Scientific Name
Drypetes gossweileri
Trade Name
Akot
Family Name
Euphorbiaceae
Common Names
Akot, Etekele, Okhuaba, Olelong, Tchissakata, Yungu
Regions of Distribution
Africa
Countries of Distribution [VIEW MAP]
Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Nigeria, Zaire
Common Uses
Balusters, Bedroom suites, Building construction, Building materials, Cabinetmaking, Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Construction, Core Stock, Decorative veneer, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Domestic flooring, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Excelsior, Figured veneer, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Flooring, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Hatracks, Interior construction, Joinery, Kitchen cabinets, Light construction, Living-room suites, Moldings, Office furniture, Parquet flooring, Radio – stereo – TV cabinets, Rustic furniture, Shipbuilding, Stairworks, Stools, Stringers, Sub-flooring
Environmental Profile
| Generally secure within its natural habitat | ||||||||||||
| Data source is World Conservation Monitoring Center |
Distribution Overview
High forests of West and Central Africa, from Nigeria through Angola to Zaire.
Heartwood Color
| Red | ||||||||||||
| Pink | ||||||||||||
| Pale yellow | ||||||||||||
| Occasional brown streaks |
Sapwood Color
| White | ||||||||||||
| Pink | ||||||||||||
| Yellow | ||||||||||||
| Not clearly differentiated from the heartwood | ||||||||||||
| Color not distinct from heartwood |
Grain
| Even | ||||||||||||
| Straight |
| Generally straight, but not always |
Texture
| Medium | ||||||||||||
| Fine | ||||||||||||
| Even textured |
Luster
| Medium |
Natural Durability
| Susceptible to insect attack | ||||||||||||
| Non-resistant to powder post beetles | ||||||||||||
| Non-durable | ||||||||||||
| Perishable | ||||||||||||
| Very little natural resistance | ||||||||||||
| Susceptible to attack by fungi |
Wood has very little or negligible natural resistance to attack by decay fungi and other wood destroying organisms
Odor
| Pungent odor when tree is bruised or cut | ||||||||||||
| Bark has very strong peppery smell |
Drying Defects
| Distortion |
Ease of Drying
| Fairly Easy | ||||||||||||
| Dries slowly | ||||||||||||
| Difficult |
Tree Size
| Bole length is 10-20 m |
The tree is reported to reach a height of about 115 feet (35 m) at maturity and develops straight, slightly fluted but unbuttressed boles, with merchantable lengths of up to 90 feet (27 m) long
Boring
| Good (75+ pieces out of 100 will yield good to excellent results) |
Carving
| Very good results |
Cutting Resistance
| Easy to saw | ||||||||||||
| Easy to saw |
The wood has low resistance to sawing and saws to a smooth finish
Gluing
| Glues well |
Mortising
| Good mortising properties |
Moulding
| Very good moulding properties |
Planing
| Planing yields smooth surfaces | ||||||||||||
| Easy to plane |
Resistance to Impregnation
| Sapwood is moderately resistant | ||||||||||||
| Heartwood is resistant |
Response to Hand Tools
| Responds well to hand tools |
Routing & Recessing
| Good in both routing and recessing. |
Sanding
| Easy to sand |
Turning
| Fair to Good Results | ||||||||||||
| Yields fairly smooth surfaces | ||||||||||||
| Easy to turn |
Veneering Qualities
| Veneers easily | ||||||||||||
| Veneers moderately easy | ||||||||||||
| Suitable for peeling | ||||||||||||
| No drying degrade |
Painting
| Good results |
Polishing
| Polishes easily |
Numerical Data
| Item | Green | Dry | English |
| Bending Strength | 16464 | psi | |
| Maximum Crushing Strength | 8977 | psi | |
| Stiffness | 1779 | 1000 psi | |
| Specific Gravity | 0.48 | 0.63 | |
| Radial Shrinkage | 3 | % | |
| Tangential Shrinkage | 6 | % | |
| Volumetric Shrinkage | 11 | % | |
| Item | Green | Dry | Metric |
| Bending Strength | 1157 | kg/cm2 | |
| Maximum Crushing Strength | 631 | kg/cm2 | |
| Stiffness | 125 | 1000 kg/cm2 | |
| Specific Gravity | 0.48 | 0.63 | |
| Radial Shrinkage | 3 | % | |
| Tangential Shrinkage | 6 | % |
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
Keay, R.W.J. 1989. Trees of Nigeria. Revised Version of Nigerian Trees. Clarendon Press, Oxford.