- /•<-. INFORMATION LEAFLET FOREIGN V/OODS Forest Products Laboratory,* Forest Service U. 3. Department of Agriculture 1955 BANAK Vircla spp. '. . isticaceae , Nutmeg Family) :ISE GERRY, Forest Products Technologist Division cf Timber Growth and Utilization Relations [3anak wood, because of its characteristics and availability, b aroused considerable interest in the United States as a source of useful material. It comes from a tropical genus known as Virola , which has a considerable number cf species. The woods, as far as present knowledge goes, arc considered to be much alike (4).- 3ommor) ..- ■.- ..r The following names are applied to the trees and woods of the genua Virola in the various countries as indicated: Acajou - Trinidad Arbre a suif - Guianas Baboen - Guianas Baboenhout - Guianas Babun-hudu - Guianas Banak - U. S. Trade Brit. Hond. Bastard Banak - Brit. Hond. Bicuiba - Brazil Anakin - Trinidad Arvore de sebo - Brazil Baboenhoedoe - Guianas Baboentri - Guianas Bali - Guianas Banak cedar - Brit. Hond. uiba - Brazil Bicuiba assu - 3razil , J' "Maintained at Madison, Wis., in cooperation with the University of Wisconsi , 2 "Underlined numbers in parenthesis refer to the list of numbered references at the end of the report. pt. No. 2018 -1- Agricultu: - Bicuiba branca - Brazil Bicuiba mirira - Brazil Bicuhyba - Brazil Bogamani - Panama Cacao de monte - Ec. Camaticaro - Venezuela Camaticaro rojo - Venezuela Cayuco - Trinidad Copidijo - Panama Cunala - Peru Cumala caspi - Peru Dalli -.Guianas Payapa - Guianas Prutadorado ~ Costa Rica, Panama Gorgoran - Panama Guinguamadou - Guianas Kill dalli - Guianas •Jea - Guianas ICilikov/a - Guianas Mahban - U. S. Trade Mat toe moenba - Guianas Mouchigo - Guianas Moussigo — Guianas Muscadier fou - Guatemala Our.rouchi - Guianas Palo de sangre - Guat.; Hond., Nic. Pintrie - Guianas Saint Jean rouge - Guianas Sangredrago - Nic . Tabegua - Panama L T cufe-ey - Peru Ucuuba - Brazil Ucuuba vermelha - Brazil Virola - Guianas Y/allololo - Guianas Uaroesierjan - Guianas Uarokotie - Guianas Yayamadou - Guianas Hey . . 1> 1 Bicuiba cheiros - Brazil Bicuiba vermelha - Brazil Bogabani - Panama Cajuco - Trinidad Camaticaro bianco - Venezuela Caupuri - Peru Cedrillo - Venezuela Cuajo - Venezuela Cumala blanca - Peru Cumula - Peru Pari - Guianas Guiaguia - Guianas Guinguamadou de monte - Guianas Ira rosa - Costa Rica Jeamadon - Guianas Kwatta - Lesser Antilles; Trinidad; Guianas; S. Ven.; N. Brazil Malagueta de montana - Panama Moonba - Guianas Mouchigo rouge - Guianas Mucuhyba - Brazil Muscadier a suif - Guianas Parica - Brazil Piquibucu - Brazil Sangre - Guat., Hond., Nic. Tarosiepjo - Guianas Ucuhuba - Brazil Ucuuba branca - Brazil Voirouche - Guianas Uaroesie - Guianas V/arokoroballi - Guianas Wild nutmeg - Trinidad -2- Distribution and Habitat The 38 or more species -2 of the genus Virola are found in tropical Central and South America, throughout the range of the family Kyristicaceae, except in Mexico. They rarely occur at the higher elevations in the And , flourishing primarily in the mixed hardwood forests of the lowlands. Their distribution includes some of the Lesser Antilles, Trinidad, the Guianas, Southern Venezuela, Northern Brazil in the states of Amazonas, coastal Para, especially the Amazon estuary (which is inundated by the Atlantic tides), Maranhao, Northeastern Ceara, Para, Matto Grosso, Goyaz, and the Northern half of Sao Paulo. Some species grow in the rather dry woods of the "Campos" regions. In Central America the range is from British Honduras and Guatemala to Panama. The Tree Size The genus Virola includes small, medium-sized, and large type species , Bark The bark of some species of this genus ( Virola ) is tapped for an astringent sap, one of the commercial kinos. This is bright yellow at first but turns red as it hardens. Flowers and Fruit (Nuts) The seeds of Virola arc rich in oil (^, 2) an< ^ arG used for making candle9 and soap. They present an attractive appearance because of their shining brown surface and the white, pink, or red lacc-likc aril (appendage or covering) . The fruits of the related