Umgusi / Mukusi

Habitat

Afrormosia is a rare tree species found in West and Central Africa, including the countries of Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, and the Congo states. The tree grows primarily in groups.

Tree description

Afrormosia is a large tree reaching heights of 30-50 m (98-164 ft). The straight and cylindrical trunk is 60-160 cm (2-5 ft) in diameter, and is clear of branches for up to 30 m (98 ft). The scale-like bark is fibrous with strong red marks.

Wood description

The sapwood, about 3 cm (1.2 in) thick, is a lightly-colored mixture of white, green, and yellow. The core wood is greenish-brown with a silky luster and often displays greenish-red stripes. Pores may be filled with tannin, which can form calcium marks.

Property and application

Umgusi is a hard, heavy with good physical properties. It is durable and resistant to weather insect; however, its poor bending strength makes it rather brittle. The wood is fairly workable (similar in his regard to teak Tectona grandis) but because of its hardness, special tools are needed to cut it. Umgusi is often used to build heavy duty flooring, for which it can have a life of over 25 years. It is used as construction timber for the building of ships and for water construction engineering.

How to use it