Timber yielding plants

From the time immemorial food, clothing and shelter have been the three great necessities of mankind. Wood is the most familiar and most important forest products.

The wood has contributed a lot to the advancement of civilization. Today, the wood is the most widely used commodity other than food and clothing. It is one of the most important and versatile of the raw materials of the industry.

Some common source of wood and their types are discussed briefly in this article.

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1. Tectona grandis

Family name: Verbenaceae

Bengali name: Shegun

English name: Teak

Wood Character:

• One of the outstanding timbers.
• Wood is golden yellow wen freshly cut, generally turns darker with age.
• Wood is moderately hard, oily, scented, strong, extremely durable, takes an excellent polish and doesn’t corrode in contact with metal.
• Heartwood is resistant to white ants.

Uses:

• Wood is widely used for construction work, ship building, best class furniture, cabinet work, musical instruments, bridge construction, plywood, black boards etc.

 

2. Shorea robusta

Family name: Dipterocarpaceae

Bengali name: Shal/Gojari

English name: Sal

Wood Character:

• Wood is light brown to reddish-brown, very hard, coarse and very durable.
• Resistant to attack of white ants.

Uses:

• Wood is of great demand for pit props, bridge construction, railway sleepers, piles, electric pools, boat making, furniture, carriages, carts, cart wheel etc.
• An oleoresin, obtained from bark is used in paints, varnishes, carbon papers, typewriter ribbons etc.

 

3. Swietenia mahagoni

Family name: Meliaceae

Bengali name: Mehogoni

English name: The Mahogany

Wood Character:

• Wood is reddish-brown, hard, extremely strong.
• It takes a good polish.

Uses:

• It is widely used in making furniture, ship building, boat making, floorings and aircraft.

 

4. Albizia lucida

Family name: Mimosaceae

Bengali name: Shil koroi

English name: Parrot tree

Wood Character:

• Wood is brown, hard and durable.

Uses:

• Wood is used for making furniture, boat making, agricultural implements, construction work, cart and cart accessories, panelling, decorative works etc.

 

5. Dalbergia sissoo

Family name: Fabaceae

Bengali name: Shishu

English name: Sissoo

Wood Character:

• Wood is heavy, hard, very strong and very durable.
• The wood dries up easily.

Uses:

• Used for very high class furniture, cabinet work, construction, musical instruments, boat building, picture frames, cricket stumps, and for printing blocks.

 

6. Artocarpus heterophyllus

Family name: Moraceae

Bengali name: Kathal

English name: Jack fruit

Wood Character:

• Wood is golden-yellow to deep brownish.
• It is moderately hard, strong durable and resistant to white ants.
• It takes a beautiful polish.

Uses:

• Wood is used for high class furniture, cabinet work, house building, toys, turnery, carving and musical instruments.

 

7. Artocarpus chaplasha

Family name: Moraceae

Bengali name: Chapalish

English name: Chapalash

Wood Character:

• Wood is brown to light yellowish.
• Moderately hard, heavy, strong and durable.

Uses:

• Extensively used for ship building, dug-outs, oars, cheap furniture, window frames, doors, boxes, carving and general carpentry.

 

8. Gmelina arborea

Family name: Verbenaceae

Bengali name: Gamari

English name: Comb tree/Gambar tree

Wood Character:

• Wood is light red, yellow or grey.
• It is moderately heavy, strong and very durable, and is one of the best timbers.
• Wood takes a good polish.

Uses:

• Wood is used for planking, furniture, ship building, boat decking, paneling, carving, printing blocks, carriages, agricultural implements, picture frames, match sticks, match boxes and a variety of other purposes.

 

9. Heritiera fomes

Family name: Sterculiaceae

Bengali name: Shundori

English name: The Sundri

Wood Character:

• Wood is very hard, unbreakable but more or less elastic.
• It takes a beautiful polish.
• Wood is not attacked by white ants and water resistant.

Uses:

• Used as pile wood, in boat making, carriage building, for oars, helms, masts, cart axles, agricultural implements, furniture, tool handles, railway keys, and in general construction works.

 

10. Dipterocarpus turbinatus

Family name: Dipterocarpaceae

Bengali name: Gorjan

English name: Gurjan balsam

Wood Character:

• Wood is reddish-brown, moderately hard and durable.

Uses:

• Wood is widely used for boat-building, internal construction works, doors, packing cases, tea chests, railway sleepers, planking, dug-outs, carriage and wagon construction.

 

11. Chukrasia tabularis

Family name: Meliaceae

Bengali name: Chikrashi

English name: White cedar/Chittagong wood

Wood Character:

• Wood is reddish-brown, hard, close-grained, richly veit1ed.
• Wood is heavy, hard, and has high strength.
• Takes a fine lasting polish.

Uses:

• One of the finest woods for ornamental veneers, for high class furniture, railway carriages, piano cases, panelling, carving, building purposes and aircraft propellers.

 

12. Syzygium cumini

Family name: Myrtaceae

Bengali name: Jam

English name: Black berry

Wood Character:

• Wood is pale reddish-grey to brownish-grey, moderately hard and fairly durable even under water.
• It takes a very attractive polish.

Uses:

• Wood is extensively used for house building, posts, beams, solid cart wheels, boat building, oars, masts of boats, agricultural implements, carving, turnery and furniture.

 

13. Azadirachta indica

Family name: Meliaceae

Bengali name: Neem

English name: Neem/Neem tree

Wood Character:

• Wood is durable, and takes a good polish.
• Resistant to white ants.

Uses:

• Wood is used for making furniture, musical instruments, frame of doors and windows, cigar boxes and agricultural implements.

 

14. Bombax ceiba

Family name: Bombacaceae

Bengali name: Shimul

English name: Silk wood

Wood Character:

• Wood is soft, light and perishable.

Uses:

• Mainly used for match box and match splints, but also has great demand for packing cases, toys, second grade pencils, planking and drums.

 

15. Anthocephalus chinensis

Family name: Rubiaceae

Bengali name: Kadam

English name: Kadam

Wood Character:

• Wood is soft, yellowish-white and not durable.
• It is light to moderately heavy.

Uses:

• Mainly used for packing cases, match boxes, match splints.
• Also used for carving, turnery, veneering, tea-chests, toys and slate frames.

 

16. Excoecaria agallocha

Family name: Euphorbiaceae

Bengali name: Gewa

English name: Blinding tree

Wood Character:

• Wood is white, very soft, light and spongy.
• It is not durable.

Uses:

• Mainly used for pulp in newsprint manufacture.
• Also useful for making toys and cheap furniture.