Entandrophragma spp.
Specifications
Family
Meliaceae
Species
Entandrophragma spp.
african mahogany
Description
The broad sapwood is grayish or pinkish, gradually fading into the heartwood, which becomes darker, tending towards purplish red after exposure to air. The texture is coarse, the grain interwoven, and the density ranges from 0.54 to 0.64. It splits and cracks easily during drying. It has good mechanical strength and moderate durability, both for the heartwood and the sapwood.
Plant morphology
Large trees up to 60 m tall with a straight, cylindrical trunk, a maximum diameter of 2 m, and large buttresses that can reach 6 m in height. The roots are very shallow. The bark is grayish, smooth, with shell-shaped scars, and pinkish-red on the inside. The leaves are alternate, paripinnate, composed of 14-20 leathery leaflets. The inflorescences are composed of unisexual, pentamerous flowers with 10 anthers or a globose ovary. The fruit is a pendulous, cylindrical capsule.
Natural occurrence
Countries of origin and distribution
Equatorial Africa: Uganda, Burundi, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Gabon, Benin, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, Angola, Malawi, Central African Republic.
Habitat and ecology
A species widespread in humid semi-deciduous forests, they prefer well-drained soils, both in the plains and at medium altitude, up to 1,800 m above sea level.
Uses
Use class
CU1
CU2
CU3
CU4
CU5
Application areas
It is sought after for fine carpentry, furniture, furnishings, floorboards, vehicle bottoms and walls, boats, decorative veneers.
Threats and Conservation
Threats
Commercial exploitation is already excessive. The seeds are not very dispersal-friendly, and their regeneration rate is very slow. Another factor threatening the conservation of these species is habitat loss resulting from agricultural expansion.
Conservation measures
E. angolense is present in some protected areas and in at least 15 ex situ collections (BGCI 2020). No data are available for E. congolense.
IUCN Red List
IUCN
Entandrophragma angolense NT - Near threatened (2020); E. congoense DD - Data Deficient (2017).
CITES. Year of assessment
CITES
CITES Italia • Ultimo aggiornamento
Not present.
Technical data
Aesthetic characteristics
Grain
Obvious
Texture
Medium
Physical and mechanical properties
Density
ρ
ρ
550
kg/m3
Radial shrinkage
Rad. sh.
Rad. sh.
46
MPa
Tangential shrinkage
Tang. sh.
Tang. sh.
8
MPa
Bending strength
M.O.R.
M.O.R.
80
MPa
Modulus of Elasticity
M.O.E.
M.O.E.
10989
MPa
Durability characteristics
Fungal resistance
Moderatamente durabile
Insect resistance
Resistant
Miscellaneous
Tiama is a wood obtained from the processing of two species of the Entandrophragma genus: E. angolense C.DC. and E. congoense A.Chév.