
Broad leaved tea-tree (Melaleuca leucadendron)
Family: Myrtaceae
Common names: Aceite de Cayeput, Ai kelane, Al-carabutan, Atchoourgo, Balsamo de Cayeput, Baroe galang, Boes, Bottlebrush, Broad leaved tea tree, Broad leaved tea-tree, Brown tea tree, Cajeput, Cajeput oil tree, Cajeput tree, Cayeputi, Gelam, Irano, Irano elan, Iren, Itahou, Kajoe, Kajoe gelang, Kayaputi, Kayu puteh, Kayu puti, M'me, Meu, Milkwood, Niaouli, Paper bark, Paperbark tree, Poetih, Punk tree, Sa-met, Sakelan, Smach, Swamp tea tree, Tea tree, Waroe gelang, White paper bark, White tea tree, Yeon nadi
Distributed in: Australia, Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Hawaii [US], India, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Caledonia Island [France], New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, United States (Africa, Central America, Latin America, North America, Oceania and S.E. Asia)
Distribution overview: Eastern Australia through Malaysia and Myanmar (Burma), but now widely cultivated in warm climates around the world. It is considered a naturalized species in southern California and Florida, thriving on wet, swampy soils. It is often found in dense, pure stands.
Common uses: Agricultural implements, Bedroom suites, Boat building (general), Boat building, Boat building: decking, Boxes and crates, Bridge construction, Building construction, Building materials, Cabin construction, Cabinetmaking, Canoes, Carvings, Charcoal, Chemical derivatives, Construction, Core Stock, Crossties, Decks, Decorative veneer, Drawer sides, Excelsior, Factory construction, Figured veneer, Flooring, Food containers, Foundation posts, Fuelwood, Furniture , Furniture, Gunstocks, Heavy construction, Joinery, Kitchen cabinets, Lifeboats, Light construction, Living-room suites, Marquetry, Mine timbers, Oars, Office furniture, Particleboard, Pile-driver cushions, Piling, Plain veneer, Plywood, Poles, Posts, Pulp/Paper products, Pulpwood, Radio - stereo - TV cabinets, Railroad ties, Rifle stock, Shipbuilding, Sporting Goods, Structural work, Vehicle parts, Veneer, Veneer: decorative, Wharf construction
Product sources: Cajeput is described as a general purpose timber within its growing region. It is currently of little commercial importance outside its growing areas
Environment profile: Status has not been officially assessed
Tree size: Tree height is 40-50 m
Colors: the heart isReddish brown, Yellowand the sapwoodPinkish, White to yellow.The grain isWeak figure, the textureUniformand the lusterMedium
Natural durability: Very durable, Weathering properties are excellent
Odor: No specific smell or taste
Silica Content: Severe
Kiln Schedules: Kiln Drying Rate (in days) is rapid
Kiln Drying Rate: Rapid (<10 days for boards < 32 mm, to <30 days for boards >= 63 mm)
Drying Defects: Slight twist/warp, Splitting
Ease of Drying: Slowly
Tree Identification: Bole/stem form is not buttressed
Comments: General finishing qualities are rated as good Produces little lumber because boles are often of poor form
Blunting Effect: Severe and rapid due to silica
Boring: Easy
Carving: High silica and density may dull cutters rapidly and severely
Cutting Resistance: Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult to saw
Gluing: Good gluing properties
Mortising: Mortising properties are poor due to interlocked grain
Moulding: Good finishing
Movement in Service: Good finishing
Nailing: Difficult to nail
Planing: Planes to a satisfactory finish
Resistance to Impregnation: Resistant sapwood
Response to hand tools: Good response
