| OTHER COMMON NAMES: |
| Roble (Spanish America), Amapa, Roble blanco (Mexico),
Roble blanco, Roble de sabana (Costa Rica), Roble del rio
(Colombia), Apamate (Venezuela). |
| DISTRIBUTION |
| From the West Indies and southern Mexico to Venezuela and Ecuador. Inhabits various sites from wet lowlands
to dry mountainsides. |
| THE TREE |
| A medium-sized tree 40 to 60 ft high, but occasionally reaching a height of 90 ft; diameters commonly 18 to 24 in., sometimes reaching
36 in.; buttresses often extend to 10 ft above the ground; widely planted as an ornamental. |
 |
| DRYING AND SHRINKAGE: |
| The wood air-seasons and kiln-dries rapidly with little or no checking and warping. Kiln schedule T6-D2 is
suggested for 4/4 stock and T3-D1 for 8/4. Shrinkage from green to ovendry: radial 3.6%; tangential 6.1%;
volumetric 9.5%. |
| DURABILITY |
| Both pure culture tests and field evaluations indicate
the wood to be moderately durable to very
durable; reported to be very susceptible to drywood
termite attack and little resistance to marine
borers. |
| WORKING PROPERTIES: |
| The wood has excellent machining characteristics
but some care required in planing to prevent torn
and chipped grain. Finishes well, easy to glue. With
care, cuts well into sliced veneer. |
|
|
| BIGNONIACEAE |
 |
| TRADE NAME: |
| MAYFLOWER, ROBLE |
| COLOMBIAN NAME: |
| ROBLE FLOR MORADO |
| |
| WOOD PROPERTIES |
| GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS |
| Heartwood light brown to golden; not clearly differentiated
from the sapwood. Luster low to medium; texture medium to
rather coarse; grain straight to roey; without distinctive odor or
taste when dry. |
| Weigth: Basic specific gravity (ovendry weight/green volume) 0.52;
air-dry density 40 pcf. |
| PRESERVATION |
| Penetration and absorption of preservative solutions
are low, even in the sapwood. This may be improved
somewhat by incising. |
| USES |
| furniture, cabinetwork, interior trim, tool handles,
decorative veneers, boat building. For some applications
suggested as a substitute for ash and oak. |
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