Taun

Material Type:
Hardwood

Also Called:
Kasai, Matoa, Island Lychee

Durability Notes:
The heartwood is moderately durable when exposed or in ground contact, and only moderately resistant to termite attack. (Source: Tropical Timbers of the World (Chudnoff, USDA Forest Service, 1984).)

Seasoning:
Reported to need particular care in drying because the timber is liable to warp from excessive shrinkage, and some collapse may occur. No kiln schedule data are available. (Source: Tropical Timbers of the World (Chudnoff, USDA Forest Service, 1984).)

Properties:
For Pometia timber: basic specific gravity 0.54 and air-dry density 41 lb per cubic foot (about 660 kg/m3); Janka side hardness 1,300 to 1,890 lbf (5,780 to 8,410 N) for dry material. Shrinkage from green to oven-dry is 5.5% radial, 6.8% tangential and 13.2% volumetric. It is easy to work, takes a fine finish and is reported to be good for steam bending. (Source: Tropical Timbers of the World (Chudnoff, USDA Forest Service, 1984).) The Agroforestree Database (World Agroforestry, 2009) gives a density of 500-990 kg/m3 at 15% moisture content for Pometia pinnata.

Typical Uses:
Furniture components, flooring, joinery, general carpentry, tool handles, light construction, veneer and plywood, bent work, boatbuilding

More Info:
The tree is sometimes grown for its fruit, which can have a thick, sweet-tasting arillode, and its seeds are also edible. The wood is also used for charcoal. (Source: the Agroforestree Database (World Agroforestry, 2009).)

Sustainability:
Pometia pinnata is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (category read via GBIF).

Interesting Facts:
The tree can reach 100 to 150 ft (about 30 to 46 m), with boles up to 70 ft (about 21 m), often irregular, and trunk diameters of 30 to 40 in. above high plank buttresses. (Source: Tropical Timbers of the World (Chudnoff, USDA Forest Service, 1984).)

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