species ( Myristica fragrans Houtt.) of the Moluccas and Grenada (Windward Islands) (introduced) are the source of the spioes nutmeg and mace (8) . "T?he most widely distributed species is Virola surinamensis (Kol.) '/"arc . (Kwatta) . Other well known species are V. sebifera Aubl., V. koschnyi Warb. = V. merendonis Pit tier. Root. ' r . . r -3- The V/ood Color The color of the wood of the Virolas varies from pale "brown when fresh to pinkish or deep reddish brown, often with a purplish hue. It somewhat resembles Spanish cedar (5)« The sapwood is lighter in color than the heartwood and may or may not be sharply demarcated from it. :;ei^ht The wood is mostly of moderate density. The specific gravity ranges from 0.60 to 0.75. and the weight from about 27 to 47 pounds per cubic foot v.-hen air dry. Texture, Grain, and Figure The v/ood has a medium texture; pores on the longitudinal surfaces are visible as fine grooves without magnification. The wood is ordinarily straight grained. Luster "A plain wood." Mechanical Properties A Some tests of banak— from British Honduras were made in 1923 on a log 18 inches in diameter and 9 feet long at the Imperial Institute in London (2). These indicated that the strength values for air-dry material (about 12 percent moisture content) compare favorably with United States basswood, a species of much lower density. I>arability The wood is very subject to attacks by borers if it is allowed to remain in the forest after it is felled. It is probably not resistant to decay ~oy wood-destroying fungi. ?his material was described as a species of Myristic a, a genv.s close to V iro la with v/ood described as very similar and admittedly somewhat decayed and not positively identified in the forest. Rept. No. :.0 ' _4_ Seasoning Banak is said to dry without serious warping or checking, and holds its shape well. Working Q,ualitics "It cuts easily with hand and power saws and a good surface is ob- tainable with jack and smoothing planes, "both along and across the grain. Good clear holes are readily obtained with brad awl, gimlet, center bit, and twist drill, v:ithout tendency to split. Nails and screws can be driven into the wood easily without splitting it and hold fairly well. It cuts with facility in a mortising machine and works easily with gouge and chisel. The wood turns satisfactorily, though the fibers tear slightly, and a good finish is obtainable. It absorbs glue well, can be stained without difficulty to resemble mahogany fairly well and gives satisfactory results in polishing and varnishing. It holds its place when manufac tared, does not warp or check, and is very free from many knots and other defects" (2, l±). Uses Both veneers and solid lumber have proved satisfactory for general utility purposes. One use is for drawer bottoms (^) . Marketing Information The early attempts at marketing the Virolas were not highly success- ful. One of the difficulties came from "pin worm" damage from boring beetles going deeply into the wood soon after it was cut. Quick removal from the forest after felling appears to be essential. The dry wood was not found to be attacked by the borers. Kept. -. . I. ' _ 5 _ ■ **-" • iiiiiiil 3 1262 08924 2662 (1) GARRATT, G. A. 1933. Systematic Anatomy of the Woods of the Myristicaceae. Tropical Woods 35: 6-48. Yale Forest School, New Haven, Conn. (2) -IMPERIAL INSTITUTE (Report of Director) 1923. British Honduras Timbers, Part 1. Bull, of the Imperial Institute 2l(*0 : 570-572, London. (3) PFEIFFER, J. PH. 1926. De Houtsoorten Van Suriname, pp. 166-169 (illus,) . (4) RECORD, S. J. and HESS, R. W. I943. Timbers of the New World. Yale University Press, New Haven, Conn. (5) RODDIS LUMBER AND VENEER CO. 1939. Characteristics of Modern Woods, p. 8. Marshfield, Wis. (6) SMITH, A. C. 1938. Distribution of the Myristicaceae. Brittonia 2(5):396. (7) WEHMER, C. 1929. Die Pflanzenstoffe, Srster Band., pp. 3^8-3^9. G-. Fischer, Jena. (Refs. on chemical constitution of Tirolas .) (8) WHITAKER, C. H. 1946. War gave "Nutmeg Isle" bigger spice-trade role. Foreign Commerce Weekly 25 (8): 8-9, 33-3^ t Nov. 23. .vwi_ ;,e. 2018 -6-