General Description: Light Hardwood. Major species include P. diversifolium, P. jackianum, P. javanicum and P. subpeltatum. Also known as Hathipaila and Mayene (India); Badjo, Bajoe, Bajur Sulawesi, Banjoro, Bayur, Bodja, Medang lintah and Roembei (Indonesia); Taungpetwun (Myanmar); Bayok and Kulatingan (Philippines); and Welang (Sri Lanka).
Timber Description:
Density: 385 - 705 kg/m3
Heartwood: light red-brown and darkens to brown on exposure.
Sapwood: creamy white to light yellow-brown and merges gradually into the heartwood .
Spot Characters:
non-durable under exposed conditions but would be moderately durable under cover.
easily treated with preservatives.
texture is moderately fine to slightly coarse and even with straight or shallowly interlocked grain.
Utilisation: The timber is suitable for temporary light construction, flooring, cladding, planking, joinery, cabinet making, interior finishing, panelling, mouldings, tool handles for non-impact purposes, furniture, joists and staircase (apron lining, baluster, balustrade, carriage, handrail, riser, stringer, sprandrel framing, tread, bullnose, round end and winder).
General Description: A light hardwood coming from more than 45 species of Calophyllum. The trees are usually tall and slender reaching 30-36m height with girth ranging from 1 to 2m and occur throughout the country from lowlands to upper Montane forest.
Timber Description:
Density: 465 - 865 kg/m3
Heartwood: pink-brown, orange-red to red-brown.
Sapwood: well defined, yellow-brown with a pink tinge.
Spot Characters:
vessels medium-sized and exclusively solitary, arranged in bunches or oblique radial festoons.
parenchyma as distinct terminal bands and red-brown in colour giving rise to growth ring figure on the tangential surface.
rays fine and not visible to naked eyes.
Utilisation: The timber is suitable for light construction, flooring, panelling, joists, furniture manufacture, decorative solid doors, decking, boat construction, diving boards, veneer and plywood manufacture and wooden pallets. In several regions, the wood is much sought after for masts, spars, bridge work and scaffolding.
General Description: A light hardwood timber coming from four general and many species of the family Bombacaceae, The trees can generally achieve fairly large boles. They can be found in lowlands to more than 910m altitude.
Timber Description:
Density: 420 - 865 kg/m3
Heartwood: pink-brown, red-brown to deep red-brown or orange-brown to orange-red.
Sapwood: fairly distinct, almost white in Durio spp, pale yellow in Kostermansia malayana and Neesia spp, and pink-brown in Coelostegia spp.
Spot Characters:
vessels very large and individually distinct.
wood parenchyma reticulate.
rays of two distinct sizes.
faint ripple marks on tangential surface.
texture coarse.
traumatic canals may be present.
Utilisation: The timber is suitable for light construction indoors, door and window frames, flooring, planking, veneer and plywood, wooden sandals and low-grade coffins.
General Description: A light hardwood, Three species are found in Peninsular Malaysia, but only two species are widely distributed. Trees of Gerutu are usually large with clear bole to good height.
Timber Description:
Density: 640 - 880 kg/m3
Heartwood: rose coloured to reddish-brown, usually rather dull.
Sapwood: distinct, light yellow-brown.
Spot Characters:
vertical resin canals in long tangential series filled with white resin.
large vessels, predominantly solitary and oblique in arrangement.
parenchyma aliform.
Utilisation: The timber is suitable for light to medium construction under cover, panelling and partitioning, utility furniture manufacture, strip flooring, veneer for plywood manufacture, pallets, boxes and crates. The timber has been promoted recently as a suitable timber for the production of laminated scantling for door and window frames manufactured in Europe.
General Description: A medium hardwood. The trees are medium to large and can be found mainly in low altitude, usually near rivers.
Timber Description:
Density: 735 - 915 kg/m3
Heartwood: light red-brown to dark red-brown.
Sapwood: fairly distinct, lighter in colour.
Spot Characters:
thin layer of parenchyma narrowly surrounding the vessels.
orange-brown coloured deposits present.
rays are very fine, not visible to the naked eye.
terminal parenchyma bands give rise to vague growth ring figure.
vague stripe figure.
