
Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guadelope [France], Guadeloupe, Haiti, Jamaica, Netherlands, Puerto Rico [US], Puerto Rico
Common Uses
Beams, Bedroom suites, Boat building (general), Boxes and crates, Building construction, Cabin construction, Cabinetmaking, Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Concrete formwork, Construction, Decks, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Factory construction, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Food containers, Form work, Foundation posts, Framing, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Furniture, Hatracks, Heavy construction, Joists, Kitchen cabinets, Light construction, Living-room suites, Office furniture, Plywood, Porch columns, Radio – stereo – TV cabinets, Rough construction, Rustic furniture, Shingles, Stools, Tables , Utility furniture, Vehicle parts, Veneer, Veneer: decorative, Wardrobes
Environmental Profile
| Endangered | ||||||||||||
| Extinct | ||||||||||||
| Rare in parts of its natural range (population is at risk) |
Source -The Nature Conservancy – Rank of relative endangerment based mainly on the number of occurrences of the species worldwide
Distribution Overview
Puerto Rico and Lesser Antilles from St. Kitts to Grenada, including Goudeloupe and Martinique. Generally in small groups along upper slopes, but forms almost pure stands at high elevations in Dominica. This most majestic tree of Puerto Rico is mostly limited to the remaining virgin or protected rain forest of the lower slopes of the Luquillo Mountains.
Heartwood Color
| Brown | ||||||||||||
| Purple | ||||||||||||
| Black | ||||||||||||
| Yellow | ||||||||||||
| Red | ||||||||||||
| Orange | ||||||||||||
| Pale red to pink | ||||||||||||
| Purple | ||||||||||||
| Pale brown | ||||||||||||
| Brown | ||||||||||||
| Initially pink brown |
Sapwood Color
| White | ||||||||||||
| Yellow | ||||||||||||
| Brown | ||||||||||||
| Different than heartwood | ||||||||||||
| Clearly differentiated from the heartwood | ||||||||||||
| Straw colored to grayish-white |
Grain
| Figure | ||||||||||||
| Stripe (figure) | ||||||||||||
| Rippled (figure) | ||||||||||||
| Other (figure) | ||||||||||||
| Interlocked |
| Striped figure | ||||||||||||
| Rippled figure | ||||||||||||
| Other figure | ||||||||||||
| Interlocked |
Texture
| Medium | ||||||||||||
| Coarse | ||||||||||||
| Resinous and oily | ||||||||||||
| Fine to medium | ||||||||||||
| Medium | ||||||||||||
| Fine |
Luster
| Medium | ||||||||||||
| Pronounced | ||||||||||||
| Lustrous | ||||||||||||
| Occaisonally lustrous |
Natural Growth Defects
| Gum/resin streaks |
Natural Durability
| Very durable | ||||||||||||
| Durable | ||||||||||||
| Resistant to termites | ||||||||||||
| Non-resistant to powder post beetles | ||||||||||||
| Susceptible to insect attack | ||||||||||||
| Susceptible to attack from termites (Isoptera) | ||||||||||||
| The heartwood is susceptible to wood staining fungal attack | ||||||||||||
| Susceptible to marine borer attack | ||||||||||||
| Moderately durable |
Untreated timber in ground contact has very little natural resistance to decay fungi, and is readily attacked by marine-borers and dry-wood termites.
Odor
| Has an odor | ||||||||||||
| No specific smell or taste |
Silica Content
| Moderate silica contact | ||||||||||||
| Likely to have significant impact on machining | ||||||||||||
| Contains high levels of silica (> 0.5% of dry weight) |
Toxicity
| Some toxic effects |
Kiln Schedules
| Drying (speed) is fast |
Drying Defects
| Splitting | ||||||||||||
| Checking | ||||||||||||
| Distortion | ||||||||||||
| Slight twist/warp | ||||||||||||
| Slight surface checking | ||||||||||||
| Slight spring/bow | ||||||||||||
| Slight cupping |
The timber may warp and end-check slightly during air-seasoning.
Ease of Drying
| Slowly | ||||||||||||
| Moderately Difficult to Difficult | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Easy | ||||||||||||
| Requires special attention | ||||||||||||
| Easy | ||||||||||||
| May degrade |
Kiln Drying Rate
| Naturally dries slowly |
Tree Identification
| Bole/stem form is straight | ||||||||||||
| Bole/stem form is not buttressed |
Tree Size
| Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm | ||||||||||||
| Tree height is 30-40 m | ||||||||||||
| Tree height is 10-20 m |
Product Sources
The ITTO reports that timber from this species is produced in limited quantities, and is exclusively for local consumption.
Certified Source
| Certified Source |
Comments
General finishing qualities are rated as good
Standing Gommier trees are often tapped for a fragrant resin exudate which is used for the manufacture of candle and also for medicinal purposes.
The timber polishes well.
