Ongokea gore

Angueuk

Family: Olacaceae

Other Common Names: Kouero (Ivory Coast), Andjek, Angueuk (Gabon, Cameroon), Boleko (Zaire).

Distribution: From Liberia to the Congo region; found in evergreen humid forests and periodically inundated areas.

The Tree: May reach a height of 130 ft; bole is straight and cylindrical, unbuttressed but sometimes lobed or swollen at the base; trunk diameters to 5 ft.

The Wood: General Characteristics: Heartwood pale yellow not always differentiated from the 3- to 4-in. wide sapwood. Texture fine and even; grain straight, somewhat interlocked, or wavy; luster rather low. Ribbonlike markings on quatersawn surface.

Weight: Basic specific gravity (ovendry weight/green volume) 0.72; air-dry density 55 pcf.

Mechanical Properties: (2-cm standard)

Moisture content Bending strength Modulus of elasticity Maximum crushing strength

(%) (Psi) (1,000 psi) (Psi)

12% (44) 20,800 2,340 10,800

12% (44) 13,700 1,450 8,600

Amsler toughness 110 to 150 in.-lb at 12% moisture content (2-cm specimen).

Drying and Shrinkage: Should be quartersawn to avoid warp. No information on kiln schedules. Shrinkage green to overdry: radial 4.0%; tangential 10.7%; volumetric 14.1%.

Working Properties: Saws well but slowly, planes and machines well to a smooth finish, easy to glue, easy to slice into veneer.

Durability: Heartwood is rated as durable and is rarely attacked by termites; sapwood is liable to stain and powder-post beetle attack.

Preservation: Heartwood is resistant to impregnation; sapwood is moderately resistant.

Uses: General carpentry work, joinery, flooring, veneer, turnery. Fruits are edible, kernels used for soap and lubricants.

Additional Reading: (3), (21), (44)

M 150 282-3Logs are delivered to a sawmill in southern Nigeria. African mahogany

(mostly Khaya ivorensis) is in high demand on overseas markets. Export of logs fro

this region, as well as from most other tropical areas, is being restricted.