Scientific Name
Swartzia benthamiana
Trade Name
Bannia
Family Name
Caesalpiniaceae
Common Names
Alma Negra, Bannia, Black paddlewood, Ferreol, Gandoe, Icoje, Ijzerhart, Montouchy, Mututy, Naranjillo, Orura Barrialera, Parakusan, Pau Ferro, Wamara, Wild orange
Regions of Distribution
Central America, Latin America
Countries of Distribution [VIEW MAP]
Brazil, Columbia, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela
Common Uses
Bedroom suites, Bobbins, Cabinetmaking, Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Desks, Dining-room furniture, Domestic flooring, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Flooring, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Hatracks, Inlay work, Kitchen cabinets, Living-room suites, Musical instruments , Office furniture, Ornamental work , Parquet flooring, Picker sticks, Radio – stereo – TV cabinets, Rustic furniture, Shade rollers, Shuttles, Specialty items, Spindles, Spools, Stencil & chisel blocks, Stools, Sucker rods, Tables , Turnery, Violin bows
Environmental Profile
| Widespread | ||||||||||||
| Rare in some parts of its range, particularly at the periphery | ||||||||||||
| Globally secure | ||||||||||||
| Data source is Nature Conservancy | ||||||||||||
| Abundant |
Distribution Overview
The species occurs in dense rain forests along rivers at elevations of 330 to 1300 feet (100 to 400 m) in the Guianas, Venezuela, Colombia, and northwestern Amazonian Brazil. It is also reported to have extensions into the West Indies and through Central America to southern Mexico.
Heartwood Color
| Brown | ||||||||||||
| Red | ||||||||||||
| Yellow | ||||||||||||
| White | ||||||||||||
| Green/grey | ||||||||||||
| Orange | ||||||||||||
| Pink | ||||||||||||
| Purple | ||||||||||||
| Reddish brown | ||||||||||||
| Heartwood is slow in forming | ||||||||||||
| Dark brown | ||||||||||||
| Color is uniform to variegated | ||||||||||||
| Black |
Sapwood Color
| White | ||||||||||||
| Yellow | ||||||||||||
| Brown | ||||||||||||
| Red | ||||||||||||
| White to yellow | ||||||||||||
| Well defined |
Grain
| Even | ||||||||||||
| Figure | ||||||||||||
| Straight | ||||||||||||
| Irregular |
| Straight to irregular |
Texture
| Medium | ||||||||||||
| Coarse | ||||||||||||
| Fine | ||||||||||||
| Medium to very fine |
Luster
| Medium | ||||||||||||
| High | ||||||||||||
| Medium |
Natural Durability
| Non-durable | ||||||||||||
| Susceptible to insect attack | ||||||||||||
| Perishable | ||||||||||||
| Non-resistant to termites | ||||||||||||
| Moderately durable | ||||||||||||
| Resistant to powder post beetles | ||||||||||||
| Heartwood susceptible to marine borer attack | ||||||||||||
| Heartwood resistant to dry-wood termites | ||||||||||||
| Heartwood has very little resistance to decay |
Odor
| No specific smell or taste |
Toxicity
| Sawdust can cause irritation in some individuals |
Kiln Schedules
| T2-C1 (8/4) US | ||||||||||||
| T2 – C2 (4/4) US | ||||||||||||
| Schedule B (4/4) United Kingdom |
Drying Defects
| Distortion | ||||||||||||
| Checking | ||||||||||||
| Severe twisting/warping | ||||||||||||
| Severe surface checking |
Ease of Drying
| Rapidly | ||||||||||||
| Moderate |
Kiln Drying Rate
| Naturally dries quickly |
Tree Size
| Tree height is 40-50 m | ||||||||||||
| Bole length is 20-30 m | ||||||||||||
| Tree height is 10-20 m | ||||||||||||
| Tree height is 20-30 m | ||||||||||||
| Tree height is 30-40 m | ||||||||||||
| Bole length is 10-20 m |
Comments
The timber has been suggested as a potential substitute for Ebony (Diospyros spp. ).
Blunting Effect
| High to severe |
Cutting Resistance
| Easy to saw | ||||||||||||
| Wood is dense | ||||||||||||
| Difficult to saw |
Movement in Service
| Large |
Nailing
| Fairly Easy to Very Easy | ||||||||||||
| Very Good to Excellent Results | ||||||||||||
| Fair to Good Results |
Planing
| Planing is difficult due to high density |
Resistance to Impregnation
| Resistant heartwood | ||||||||||||
| Resistant sapwood |
Response to Hand Tools
| Easy to Work |
Sanding
| Good sanding finish |
Polishing
| Excellent results |
Strength Properties
| Very heavy | ||||||||||||
| Resists denting and marring | ||||||||||||
| Hardness (side grain) = very hard | ||||||||||||
| Density = very high | ||||||||||||
| Compression strength (parallel to grain) = very high | ||||||||||||
| Bending strength (MOR) = very high |
Numerical Data
| Item | Green | Dry | English |
| Bending Strength | 22413 | 28097 | psi |
| Density | 69 | lbs/ft3 | |
| Hardness | 3616 | lbs | |
| Maximum Crushing Strength | 12671 | 15131 | psi |
| Stiffness | 2940 | 3557 | 1000 psi |
| Toughness | 255 | inch-lbs | |
| Specific Gravity | 0.92 | ||
| Weight | 68 | 56. | lbs/ft3 |
| Radial Shrinkage | 4 | % | |
| Tangential Shrinkage | 7 | % | |
| Volumetric Shrinkage | 11 | % | |
| Item | Green | Dry | Metric |
| Bending Strength | 1575 | 1975 | kg/cm2 |
| Density | 1105 | kg/m3 | |
| Hardness | 1640 | kg | |
| Maximum Crushing Strength | 890 | 1063 | kg/cm2 |
| Stiffness | 206 | 250 | 1000 kg/cm2 |
| Toughness | 293 | cm-kg | |
| Specific Gravity | 0.92 | ||
| Weight | 1089 | 897. | kg/m3 |
| Radial Shrinkage | 4 | % | |
| Tangential Shrinkage | 7 | % |
References
Boone, R.S., C.J. Kozlik, P.J. Bois, E.M. Wengert. 1988. Dry Kiln Schedules for Commercial Hardwoods – Temperate and Tropical. USDA, Forest Service, General Technical Report FPL-GTR-57, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin.
Chudnoff, M.,1984,Tropical Timbers of the World,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products,Laboratory, Madison.
Perpetua Hardwoods. 1993. Personal Communication. Sea Star Trading Co., P. O. Box 513, Newport OR.
Record, S.J. and R.W. Hess. 1943. Timbers of the New World. Published on the Charles Lathrop Pack Foundation, Yale University Press, New Haven CT.