Utilisation: The timber is suitable for furniture manufacture, tool handles, door and window frames, plywood, heavy duty flooring and interior finishing like mouldings and skirtings.
Kedondong
Scientific Name: All species of Burseraceae
General Description: Light Hardwood. Major species include Canarium apertum, C. littorale, C. pseudosumatranum; Dacroydes costata, D. incurvata; Santiria apiculata, S. conferta, S. tomentosa; Scutinanthe brunnea; and Triomma malaccensis. Also known as Kedondong (Brunei); Talat (Cambodia); Kaunicina (Fiji); Karapu kongiliam and White dhup (India); Bayung, Bosi, Kembajau, Kenari, Kerantai, Merasam putih, Merdondong, Ranggarai, Resung and Unggit (Indonesia); Canarium and Galip (Papua New Guinea); Dao, Gisaun, Kamingi, Kalaua, Pagsahingin, Pili and Pilingliitan (Philippines); Ma’ali (Samoa Islands); Kekuna (Sri Lanka); Ma Koem (Thailand); and Cham (Vietnam).
Timber Description:
Density: 495 - 980 kg/m3 air dry and average density of 705 kg/m3 air dry
Heartwood: light yellow in Canarium apertum to yellow-green-brown in S. griffithii and S. rubiginosa to the common light red-brown and deep red-brown of the other species.
Sapwood: usually lighter in colour than the heartwood and not well defined from the heartwood. However, in Santiria griffithii and S. rubiginosa, the sapwood is well defined.
Spot Characters:
not durable if exposed to weather or in direct contact with the ground. The average service life for the species tested is 1.2 years. The sapwood of the timber is liable to heavy attack by powder-post beetles due to its high starch content. It was reported by Desch (1941) that the heartwood can be readily attacked by drywood termites.
very difficult to treat with preservatives.
texture is fairly fine and even, with shallowly or deeply interlocked grain.
nailing property is good.
The defects that are associated with the timbers of kedondong are the presence of knots and pin-holes on the surface. The timber of several species appears to be very liable to attack by blue-stain fungi soon after felling (Desch, 1941).
Utilisation: The timber is suitable as a general utility timber for posts, beams, joists, rafters, medium heavy structures, railway sleepers, vehicle bodies (framework and floor boards), planking, cladding, plywood, tool handles (non-impact), particleboard, flooring, furniture, packing boxes and crates as well as pallets (expendable and permanent light duty types).
General Description: Light Hardwood, there are four species of kembang semangkok found in Peninsular Malaysia. Vernacular names applied include kembang semangkok (Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak) with various epithets. Major species include S. linearicarpum, S. longiflorum, S. macropodum and S. scaphigerum.
Timber Description:
Density: 515 - 755 kg/m3
Heartwood: yellow-brown, light buff or light brown.
Sapwood: lighter in shade and merges gradually into the heartwood.
Spot Characters:
moderately durable under exposed conditions. The sapwood appears to be susceptible to blue stain fungal infection and to powder-post beetle attacks.
very easily treated with preservatives.
texture is slightly coarse and uneven, due to the broad rays and wide layers of parenchyma. Grain is straight or shallowly interlocked.
nailing property is rated as good.
Utilisation: The broad rays and the terminal bands of parenchyma produce a very attractive figure, making the timber very suitable for interior finishing, panelling, mouldings, cabinet making, joinery, furniture, plywood and staircase (apron lining, handrail and sprandrel framing). It is also suitable for posts, beams, joists, rafters, pallets (expendable and permanent light duty) and cooling tower (non structural members). In Thailand, it has been successfully used in the manufacture of match splints.
Ketapang
Scientific Name: Terminalia spp.
General Description: Ketapang is the product of a few species of Terminalia, principally T.bellerica, T.calamansanai, T.catappa, T.citrina ,T.copelandii, T.foetidissima, T.phellocarpa amd T.subspathulata. The timber seasons fairly to moderately slowly with almost no degrade except for some minor insect attacks.
Timber Description:
Density: 385 - 850 kg/m3
Heartwood: light brown in T.citrina and T.copelandii, yellow in T.subspathulata and red brown in T.catappa.
