Description: Heartwood generally golden brown to red brown and distinct from the lighter sapwood.

Mechanical Properties: Janka side hardness 980 lb. for green material and 1,240 lb. at 12% moisture content. Shrinkage green to ovendry: radial 6.3%, tangential 7.8%, volumetric 12.9%.

Working Properties: The timber is easy to work with either hand or machine tools; however, high resin contents cause some downtime due to gumming of cutters and machine tables. Takes nails and screws well and glues satisfactorily.

Durability: Durability and resistance to insect attack varies with resin content, heartwood generally rated moderately durable. Sapwood prone to blue stain.

Uses: Hardwood flooring, carpentry, joinery, boat building

The preceding information comes from "Tropical Timbers of the World", United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Agriculture Handbook Number 607, September 1984. Martin Chudnoff, Forest Products Technologist (retired), Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wis.