Rhizophora Mangle (Mangle Colorado)

Scientific Name
Rhizophora mangle

Trade Name
Mangle Colorado

Family Name
Rhizophoraceae

Common Names
African mangrove, Ak elel, Apareiba, Atrati, Black mangrove, Candel, Candelon, Kakutiru, Mangel tan, Mangle, Mangle caballeto, Mangle colorado, Mangle de chifle, Mangle dulce, Mangle gateador, Mangle geli, Mangle injerto, Mangle pecho de pava, Mangle rojo, Mangle roso, Mangle salado, Mangle zapatero, Manglegeli, Mangro, Mangrove, Mangue, Mangue bravo, Mangue sapateiro, Mangue vermelho, Mangu� sapateiro, Ntand, Paletuvier, Paletuvier rouge, Pulapul, Purgua, Red mangrove, Woto

Regions of Distribution
Africa, Central America, Latin America, North America, Oceania and S.E. Asia

Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP]
Angola, Australia, Brazil, Cameroon, Colombia, Columbia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Gabon, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Liberia, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, Puerto Rico [US], Puerto Rico, Senegal, Suriname, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, United States, Venezuela

Common Uses
Boat building (general), Boat building, Boat building: framing, Bridge construction, Building construction, Building materials, Cabin construction, Canoes, Charcoal, Chemical derivatives, Construction, Cooperages, Crossties, Factory construction, Flooring, Flooring: commercial heavy traffic, Flooring: industrial heavy traffic, Fuelwood, Handles: general, Heavy construction, Joinery, Ladders, Lifeboats, Light construction, Mathematical instruments, Mine timbers, Piling, Posts, Pulp/Paper products, Railroad ties, Shipbuilding, Sporting Goods, Tannin, Tool handles, Turnery, Vats, Vehicle parts, Wharf construction

Environmental Profile

Heartwood Color

Initially light red in color, but it deepens to dark red or reddish brown, sometimes with a purple cast. The wood has a superficial resemblance to Black cherry (Prunus serotina ).

Sapwood Color

The sapwood is yellowish, pinkish, or grayish near the bark and turns towards darker shades of pink as it merges into the heartwood. It is reported to typically account for half or more of the log’s volume, except in very mature trees.

Grain

Stripes occasionally show purple highlights in the darker bands.

Texture

Similar to that of Black cherry

Luster

Natural Durability

Heartwood susceptible to attack by marine borers and dry-wood termites.

Odor

Light-Induced Color Change

Kiln Schedules

Drying Defects

Ease of Drying

High tangential to radial shrinkage ratio may also contribute to high drying stresses.

Kiln Drying Rate

Tree Identification

Tree Size

Clear logs that are 30 to 40 feet (9 to 12 m) long, are harvested occasionally, although this is very infrequent, since the tree often develops several low branches to compete for available sunlightThe trees, which are borne on aerial roots, are reported to often form impenetrable thickets.

Product Sources
Regenerates readily and is still plentiful within its growth range, despite recent destruction of parts of its habitat by real estate developers in southern Florida.

Comments
General finishing qualities are rated as good

General finishing qualities are rated as satisfactory

The bark of the tree is reported to contain high levels of tannin (30% of ovendry weight), which is used commercially to process hides and leather

Blunting Effect

Boring

Carving

Cutting Resistance

Gluing

Mortising

Moulding

Movement in Service

Nailing

Planing

The material is generally difficult to plane, bore, mould, and work in almost all machining operations because of its high density. Material with straight grain tends to yield smooth, finished surfaces

Resistance to Impregnation

Response to Hand Tools

Routing & Recessing

Sanding

Screwing

Turning

The wood is fine-textured and is very suitable for turnery work.

Veneering Qualities

Steam Bending

Polishing

Staining

Strength Properties

It is far superior in strength to either Teak or Hard maple. It is very hard, and may be difficult to process with ordinary tools. It is very resistant to wear. It is exceptionally heavy, weighing much more than White oak or Teak

Numerical Data

References
Acosta-Solis, M.,1959,Los Manglares del Ecuador,Inst. Ecuatoriano de Ciencias Naturales Contribucion,No.29

Acosta-Solis, M.,1960,Maderas Economicas del Ecuador y sus Usos,Editorial Casa de la Culhra Ecuatoriana Quito

Arno, J. 1991. Rhizophora mangle – Mangrove. In A Guide to Useful Woods of the World. Flynn Jr., J.H., Editor. King Philip Publishing Co., Portland, Maine. 1994. Page 313-314.

