Haplormosia monophylla
Specifications
Family
Fabaceae
Species
Haplormosia monophylla Harms
liberian black gum
Description
The sapwood is whitish or golden yellow, clearly differentiated from the yellowish-brown, olive-brown, or chestnut heartwood. The texture is fine, the grain often interwoven, and the density ranges from 0.85 to 0.90. Working is difficult due to the hardness of the material and requires tools with special steels. The mechanical strength is high, and resistance to alteration is also excellent.
Plant morphology
It is a medium-sized tree, up to 30 m tall, often branched from the base, with a trunk diameter of 0.8–1 m, characterized by short buttresses. The bark is grayish brown, slightly wrinkled, fibrous internally, and yellow-orange. The crown is compact. The leaves are alternate, simple, with entire margins, and bearing small triangular stipules. The inflorescence consists of a small, pauciflorous branchlet in the leaf axils, bearing small, blue-purple papilionate flowers. The fruit is an obovate-elliptical, leathery, glabrous, dehiscent legume, with seeds completely enclosed in a fleshy aril.
Natural occurrence
Countries of origin and distribution
Tropical West Africa: Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Benin, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Togo.
Habitat and ecology
The species is found along riverbanks and in marshy lowlands with evergreen growth, where it grows in large groups. The larger trees are found isolated in the forest, some distance from waterways.
Uses
Use class
CU1
CU2
CU3
CU4
CU5
Application areas
It is used for building, marine and hydraulic construction, furniture, handles, lathe work, cabinet making, decorative veneers, mining props.
Technical data
Aesthetic characteristics
Grain
Obvious
Texture
Medium
Physical and mechanical properties
Density
ρ
ρ
870
kg/m3
Radial shrinkage
Rad. sh.
Rad. sh.
29
MPa
Tangential shrinkage
Tang. sh.
Tang. sh.
7
MPa
Bending strength
M.O.R.
M.O.R.
133
MPa
Modulus of Elasticity
M.O.E.
M.O.E.
16910
MPa
Durability characteristics
Fungal resistance
Very durable
Insect resistance
Resistant
Miscellaneous
Given the conservation status of the species in nature, the use of this wood should be avoided.