/ INFORMATION LEAFLET FOREIGN WOODS Forest Products Laboratory, - Forest Service U. S. Department of Agriculture ** 1951 AVODIRE Turraeanthus africana (Welw. ) Fellegrin (= Guarea africana Weir, r-inreria africana \. Chev. ) Familv: I.ieliaceae By G\R0L M. MILLER, Scientific Aid Division of Silvicultural Relations Avodire ( Turraeanthus africana (Welw. ) Pellegrin) is a species from tropical West Africa that has recently become of considerable commercial importance on European and American hardwood markets. The species was first described in 18?8 by Dr. Welwitch as Guarea africana ( C. DC.) from Angola, Test Africa. In 1909, A. Chevalier described and named it as ging^ria africana A. Chev., but 2 years later Fellegrin referred the species to the genus Turraeanthus , and the recognized scientific name is now Turraeanthus africana (V'clv.,) Fell. It is a member of the Meliaceae family (20, 22, 25),- which includes some of the best known cabinet woods, such as ;uahogany ( Uvictenia spp.), African mahogany (Khaya spp.), Spanish cedar, and andiroba (6). Avodire is manufactured in the same manner as African mahogany, and when stained and finished, the wood is difficult to distinguish from African mahogany, although the trees do not look alike externally (22). It has been offered for sale as white mahogany, African mahogany, African satin^ood, and African furniture wood (lit). The principal handicaps to its extensive use are its comparatively small size and limited occurrence, the poor shape of the logs, and the tendency of freshly cut timber to stain if not carefully handled (2£ ). Although the wood has come on the market only comparatively recently, its popular blond color, low price, beautiful figure, and easy- working qualities have created a considerable demand (6). "Tlaintained at Madison, Wis., in cooperation with the University of Wisconsin. 2 Underlined numbers in parentheses refer to the list of numbered references at the end of the article. Rept. No. R1905 -1- Agriculture-Madison Trade ana Vernacular Names Avodire is the generally accepted trade name for Turraeanthus africana . It has the advantage of not conflicting with that of any other commercial rood on the American market. Whether this name is a combination of various native names or one given by the French is not known. The name "white mahogany" has also been used, because the wood is much like that of African mahogany except for its color, which is pale tan approaching white (22). Other names are: African furniture xvoods.. U. S. trade African satinwood U. S. trade Agboui (Abe , Ebrie ) Ivors'" Coast Apapaye Gold Coast Apaya Nigeria Apeya Gold Coast Appayia Gold Coast Avodire (Appolonian) . . Ivory Coast Engan Cameroon Esu Belgian Congo —Hague (Agni ) Ivory Coast Hakue (Attie ) Ivory Coast 01 on Ivory Coast Lusamba Belgian Congo Songo Belgian Congo Wansewa Gold Coast Fhite mahogany U. S. trade Distribution and Habitat Avodire occurs as an understory tree in the rain forests of parts of tropical West Africa, including the Gold Coast, Ivory Coast, and Angola, but is essen- tially an Ivory Coast species. The trees are not uniformly distributed in the rain forests, but are often localized in almost pure groups (l). Avodire is reported as abundant in the region of the east Ivory Coast from the Agneby River on the west to the Bia River on the east. Avodire and other species of Turraeanthus are also said to grow in the Gold Coast, Nigeria, the Cameroons, Gabon, Liberia, and the Belgian Congo, although they are not as common in these regions, and there is little information on the occurrence (j) or on the wood of some of these species. Avodire is probably typical of the genus (29). According to Dr. Welwitch, avodire is not a coastal or low-altitude species but attains its best develop- ment in the foothills %0 to 100 miles inland in the upland forests. It does —Name applied also to the Bosse wood (Guarea cedrata Pell.), which possesse: different characteristics (6). Rept. No. R1905 -2- not grow, however, above the 2,500-foot contour line where conditions grade into the highland-forest type. It