Sapwood: poorly defined from the heartwood.
Spot Characters:
Grain is interlocked, often deeply interlocked and texture is moderately fine and even in T.citrina and moderately coarse in others
General Description: Light Hardwood. Major forest species of Mangifera include M. applanata, M. caesa, M. foetida, M. griffithii, M. indica, M. longipetiolata, M. laurina, M. odorata, M. pajang, M. parviflora, M. quadrifida and M. torquenda. In many trees, a streaky corewood is produced, where the wood is dark brown interspersed with streaks of blacks. This figured material is usually with a natural sheen. Also known as Pacific walnut (Australia); Machang (Brunei); Svay prey (Cambodia); Mangga and Mango (India); Mangga hutan and Membacang (Indonesia); Thayet (Myanmar); Magga and Mango (Pakistan); Malapaho, Paho and Pahutan (Philippines); Ailai and Asai (Soloman Islands); Estamba (Sri Lanka); Ma Muang Pa and Mamuang (Thailand); and Xoan tia (Vietnam).
Timber Description:
Density: 545 - 610 kg/m3
Heartwood: light pink-brown to light brown.
Sapwood: not clearly defined from the heartwood.
Spot Characters:
moderately durable to non-durable under exposed conditions.
very easy to average to treat with preservatives.
texture is moderately fine and even with straight to interlocked grain.
nailing property is excellent.
the logs are generally free from defects except for borer attacks, which are confined to the sapwood.
Utilisation: The timber is suitable for light construction, planking, flooring, packing boxes and crates, plywood, pallets (expendable as well as permanent and light duty type), posts, beams, joists, rafters and cooling tower (non-structural members). The streaky corewood is highly prized as a decorative timber and is used for high class cabinet work, interior finishing, panelling, mouldings, partitioning, furniture, ornamental items and staircase (apron lining, handrails and sprandrel framing).
Medang
Scientific Name: All light weight species of Lauraceae
General Description: Medang is a heterogeneous group of timbers produced by several group of the family Lauraceae the more common of which are Actinodaphne, Alseodaphne, Beilschemiedia, Cinnamomum, Cryptocarya, Dehaasia, Lindora, Litsea, Nothaphoebe and Persea. The timber generally seasons without degrade.
Timber Description:
Density: 350 - 880 kg/m3
Heartwood: variable in colour, the majority being light olive brown to dark green-brown, while some Cryptocarya spp and Phoebe spp are light red-brown, and some Cinnamomum spp are pink to light red. Beilschemiedia spp are yellow white in colour.
Sapwood: not distinct in some species but moderately well defined from the heartwood in other species.
Spot Characters:
Grain is straight or slightly to moderately interlocked. Texture is moderately fine and even.
growth ring figure due to the presence of layers of parenchyma, sometimes containing dark-coloured oil secreted from the oil canals.
vessels are medium sized, solitary and in radial arrangement.
terminal and irregularly spaced parenchyma bands are distinct enclosing oil canals.
unlike the timber from the Dipterocarp family where the resin is usually solidified, filing up the resin canals, the oil in Sepetir usually evaporates, leaving empty canals.
Utilisation: The timber is suitable for general planking and light construction works. However, the decorative nature of the timber makes it suitable for panelling, furniture manufacture, domestic flooring and interior works. It is also suitable for sliced veneer and rotary veneer production.
Melantai
Scientific Name: Shorea macroptera, S.cristata, S.macrophylla, S.pilosa, S.pinanga and S.scaberrima.
General Description: The timber which is also known as Kawang is Sabah, consists certain lightweight reddish and yellowish timbers produced by some Shorea spp. The timber is separated from the Red Merantis on the grounds that Melantai is usually lighter in density and tends to have a bright yellow tinge. Major species include S.macroptera, S.cristata, S.macrophylla, S.pilosa, S.pinanga and S.
Timber Description:
Density: 415 - 625 kg/m3
Heartwood: yellow-pink when freshly cut, weathering to a light pink colour with a yellow tinge.
Sapwood: moderately distinct from the heartwood.
Spot Characters:
Texture is moderately coarse but even; grain is interlocked.