Blunting Effect
| High to severe | ||||||||||||
| Blunting effect on sawing green wood is moderate | ||||||||||||
| Blunting effect on sawing dry wood is moderate | ||||||||||||
| Blunting effect on sawing green wood is severe | ||||||||||||
| Blunting effect on sawing dry wood is severe |
Blunting effect on cutting edges may be rather severe because of high levels of silica
Boring
| Moderately easy | ||||||||||||
| Difficult |
Cutting Resistance
| Cutting Resistance with dry wood is easy | ||||||||||||
| Cutting Resistance with green wood is easy |
But silica tends to dull saw-teeth rapidly.
Gluing
| Fair to Good Results | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy | ||||||||||||
| Easy to glue |
Mortising
| Finishes well |
Moulding
| Good finishing results |
Movement in Service
| Fair to Good Stability – Medium Movement | ||||||||||||
| Excellent Stability – Small Movement |
Nailing
| Pre-Boring Recommended | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult | ||||||||||||
| Holds nails well |
Planing
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy | ||||||||||||
| Planes well, to a good finish | ||||||||||||
| Machined surfaces are fairly smooth | ||||||||||||
| Generally easy to use hand tools | ||||||||||||
| Easy to use machine tools |
Resistance to Impregnation
| Sapwood is resistant | ||||||||||||
| Resistant | ||||||||||||
| Heartwood is very resistant | ||||||||||||
| Heartwood is resistant |
Both heartwood and sapwood respond very poorly to preservative treatment
Resistance to Splitting
| Good |
Response to Hand Tools
| Easy to Work | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work | ||||||||||||
| Easy to machine | ||||||||||||
| Moderate working qualities | ||||||||||||
| Moderate blunting effect on cutting edges |
Sanding
| Good sanding finish |
Screwing
| Pre-boring recommended | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult |
Turning
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy | ||||||||||||
| Very Good to Excellent Results | ||||||||||||
| Fair to Good Results | ||||||||||||
| Easy to turn | ||||||||||||
| Good results | ||||||||||||
| Finish is generally satisfactory |
Steam Bending
| Very Good to Excellent Results | ||||||||||||
| Fair to Good Results | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
Polishing
| Fair to Good Results | ||||||||||||
| Poor to Very Poor Results | ||||||||||||
| Very Good to Excellent Results |
Staining
| Finish is generally good |
Varnishing
| Good results |
Strength Properties
| Max. crushing strength = medium | ||||||||||||
| Density (dry weight) = 38-45 lbs/cu. ft. | ||||||||||||
| Bending strength (MOR) = medium | ||||||||||||
| Shrinkage, Tangential = small | ||||||||||||
| Shrinkage, Radial = moderate | ||||||||||||
| Shrinkage, Tangential = very small | ||||||||||||
| Shrinkage, Radial = very small | ||||||||||||
| Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = very low | ||||||||||||
| Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = low | ||||||||||||
| Bending strength (MOR) = high |
Numerical Data
| Item | Green | Dry | English |
| Bending Strength | 9959 | 14761 | psi |
| Density | 40 | lbs/ft3 | |
| Hardness | 882 | lbs | |
| Impact Strength | 37 | 63 | inches |
| Maximum Crushing Strength | 4263 | 6839 | psi |
| Stiffness | 1206 | 1470 | 1000 psi |
| Toughness | 158 | inch-lbs | |
| Specific Gravity | 0.48 | ||
| Weight | 39 | 31 | lbs/ft3 |
| Radial Shrinkage | 3 | % | |
| Tangential Shrinkage | 5 | % | |
| Volumetric Shrinkage | 10 | % | |
| Item | Green | Dry | Metric |
| Bending Strength | 700 | 1037 | kg/cm2 |
| Density | 641 | kg/m3 | |
| Hardness | 400 | kg | |
| Impact Strength | 93 | 159 | cm |
| Maximum Crushing Strength | 299 | 480 | kg/cm2 |
| Stiffness | 84 | 103 | 1000 kg/cm2 |
| Toughness | 182 | cm-kg | |
| Specific Gravity | 0.48 | ||
| Weight | 624 | 496 | kg/m3 |
| Radial Shrinkage | 3 | % | |
| Tangential Shrinkage | 5 | % |
References
Brown, W.H.,1978,Timbers of the World, No. 9 Central America and the Caribbean,TRADA, Red Booklet Series
Chichignoud, M., G. Deon, P. Detienne, B. Parant, and P. Vantomme. 1990. Tropical Timber Atlas of Latin America. Prepared for International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) by Centre Technique Forestier Tropical (CTFT, Division of CIRAD, 45bis, Avenue de la Belle Gabrielle, Nogent-sur-Marne Cedex, France.
Chudnoff, M.,1984,Tropical Timbers of the World,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products,Laboratory, Madison.
Little, E.L., Wadsworth, F.H.,1964,Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Handbook,No.249
Longwood, F.R.,1961,Puerto Rican Woods – Their Machining Seasoning and Related Characteristics,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Handbook,No.205
Takahashi, A.,1975,Compilation of data on the Mechanical Properties of Foreign Woods (Part 2,Central and South America,Shimane University, Japan, Research Report on Foreign Wood No.4
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.