occurs in rich, moist soil on the borders of streams and the margins of meadows, swamps, and lakes (22). The Tree Size and Form Avodire is a medium-sized tree in comparison to the giants of West Africa. It may reach 60 to 100 feet in height but attains 90 feet or more only urn favorable conditions (1, :?). It often has a diameter at the base of 3 to h feet, even up to 5 feet. Generally, the tree is of poor habit of growth. The trees do not develop very clear or straight trunks, which re in consider- able waste in logging (22). The utilizable part of the bole is usually from 2^ to 50 feet in length" rarely more than 65 feet (7). Therefore, a large per- centage of the wood has to be rejected in the forest as unfit for export. A small percentage of the choicest material yields figured wood suitable for fine veneer (6). The stems very often divide into wide spreading branches and form large crowns (22). Dr. V'elwitch is quoted (22) as describing Turraeanthus africana as "an immense, handsome tree" in his monograph on the flora of tropical Africa. The bark is ash-colored, tinged with red, and stands out in contrast with the very dark, glossy green of the foliage (22). The bark is said to have toxic properties (1). It peels off in thin strips, the inner portion being creamy ye 11 oat and possessing a very characteristic aromatic odor (29). In order to prevent fungus damage, it is necessary to remove the bark to help the wood dry out promptly; consequently, the logs entering the market are invariably free oi bark (6). Leave j The compound leaves are large (2 feet or more in length), and are composed of h to 12 pairs of alternate, oblong leaflets, h to 6 inches long, about 1-1/2 inches wide, and rounded at the apex. The leaflets are smooth, shiny, and leathery. The midrib is very prominent on the upper surface and has many fine lateral nerves. The leaf buds, young petioles, and flower stalks are covered with a fine, rusty pubescence (29). The leaves are crowded at the ends of the branches and thus give the tree an unusual appearance (22). Flowers and Fruit The white to creamy-yellow flowers are in clusters in the axils of the leaves and form very conspicuous panicles that have numerous flowers. The flowers differ very little from those of mahogany. They may be found nearly all the Rept. No. R1905 year round, although the main flowering period is in the spring, with a second, though less abundant blossoming in the autumn (1, 22). The fruit takes about 6 months to develop and generally matures in the autumn. It is in the form of a fig-shaped, fleshy capsule. These capsules are over an inch in diameter, yellow or orange in color, scented, and have a soft, whitish pulp in which the seeds (usually U or ^ in number) are imbedded. The seeds germinate readily, and the young seedlings are plentiful, although few survive in the dense shade of the old-growth forests. They quickly fill up any open- ings in the stand and are easily transplanted (1, 29). The Food General Appearance Although avodire belongs to the Meliaceae family, the wood has few characteris- tics of mahogany. When stained and finished, however, the figured wood may greatly resemble African mahogany superficially (22). Its natural pale color and high, satiny luster have occasioned the use cf the wood as a substitute for satinwood (6). The logs vary greatly in color, grain, figure, and quality (111). The crooked, irregular logs often contain ring checks and even cross or windbreaks (22). Color The wood is creamy white to pale yellow, sometimes darkening to golden yellow (19). Unlike most of the Lieliaceae, the color is light and uniform throughout, Since the heartwood is not distinctly colored, it is difficult to distinguish the sapwood from the heartwood areas; the wood is therefore easy to match in use and is especially valued for use where blond wood is desired (6, 2[i). Luster When worked, the wood has a high, satiny, natural luster (l, 18). Weight The wood is rather light to heavy in weight and soft to moderately hard; specific gravity 0.1i5 to 0,60 (air-dry), which is in the mahogany range; weight usually about 31 to 37 pounds per cubic foot (18, 26). It is fairly resistant to indentation (29). Avodire proved less hard than most of the cabinet woods tested by Harrar (10). The results given in table 1 are taken from his tests. Rept. No. R1905 -h- Table 1.