Scientific Name
Homalium longifolium
Trade Name
Petaling padang
Family Name
Flacourtiaceae
Common Names
Petaling padang
Regions of Distribution
Oceania and S.E. Asia
Countries of Distribution [VIEW MAP]
Malaysia
Common Uses
Heavy construction, Light construction, Marine construction, Poles, Railroad ties, Turnery
Environmental Profile
| Abundant/Secure | ||||||||||||
| Vulnerable |
Heartwood Color
| Brown | ||||||||||||
| Yellow | ||||||||||||
| Orange | ||||||||||||
| Red | ||||||||||||
| Green/grey | ||||||||||||
| Purple | ||||||||||||
| Tan | ||||||||||||
| Yellow to golden-yellow to orange | ||||||||||||
| Reddish brown | ||||||||||||
| Pale brown | ||||||||||||
| Greenish to greyish |
Sapwood Color
| White | ||||||||||||
| Yellow | ||||||||||||
| Brown | ||||||||||||
| Red |
Grain
| Even | ||||||||||||
| Interlocked | ||||||||||||
| Straight | ||||||||||||
| Figure | ||||||||||||
| Weak (figure) |
| Weak figure | ||||||||||||
| Straight | ||||||||||||
| Interlocked |
Texture
| Medium | ||||||||||||
| Fine | ||||||||||||
| Coarse | ||||||||||||
| Even or uniform | ||||||||||||
| Uniform | ||||||||||||
| Medium | ||||||||||||
| Fine | ||||||||||||
| Fine to medium |
Luster
| Medium | ||||||||||||
| Low | ||||||||||||
| High | ||||||||||||
| Lustrous |
Natural Durability
| Durable | ||||||||||||
| Very durable | ||||||||||||
| Resistant to termites | ||||||||||||
| Non-resistant to marine borers | ||||||||||||
| Moderately durable | ||||||||||||
| Susceptible to insect attack | ||||||||||||
| Resistant to powder post beetles | ||||||||||||
| Resistant to attack from powder post (Lyctid & Bostrychid) beetles | ||||||||||||
| Moderately durable | ||||||||||||
| Susceptible to marine borer attack | ||||||||||||
| Resistant to wood staining fungal attack | ||||||||||||
| Resistant to attack from termites (Isoptera) |
Drying Defects
| Checking | ||||||||||||
| Splitting | ||||||||||||
| Moderate spring/bow | ||||||||||||
| Slight end splitting | ||||||||||||
| Severe surface checking | ||||||||||||
| Severe end splitting | ||||||||||||
| No twisting or warping | ||||||||||||
| Moderate surface checking | ||||||||||||
| Moderate end spitting |
Ease of Drying
| Slowly | ||||||||||||
| Thick Stock Requires Care | ||||||||||||
| Requires special attention | ||||||||||||
| Difficult |
Kiln Drying Rate
| Naturally dries slowly | ||||||||||||
| Slow | ||||||||||||
| Drying rate is slow |
Tree Identification
| Bole/stem form is fluted |
Tree Size
| Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm | ||||||||||||
| Tree height is 40-50 m | ||||||||||||
| Bole length is 20-30 m | ||||||||||||
| Tree height is 30-40 m | ||||||||||||
| Bole length is 10-20 m | ||||||||||||
| Bark width is 10-15 mm | ||||||||||||
| Trunk diameter is 150-200 cm | ||||||||||||
| Trunk diameter is 200-250 cm |
Comments
General finishing qualities are rated as good
Blunting Effect
| Moderate | ||||||||||||
| High to severe | ||||||||||||
| Blunting effect on sawing dry wood is severe | ||||||||||||
| Blunting effect on machining is slight |
Boring
| Fairly easy to very easy | ||||||||||||
| Fairly difficult to very difficult |
Carving
| Fair to Good Results |
Cutting Resistance
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult to saw | ||||||||||||
| Easy to saw | ||||||||||||
| Moderate to saw | ||||||||||||
| Cutting Resistance with dry wood is difficult |
Mortising
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
Moulding
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
Movement in Service
| Excellent Stability – Small Movement |
Planing
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult | ||||||||||||
| Planes well, to a good finish |
Resistance to Impregnation
| Resistant heartwood | ||||||||||||
| Resistant sapwood | ||||||||||||
| Permeable sapwood | ||||||||||||
| Sapwood is permeable | ||||||||||||
| Heartwood is extremely resistant |
Response to Hand Tools
| Responds Readily | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work | ||||||||||||
| Easy to Work | ||||||||||||
| Easy to machine |
Routing & Recessing
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
Sanding
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy |
Turning
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy | ||||||||||||
| Fair to Good Results | ||||||||||||
| Easy to turn |
Polishing
| Fair to Good Results | ||||||||||||
| Very Good to Excellent Results |
Staining
| Fair to Good Results |
Strength Properties
| Shrinkage, Tangential = very small | ||||||||||||
| Shrinkage, Radial = very small | ||||||||||||
| Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = medium | ||||||||||||
| Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = low | ||||||||||||
| Max. crushing strength = high | ||||||||||||
| Hardness (side grain) = medium | ||||||||||||
| Hardness (side grain) = hard |
Numerical Data
| Item | Green | Dry | English |
| Hardness | 1987 | lbs | |
| Maximum Crushing Strength | 6899 | 9945 | psi |
| Shearing Strength | 1883 | psi | |
| Radial Shrinkage | 2 | % | |
| Tangential Shrinkage | 4 | % | |
| Item | Green | Dry | Metric |
| Hardness | 901 | kg | |
| Maximum Crushing Strength | 485 | 699 | kg/cm2 |
| Shearing Strength | 132 | kg/cm2 | |
| Radial Shrinkage | 2 | % |
References
Burgess, P.F.,1966,Timbers of Sabah,Sabah Forest Record, no.6
Chudnoff, M.,1984,Tropical Timbers of the World,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products,Laboratory, Madison.
Desch, H.E.,1954,Manual of Malayan Timbers (2 vols,Malayan Forest Records,no.15
Whitmore, T.C.,1973,Tree Flora of Malaya A Manual for Foresters Volume 2,Forest Department Ministry of Primary Industries Malaysia