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Oxydendrum arboreum |
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Family: Ericaceae |
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Sourwood |
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The genus Oxydendrum contains only one
species native to North America. The word oxydendrum comes from the Greek,
meaning sour and tree, from the acid taste of the leaves.
Oxydendrum
arboreum-
Arrowwood, Elk Tree, Lily of the Valley Tree, Sorrel Gum, Sorrel Tree, Sour
Gum, Titi, Titi Tree
Distribution
From
Pennsylvania to Ohio and Indiana, south to Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi and
Louisiana, east to Florida, Georgia, Virginia and Maryland
The Tree
Sourwood is a
medium size tree which grows at altitudes up to 3500 feet in well drained
gravely soils. It grows scattered among Oaks, sweetgum, hickories and pines. It
produces white flowers which are bell shaped like Lily of the Valley flowers
and capsule shaped fruits. Sourwood attains a height of 60 feet and a diameter
of 2 feet.
The Wood
General
The sapwood of
Sourwood is wide and yellowish brown to light pink brown, while the heartwood
is brown tinged with red, dulling with age. It has no characteristic odor or
taste and is heavy and hard. It is diffuse porous.
Mechanical
Properties (2-inch standard)
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Compression |
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Specific gravity |
MOE x106 lbf/in2 |
MOR lbf/in2 |
Parallel lbf/in2 |
Perpendicular lbf/in2 |
WMLa in-lbf/in3 |
Hardness lbf |
Shear lbf/in2 |
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Green |
0.50 |
1.32 |
7,700 |
3,250 |
680 |
9.8 |
730 |
1,160 |
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Dry |
0.55 |
1.54 |
11,600 |
6,190 |
1,080 |
10.9 |
940 |
1,500 |
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aWML = Work
to maximum load. Reference
(59). |
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Drying and
Shrinkage
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Type of shrinkage |
Percentage of
shrinkage |
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0% MC |
6% MC |
20% MC |
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Tangential |
8.9 |
— |
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Radial |
6.3 |
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Volumetric |
15.2 |
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Sourwood is difficult
to season. Reference (59) |
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Kiln Drying
Schedules
No information
available at this time.
Working
Properties: Sourwood is difficult to work.
Durability: No
information available at this time.
Preservation:
No information available at this time.
Uses: Paneling,
bearings of machinery, sled runners, fuel wood and tool handles.
Toxicity: No
information available at this time.
Additional
Reading and References Cited (in parentheses)
29. Elias, T.S.
1980. The complete trees of North America, field guide and natural history.
?Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., New York, 948 pp.
55. Little, Jr.,
E.L.1979. Checklist of United States trees (native and naturalized). USDA
?Forest Service, Ag. Handbook No. 541, USGPO, Washington, DC.
59. Markwardt,
L.J. and T.R.C. Wilson. 1935. Strength and related properties of woods ?grown
in the United States. USDA Forest Service, Tech. Bull. No. 479. USGPO,
?Washington, DC.
68. Panshin,
A.J. and C. de Zeeuw. 1980. Textbook of Wood Technology, 4th Ed., ?McGraw-Hill
Book Co., New York, 722 pp.
74. Record, S.J.
and R.W. Hess. 1943. Timbers of the new world. Yale University Press, ?New
Haven, 640 pp.
90. Summitt, R.
and A. Sliker. 1980. CRC handbook of materials science. Volume 4, ?wood. ?CRC
Press, Inc., Boca Raton, FL. 459 pp.