Melunak
Scientific Name: Pentace spp. (Family: Tiliaceae)
General Description: A light hardwood. The trees are medium to large in size and can be found scattered in undulating lowland as well as hill forests. In terms of density and general usage, the timber can easily be used to substitute the more expensive Dark Red Meranti. This timber rarely contains defect.
Timber Description:
Density: 530 - 755 kg/m3
Heartwood: pink-brown, light red-brown or red-brown.
Sapwood: yellow or light straw-coloured.
Spot Characters:
distinctive ripple marks.
vessels moderately small, solitary and in radial multiples.
tyloses fairly abundant.
white-coloured deposit occasionally present.
stripe figure on radial surface.
Utilisation: The timber is suitable for interior finishing, panelling, superior joinery, furniture manufacture, flooring and other light construction.
Mempisang
Scientific Name: All species of Annonaceae
General Description: The timber which is also known as Kepayang Babi in Sarawak, and as Karai in Sabah, consists of timbers of all species of the family Annonaceae. Major species are Cyathocalyx pruniferus, C.sumatranus, Mezzettia leptopoda, Monocarpia marginalis, Platymita siamensis, Polyalthia glauca, P.hypoleuca, P.sclerophylla, P.sumatrana, Xylopia ferruginea, X.fusca and X,stenopetala.
Timber Description:
Density: 370 - 960 kg/m3
Heartwood: light yellow white or light yellow-brown, often with a green tinge.
Sapwood: normally not well defined.
Spot Characters:
M.leptopoda is very fast drying with moderate cupping, insect and fungal attacks as defects.
vXylopia fusca is fairly slow drying, the defects being moderate cupping, bowing, staining, slight end-checks and insects attacks.
grain is almost straight and texture is rather coarse and uneven due to the presence of the extremely large rays.
Meranti Bakau
Scientific Name: Shorea uliginosa
General Description: Meranti Bakau is the product of a single species S.uliginosa, although sometimes a timber derived from S.platycarpa cannot be confidently separated from Meranti Bakau.
Timber Description:
Density: 595 - 755 kg/m3
Heartwood: light pink to ligh red-brown.
Sapwood: distinct from the heartwood.
Spot Characters:
The timber seasons fairly rapidly with moderate cupping, bowing and twist as the main sources of degrade.
Grain is interlocked. Texture is rather coarse but even.
General Description: A light hardwood. One of the most common timber trees in the dipterocarp forest. Matured trees are medium to large sized and with straight boles. The timber is easily one of the most traded timbers in Malaysia.
Timber Description:
Density: 415 - 885 kg/m3
Heartwood: red-brown ageing to dark red.
Sapwood: pink with a grey tinge and not clearly defined from the heartwood.
Spot Characters:
vessels medium to large.
tyloses occasionally present.
vertical canals in long tangential series.
horizontal canals confined to the species Shorea ovata.
parenchyma in irregularly spaced bands containing resin canals.
surface lustrous.
distinguished from Meranti Bakau by being darker in colour and Light Red Meranti by its higher density.
stripe figure on radial surface due to interlocked grain.
Utilisation: The timber is extremely popular as a general utility timber, being suitable for furniture manufacture, high class interior finishing, flooring, panelling and partitioning , mouldings and skirtings, fancy doors, sliced and rotary cut veneers.
General Description: A light hardwood. Very similar in structure to Dark Red Meranti and Meranti Bakau. However, the timber is lighter in weight and colour as compared to Dark Red Meranti and Meranti Bakau. When compared with Meranti Bakau, Light Red Meranti is more lustrous on its surface.
Timber Description:
Density: 385 - 755 kg/m3
Heartwood: light red or pink-brown.
Sapwood: lighter in colour, usually greyish.
Spot Characters:
vertical canals in long tangential series.
horizontal canals present in two species (Shorea leprosula & Shorea Teysmaniana).
vessels medium to large.
parenchyma in irregularly spaced bands containing resin canals.
distinguished from Meranti Bakau by the density and Dark Red Meranti by colour.
stripe figure on radial surface due to interlocked grain.
