Melia azedarach wood properties

Commercial Timbers

H. G. Richter and M. J. Dallwitz

Melia azedarach L. (Paraiso, persian lilac)

Nomenclature etc. MELIACEAE. Including. Trade and local names: melia (trade); paraiso (BR, AR, PY); mindi, jempinis, geringging (ID); tamaga (MM); bakainu (NP); bakan, denkan (IN). Not protected under CITES regulations.

Tree. Geographic distribution: India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka to Burma, or Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia to Indomalesia, or southern Brazil (native to northern India, today widely cultivated in SE-Asia and southern South America).

General. Growth ring boundaries distinct. Mostly ring-porous, wood from plantations often with extremely wide growth increments up to 2 cm. Heartwood basically light pinkish brown, without streaks. Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour (sapwood yellowish-white). Odour indistinct or absent. Basic specific gravity 0.5–0.65 g/cm³. Wood of commercial potential (only wood from plantations).

Vessels. Vessels present. Wood ring-porous to semi-ring-porous. Vessels arranged in diagonal and/or radial pattern or no specific pattern, in multiples, commonly short (2–3 vessels) radial rows. Average tangential vessel diameter 200–350 µm; diameter of vessel lumina: very large. Average vessel element length 200–350 µm. Average vessel element length short. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 5–7 µm, small, not vestured. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders, similar to intervessel pits (slightly smaller). Helical thickenings present, only in narrow vessel elements, throughout the body of vessel elements. Tyloses in vessels absent. Other deposits in heartwood vessels present (dark reddish brown, predominatly in early wood vessels).

Tracheids and fibres. Fibres very thin-walled, or of medium wall thickness. Average fibre length 800–1650 µm. Average fibre length medium to long. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered. Helical thickenings absent. Fibres non-septate.

Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma present, banded. Axial parenchyma bands marginal (or seemingly marginal) (wide initial bands including most earlywood vessels), bands much wider than rays, coarse, more than three cells wide. Axial parenchyma apotracheal, or paratracheal. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse (individual strands, mostly crytalliferous). Paratracheal axial parenchyma vasicentric, or confluent (confluent in latewood connecting groups of small vessels). Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per axial parenchyma strand 3–6.

Rays. Rays 3–5 per tangential mm, multiseriate (also if only few), (2–)4–8 cells wide, of medium width (3–5 seriate) to wide (5–10 seriate). Height of large rays commonly 500 to 1000 µm. Rays composed of a single cell type (homocellular); homocellular ray cells procumbent.

Storied structures. Storied structure absent.

Secretory structures. Oil and mucilage cells absent. Intercellular canals absent. Laticifers or tanniniferous tubes absent.

Cambial variants. Included phloem absent. Other cambial variants absent.

Mineral inclusions. Crystals present, prismatic, located in ray cells (sparse) or axial parenchyma cells. Crystal-containing ray cells procumbent. Crystal-containing axial parenchyma cells chambered. Number of crystals per cell or chamber one. Cystoliths absent. Silica not observed.

Illustrations. • Transverse section. Melia azedarach. • Tangential section. Melia azedarach. • Radial section. Melia azedarach.

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The interactive key allows access to the character list, illustrations, full and partial descriptions, diagnostic descriptions, differences and similarities between taxa, lists of taxa exhibiting specified attributes, summaries of attributes within groups of taxa, and geographical distribution.

Cite this publication as: 'Richter, H.G., and Dallwitz, M.J. 2000 onwards. Commercial timbers: descriptions, illustrations, identification, and information retrieval. In English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish. Version: 16th April 2006. http://delta-intkey.com'.

Melia wood properties

Anatomical Properties of Bakain (Melia Azedarach)

General Characteristics of the wood:

The sapwood is yellowish-white and the heartwood is red, turning to reddish brown with age. The wood is lustrous, odourless, tasteless, light, straight grained coarse and uneven textured.

