Amoora

In Malaysia, some species are mixed with meranti parcels, often shipped as 'Meliaceae'.

Scientific name

Amoora spp. Principally A. cucullata. Family: Meliaceae

Other names

Pacific maple; thitni (Myanmar); amoor (Pakistan); tasua (Thailand); amari (India); mava; mua mua; mawa; lulua; maota; namota; manatpuku; garotai; maoa; muta

Description

  • Grows to 30m high on good sites.
  • Log diameters of 1m.
  • Bole (trunk) is straight and relatively short with steep, plank-like buttresses reaching 1.8m.
  • Crown is a dense, deep, dome.

Occurrence

  • Ranges from Thailand to Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.
  • Common in lowland forest and on ridges.

Appearance

Colour

  • Heartwood from pink-brown to red-brown.
  • Sapwood is distinctly lighter, white to pink-brown in a 25mm wide band.

Grain

  • Grain is straight or slightly interlocked.
  • Texture is moderately coarse.

Uses

Construction

  • Light construction, weatherboards, shingles.

Decorative

  • Furniture, mouldings, joinery, plywood veneer, wall panelling, louvres and shutters.

Others

  • Crates, fruit cases.
  • Canoe planks and paddles (Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea).

Properties

  • Density: 555 kg/m3 at 12% moisture content; about 1.8m3 of seasoned, sawn timber per tonne.
  • Strength groups: S6 unseasoned, SD6 seasoned.
  • Stress grades: F4, F5, F7, F8 (unseasoned), F7, F8, F11, F14 (seasoned), when visually stress-graded according to AS 2082—2000: Timber—Hardwood—Visually stress-graded hardwood for structural purposes.
  • Joint groups: J4 unseasoned, JD4 seasoned.
  • Shrinkage to 12% MC: 6.9% (tangential), 2.9% (radial).
  • Unit shrinkage: 0.28% (tangential), 0.21% (radial)—these values apply to timber reconditioned after seasoning.
  • Durability above-ground: Class 3 (life expectancy 7–15 years).
  • Durability in-ground: Class 3 (life expectancy 5–15 years).
  • Lyctine susceptibility: untreated sapwood susceptible to lyctine borer attack.
  • Termite resistance: not resistant.
  • Preservation: difficult to impregnate with preservatives; results are unsatisfactory.
  • Seasoning: slight collapse and some twisting may occur; use weights to minimise distortion; 25–50mm stock will kiln dry relatively easily to 12% moisture content.
  • Hardness: soft (rated 5 on a 6-class scale) to indent and work with hand tools.
  • Machining: not easy to saw, despite its medium density; machines to a smooth surface.
  • Fixing: no difficulty using standard fittings and fastenings.
  • Gluing: satisfactorily bonds using standard procedures.
  • Finishing: seasoned timber surfaces will readily accept stain, polish, or paint.

Identification features

  • Zonate vessel: arrangements occur in some specimens.
  • Burning splinter test: match-size splinter burns to white ash.

Research and resources

  • Bootle, K 2005, Wood in Australia: Types, properties and uses, 2nd ed., McGraw-Hill, Sydney.
  • Ilic, J 1991, CSIRO atlas of hardwoods, Crawford House Press, Bathurst, Australia.
  • Queensland Government, DAF 2018, Construction timbers in Queensland: properties and specifications for satisfactory performance of construction timbers in Queensland. Class 1 and Class 10 buildings, Books 1 & 2, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Brisbane.
  • Standards Australia, 2000, AS 2082—2000: Timber—Hardwood—Visually stress-graded for structural purposes, Standards Australia International, Strathfield, NSW.