Heritiera spp. (1°)

Specifications

Family

Malvaceae

Species

Heritiera spp. (1°)

Common name

Heritiera spp. (1°)
Commonly known as

looking-glass tree

tulip oak

Description

The sapwood is yellowish or pinkish-gray, while the heartwood is lighter, darkening with exposure to air. The texture is rather coarse and interwoven, and the density ranges from 0.45 to 0.65. Fresh wood of some species has an unpleasant leathery odor. It can easily warp during drying, and the presence of silica in the tissues tends to damage working tools. Dust from processing can be irritating. Mechanical resistance is good, but durability is poor in tropical countries but good in temperate zones.

Plant morphology

They are trees up to 45 m tall with a trunk diameter of up to 90 cm. The trunk is columnar, the bark grayish, and the base of the trunk characterized by buttress roots. The compound leaves are borne at the tips of the twigs and have entire leaflets, hairy on the upper surface. The flowers are very small, about 2 mm in diameter, reddish-yellow, and borne in the leaf axils. The fruit is a winged samara.

Natural occurrence

Countries of origin and distribution

Southeast Asia: Myanmar, Thailand, Indochina, Malaysia, Philippines, Pacific Islands.

Habitat and ecology

They are widespread in primary forest, particularly in hilly areas consisting primarily of Dipterocarpus spp. They prefer sandy soils, but can also be found along riverbanks in heavily silty soils. Their presence in secondary forest is generally due to their pre-existence in undisturbed forest.

Uses

Use class

CU1

CU2

CU3

CU4

CU5

Application areas

It is used for vehicle parts, boats, carpentry, furniture, windows and interior finishes, floorboards, decorative veneers.

Threats and Conservation

Threats

Not reported.

Conservation measures

Not reported.

IUCN Red List IUCN

Heritiera borneensis LC - Least Concern (2021); H. javanica LC - Least Concern (2021); H. ornithocephala LC - Least Concern (2017).

CITES. Year of assessment CITES

CITES Italia • Ultimo aggiornamento

Not present.

Technical data

Aesthetic characteristics

Grain

Obvious

Texture

Coarse

Physical and mechanical properties

Density
ρ

680 kg/m³

Radial shrinkage
Rad. sh.

MPa

Tangential shrinkage
Tang. sh.

MPa

Bending strength
M.O.R.

101 MPa

Modulus of Elasticity
M.O.E.

14450 MPa

Durability characteristics

Fungal resistance

Not very durable

Insect resistance

Resistant

Miscellaneous

Mengkulang wood comes from the processing of some species of the Heritiera genus: H. borneensis (Merr.) Kosterm., H. javanica (Blume) Kosterm., H. ornithocephala Kosterm.