Timbers of Kerala

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Scientific Name  Dipterocarpus indicus Bedd.
Trade Name  Gurjan
Local Name  Karanjili,Vella ayani,Kalpayin
Family  Dipterocarpaceae
Tree Size  Very large
Tree Height ( m )  37
Tree Diameter ( cm )  120
Tree Distribution  West coast tropical evergreen and west coast semi-evergreen forest
Sapwood-Heartwood Distinction  Indistinct
Sapwood Colour  Greyish white
Heartwood Colour  Greyish brown
Hardness  Moderately hard to hard
Specific Gravity Based on Weight Over-dry and Volume Green  0.74
Weight  Moderately heavy
Weight(Kg)/cubic meter at 12% Moisture Content  705 - 900
Texture  Medium coarse textured
Grain  Straight to somewhat interlocked or irregular grain
Growth Rings  Absent
Porosity  Diffuse porous
Vessel Size  Medium sized to small
Vessel Arrangement  Solitary
Vessel Diameter   205 - 330 280
Vessel Element Lenght  380 - 650 650
Perforation  Simple
Pit Outline  Oval to elliptical
Pit Size  Medium (7-10 µm),vestured
Vessel Ray Pitting  Larger in size than inter vessel pitting with simple and rounded pits
Ray Nature  Fine to moderately broad,few and widely spaced
Ray Arrangement/Type  1-5seriate,heterogeneous type 2, filled with gummy infiltration.Uniseriate rays made wholly of upright cells.Multiseriate rays made up of procumbent and three to four marginal rows square or upright cells.
Ray Number  5 - 9
Ray Height  530 - 1440 980
Fibre Walls  Very thick walled,non-septate; minutely bordered pits on radial and tangential walls
Fiber Length 
Modulus of Rupture in kg/cm2 (Green)  789
Modulus of Elasticity in kg/cm2 (Green)  162900
Modulus of Rupture kg/cm2 (Dry)  1245
Modulus of Elasticity in kg/cm2 (Dry)  201400
Uses  Construction purposes, plywood and veneers, poles and cross arms, railway sleepers, boat and ship building, carts and carriages, fuel wood, boards & panels and picture frames.
  • Tree Image
  • Timber Gross View
  • TS (100X)
  • TLS(100X)
  • RLS(100X)


College of Forestry - KAU