— Results of tests of hardness on cabinet woods Species [Moisture ! ; content: : : Specific : gravity ! ( oven-dry : weight : and : volume ) : Average and comparative hardness- Average of 100 tests on 10 pieces Compared to blacic walnut [Percent i 0.U8 : .51 1 Founds 860 1,050 : Percent Avodire (W. Africa) Turraeanthus africana Mahogany (Colombia) Sv.ie tenia macrophylla : 5.8 1 \ 5.2 \ 1 68 ! 63 Load required to embed a O.LiUU-inch bail tc one-half its diameter, Grain, Texture, and Figure The grain may be straight but is frequently wavy or interlocked, which produces a mottled figure on quarter-cut material. The texture is fine and uniform (16). The irregular grain combined with the hi h luster ma i e a fine moire appearance to the finished surface, which at its best suggests figured satinwood (1). The figured wood may show considerable variety, such as stripe, curl, or mottle (22). Odor and Taste Odor and taste are absent or not distinctive (29). Mechanical Properties The information on the mechanical properties of avodire is nearer, but it is reputed to be a strong, tough, elastic timber in proportion to its weight (1, lit , 16) . The following comparison of IVest Ifrican species is taken from an article by Monnin and Collardet quoted in YTeltholzwirtschaft, IJbersee Holzer Beilage L'r. 16, April 1950 (31). Rept. No. R1905 Table 2. — Physical and strength properties of three 1v est African species Species : Physical properties : Strength properties Specific : . gravity—: Volumetric: shrink- ; 2 . age- | Compres-: sion : parallel! to grain : Bending: Tension : perpen- : dicular : to grain: Cleavage i 0.55 1 \ .56 Fercent : : 11.6 : 12.3 ! 9.5 Kg. /cm. : Kg. /cm. : Kg. /cm. :\~./cm. ! Avodire Turraeanthus africana. : U10 ! uao : 270 • 8U0 : 800 i 580 : 21.0 : 20.5 : 12.0 : 1U.0 Limb a Terrainalia superba Obeche Trinlcchiton scleroxylon : 13.0 : 6 ^ Based on weight and volume when air dry. 2 — Basea on £?reen volume. Durability Because avodire is subject to decay and insect attack, logs should be converted into lumber as soon as possible after felling, unless storage in fresh water is provided (7). The wood should not be used in damp situations and is not durable in contact with the ground or in exposed situations (16, 22). Seasoning Avodire is reported to season readily, but care is needed to avoid splitting and warping (16). From tests by Harrar (12), the percent of shrinkage of avodire is compared in table 3 to that of some of the cabinet woods with which it competes. Rept. No. R1905 -6- Table 3 . — Percent directional and volume shrinkage from green to oven-dry- condition Species Shrinkage : Longitudinal ! Radial ■ Tangential : Volumetric ; rcent : Perec Percent : ; rcent i Avodire (VI. Africa) Turraeanthus africana 1 0.2U h.03 . 6.19 -10, Mahogany., African i vorensis 1 .28 ii.96 8.36 16.88 Mahogany, Colombian Swie tenia macrophylla 1 .18 \ 2.U6 3.80 6.53 Satinwood, Ceylon Chlorophcra swietenia \ .12 < 7-1 ! 8.51 : 1U.9U -Compare with value in table 2 . TJorking Characteristics Straight -grained wood is quite easy to work, but care is required in planing either quartered boards shoring stripe figure or curly- or wavy-grained mate- rial to avoid surface tearing (1). A, small cutting angle is desirable for a clean finish. Avodire makes excellent veneer, especially sliced veneer, and has fairly good nailing, screw-holding, and gluing properties. It will take an excellent finish and can be stained evenly, although because of the present popularity of its light, natural color, this is not generally desired (16). The surface can be filled and holds filler well {22). In Harrar' s tests (11) on the scre^ r - holding power of cabinet woods, avodire showed lover values than the three other woods cited in table lu Rept. No. R1905 -7- Table U. — Screw-holding power of cabinet woods Species Withdrawal resistance of — Avodire (W. Africa) : Turraeanthus africana Mahogany, African Khaya ivorensis Mahogany, Colombian Swietenia macrophylla Satinwood, Ceylon Chlorophora swietenia Nc ). 