MTIB Malaysian Timber Industry Board : KERANJI

STANDARD NAME

KERANJI

(Heavy Hardwood)

FAMILY

Leguminosae

BOTANICAL NAME

Dialium spp.

DISTRIBUTION

Widely distributed in lowland forests

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Sapwood is well-defined and white to yellowish white in colour. The heartwood is goldbrown or red-brown weathering to dark brown.

Grain is deeply interlocked and sometimes wavy giving rise to attractive stripe figure.

Texture is fine to moderately coarse and even.

Vessels are with simple perforations, medium-sized to moderately large, few or rarely moderately few, mostly solitary with a few in radial groups of two to four; evenly scattered without any clear arrangement. Yellow, white or yellow-brown deposits are common.

Wood parenchyma is abundant and occurs as regularly and closely spaced concentric bands. It is difficult to determine whether it is apotracheal or paratracheal.

Rays are very fine to moderately fine, not visible to the naked eye.

Ripple marks are characteristic and very distinct.

USES

Suitable for heavy construction, interior finishing, panelling, parquet flooring, strip flooring, handles for striking tools, police batons and heavy-duty flooring.