Routing recessing: Routing yields good results
Sanding: Difficult to sand
Veneering qualities: Drying degrade is often moderate to severe, with collapse, buckles, and splilts, Moderately easy to veneer
Turning: Requires drying before using to prevent warping and checking
Painting: Good; Polishing: Polishes to a smooth surface ; Varnishing: Good;
- Numerical data Metric
- Numerical data English
- Strength properties
- References
 |
 |
 |
 |
Item |
Green |
Dry |
Metric |
Specific Gravity |
0,62 |
0,64 |
|
Density |
|
785 |
kg/m3 |
Bending Strength |
805 |
1217 |
kg/cm2 |
Crushing Strength |
443 |
672 |
kg/cm2 |
Hardness |
|
752 |
kg |
Impact Strength |
|
|
cm |
Shearing Strength |
|
149 |
kg/cm2 |
Stiffness |
122 |
141 |
1000 kg/cm2 |
Tangential Shrinkage |
8 |
|
% |
Radial Shrinkage |
4 |
|
% |
Weight |
769 |
608 |
kg/m3 |
Maximum Load |
|
|
cm-kg/cm3 |
Toughness |
|
|
cm-kg |
Static Bending |
|
|
kg/cm2 |
|
 |  |  |  | Item | Green | Dry | English | Bending Strength | 11458 | 17322 | psi | Density | | 49 | lbs/ft3 | Hardness | | 1658 | lbs | Maximum Crushing Strength | 6304 | 9567 | psi | Shearing Strength | | 2125 | psi | Stiffness | 1748 | 2010 | 1000 psi | Specific Gravity | 0.62 | 0.64 | | Weight | 48 | 38 | lbs/ft3 | Radial Shrinkage | 4 | | % | Tangential Shrinkage | 8 | | % | Volumetric Shrinkage | 15 | | % | |
Density (dry weight) = 46-52 lbs/cu. ft. 0 Shrinkage, Radial = fairly large Shrinkage, Tangential = moderate Shrinkage, Tangential = large Shrinkage, Volumetric = large Shrinkage, Tangential = fairly large Shrinkage, Radial = large Hardness (side grain) = medium Shrinkage, Tangential = very small Shrinkage, Tangential = small Shrinkage, Radial = moderate Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = medium Density (dry weight) = 61-67 lbs/cu. ft. Density (dry weight) = 38-45 lbs/cu. ft. Bending strength (MOR) = medium Bending strength (MOR) = high Weight = very high Shrinkage, Radial = very small Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = very low Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = high Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = medium Density = high Compression strength (parallel to grain) = very high Bending strength (MOR) = very high Leaves contain Cajeput oil which is extracted by steam distillation and is used in the manufacture of soap and also for medicinal purposes. The tree is also a major source of honey.
Anderson, R.H.,1947,The Trees of New South Wales,New South Wales Department of AgricultureArno, J. 1989. Melaleuca quinquenervia - Cajeput-tree. In A Guide to Useful Woods of the World. Flynn Jr., J.H., Editor. King Philip Publishing Co., Portland, Maine. 1994. Page 231-232.Bolza, E. and N.H. Kloot.1963.The Mechanical Properties of 174 Australian Timbers.Division of Forest Products Technological Paper No. 25.Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Melbourne, Australia.Bolza, E., Kloot, N.H.,1963,The Mechanical Properties of 174 Australian Timbers,C.S.I.R.O. Division of Forest Products Technological Paper,No.25Bolza, E.,1975,Properties and Uses of 175 Timber Species from Papua New Guinea and West,Irian,C.S.I.R.O. Div. Building Research Report,no.34Browne, F.G.,1955,Forest Trees of Sarawak and Brunei and their Products.,Government Printing Office, Kuching, SarawakBrown, W.H.,1978,Timbers of the World, No. 8 Australasia,TRADA, Red Booklet SeriesCherrier, J.F.,1981,Le Niaouli en Nouvelle Caledonie (Melalenca quinquenervia S.T. Blake,Revue Forestiere Francaise 33(4) pp297-311Chudnoff, M.,1984,Tropical