Umbila

  • Common Name(s): Muninga, Kiaat, Mukwa
  • Scientific Name: Pterocarpus angolensis
  • Distribution: South-central Africa
  • Tree Size: 40-60 ft (12-18 m) tall, 1.5-2.5 ft (.5-.8 m) trunk diameter
  • Average Dried Weight: 38 lbs/ft3 (605 kg/m3)
  • Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC): .59, .60
  • Janka Hardness: 1,360 lbf (6,050 N)
  • Modulus of Rupture: 14,250 lbf/in2 (98.2 MPa)
  • Elastic Modulus: 1,267,000 lbf/in2 (8.73 GPa)
  • Crushing Strength: 8,020 lbf/in2 (55.3 MPa)
  • Shrinkage: Radial: 1.7%, Tangential: 2.8%, Volumetric: 5.4%, T/R Ratio: 1.6
  • Color/Appearance: Heartwood color can vary widely from a lighter golden brown, to a darker reddish or purplish brown. Colors tend to become more subdued with age.
  • Grain/Texture: Grain is straight to interlocked. Medium to coarse texture with a low natural luster.
  • Endgrain: Diffuse-porous; large pores in no specific arrangement, very few; solitary and radial multiples of 2-3; mineral deposits occasionally present; growth rings indistinct; narrow rays not visible without lens, spacing close; parenchyma diffuse-in-aggregates, winged, confluent, and banded (not marginal).
  • Rot Resistance: Heartwood is rated as being durable to moderately durable; good resistance to insect attack.
  • Workability: Generally easy to work with tools, though if there is interlocked grain present, it may tearout during planing operations. Moderate blunting effect on cutters. Glues, stains, and finishes well.
  • Odor: Has a mild, aromatic scent while being worked.
  • Common Uses: Furniture, boatbuilding, veneer, turnings, and other small wooden objects.
  • Comments: Sometimes sold under its South African name Kiaat, this wood is actually closely related to the much more well-known African Padauk (Pterocarpus soyauxii). And, much like other species in the Pterocarpus genus, Muninga has outstanding stability, and should remain quite stable in the midst of seasonal changes