Utilisation: The timber is very popular as a general utility timber, being suitable for furniture manufacture, interior finishing, panelling, partitioning, mouldings, skirtings, etc. The timber is also suitable for veneer and plywood manufacture.
General Description: A light hardwood. The trees are large and well shaped and can be found in all types of dipterocarp forests but poorly represented in hill dipterocarp forest. Sawing of this timber may pose some problems due to the presence of silica in the cells. The timber is liable to blue-stain infestation if not dried quickly after sawing.
Timber Description:
Density: 495 - 995 kg/m3
Heartwood: almost pure white when freshly cut, ageing to yellow-brown, buff-colour, golden-brown or definite brown.
Sapwood: white, moderately sharply differentiated from the heartwood.
Spot Characters:
vertical canals in long tangential series.
vessels grouped in small colonies and appear to arrange in oblique rows; mostly solitary.
wood parenchyma golden in colour, aliform and in irregularly spaced bands containing resin canals.
Utilisation: The timber is very popular as a general utility timber, being suitable for furniture manufacture, interior finishing, panelling, partitioning, mouldings, skirtings, etc. The timber is also suitable for veneer and plywood manufacture.
General Description: A light hardwood. The trees are small to very large and can be found in most areas of well-drained forests throughout the country.
Timber Description:
Density: 575 - 735 kg/m3
Heartwood: light yellow-brown, often with greenish or olive tinge, ageing to light brown.
Sapwood: lighter in colour and fairly distinct.
Spot Characters:
vessels medium sized with tendency to align in oblique rows.
vertical canals in long tangential series.
horizontal canals present but may not be seen under a lens.
parenchyma as irregularly spaced bands containing resin canals.
rays yellow in colour.
Utilisation: The timber is suitable for general utility purposes, planking, light construction, panelling and partitioning, furniture manufacture, flooring and pallets. This timber is highly prized as a plywood species.
General Description: A light hardwood. The trees can grow to a very large size. The timber is commonly used for plywood manufacture in Malaysia. Colour of the wood is very even and rather featureless on the surface
Timber Description:
Density: 515 - 735 kg/m3
Heartwood: yellow-brown, often with a rose tinge, ageing to straw-brown.
Sapwood: not distinct.
Spot Characters:
vertical canals mostly diffuse, occasionally in tangential series.
vessel medium to moderately large and exclusively solitary.
white vessel deposits common.
tyloses present.
rays of two distinct sizes.
parenchyma in short tangential lines from ray to ray.
Utilisation: The timber is extremely popular as a veneer and plywood species. Other uses include light construction, furniture manufacture, pallets, boxes and crates.
Nyatoh
Scientific Name: Species of the family Sapotaceae (mainly from the genera Madhuca, Palaquium and Payena)
General Description: A light hardwood. The trees range from small to large and widely found in the lowlands, freshwater swamps, sea coast and mountains. The bark tends to exude a white latex when injured.
Timber Description:
Density: 400 - 1,075 kg/m3 but majority of the timber are within the range of 640 - 720 kg/m3
Heartwood: deep pink-brown or red-brown.
Sapwood: fairly distinct, lighter in colour.
Spot Characters:
vessel medium sized and arranged in radial groups in chain like formation.
parenchyma tissue in narrow, closely spaced bands.
rays very fine, not visible to naked eyes.
vague growth ring figure on flat-sawn surface.
Utilisation: Nyatoh is a popular timber for furniture and solid door manufacture. It is suitable for high-class decorative interior finishing such as panelling and partitioning. Other uses include strip and parquet flooring, ceilings, boat decking, staircases, rotary and sliced veneers, plywood and pallets.
Penarahan
Scientific Name: All species of Myristicaceae
General Description: Penarahan is the product of numerous species of the family Myristicaceae, mainly from the genera Gymnacranthera, Horsfieldia, Knema and Myristica.
Timber Description:
Density: 370 - 770 kg/m3
Heartwood: light yellow-brown, brown with occasional pink tinge and dark red-purple stripes. A blood-red core is found in some species.
Sapwood: poor defined from the heartwood.
Spot Characters:
seasons fairly slowly with slight cupping, bowing, end-checks, splitting and insect attacks as the main sources of degrade.
the grain is straight and texture rather fine to slightly coarse and even.
