Catostemma spp.

Baromalli

Family: Bombacaceae

Other Common Names: Arenillo (Colombia), Baramanni, Baramalli (Guayana), Flambeau rouge (French Guiana), Baraman (Venezuela), Kajoewaballi (Surinam).

Distribution: Carare-Opon and Serrania de San Lucas regions of Colombia; the Guianas and in the low inundated forests near Manaus and northward in Brazil.

The Tree: On best sites may grow to 48 in. in diameter and 150 ft in height; commonly to heights of 100 ft and diameters of 24 in. Unbuttressed trees with long, clear, cylindrical trunks of excellent form.

The Wood:

General Characteristics: Heartwood dull yellowish- to pinkish brown, distinct but not sharply demarcated from the yellowish-brown sapwood. Grain is straight to slightly interlocked; texture coarse; luster low; without distinctive odor or taste. Quarter sawed surfaces show a distinctive "silver-grain" figure.

Weight: Basic specific gravity (ovendry weight/green volume) 0.50 to 0.60; air- dry density 36 to 46 pcf.

Mechanical Properties: (2-in. standard)

Moisture content Bending strength Modulus of elasticity Maximum crushing strength

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

Green (46) 8,100 1,610 3,840

12% 11,200 1,820 6,730

Green (76) 10,670 2,300 4,280

12% 15,450 2,880 8,340

Janka side hardness 520 lb for green and 720 lb for air-dry material with basic specific gravity of 0.50. Forest Products Laboratory toughness average for green and dry material is 166 in.-lb (5/8-in. specimen).

Drying and Shrinkage: The wood air-seasons rather slowly, degrade due to checking and warp is slight. Kiln schedule T6-D2 is suggested for 4/4 stock and T3-D1 for 8/4. Shrinkage green to ovendry: radial 5.2%; tangential 11.1%; volumetric 17.5%. Movement of timber in service is rated as large.

Working Properties: Rated as fair to poor in most machining operations but also reported to work easily with machine and hand tools. Machine-finished surfaces lack luster and are harsh to the touch. Takes glue well and can be nailed without splitting. Easy to cut into veneer.

Durability: Heartwood vulnerable to decay fungi and is rated as very susceptible to attack by dry-wood termites. Sapwood also susceptible to attack by powder- post beetles.

Preservation: Both heartwood and sapwood are easily impregnated with preservatives using either pressure or open-tank processes.

Uses: General construction work where dimensional stability is not critical, fiberboard, particleboard, plywood, box shook, and cooperage.

Additional Reading: (24), (46), (71), (75)

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.

M 150 282-2Band mills in Ghana are designed to handle logs 5 feet and more in

diameter. Obeche or Wawa (Triplochiton scleroxylon) logs yield lumber favored for

joinery and millwork.

M 150 273-14In many areas of the tropics, fast-growing species are being introduced

future supplies of fuel wood and industrial wood. Batai (Albizia falcataria) is

a favored plantation species in the Philipines.

M 150 273-13 Shores spp. is still the major timber group harvested in Southeast

Asia. With modern chain saws, fellers no longer need scaffolding to get above larg

buttresses.

M 150 281 Felling of white lauan or almon (Shorea a;mon) with axes in the early

1900s in the Philippines. Most hardwood plywood now imported into the USA is

produced from species of Shorea.

[M 150 273-9Plywood mill in San Jose, Costa Rica, produces rotary-cut veneers mostly from banak (Virola spp.) and crabwood or cedro macho (Carapa guianensis). Logs trucked in from the Caribbean coast.]