6 screws Nc >. 10 screv •s Side ! End ! Side : End Av. iMax. :Min. : Av. ! Max. j Min. : Av. :Max. : Min. : Av. : Max. : Min. Lb.: Lb. : Lb. i ► • i Lb.: Lb. 5 Lb.: Lb.: Lb, : Lb. : Lb.: Lb.: Lb. U88i I 556* U2h : ! S ! 116 i I U76 : 350 i 560: 636 I U96 I 5oh i 57U \ U28 568* ! 630i U8U I U8ii ! 552 t : U18 t 666! 736 ! 590 I 538 ! 616 ': U6h 5Uo : 626« i : : 1 hlh ! 12U ! 516 I 3U6 : : : 62U: 710 I 56U : 51U 1 588 1 Uh2 782 I 85U : 706 s 66h : 712 s 610 : 916:1088 : 780 I llh ! 860 : 6U8 Uses The figured material is usually converted into veneer for use in decorative work, such as cabinet work, paneling, interiors of railway coaches, ships' fittings (cabins on the Queen Mary), and lighter types of furniture. The plain stock may go into lumber or ordinary plywood and joinery. There is less demand for the wood as lumber because of the cross breaks and irregularities of growth (1, Ik, 16, 22, Zk) . Pulp from the light-colored avodire yields paper that compares well with paper obtained from the ordinary commercial hardwoods (7). Supplies In the past, the Ivory Coast has been one of the main sources of log supply, especially of figured material, because logs are conveniently transported to seaports from this region. Overland transportation of logs has been poorly developed. More recently, the Gold Coast has become another of the main sources of log supply (1, 16, 2j?). Avodire is not available in large amounts, but logs were imported before TV or Id War II with average girths of 5 to 6 feet and lengths up to 15 feet (16). The logs first entered the French markets soon after World War I, and not until 1923 was much shipped into German markets. Several years later, it attracted notice in England and America (22). Rept. No. R1905 -8- iiinute Structure Growth rings . — The growth rings tend to be poorly defined, sometimes indicated only by a flattening of the fibers (6, 18, 2\\, 29). Vessels. — The individual vessels are relatively small, oval to nearly round in cross section, and not distinct without magnification, "hey are numerous, evenly distributed, solitary or in radial groups of 2 to L vessels. They have simple perforations. The vessels frequently contain yellowish gum but no tyloses (17, 18, 22, 29). Rays . — The rays are fine and often indistinct without magnification. Although the marginal cells are not markedly upright, the rays are classed as heteroge- neous, mostly biseriate (occasionally 3 cells vri.de at the middle), and may be 6 to 2^ but are generally 12 to lp cells high. Low rays, rarely over 6 ceils high, are usually found to be uniseriate (18, 29). Ripple marks and gum ducts are absent (18, 29). Parenchyma . — Parenchyma is sparingly developed about the vessels and may often contain calcium oxalate crystals (18, 29). Fibers . — Grovrth zones may be somewhat defined by rows of radially flattened fibers. The fibers are libriform and nonseptate with simple pits. They have relatively thin walls. Fiber dimensions are recorded as follows: length, 1 to 2 mm. (av. 1.5 mm.); diameter, 12 to 26 mm. (av. 19 mm.) (5, 18 3 2U, 29). Wood Composition Avodire wood is composed of ash, b,.5>6 percent; fats and waxes, 0.80 percent; cellulose, 62. 1^ percent; lignin, 32. h9 percent (all on a dry-weight basis). On digestion with NaOH in 5 percent concentrations for 8 hours under a j ressure of 3 kilograms, avodire gave a light, brownish-yellow pulp, which bleached easily and yielded 37 percent of bleached pulp (5, 2a). Rept. No. R1905 -9- Lint of References 1, Anonymous, I9I4O, Avodire (Turrae anthus af ricana ) . Wood (Brit.) 5(k)i 87-38, April. 2. 1930. Nos bois Coloniaux (Cote d*Tvoire), Avodire (Turraeanthus af rican a (Welw.) Pellegrin.) Assn. Colonies-Sciences et~ Comite Natl, des Bois Coloniaux, Paris; h pp.; 2 plates; 2 veneer samples, (Rev. Tropical Woods 2UtU8) 3. 