Perupok
Scientific Name: Lophopetalum spp.
General Description: Perupok is the porduct mainly from Lophopetalum javanicum, L.pallidum, L.subovatum, L.floribundum, L.multinervium and L.wighteanum.
Timber Description:
Density: 480 - 640 kg/m3
Heartwood: light yellow white or light yellow-brown when dry, pink when freshly cut.
Sapwood: not clearly differentiated from the heartwood.
Spot Characters:
The timber seasons very rapidly but is prone to end-checks, splitting, surface checking and some insect attacks during seasoning.
grain is interlocked, texture is fine to moderately fine and even.
General Description: A light hardwood. The trees are small to medium sized with fairly straight boles. The timber is used as the substitute for Beech wood in Europe for the manufacture of furniture.
Timber Description:
Density: 530 - 785 kg/m3
Heartwood: white when fresh, becoming yellowish to pale-straw when exposed to the weather.
Sapwood: lighter in colour, poorly defined from the heartwood.
Spot Characters:
wood light, white or pale-straw in colour.
texture fine and surface fairly featureless.
vessels small.
parenchyma in narrow wing like aliform.
Utilisation: The timber has established a reputation as a first class joinery timber. It is suitable for furniture manufacture, panelling, flooring, stringers and stair threads, wooden mathematical instruments, drawing boards, toys, turnery and rotary peeled plywood. It is a much sought after timber for the manufacture of high-grade picture frames.
General Description: A light hardwood. The trunks are normally tapered and only short boles are available. Thus, planks of Rubberwood are usually less than 2 m. The timber has an attractive growth ring figure on its tangential surface.
Timber Description:
Density: 560 - 640 kg/m3
Heartwood: straw-coloured with a pink tinge to light red-brown.
Sapwood: not differentiated from the heartwood.
Spot Characters:
wood light.
vessels large, and distinct to the naked eye.
tyloses abundant.
wood parenchyma reticulate.
latex smell when fresh.
Utilisation: The timber is used extensively for the manufacture of furniture. Other major uses include flooring, toys, fruit bowls, chopping blocks, interior finishing, panelling, mouldings, charcoal manufacture, wooden pallets, stair threads, banisters and other staircase components. It has also been used as core material for blockboards and has benn chipped for pulp and paper manufacture. Rubberwood is the main source of fibre for the production of medium density fibreboard (MDF) in Malaysia.
Sentang
Scientific Name: Azadirachta excelsa
General Description: A light hardwood also a single species of Azadirachta excelsa.
Timber Description:
Density: 560 - 770 kg/m3
Heartwood: reddish-brown.
Sapwood: moderately well differentiated from the heartwood.
Spot Characters:
The timber seasons fairly rapidly with only slight twist and end-checks as the main sources of degrade.
grain is interlocked. Texture is slightly coarse and uneven due to a tendency towards a ring-porous structure.
General Description: A light hardwood. Trees are usually medium sized but sometimes large with cylindrical bole. Sepetir trees are found scattered in lowland dipterocarp forest on flat land and hillsides, up to 300 m altitude, but in Peninsular Malaysia sometimes up to 800 m.
Timber Description:
Density: 530 - 785 kg/m3
Heartwood: pink-brown, gold-brown or red-brown, darkening on exposure; timber often streaked with darker coloured layers and very much resembles the more popular Walnut timber.
Sapwood: light grey-brown or beige with a pink tinge and is clearly defined from the heartwood.
Spot Characters:
wood is light to medium in weight.
growth ring figure due to the presence of layers of parenchyma, sometimes containing dark-coloured oil secreted from the oil canals.
vessels are medium sized, solitary and in radial arrangement.
terminal and irregularly spaced parenchyma bands are distinct enclosing oil canals.
unlike the timber from the Dipterocarp family where the resin is usually solidified, filing up the resin canals, the oil in Sepetir usually evaporates, leaving empty canals.
Utilisation: The timber is suitable for general planking and light construction works. However, the decorative nature of the timber makes it suitable for panelling, furniture manufacture, domestic flooring and interior works. It is also suitable for sliced veneer and rotary veneer production.