Structure of wood:

Growth rings are conspicuous delimited by a zone of large springwood pores as the wood is ring porous, variable in width and are 0.97/cm. Vessels are of two sorts. The earlywood vessels occur solitary or paired radially or contiguous in tangential plane, larger in size, 94.5µ-304.5µ in diameter and are 7-15/mm sq. in number. The latewood vessels occur in groups, forming flame like irregular oblique patches along with longitudinal parenchyma, smaller in size, 63µ-241.5µ wide and are 3 - 15/mm sq. in number. Tyloses are absent. Reddish-brown gummy deposits are abundant occluding the vessels. Wood rays are broad, visible with the naked eye on the cross surface of wood, homogeneous, 9.-16/mm sq. in tangential section and 3-4/mm in cross section. The largest rays are up to 582µ (32 cells) high and 67.9µ (7 cells) wide. Parenchyma is Paratracheal and metatracheal. Paratracheal parenchyma is abundant encircling the vessel groups forming flame-like irregular oblique patches extending across the rays. The metatracheal parenchyma forms a broad belt in the beginning of the growth rings or scattered. Fibers are non-libriform, arranged in radial rows, non-septate, 0.78mm -1.3 mm long, 12.75µ-22.95µ in diameter and the fiber walls are 2.55µ-5.1µ thick.

Above-ground biomass estimation in ten tropical dry evergreen forest sites of peninsular India

S. Mani^a and N. Parthasarathy^{, a,}

^aDepartment of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Pondicherry University, Pondicherry 605 014, India

Received 9 August 2005; 

accepted 15 August 2006. 

Available online 7 March 2007.

Abstract

References and further reading may be available for this article. To view references and further reading you must purchase this article.

The present study aims to estimate the above-ground biomass (AGB) distribution in ten 1-ha permanent plots, established in five sites each in inland and coastal tropical dry evergreen forests of peninsular India. Two linear regression equations, one using basal area (BA, Method 1) and the other using BA and height (Method 2) were followed. On using method 1, the AGB varied from 39.69 to 170.02 Mg ha⁻¹ and by method 2, it varied from 73.06 to 173.10 Mg ha⁻¹. The relationship between BA and AGB yielded a positive correlation for all the five sites of inland and coastal areas. The basic wood specific gravity of 41 tree species determined by oven-dry weight by volume, ranged from 0.46 to 0.92 g cm⁻³ for inland sites and 0.47 to 0.89 g cm⁻³ for the coastal sites. The AGB estimation obtained in this study represents a more realistic picture of biomass of tropical dry evergreen forests, because a relatively large area was sampled.

Keywords: Peninsular India; Tropical dry evergreen forest; Permanent plot; Above-ground biomass; Wood specific gravity

Measuring Standing Trees & Logs

Measuring Standing Trees & Logs

Publication Number: 420-560, Revised 2004

Authors: Richard G. Oderwald, Professor of Forestry and James E. Johnson, Professor of Forestry and Extension Specialist; Virginia Tech

Table of Contents

Introduction Standing Tree Measurement Log Volume Measurement Keep a Tally of Trees, Logs, or Pulpwood Special Note

Timber may be sold as stumpage (trees before they are cut) or as harvested products (sawlogs, veneer logs, or pulpwood). If trees are sold as harvested products, the sale is customarily based upon measured volume. Trees marketed as stumpage may be sold by boundary, a measured estimate of stand volume, or individual tree measurements.

Regardless of the price offered, a purchaser always estimates timber volume in a stand before buying it. In contrast, the seller too often has no idea what volume of timber is being sold. This publication explains how you can make your own tree or log volume measurements.

Standing-tree and log volumes can be measured using a scale stick designed to fit Virginia timber conditions. With it you can measure the diameter of a tree, the number of 16-foot logs or the length of pulpwood in a tree, and the diameter and length of sawlogs. Tables printed on the stick provide for varying board-foot volumes for standing trees and for sawlogs of varying lengths.

A Virginia Tree and Log Scale Stick can be purchased from:
Extension Forestry
324 Cheatham Hall
College of Natural Resources
Virginia Tech (0324)
Blacksburg, VA 24061
540-231-7051
Enclose a check for $10.00, payable to: Virginia Tech Treasurer.

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Standing Tree Measurement

The diameter of a tree at 4-1/2 feet above the ground is called the "diameter at breast height" (DBH). Both the diameter and merchantable height are used to obtain tree volume. The merchantable height is measured from the stump (usually 6 inches above the ground) to the point where the trunk becomes too small in diameter to have any value. The minimum usable diameter for pine and other conifers is usually 6 inches if such trees are to be cut for sawlogs and 4 inches if they are to be harvested for pulpwood. For hardwoods, the minimum merchantable diameter is 8 inches, or the point at which the trunk breaks up into branches. After the diameter and height of the tree have been measured, the sawlog volume for a tree with one to four logs may be read directly from the table on the stick.

