Scientific Name
Dacryodes le testui
Trade Name
Adjouaba
Family Name
Burseraceae
Common Names
Adjouaba, Assia, Igaganga, Mouguengueri, Mouvendo, Ossabel, Ozigo, Safoukala
Regions of Distribution
Africa
Countries of Distribution [VIEW MAP]
Gabon
Common Uses
Balusters, Bedroom suites, Building construction, Building materials, Cabinetmaking, Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Construction, Core Stock, Decorative plywood, Decorative veneer, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Domestic flooring, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Factory flooring, Figured veneer, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Flooring, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Hatracks, Interior construction, Kitchen cabinets, Light construction, Living-room suites, Moldings, Office furniture, Parquet flooring, Pile-driver cushions, Piling, Plain veneer, Plywood, Pulp/Paper products, Pulpwood, Shipbuilding, Veneer
Environmental Profile
| Questionable | ||||||||||||
| Abundant/Secure | ||||||||||||
| Status has not been officially assessed |
Distribution Overview
West Africa in the rain forests.
Heartwood Color
| Red | ||||||||||||
| Yellow | ||||||||||||
| Orange | ||||||||||||
| Purple | ||||||||||||
| Black | ||||||||||||
| Brown | ||||||||||||
| Pink | ||||||||||||
| Highly variable | ||||||||||||
| Gray buff |
Sapwood Color
| White | ||||||||||||
| Yellow | ||||||||||||
| Color not distinct from heartwood |
Grain
| Even | ||||||||||||
| Closed | ||||||||||||
| Interlocked |
| Interlocked |
Texture
| Fine | ||||||||||||
| Medium | ||||||||||||
| Medium to coarse |
Luster
| Low | ||||||||||||
| Occaisonally lustrous |
Natural Growth Defects
| Gum ducts in timber |
Natural Durability
| Very durable | ||||||||||||
| Durable | ||||||||||||
| Resistant to marine borers | ||||||||||||
| Susceptible to attack by marine borers and termites |
Odor
| Has an odor | ||||||||||||
| No specific smell or taste |
Silica Content
Dacryodes timbers usually contain silica in enough quantities to affect some machining properties
Silica Content
Toxicity
| Some toxic effects |
Drying Defects
| Distortion | ||||||||||||
| Checking | ||||||||||||
| Splitting | ||||||||||||
| Case Hardening |
Ease of Drying
| Fairly Easy | ||||||||||||
| Slowly | ||||||||||||
| Moderately Difficult to Difficult | ||||||||||||
| Difficult |
Kiln Drying Rate
| Naturally dries slowly |
Tree Size
| Tree height is 10-20 m | ||||||||||||
| Sapwood width is 0-5 cm | ||||||||||||
| Tree height is 20-30 m | ||||||||||||
| Tree height is 30-40 m | ||||||||||||
| Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm |
Mature Dacryodes trees usually attain a height of up to 120 feet (37 m). Most trees are not buttressed
Product Sources
The ITTO reports that the species is a regular source of timber for exportation.
Certified Source
| Certified Source |
Blunting Effect
| Moderate | ||||||||||||
| Blunting effect on machining is severe |
Boring
| Fair to good results | ||||||||||||
| Fairly easy to very easy |
Carving
| Fair to Good Results | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
Cutting Resistance
| Easy to saw | ||||||||||||
| Cutting Resistance with dry wood is difficult |
Gluing
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult | ||||||||||||
| Poor to Very Poor Results | ||||||||||||
| Good jointing timber | ||||||||||||
| Easy to glue |
Mortising
| Fair to Good Results | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
Moulding
| Fair to Good Results | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
Movement in Service
| Excellent Stability – Small Movement | ||||||||||||
| Stable |
Nailing
| Fair to Good Results | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy | ||||||||||||
| Holds nails well |
Planing
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy | ||||||||||||
| Fair to Good Results | ||||||||||||
| Very Good to Excellent Results | ||||||||||||
| Generally easy to use hand tools | ||||||||||||
| Easy to use machine tools |
A reduced cutting angle of 15 degrees is suggested to prevent the material from picking up in planing
Resistance to Impregnation
| Resistant sapwood | ||||||||||||
| Resistant heartwood | ||||||||||||
| Resistant |
Response to Hand Tools
| Easy to Work | ||||||||||||
| Responds Readily | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work | ||||||||||||
| Easy to machine |
Routing & Recessing
| Fair to Good Results | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
Sanding
| Very Good to Excellent Results | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
Screwing
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy | ||||||||||||
| Fair to Good Results | ||||||||||||
| Good screw holding properties |
Turning
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy | ||||||||||||
| Fair to Good Results | ||||||||||||
| Very Good to Excellent Results |
Veneering Qualities
| Suitable for slicing | ||||||||||||
| Suitable for peeling |
Polishing
| Fair to Good Results | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy | ||||||||||||
| Very Good to Excellent Results | ||||||||||||
| Good results |
Staining
| Very Good to Excellent Results | ||||||||||||
| Fair to Good Results |
Numerical Data
| Item | Green | Dry | English |
| Bending Strength | 16121 | psi | |
| Density | 45 | lbs/ft3 | |
| Maximum Crushing Strength | 8852 | psi | |
| Stiffness | 1774 | 1000 psi | |
| Toughness | 270 | inch-lbs | |
| Specific Gravity | 0.56 | ||
| Radial Shrinkage | 6 | % | |
| Tangential Shrinkage | 7 | % | |
| Volumetric Shrinkage | 14 | % | |
| Item | Green | Dry | Metric |
| Bending Strength | 1133 | kg/cm2 | |
| Density | 721 | kg/m3 | |
| Maximum Crushing Strength | 622 | kg/cm2 | |
| Stiffness | 124 | 1000 kg/cm2 | |
| Toughness | 311 | cm-kg | |
| Specific Gravity | 0.56 | ||
| Radial Shrinkage | 6 | % | |
| Tangential Shrinkage | 7 | % |
References
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
Chudnoff, M.,1984,Tropical Timbers of the World,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products,Laboratory, Madison.
ITTO. 1986. Tropical Timber Atlas, Volume 1 – Africa. International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) and Centre Technique Forestier Tropical (CTFT, 45bis, Avenue de la Belle Gabrielle, Nogent-sur-Marne Cedex, France.