Mansonia
Mansonia (Mansonia altissima)
Common Name: Mansonia
Distribution: Western Tropical Africa
Color/Appearance: Heartwood tends to be a yellowish or grayish brown, with overall mostly bland figuring. Color tends to lighten and fade with exposure to light. Sapwood is yellow to nearly white, about 1 to 2 inches wide, and is clearly demarcated from the heartwood.
Janka Hardness: 1,290 lbf
Density: 3.41 lb./b.f.
Shrinkage: 1
Radial (thickness): 4.6%
Tangential (width): 7.7%,
Volumetric (total): 11.9%,
T/R Ratio (width to depth): 1.7
Allergies/Toxicity: Mansonia is on the short list as one of the worst wood species in terms of toxicity and commonness of allergic reactions. Mansonia has been reported as a sensitizer, and though the most usual reactions simply include eye and skin irritation, the wood dust can also produce a wide range of other effects, including nausea, giddiness, sneezing, headaches, nosebleeds, infected splinters and asthma-like symptoms. Additionally, both the bark and heartwood have been found to contain cardiac poisons, which can cause heart disorders.
Sustainability: CITES: no, IUCN: no
Common Uses: Veneer, cabinetry, furniture, boatbuilding and turned objects.