A. Diameter Measurement
With the side marked "Tree Scale Stick" facing you, hold the stick against the tree at a right angle to the trunk, 4-1/2 feet from the ground and 25 inches from your eye (Figure 1). The 25-inch distance may be measured with the side of the stick labelled "Log Scale" (Figure 2). Next, move the stick so that its zero end is in line with your eye and the left side of the tree. Then, with your head in the same position, note where your line of sight cuts across the stick to the right side of the tree. The reading on the stick at this point gives the diameter of the tree (Figure 3).

Figure 1.	Figure 2.
Figure 3.

B. Merchantable Height Measurement
To measure height, stand 66 feet away from the tree (measured or paced) and on the same level as its base. Hold the stick in a vertical position, 25 inches from your eye (Figures 4 and 5). If the sawlog height is to be measured, the edge of the stick labelled with "1, 2, 3, 4, 5" should face you. If the length of pulpwood sticks is to be measured, the edge of the stick labelled in 5-foot height increments should face you. Move the stick so that its zero end will be at the tree stump height in your line of sight. Then, without moving your head, note on the right side of the stick where your line of sight meets the merchantable top of the tree. Estimate to the nearest half log or nearest 5 feet on the height scale.

Figure 4.
Figure 5a.	Figure 5b.

C. Tree Volume Measurement
The sawlog volume of the tree may be found by referring to the table on the "Tree Scale" side of the stick. If, for example, the tree is 16 inches in diameter and contains three 16-foot logs, the volume (241 board feet) will be found under the 16-inch volume on the 3-log line. If the tree is 2-1/2 logs high and 16 inches in diameter, its volume may be found by adding the volumes of a 2-log and a 3-log tree (180+241=421) and dividing by 2 (421÷2=210).

Pulpwood volume may be found by referring to Tables 1 and 2. For example, a tree 9 inches in diameter with 40 feet of merchantable height will have a weight of 0.35 tons or a volume of 0.13 cords. Ten trees of this size would have 3.5 tons or 1.3 cords.

The board-foot tree volumes on the stick and the pulpwood weights and volumes in the table are for trees in Virginia growing under average conditions. For better-than-average trees, the volumes may be increased 3% to 6%; for trees poorer than average, the estimated tree volumes should be lowered by the same amount.

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Log Volume Measurement

Sawlogs should always be cut and measured in even lengths - 8, 10, 12, 14, or 16 feet - with 3 inches added for trim allowance. To obtain the volume of a sawlog, first measure the length to the nearest full, even foot. If the log does not have the additional 3 inches for trim allowance, the merchantable length will be the next lower even foot. (For example, if the log measures exactly 14 feet, the merchantable length will be 12 feet instead of 14 feet.) Then, measure the diameter in inches inside the bark at the small end of the log with the log scale side of the stick. If the end is not round, make two measurements at right angles to each other and use their average to the nearest inch for log diameters. Then, referring to the log scale table on the stick, look for the volume of the log measured. For example, if the log is 14 inches in diameter and 16 feet long, the volume is 135 board feet.

The log volumes used on the stick are those of the international 1/4-inch log rule. This rule gives the most accurate measurement of board-foot volume in 1-inch boards that can be sawed from logs of various sizes.

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Keep a Tally of Trees, Logs, or Pulpwood

When measuring the volume of standing trees or sawlogs, you should keep a tally of the trees or logs measured. This may be done by recording the dimensions of each tree or log measured (usually by species) and by adding the individual volume measurements to get the total.

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Special Note

For further information on how to use the Virginia Tree and Log Scale Stick see your Extension agent. If you want to sell your timber, you should have its value assessed. The nearest Virginia Department of Forestry office will have a list of consulting foresters who work in your area.

