Scientific Name
Erythrophleum suaveolens
Trade Name
Tali
Family Name
Leguminosae
Synonyms
Fillaea suaveolen



Common Names
A-kon, Aba, Abawa, Adjuga, Akpa, Akpa etuidiwi, Akwir, Alui, Arue, Atiemia, Atiuhia, Atsa, Baier, Baska, Bentabe, Betiche, Betomo, Bolondo, Boutite, Buirame, Buirane, Bungoro, Burene, Digpende, Earamor, Elegue-muani, Ellong, Elon, Elondo, Elone, Eloun, Elui, Elun, Erue, Erui, Erui-alui, Erun, Erun obo, Etsa, Gbangba-gbende, Gogbei, Gogwi, Gue, Guhie, Guilutu, Gwaska, Idip, Ifwon, Inyi, Inyin, Ipomi, Jallin baro, Jru, Ka-kontha, Kassa, Kbande, Keke-au, Kekeu, Koe-kon, Kokudabo, Kulenten, Kwon, Macone, Mancone, Manconi, Mbaraka, Mbele, Meli, Missanda, Mkarati, Mkelekele, Mkola, Muave, Mumara, Mwavi, N’kassa, Ndom, Ngogbei, Nkassa, Nko, Odiodi, Oginni, Oginyi, Orachi, Ordeal tree, Orhue, Ovinyin, Peli, Potrodom, Red water tree, Sachi, Sahi, Sangay, Sasswood, Sassy bark, Tali, Tali y roble africano, Talo, Tehi, Telehi, Teli, Tsa
Regions of Distribution
Africa
Countries of Distribution [VIEW MAP]
Cameroon, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda, Zaire, Zambia
Common Uses
Agricultural implements, Boat building (general), Bridge beams, Bridge construction, Bridge joists, Building construction, Building materials, Cabin construction, Cabinetmaking, Canoes, Charcoal, Construction, Cooperages, Decks, Docks, Dockwork, Domestic flooring, Exterior trim & siding, Exterior uses, Factory construction, Flooring, Flooring: commercial heavy traffic, Flooring: industrial heavy traffic, Furniture, Harbor work, Heavy construction, Joinery (external): ground contact, Joinery, Light construction, Marine construction, Millwork, Mine timbers, Parquet flooring, Piling, Poles, Posts, Railroad ties, Shakes, Sheathing, Shingles, Siding, Sporting Goods, Sub-flooring, Turnery, Vats, Vehicle parts, Wharf construction, Wheels
Environmental Profile
| Status has not been officially assessed |
Distribution Overview
Found in gallery forests in the northern and central parts of Mozambique.
Heartwood Color
| Brown | ||||||||||||
| Green/grey | ||||||||||||
| Yellow | ||||||||||||
| Red | ||||||||||||
| Orange | ||||||||||||
| Black | ||||||||||||
| White | ||||||||||||
| Pink | ||||||||||||
| Reddish brown | ||||||||||||
| Brown | ||||||||||||
| Yellow to golden-yellow to orange | ||||||||||||
| Greenish to greyish | ||||||||||||
| Dark brown | ||||||||||||
| Yellowish brown | ||||||||||||
| Red | ||||||||||||
| Pale red to pink | ||||||||||||
| Darkens significantly upon exposure | ||||||||||||
| Dark brown |
Species from East Africa are lighter in color
Sapwood Color
| White | ||||||||||||
| Yellow | ||||||||||||
| White to yellow | ||||||||||||
| Well defined | ||||||||||||
| Pinkish | ||||||||||||
| Paler than heartwood | ||||||||||||
| Clearly differentiated from the heartwood |
Grain
| Interlocked | ||||||||||||
| Figure | ||||||||||||
| Distinct (figure) |
| Interlocked | ||||||||||||
| Distinct figure |
Typically highly interlocked, but is occasionally slightly interlocked.
