![Molen De Hoop bovenrondsel met bovenwiel](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/Molen_De_Hoop_bovenrondsel_met_bovenwiel.jpg)
Bilinga (also called Aloma in Germany and Opepe in England) is an African wood, from ''
Nauclea diderrichii
''Nauclea diderrichii'' is a species of tree of the genus ''Nauclea'' in the family Rubiaceae. It is known by the common names bilinga, aloma, badi, and .
Description
''Nauclea diderrichii'' is found in Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republ ...
'' trees in the family
Rubiaceae
The Rubiaceae are a family of flowering plants, commonly known as the coffee, madder, or bedstraw family. It consists of terrestrial trees, shrubs, lianas, or herbs that are recognizable by simple, opposite leaves with interpetiolar stipules ...
.
The wood, which grows across tropical Africa from
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierra ...
to
Uganda
}), is a landlocked country in East Africa
East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territor ...
, has about the same density as true
hickory
Hickory is a common name for trees composing the genus ''Carya'', which includes around 18 species. Five or six species are native to China, Indochina, and India (Assam), as many as twelve are native to the United States, four are found in Mexi ...
, but is not quite as strong.
The wood is extremely heavy.
Log diameter is from .
The heartwood is golden yellow to orange yellow, and slightly shimmering.
The sapwood has an interlocking grain.
In temperate climates, the wood is very durable against
fungi
A fungus ( : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately from ...
, and durable against dry wood borers and
termites
Termites are small insects that live in colonies and have distinct castes (eusocial) and feed on wood or other dead plant matter. Termites comprise the infraorder Isoptera, or alternatively the epifamily Termitoidae, within the order Blattode ...
.
It is suitable for use in a marine environment.
Bilinga may be used for railway sleepers, poles, hydraulic works, bridges and ship planking and flooring. It may also be used for heavy industrial flooring. The wood may also be used for veneer and cabinet work.
References
Notes
Citations
Sources
*
*
*
*
External links
Periodoakbeams.co.uk
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bilinga
Wood