Table 1. Pulpwood volume including bark (in cords)

Height in Feet to 4 Inch Top Outside Bark
Diameter Breast Height (inches)	10	15	20	25	30	35	40	45	50	55	60
6	0.02	0.03	0.04	0.04	0.05
7	0.03	0.04	0.05	0.06	0.07	0.07	0.08	0.09
8		0.05	0.06	0.07	0.08	0.09	0.11	0.12
9			0.07	0.09	0.10	0.12	0.13	0.15	0.16	0.18	0.19
10			0.09	0.10	0.12	0.14	0.16	0.18	0.20	0.22	0.24
11			0.10	0.12	0.15	0.17	0.19	0.22	0.24	0.26	0.29
12			0.12	0.15	0.17	0.20	0.23	0.26	0.28	0.31	0.34
13			0.14	0.17	0.20	0.23	0.27	0.30	0.33	0.36	0.40
14			0.16	0.20	0.23	0.27	0.31	0.35	0.38	0.42	0.46
15						0.31	0.35	0.39	0.44	0.48	0.52
16						0.35	0.40	0.45	0.50	0.55	0.59
17							0.45	0.50	0.56	0.61	0.67
18							0.50	0.56	0.63	0.69	0.75
19							0.56	0.63	0.70	0.77	0.83
20							0.62	0.69	0.77	0.85	0.92

Table 2. Pulpwood weight including bark (in tons).

Height in Feet to 4 Inch Top Outside Bark
Diameter Breast Height (inches)	10	15	20	25	30	35	40	45	50	55	60
6	0.05	0.08	0.11	0.11	0.13
7	0.08	0.11	0.13	0.16	0.19	0.19	0.21	0.24
8		0.13	0.16	0.19	0.21	0.24	0.29	0.32
9			0.19	0.24	0.27	0.32	0.35	0.40	0.43	0.48	0.51
10			0.24	0.27	0.32	0.37	0.43	0.48	0.54	0.59	0.64
11			0.27	0.32	0.40	0.45	0.51	0.59	0.64	0.70	0.78
12			0.32	0.40	0.45	0.54	0.62	0.70	0.75	0.83	0.91
13			0.37	0.45	0.54	0.62	0.72	0.80	0.88	0.96	1.07
14			0.43	0.54	0.62	0.72	0.83	0.94	1.02	1.12	1.23
15						0.83	0.94	1.04	1.18	1.28	1.39
16						0.94	1.07	1.20	1.34	1.47	1.58
17							1.20	1.34	1.50	1.63	1.79
18							1.34	1.50	1.69	1.85	2.01
19							1.50	1.69	1.87	2.06	2.22
20							1.66	1.85	2.06	2.27	2.46

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Interesting Melia article

Article title	TREE GROWTH AND BIOMASS PRODUCTION IN MELIA AZEDARACH ON FARM BOUNDARIES IN A SEMI-ARID REGION
Author	Roy, M. M. Pathak, P. S. Rai, A. K. Kushwaha, D.
Journal title	INDIAN FORESTER
Bibliographic details	2006, VOL 132; NUMB 1, pages 105-110
Publisher	FOREST RESEACH INTITUTE	Country of publication	India
ISBN		ISSN	0019-4816
Language	English

Mr. Sam Venkatesh of Energy Plantation Projects India Limited -- 09844018287

Melia among other species being grown as an energy plantation under dryland conditions. Not of great interest to us.

Interview with Mr. M.S.Vagh, MD, Hunsur Plywoods

Melia is extensively used in plywood industry and is a recommended

species. It is a naturally fast growing species.  In Kerala it grows
too fast because of high rainfall - Melia wood from Tamil Nadu and
Karnataka is preferred.
He suggested a pit size of 2' x 2' x 2' with 20' by 20' spacing giving
a plant density of about 109 trees to an acre.
Irrigation and fertilizer use only for the first 2 years if at all and
thereafter no irrigation or fertilizing as otherwise the tree would
grow too fast.
The larger pit size would naturally allow more rainwater to reach the
plant. According to him the tree is to be ideally harvested for
plywood core veneer purposes in the 12th year.
The average tree would have a 24' bole with 3'-3.5' girth. Each tree
would yield about 15 cft of wood. Presently the wood is bought by them
at Rs. 225 to Rs. 250 per cft. Trees for facing veneer need to be
about 30 years old and these would be procured at Rs. 500 to Rs. 600
per cft. The process for obtaining core veneer is through peeling and
even smaller logs can be peeled. For facing veneer the process is more
akin to splitting and you need larger sized logs.
He suggested planting 85% Melia with 15% higher value timber trees
like mahogany.
Promised to send a note and also was kind enough to invite Sara for
further discussion.
Mr. Vagh's contact number is 0822-2252025