Texture
| Fine | ||||||||||||
| Medium | ||||||||||||
| Coarse | ||||||||||||
| Medium | ||||||||||||
| Fine |
Luster
| Medium | ||||||||||||
| Low | ||||||||||||
| Lustrous |
Natural Durability
| Durable | ||||||||||||
| Resistant to marine borers | ||||||||||||
| Very durable | ||||||||||||
| Resistant to termites | ||||||||||||
| Moderately durable | ||||||||||||
| Susceptible to insect attack | ||||||||||||
| Resistant to powder post beetles | ||||||||||||
| Resistant to attack from termites (Isoptera) | ||||||||||||
| Very durable | ||||||||||||
| Resistant to attack from marine borers | ||||||||||||
| Resistant to attack from powder post (Lyctid & Bostrychid) beetles | ||||||||||||
| Durable | ||||||||||||
| Resistant to marine borer attack | ||||||||||||
| Moderately resistant to marine borer attack |
Odor
| No specific smell or taste |
Silica Content
| High | ||||||||||||
| Siliceous |
Light-Induced Color Change
| Darker |
Toxicity
| Unspecified toxicity | ||||||||||||
| Respiratory effects | ||||||||||||
| Sawdust can cause nose irritation in some individuals | ||||||||||||
| Poisonous | ||||||||||||
| Dermatitic effects |
Seed and bark of the tree are poisonous if ingested.
Kiln Schedules
| Dry at a slow speed |
Drying Defects
| Checking | ||||||||||||
| Distortion | ||||||||||||
| Splitting | ||||||||||||
| Slight twist/warp | ||||||||||||
| Slight end splitting | ||||||||||||
| Moderate end spitting | ||||||||||||
| Warping can be expected | ||||||||||||
| Slight surface checking | ||||||||||||
| No surface checking | ||||||||||||
| No end splitting should be expected | ||||||||||||
| Checking |
Ease of Drying
| Moderately Difficult to Difficult | ||||||||||||
| Fairly Easy | ||||||||||||
| Rapidly | ||||||||||||
| Slowly | ||||||||||||
| Dries slowly |
Kiln Drying Rate
| Naturally dries at a moderate speed | ||||||||||||
| Naturally dries slowly | ||||||||||||
| Naturally dries quickly |
Tree Identification
| Bole/stem form is buttressed | ||||||||||||
| Bole/stem form is not buttressed | ||||||||||||
| Bole/stem form is misshapen | ||||||||||||
| Bole/stem form is cylindrical |
Tree Size
| Tree height is 30-40 m | ||||||||||||
| Sapwood width is 5-10 cm | ||||||||||||
| Sapwood width is 0-5 cm | ||||||||||||
| Sapwood width is 10-15 cm | ||||||||||||
| Bole length is 10-20 m | ||||||||||||
| Bole length is 20-30 m | ||||||||||||
| Tree height is 20-30 m | ||||||||||||
| Bark width is 5-10 mm | ||||||||||||
| Tree height is 40-50 m | ||||||||||||
| Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm | ||||||||||||
| Trunk diameter is 150-200 cm |
Product Sources
The ITTO reports that the species is an occasional source for timber production, and has a rather low export potential.
Comments
General finishing qualities are rated as good
Known as Sasswood in Nigeria, the bark of this tree is reported to yield a poisonous extract that was used locally in trials by ordeal.
