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Distribution:    Widely scattered throughout the indo-Malayan region. More than 70 species make up this group, and they are marketed collectively. Timbers from Malaysia contain a large number of species and are most variable in properties.

General Characteristics:  Heartwood varies from light to dark red brown or brown to dark brown, sometimes with a purple tint; usually well defined from the gray or buff sapwood. Texture moderately coarse; grain straight or shallowly interlocked; luster low; strong resinous odor when freshly cut, without taste. Resin exudation may be troublesome. Silica content variable, generally less than 0.5%.

Working Properties: Generally saws and machines well, particularly when green. Blunting of cutters moderate to severe due to silica content. Sometimes difficult to glue. Resin adhering to machinery and tools may be troublesome. Resin may also interfere with finishes.

Durability:  Durability varies with species, generally classified as moderately durable, but heartwood is susceptible to termite attack. Though silica content may be high, resistance to marine borers is erratic.

Uses: General construction work, framework for boats, flooring, pallets, chemical processing equipment, veneer and plywood, suggested for railroad crossties if

Distribution:  The north temperate regions of the globe.

General Characteristics: The sapwood of ash is light brown, while the heartwood is brown to grayish brown. White ash and Oregon ash have lighter heartwood than do the other commercial species. The width of the sapwood is 3 to 6 inches (8 to 15 cm). It is ring porous, with the late wood being composed of parenchyma which surrounds and unites the latewood pores in tangential bands. The wood has no characteristic odor or taste.

Working Properties: Ash is straight grained, heavy, hard, strong, and stiff; it wears smooth, with high shock resistance. It machines well and is better than average in nail- and screw-holding capacity. It glues moderately well. Black, green, pumpkin and blue ashes have lower specific gravity and lower strength properties, but are still moderately strong, hard, and stiff compared to other native hardwoods. Ashes also split easier, shrink more, are average in workability, and perform more poorly in service compared to other native hardwoods.

Durability: Rated as slightly or nonresistant to heartwood decay.

Uses: Handle stock, baseball bats, unupholstered furniture, flooring, millwork, hand tools, sporting goods, boxes and crates.

Distribution: Atlantic white cedar is native to the Coastal Plain of the eastern US from central Maine south to northern Florida and west to southern Mississippi.

General Characteristics: The sapwood of Atlantic white cedar is narrow and white, while the heartwood is light brown with a reddish or pinkish tinge. The wood has a characteristic aromatic odor when freshly cut and has a faint bitter taste. It is light weight and has a fine texture and a straight grain. It is moderately soft, low in shock resistance and is weak in bending and endwise compression. It is very resistant to decay, works easily with tools, shrinks little, finishes smoothly, holds paint well and splits easily.

Working Properties:  It works easily with tools, finishes smoothly, holds paint well and splits easily.

Durability: Atlantic white cedar is rated as resistant to very resistant to heartwood decay (11).

Uses: Historical: poles, shingles, wooden ware (tubs, pails & churns) and lumber (siding molding, water tanks, boat construction, boxes, crates and fencing). Currently: cooperage, wooden household furniture, boat building, fencing and industrial millwork.

Distribution: A native of Western Europe, this species is reported to grow throughout Europe, approximately between latitudes 40 degrees N and 60 degrees N, and western Asia. European beech is reported to thrive exceptionally well on chalky limestone hills, but will also do very well on any reasonably fertile light soil, with good drainage.

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Working Properties: Dulling effect on cutting edges is reported to be variable, but is usually moderate. Resistance to cutting is rated as moderate, but saws may bind during conversion of green material. Burning and tooth vibration may also occur when cross-cutting tougher material. Narrow bandsawing is reported to be satisfactory. Planing properties vary, but are reported to be generally satisfactory. A reduced cutting angle of 30 degrees has been recommended in planing. European beech is reported to be a very good turnery wood. Charring is reported to be common during boring operations. The timber is reported to glue well.The timber is fairly hard and moderately heavy and requires pre-boring. Polishing characteristics are reported to be very good. The timber is reported to take stains very well, and can be dyed readily for purposes where colored wood is required. Seasoned wood is reported to be rather difficult to work with hand tools. European beech is reported to have exceptional steam bending properties, even when knots and irregular grain are present. It can be bent to very small radii, which makes it particularly useful in the furniture industry.

