Distribution: Both
species together are found from Sierra Leone to Cameroon,
Gabon, and south of Cabinda; widely distributed in the high
rain forests.
General Characteristics: Reaches
a height of 180 to 200 ft; boles straight, cylindrical,
and clear to 100 ft. free of buttresses; trunk diameters
generally about 4 ft but may be up to 10 ft. Heartwood
pink to pink- or red brown; sapwood 2 to 3 in. wide, whitish
or light pink, clearly demarcated. Texture is fine to medium;
grain is generally straight; lustrous; sometimes with an
attractive moiré figure. Liable to stain in contact
with iron when damp.
Weight: Basic specific gravity
(ovendry weight/green volume) about 0.55; air-dry density
42 pcf.
Working Properties: A high
silica content causes blunting of cutting edges, particularly
in dry woods; works reasonably well with hand and machine
tools, good veneering properties, finishes well, good glue
properties. Fine dust may irritate nose and throat or cause
dermatitis.
Durability: Laboratory evaluations
rate the wood very resistant to brown-rot and white-rot
fungi; actual field exposure trials also rate the wood
as very durable. Heartwood is also rated very resistant
to dry-wood termites; little resistance to marine borers.
Preservation: Heartwood
is highly durable and resistant to preservative treatments;
sapwood moderately resistant.
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