Blunting Effect
| High to severe | ||||||||||||
| Blunting effect on machining is severe | ||||||||||||
| Blunting effect on machining is fairly severe | ||||||||||||
| Slight effect | ||||||||||||
| Blunting effect on sawing dry wood is severe | ||||||||||||
| Blunting effect on machining is moderate |
Boring
| Difficult |
Cutting Resistance
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult to saw | ||||||||||||
| Cutting Resistance with dry wood is difficult | ||||||||||||
| Cutting Resistance with dry wood is easy | ||||||||||||
| Specially-tipped cutters recommended | ||||||||||||
| Cutting resistance with dry wood is variable |
Gluing
| Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult | ||||||||||||
| Easy to glue | ||||||||||||
| May require surface treatment for best results | ||||||||||||
| Difficult to glue |
Movement in Service
| Small |
Nailing
| Difficult to nail | ||||||||||||
| Pre-boring required | ||||||||||||
| Possible if prebored | ||||||||||||
| Holds nails well |
Planing
| Difficult to plane | ||||||||||||
| Planes well, to a good finish |
Resistance to Impregnation
| Resistant heartwood | ||||||||||||
| Resistant sapwood | ||||||||||||
| Heartwood is highly resistant | ||||||||||||
| Heartwood is resistant |
Response to Hand Tools
| Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work | ||||||||||||
| Easy to Work | ||||||||||||
| Difficult to machine | ||||||||||||
| Poor response to hand tools |
Sanding
| Good sanding finish | ||||||||||||
| Easy to sand |
Turning
| Good results | ||||||||||||
| Easy to turn | ||||||||||||
| Difficult to turn |
Polishing
| Satisfactory results | ||||||||||||
| Good results |
Strength Properties
| Bending strength (MOR) = high | ||||||||||||
| Max. crushing strength = high | ||||||||||||
| Hardness (side grain) = medium | ||||||||||||
| Shrinkage, Volumetric = fairly large | ||||||||||||
| Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = high | ||||||||||||
| Max. crushing strength = very high | ||||||||||||
| Density (dry weight) = 53-60 lbs/cu. ft | ||||||||||||
| Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = medium | ||||||||||||
| Density (dry weight) = 61-67 lbs/cu.ft | ||||||||||||
| Shrinkage, Volumetric = moderate | ||||||||||||
| Shrinkage, Tangential = moderate | ||||||||||||
| Shrinkage, Radial = small | ||||||||||||
| Shrinkage, Tangential = very small | ||||||||||||
| Shrinkage, Radial = very small | ||||||||||||
| Hardness (side grain) = very hard | ||||||||||||
| Bending strength (MOR) = very high | ||||||||||||
| Shrinkage, Volumetric = large | ||||||||||||
| Shrinkage, Tangential = small | ||||||||||||
| Shrinkage, Tangential = fairly large | ||||||||||||
| Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = medium | ||||||||||||
| Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = low | ||||||||||||
| Bending strength (MOR) = medium | ||||||||||||
| Shrinkage, Tangential = large | ||||||||||||
| Shrinkage, Radial = moderate | ||||||||||||
| Shrinkage, Radial = large | ||||||||||||
| Shrinkage, Radial = fairly large | ||||||||||||
| Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = low | ||||||||||||
| Hardness (side grain) = hard | ||||||||||||
| Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = high | ||||||||||||
| High in density | ||||||||||||
| Density (dry weight) = 67-75 lbs/cu. ft | ||||||||||||
| Density (dry weight) = 46-52 lbs/cu. ft. | ||||||||||||
| Compression strength (parallel to grain) = high |
Numerical Data
| Item | Green | Dry | English |
| Bending Strength | 14402 | 23883 | psi |
| Density | 60 | lbs/ft3 | |
| Hardness | 2087 | lbs | |
| Maximum Crushing Strength | 8191 | 11494 | psi |
| Shearing Strength | 2132 | psi | |
| Stiffness | 1865 | 2234 | 1000 psi |
| Weight | 62 | 55 | lbs/ft3 |
| Radial Shrinkage | 4 | % | |
| Tangential Shrinkage | 7 | % | |
| Volumetric Shrinkage | 12 | % | |
| Item | Green | Dry | Metric |
| Bending Strength | 1012 | 1679 | kg/cm2 |
| Density | 961 | kg/m3 | |
| Hardness | 946 | kg | |
| Maximum Crushing Strength | 575 | 808 | kg/cm2 |
| Shearing Strength | 149 | kg/cm2 | |
| Stiffness | 131 | 157 | 1000 kg/cm2 |
| Weight | 993 | 881 | kg/m3 |
| Radial Shrinkage | 4 | % | |
| Tangential Shrinkage | 7 | % |
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