Durability: European beech is reported to have very little or no natural resistance to attack by decay fungi and other wood destroying insects such as the common furniture beetle. Timber in old structures are reported to be readily attacked by death watch beetle. The sapwood is reported to be vulnerable to attack by the longhorn beetle.

Uses:Bobbins Cabinetmaking Chairs Core Stock Decorative veneer Desks Domestic flooring Flooring Furniture Heavy construction Joinery Marine construction Musical instruments Piling Plywood Sporting Goods Tool handles Toys Turnery Veneer Workbenches

Distribution:  The species in this group are found in Equatorial Africa from Southeast Nigeria, through Cameroon and Gabon to the Congo region. Occur in swampy or periodically inundated forests, also near river or lakeshores.

General Characteristics: Heartwood pink, vivid red, or red brown with purple streaks or veins, on exposure becomes yellow or medium brown with a reddish tint, veining becomes less conspicuous; sapwood whitish and clearly demarcated. Texture fine and even; grain straight or interlocked; lustrous; sometimes highly figured; has an unpleasant odor when first cut which disappears on drying.

Working Properties: Though quite hard and heavy the species work, saw, and plane rather well and produce a good finish, glues well, a good wood for turnings.

Durability: Heartwood has good durability and is resistant to termite attack. Moderately resistant to marine borers.

Uses: Some resemblance to rosewood. Fine furniture and cabinetwork, decorative veneers, fancy turnery, inlay work.

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Distribution:  Pacific regions of Central America and extending from Panama to southwestern Mexico. Of limited occurrence, usually in the drier uplands.

General Characteristics: Somewhat variable in color when freshly sawn but heartwood usually becoming a deep rich orange red with black striping or mottling on exposure Texture fine; grain straight to interlocked; oily; without distinctive taste, odor slightly pungent and fragrant when worked. Fine dust may cause dermatitis.

Working Properties: Excellent machining characteristics; natural oils give the wood a good polish, but make it unsuitable for gluing. Fine dust may produce rash resembling ivy poisoning.

Durability: Durability is high; has very high resistance to marine borer attack.

Uses: Highly favored in the cutlery trade for handles, inlay work, brush backs, musical and scientific instruments, jewelry boxes, chessmen, and other specialty items.

Distribution: Baldcypress grows in swampy areas along the Atlantic coast from Delaware to southern Florida, west along the Gulf Coast to southeastern Texas and along the Mississippi river valley to southeastern Illinois. About one-half of the cypress lumber comes from the Southern States and one-fourth from the South Atlantic States. It is not as readily available as it was several decades ago.

General Characteristics: The sapwood of baldcypress is narrow and nearly white. The color of the heartwood varies widely, ranging from light yellowish brown to dark brownish red, brown, or chocolate. The wood is moderately heavy, moderately strong, and moderately hard. The heartwood of old-growth timber is one of our most decay-resistant woods; but second-growth timber is only moderately decay resistant. Shrinkage is moderately small, but somewhat greater than that of the cedars and less than that of southern pine. Frequently the wood of certain baldcypress trees contains pockets or localized area that have been attacked by a fungus. Such wood is known as "pecky" cypress. The decay caused by this fungus is arrested when the wood is cut into lumber and dried. Peck cypress, therefore, is durable and useful where water tightness is unnecessary, and appearance is not important or a novel effect is desired. Examples of such usage are as paneling in restaurants, stores, and other buildings.

Working Properties: Baldcypress has moderate strength, hardness and pliability. Sharp tools are necessary to prevent raised grain. It nails and glues well and is high in paint holding ability.

Durability: It is rated as resistant to very resistant to heartwood decay (12).

Uses: Baldcypress has been used principally for building construction, especially where resistance to decay is required. It was used for beams, posts, and other members in docks, warehouses, factories, bridges, and heavy construction. It is well suited for siding and porch construction. It is also used for caskets, burial boxes, sash, doors, blinds, and general millwork, including interior trim and paneling. Other uses are in tanks, vats, ship and boat building, refrigerators, railroad-car construction, greenhouse construction, cooling towers, and stadium seats. It is also used for railroad crossties, poles, piles, shingles, cooperage, and fence posts.

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