Wood Handbook, Wood as an Engineering Material

are conflicting. The heartwood is not treatable by the open

tank process and seems to have an irregular response to

pressure–vacuum systems.

Mexican cypress is used mainly for posts and poles, furni-

ture components, and general construction.

Parana Pine

The wood commonly

called parana pine (Ar‑

aucaria angustifolia) is

a softwood but not a true

pine. It grows in south-

eastern Brazil and adjacent

areas of Paraguay and

Argentina.

Parana pine has many desirable characteristics. It is avail-

able in large-size clear boards with uniform texture. The

small pinhead knots (leaf traces) that appear on flat-sawn

surfaces and the light or reddish-brown heartwood provide

a desirable figure for matching in paneling and interior

woodwork. Growth rings are fairly distinct and similar to

those of eastern white pine (Pinus strobus). The grain is not

interlocked, and the wood takes paint well, glues easily, and

is free from resin ducts, pitch pockets, and pitch streaks.

Density of air-dried wood averages 545 kg m–3 (34 lb ft–3).

The strength of parana pine compares favorably with that of

U.S. softwood species of similar density and, in some cases,

approaches that of species with higher density. Parana

pine is especially strong in shear strength, hardness, and

nail-holding ability, but it is notably deficient in strength

in compression across the grain. The tendency of the kiln-

dried wood to split and warp is caused by the presence of

compression wood, an abnormal type of wood with intrin-

sically large shrinkage along the grain. Boards containing

compression wood should be excluded from exacting uses.

The principal uses of parana pine include framing lumber,

interior woodwork, sashes and door stock, furniture case

goods, and veneer.

Pine, Caribbean

Caribbean pine (Pinus

caribaea) occurs along

the Caribbean side of

Central America from

Belize to northeastern

Nicaragua. It is also

native to the Bahamas

and Cuba. This low-

elevation tree is widely

introduced as a plantation species throughout the world

tropics.

The heartwood is golden- to red-brown and distinct from

the sapwood, which is light yellow and roughly 2 to 5 cm

(1 to 2 in.) wide. This softwood species has a strong

resinous odor and a greasy feel. The weight varies

considerably and may range from 416 to 817 kg m–3

(26 to 51 lb ft–3) at 12% moisture content. Caribbean pine

may be appreciably heavier than slash pine (P. elliottii), but

the mechanical properties of these two species are rather

similar. The lumber can be kiln dried satisfactorily. Carib-

bean pine is easy to work in all machining operations, but

its high resin content may cause resin to accumulate on the

equipment. Durability and resistance to insect attack vary

with resin content; in general, the heartwood is rated as

moderately durable. The sapwood is highly permeable and

is easily treated by open tank or pressure–vacuum systems.

The heartwood is rated as moderately resistant to preserva-

tive treatment, depending on resin content.

Caribbean pine is used for the same purposes as are the

southern pines (Pinus spp.).

Pine, Ocote

Ocote pine (Pinus oocar‑

pa) is a high-elevation

species that occurs from

northwestern Mexico

southward through Guate-

mala into Nicaragua. The

largest and most extensive

stands occur in Guatemala,

Nicaragua, and Honduras.

The sapwood is a pale yellowish brown and generally up

to 7 cm (3 in.) wide. The heartwood is a light reddish

brown. The grain is not interlocked. The wood has a resin-

ous odor, and it weighs about 656 kg m–3 (41 lb ft–3) at

12% moisture content. The strength properties of ocote pine

are comparable in most respects with those of longleaf pine

(P. palustris). Decay resistance studies have shown ocote

pine heartwood to be very durable with respect to white-rot

fungal attack and moderately durable with respect to brown

rot.

Ocote pine is comparable with the southern pines (Pinus

spp.) in workability and machining characteristics. It is a

general construction wood suited for the same uses as are

the southern pines.

Pine, Radiata

Radiata pine (Pinus ra‑

diata), also known as

Monterey pine, is rare in

its native range on the

coast of central California

and Guadalupe Island,

Mexico, but is planted ex-

tensively in the southern

hemisphere, mainly in Chile, New Zealand, Australia, and

South Africa. Plantation-grown trees may reach a height of

26 to 30 m (80 to 90 ft) in 20 years.

Chapter 2 Characteristics and Availability of Commercially Important Woods