Tabebuia spp. (Lapacho group)
Ipe
Bethabara
Lapacho
Family: Bignoniaceae
Other Common Names: Amapa (Mexico), Cortez (Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica), Guayacan (Panama), Guayacan polvillo (Colombia), Flor Amarillo (Venezuela), Greenhart (Surinam), Madera negra (Ecuador), Tahuari (Peru), Ipe (Brazil), Lapacho negro (Paraguay, Argentina).
Distribution: Throughout continental tropical America and some of the Lesser Antilles. The tree grows on a variety of sites, from ridge tops to riverbanks and marsh forests.
The Tree: May grow to 140 to 150 ft in height with trunk diameters of 6 ft. Frequently to heights of 100 ft and diameters of 2 to 3 ft. Boles are clear to 60 ft and more, with or without buttresses.
The Wood:
General Characteristics: Heartwood olive brown to blackish, often with lighter or darker striping, often covered with a yellow powder; sharply demarcated from the whitish or yellowish sapwood. Texture fine to medium; luster low to medium; grain straight to very irregular; rather oily looking; without distinctive odor or taste.
Weight: Basic specific gravity (ovendry weight/green volume) 0.85 to 0.97; air- dry density 66 to 75 pcf.
Mechanical Properties: (First and third sets of data based on the 2-in. standard, the second on the 1-in. standard.)
Moisture content Bending strength Modulus of elasticity Maximum crushing strength
(%) (Psi) (1,000 psi) (Psi)
Green (73) 22,560 2,920 10,350
12% 25,360 3,140 13,010
12% (24) 25,200 3,010 14,000
12% (44) 28,000 3,350 NA
Janka side hardness 3,060 lb for green material and 3,680 lb at 12% moisture content. Forest Products Laboratory toughness average for green and dry material is 404 in.-lb. (5/8-in. specimen).
Drying and Shrinkage: Generally reported to air-dry rapidly with only slight checking and warping. Kiln schedule T3-C1 is suggested for 4/4 stock. Shrinkage green to ovendry: radial 6.6%; tangential 8.0%; volumetric 13.2%. Movement after manufacture is rated as small.
Working Properties: Moderately difficult to work especially with hand tools; has a blunting effect on cutting edges, finishes smoothly except where grain is very roey The fine yellow dust produced in most operations may cause dermatitis in some workers.
Durability: Heartwood is very resistant to attack by decay fungi and termites; not resistant to marine borers. T. guayacan however, is reported to have good resistance in Panama waters.
Preservation: The wood is reported to be extremely resistant to preservation treatments.
Uses: Railroad crossties, heavy construction, tool handles, turnery, industrial flooring, textile mill items, decorative veneers.
Additional Reading: (24), (44), (46), (73)
M 150 282-3Logs are delivered to a sawmill in southern Nigeria. African mahogany
(mostly Khaya ivorensis) is in high demand on overseas markets. Export of logs fro
this region, as well as from most other tropical areas, is being restricted.
M 150 282-2Band mills in Ghana are designed to handle logs 5 feet and more in
diameter. Obeche or Wawa (Triplochiton scleroxylon) logs yield lumber favored for
joinery and millwork.
M 150 273-14In many areas of the tropics, fast-growing species are being introduced
future supplies of fuel wood and industrial wood. Batai (Albizia falcataria) is
a favored plantation species in the Philipines.
M 150 273-13 Shores spp. is still the major timber group harvested in Southeast
Asia. With modern chain saws, fellers no longer need scaffolding to get above larg
buttresses.
M 150 281 Felling of white lauan or almon (Shorea a;mon) with axes in the early
1900s in the Philippines. Most hardwood plywood now imported into the USA is
produced from species of Shorea.
[M 150 273-9Plywood mill in San Jose, Costa Rica, produces rotary-cut veneers mostly from banak (Virola spp.) and crabwood or cedro macho (Carapa guianensis). Logs trucked in from the Caribbean coast.]
M 150 273-21Mahot or Tauary (Couratari spp.) grows from Panama south to the Brazilian Amazon. Trunk diameters may exceed 4 feet above the stout buttresses. In tropical American moist forests, single species usually make up less than 5 percent of the stand volume.
M 150 273-18Trees in the tropics yield not only wood but a wide array of gums, oil
resins, tannins, edible fruits, medicinals, latex, fodder, and much more. The para
rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) at the end of its tapping life is used to produce
attractive wood suitable for furniture components.
M 150 272-14Some European markets still prefer hand hewn greenheart (Ocotea rodiaei
for heavy marine construction. Work is being done on a river landing in Guyana.
M 150 272-15 In the highlands of El Salvador, ocote pine (Pinus ococarpa) is cut in
boards by pit sawing. Finished lumber is sent down the mountainside on the backs o
unattended burros.
M 150 272-15In the highlands of El Salvador, ocote pine (Pinus oocarpa) is cut into
boards by pit sawing. Finished lumber is sent down the mountainside on the backs o
unattended burros.