1938". Gold Coast Timbers. Pub* in connection with the Gold Coast Ex- hibit at the Empire Exhibition at Glascow, Scotland; 27 pp.; 11 colored plates; 1 map. I4. Aubreville, Andre 1930, Essai d l Identification des Meliaciees de la Cote d'ivoire. Re- printed from Acts et Comptes Rendus de l'Assn. Colonies- Sciences (Paris) £7, 58, March, April, 1$ PP» 5>. Balsac, F. Heim de; Cercelet, G, S., and Balsac, R. Heim de 1925. Wood from the Ivory Coast, Bull. Agence Gen. Colonies 18, £20; Bull. Imp. Inst, 23, 1482; (Cf. Chem. Abs. 20(8)1322, April 20, 1926) 6, Bergstrom, E. 1929. Avodire' ( Turraeanthus africana ). Natures Treasure Chest No, 3. Penrod, Jurden & Clark Co., Cincinnati, Ohio, 7. Brush, W,. D. and Spar hawk, W. N. 19li3. West African Timbers for Use in North America. Unpublished material in U, S, Forest Service files, U. S.< Dept. of Agri- culture • 8. Cooper, G. Proctork 1931. Unpublished Memorandum of Turraeanthus sp. in Liberia,- 9, Engler, A. and Prantl, K.. I889, Die naturlichen Pflanzenfamilien (Harms 1897) 3ihi29h and revised ed, 1912, (19)40) 19 b, I,; pp.. 1147-150. 10, Harrar, Ellwood S e 19U1. Some Physical Properties of Modern Cabinet Woods. I. Hardness. Tropical Woods 68 :h, Yale Univ. School of Forestry, December 1, 11. 19U2. Some Physical Properties of Modern Cabinet Woods.. II, Screw- holding Power. Tropical Woods 70:i?,Yale Univ.. School of Forestry, June 1, ^•Listed in Records bibliography (29) . Rept. No. R1905 -10- 12. 19h2. Some Physical Properties of IJodern Cabinet Woods. III. Direc- tional and Volume Shrinkage. Tropical Woods 71s 27, Yale Univ. School of Forestry, September 1. 13. Hedin, Louisii 1930. Etude sur la foret et les bois du Cameroun sous Uandat francais. Paris, pp. 88, 96-97. Ill, Howard, A. L. 19U8. Timbers of the World. Macmillan and Co., Ltd., London. 3rd edition, pp. 50-51 • 15. Hutchinson, J. & Dalziel, J. M.fi 1928. Flora of West Tropical Africa. Vol. 1, Pt. 2, pp. U95-U?6. 16. Jay, B. A. 195>0, Timbers of West Africa. Timber Development Assoc. Ltd*, 75 Can- non St., London E.C.U, pp. 20-21. 17. Kribs, David A. 1930, Comparative Anatomy of the Woods of the Meliaceae, Amer. Jour. of* Botany 17:8:72h-738, October. 18. Kribs, David A. 1950. Commercial Foreign Woods on the American Market, Edward Bros., Ann Arbor, Mich., p. 116. 19. Lamb, George N. 19U7. Foreign Woods, Origin, Use, Properties, and nomenclature. Wood Products 52(12): 26, December. 20. Mansell, R. 191+8, Avodire. Turraeanthus africanus Pellegr. (Meliaceae), Furniture Mfg. February 19h%, pp. 2b, 3U. 21. Martineau , 1930. Etude sur les temperament des principales essences de la C9te d'lvoire. Actes et Comptes Rendus de 1' association Colonies- Sciences (Paris) 6:56:30-35, February. 22. luell, C. D. 1929. Avodire, One of the Newer, Fine Imported Woods. Veneers, Vol. XXIII, No. 9, p. 17. 23. IJeniaud, J. and Bretonnet, F.iL 1926. Les Bois Coloniaux d'Afrique dans 1' Industrie. Melun, pp. 3U-35* 2li. Meyer, Hans 1928, Avodire, ein Nutholz Westafrikas, Tropenpflanzer 31(l):l5-l6, January. Rept. No, R1905 • -11- 25. Meyer, Hans 3 1262 08928 6149 1933. Book of Wood Names. (Buch der Holznamen) N. & K. Schaefer, Han- over, Germany. 26. Monnin, M. M. et Collardet, J. 1 t 1930. Etude Physique et Mecanique des Bois Coloniaux, p. 90, table III. Asso, Colonies-Sciences et Com. Natl, de Bois Coloniaux, 60, Rue Taitbout, Paris, France. 27. Normand, D. 19h3. La denomination officielle des principaux bois coloniaux francaise. Re. Bot. App. et d'Agr. Tropical 23:260, 261, 262: I6O-I6I4. 28. Pearson, C. H. and Son Hardwood Co., Inc.k 1930. Avodire. Leaflet. New York. 29. Record, S. J. 1931. West African Avodire, ( Turraeanthus africana ). Tropical Woods 26:1, Yale University School of Forestry, June. 30. Roddis Plywood Corporation 1950. Characteristics of Modern Woods. 3rd edition, p. 5. 31. Schmidt, Von Eberhard 1950. Avodire, Weltholzwirtschaft (U) : Beilage Nr, 16, April, 1 colored plate „ 32. Vigne, cA 1931. Memorandum on "Turaeanthus spp. in the Gold Coast." Additional Reference Lebacq, L. and Istas, J. p. 1950. Les Bois des Meliacees. Annales du Musee du Congo Beige Tervuren (Belgique) Serie in 8° Vol. 2, illus. (See pp. 55-59, analysis). Rept. No. R1905 ~ 12 ~