Arroyo, P.,1970,Propiedades y Usos Posibles de los Mangles de la Region del Rio San Juan,en,la Reserva de Guarapiche (Estado Mohagas,Inst. Forestal Latino-Am. de Invest. Venezuala Boletin, No.33-34

Bena, P.,1960,Essences Forestieres de Guyane,Bureau Agricole et Forestier Guyanais Guyana

Berni, C.A., Bolza, E., Christensen, F.J.,1979,South American Timbers – The Characteristics, Properties and Uses of 190,Species,C.S.I.R.O Div. Building Research

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

Brooks, R.L., et al,1941,Durability tests on Untreated Timbers in Trinidad,Caribbean Forester,2(3,pp101-119

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

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

Fanshawe, D.B.,1954,Forest Products of British Guiana Part 1 Principal Timbers,Forest Department British Guiana Forestry Bulletin (New Series 2nd,Edition,No.1

Flores Rodriguez, L.J.,1969,Description Caracteristicas y usos de 25 Maderas tropicales,Mexicanas,Camera Nacional de la Industria de la Construccion Serie Maderas de Mexico

Fors, A.J.,1965,Maderas Cubanas,Inst. Nac. Ref. Agraria La Habara

Gonzalez Oretega, J.,1934,Candelon – Rhizophora mangle L.,Bole. de Pro-Cultura Regional, Mexico 1(41) pp14-16

Gutierrez Oliva, A., Plaza Pulgar, F.,1967,Caracteristicas fisico-mecanicas de las maderas Espanolas. (Physical and,mechanical properties of Spanish timbers.,Min.Agric./Dir.Gen Montes/Instituto Forestral de Investigaciones,y,Experiencias, Madrid pp102

Howard, A.L.,1948,A Manual of Timbers of the World.,Macmillan & Co. Ltd. London 3rd ed.

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

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

Lamb, G.N.,1956,Foreign Woods – Jelutong (Dyera lowii) and Mangrove (Rhizophora mangle,Wood and Wood Products 61(3) p33

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

Little, E.L.,1948,A Collection of Tree Specimens from Western Ecuador,Caribbean Forester,9(3,pp215-98

Marshall, R.C.,1934,Trees of Trinidad and Tobago,Government Printer Port of Spain Trinidad

Marshall, R.C.,1939,Silviculture of the trees of Trinidad and Tobago – British West Indies,O.U.P.,London

Record, S.J., Hess, R.W.,1943,Timbers of the New World,Yale University Press

Record, S.J., Mell, C.D.,1924,Timbers of Tropical America,Yale Univ. Press

Record, S.J.,1927,Trees of Honduras,Tropical Woods,10, pp10-47

Sallenave, P.,1971,Proprietes Physiques et Mecaniques des Bois Tropicaux (Deuxieme,Supplement,C.T.F.T.

Scheffer, T.C., Duncan, C.G.,1947,The Decay Resistance of certain Central American and Ecuadorian Woods,Tropical Woods,12(92, PP1-24

Surinam Forest Service,1952,Surinam Timber – A Summary with brief descriptions of the main timber,species of Surinam,Surinam Forest Service

Swabey, C.,1941,The Principal Timbers of Jamaica,Department of Science and Agriculture Jamaica Bulletin No.29

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

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

Timber Development Association Ltd.,1948,Notes on Ecuadorian Timbers,TRADA, Timber Information,35,pp5

Tropical Timber Information Centre,1966,Fichas Tecnologicas – Las Principales Maderas comerciales del,Mundo,Assoc. Invest. Tec. Ind. Bol. Inform. Tec.,4(21,pp25-32

Unwin, A.H.,1920,West African Forests and Forestry,T. Fisher Unwin Ltd. London

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