Timbers of the World,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products,Laboratory, Madison.Curran, C.E., Et al,1934,The pulping of cafeput (Melaleuca leucadendron, white mangrove,(Lagunculana racemosa, Australian pine (Casuarina equisetifolia, and,cunningham pine (Casuarina cunninghamiana) by the sulphate process,Paper Trade Journal Tappi Section 22 pp288-91Desch, H.E.,1954,Manual of Malayan Timbers (2 vols,Malayan Forest Records,no.15Descrptive Data SourceEddowes, P.J. 1977. Commercial Timbers of Papua New Guinea - Their Properties and Uses. Forest Products Research Center, Office of Forests, Department of Primary Industry, Papua New Guinea.Eddowes, P.J.,1977,Commercial Timbers of Papua New Guinea: Their Properties and Uses,Hebano Press, Port Moresby, Papua New GuineaEmpire Forestry Journal,1941,Melaleuca bucadendron,Empire Forestry Journal 20(1) p81Farmer, R.H.,1972,Handbook of Hardwoods,HMSOFenton, R., Et al,1977,Lowland Tropical Hardwoods - An Annotated Bibliography of Selected Species,with Plantation Potential,External Aid Div. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wellington, N.Z.Gay, F.J., Et al,1955,Standard laboratory colonies of termites for evaluating the resistance of,timber, timber preservatives and other materials to termite attack.,C.S.I.R.O., Australia Bulletin,No.277Howard, A.L.,1948,A Manual of Timbers of the World.,Macmillan & Co. Ltd. London 3rd ed.Huffman, J.B.,1977,Floridas Melalenca - A Utilization status report and problem analysis,School of Forest Resources and Conservation, University of Florida,,Research Report No.26Huffman, J.B.,1980,Melalenca Wood and Bark Utilization Research - A Progress Report.,Florida Division of Forestry, Proceedings of Melalenca Symposium pp37-69I.U.F.R.O.,1973,Veneer Species of the World,Assembled at F.P.L. Madison on behalf of I.U.F.R.O. Working Party on,Slicing and Veneer CuttingKeating, W.G., Bolza, E.,1982,Characteristics properties and uses of timbers. South East Asia, Northern,Australia and the Pacific,C.S.I.R.O. Div. Chemical Technology,Inkata Press,1Kloot, N.H. and E. Bolza. 1961. Properties of Timbers Imported into Australia. Division of Forest Products Technological Paper No. 12. Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Melbourne, Australia.Kraemer, J.H.,1951,Trees of the Western Pacific Region,West Lafayette, Indiana U.S.A.Morton, J.F.,1966,The Cajeput tree - A boon and an affliction,Economic Botany 20(1) pp31-9Natawiria, D., Et al,1973,Percobaan Pencegahan Serangan Rayap Macrotermes Gilvis Hagen Pada Tanaman,kayu putih (Melalenca leucadendron) di Cikampek,Lamporan Lembaga Penelitian Hutan No.73Ng, F.S.P.,1978,Tree Flora of Malaya A Manual for Foresters Volume 3,Forest Department Ministry of Primary Industries MalaysiaRollet, B.,1972,La vegetation du Cambodge,Bois et Forets des Tropiques,No.144 pp3-15Sallenave, P.,1955,Proprietes Phyiques et Mecaniques des Bois Tropicaux de l'Union Francaise,C.T.F.TSarawak Forestry Department,Trees and Timbers of Sarawak and Brunei,Sarawak Forestry Department LeafletSarlin, P.,1954,Bois et forets de la Nourelle Caledoiue,C.T.F.T. Publication 6Schory, E.A.,1958,The Cajaput tree (Melalenca leucadendron) in Florida,Caribbean Forester 19(3/4) pp50-5Thomas, R.J., Gilmore, R.C.,1962,The Machining Characteristics of Casuarina glanca, Casuarina equisetifolia,and Melalenca leucadendron,Department of Wood Science and Technology; School of Forestry, North,Carolina State College, Technical Report 16
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