Timbers of Kerala

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Scientific Name  Dysoxylum malabaricum Bedd.ex Hiern
Trade Name  White cedar
Local Name  Vellakil,Akil
Family  Meliaceae
Tree Size  Very large
Tree Height ( m )  35
Tree Diameter ( cm )  60 - 90
Tree Distribution  West coast tropical evergreen and southern hill top tropical evergreen forests
Sapwood-Heartwood Distinction  Distinct
Sapwood Colour  Pale yellowish grey to white
Heartwood Colour  Yellowish
Hardness  Moderately hard
Specific Gravity Based on Weight Over-dry and Volume Green  0.53
Weight  Moderately heavy
Weight(Kg)/cubic meter at 12% Moisture Content  720
Texture  Fine textured
Grain  Straight to somewhat interlocked grain
Growth Rings  Demarcated by the presence of broad parenchyma bands
Porosity  Diffuse porous
Vessel Size  Small
Vessel Arrangement  Solitary and in radial multiples of two to three,rarely in clusters filled with yellowish deposits
Vessel Diameter   150 - 200 175
Vessel Element Lenght  315 - 620 620
Perforation  Simple
Pit Outline  Oval
Pit Size  Minute(3-4 µm),non-vestured
Vessel Ray Pitting  Alternate and pit outline oval
Ray Nature  Fine,visible under the lens,numerous and closely spaced
Ray Arrangement/Type  1-3 seriate,heterogeneous type-3,showing a tendency to homogeneity.Body of ray made up of procumbent cells with a single marginal row of square cells. Uniseriate rays made wholly of square cells
Ray Number  3 - 6
Ray Height  220 - 510 340
Fibre Walls  Thin walled,septate; minute pits on radial walls
Fiber Length 
Modulus of Rupture in kg/cm2 (Green)  661.2
Modulus of Elasticity in kg/cm2 (Green)  109200
Modulus of Rupture kg/cm2 (Dry)  1181.6
Modulus of Elasticity in kg/cm2 (Dry)  141300
Uses  Furniture and cabinets, building and bridge construction, aircraft plywood, mathematical and engineering instruments, boards & panels, cooperage, window & door frames, carts & carriages, extraction of oil, planking, mine props and casks.
  • Tree Image
  • Timber Gross View
  • TS (100X)
  • TLS(100X)
  • RLS(100X)


College of Forestry - KAU