Turraeanthus africanus (Welw. ex C. DC.) Pellegr.

Turraeanthus africanus Hutchinson & Dalziel

Standard trade name: Avodire

Local name: Apapaye

A medium size tree 2–2.5 ft in diameter, branching low with a spreading crown. Leaves are pinnate with long-acuminate or elongate-oblong leaflets, rounded or shortly cuneate at the base. Flowers are small, dull yellow, and densely pubescent. The timber is used for building. The bark and leaves are used as fish poison.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION.—There is no distinction between sapwood and heartwood. The pale cream wood has a natural luster and darkens to a golden yellow. The grain is often wavy or interlocked but is sometimes straight. The figured material is more distinctive and very attractive. The average weight is about 34 lb/ft3 seasoned.

SEASONING.—Avodire can be seasoned fairly rapidly but tends to cup and twist. British Forest Products Laboratory kiln schedule E is recommended (FPRL, 1956).

DURABILITY.—The timber is not durable. It is extremely resistant to preservative treatment, although the sapwood is permeable.

WORKING QUALITIES.—Avodire works fairly easily with hand and machine tools and has a very small dulling effect on their cutting edges. It produces a smooth finish, polishes and glues well.

USES.—Being a superior joinery timber, it is used for interior and cabinet work. It is also used for decorative veneer.

XYLEM ANATOMY.—Growth rings absent. Wood diffuse-porous. Vessels: solitary or in multiples of 2 or 3 pores; circular in outline, rarely angular; average pore diameter 70μm, range 50μm–110μm; average vessel length 625μm, range 413μm–838μm; vessel wall thickness 3μm–4μm; perforation plates simple; vessel element end wall inclination slightly oblique; intervascular pitting alternate, rather small. Imperforate tracheary elements: nonseptate fiber tracheids; average length 1435μm; range 1100μm–1713μm; fibers with few simple pits on tangential walls. Vascular rays: homogeneous, generally biseriate, 3 to 17 cells high, but uniseriate and multiseriate cells also present. Axial parenchyma: apotracheal, cells without dark amorphous deposits.