Dacryodes spp.

Adjouaba

Family: Burseraceae

Other Common Names: Ozigo, Assia, Igaganga, Ossabel (Gabon), Safoukala (Congo-Brazzaville), Mouguengueri (Zaire).

Distribution: West Africa, prevalent in rain forests.

The Tree: Height variable with species, may reach 120 ft; bole usually straight and cylindrical, most species not buttressed; trunk diameters 2 to 5 ft.

The Wood:

General Characteristics: Heartwood pink, gray buff or yellowish; not clearly demarcated from the sapwood. Texture moderately fine to coarse; grain straight, wavy, or interlocked; sometimes lustrous; gum ducts and silica present.

Weight: Basic specific gravity (ovendry weight/green volume) variable with species mostly 0.54 to 0.67; air-dry density 41 to 51 pcf.

Mechanical Properties: (2-cm standard)

Moisture content Bending strength Modulus of elasticity Maximum crushing strength

(%) (Psi) (1,000 psi) (Psi)

12% (44) 18,600 1,840 10,100

12% (44) 16,500 1,840 8,100

12% (44) 18,600 2,710 8,900

Amsler toughness 128 to 410 in.-lb for dry material (2-cm specimen).

Drying and Shrinkage: Generally reported to require careful seasoning to avoid severe degrade due to checking and warping. No data available on kiln schedules. Shrinkage green to ovendry: radial 4.4 to 7.5%; tangential 5.8 to 8.2%; volumetric 13.0 to 15.6%.

Working Properties: Rather difficult to saw because of silica content but generally reported to work fairly well with hand and machine tools; good slicing and peeling characteristics; glues readily and takes a fine finish.

Durability: Heartwood has moderate to low resistance to attack by decay fungi, also liable to termite attack.

Preservation: Generally heartwood resistant to preservative treatments, sapwood moderately resistant.

Uses: Flooring, furniture components, veneer and plywood, joinery.

Additional Reading: (3), (38), (44)