USDA Forest Service
Forest Products Laboratory
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Madison, WI 53705-2398
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Wood Technical Fact Sheet

Mastic
Sideroxylon spp.
Sapotaceae

The genus Sideroxylon is composed of about 70 species native to: the neotropics [49], Africa [6], Madagascar [6] and Mascarenes [8]. This group has been reorganized (5) and includes groups from the genera Bumelia, Auzuba, Spondogona, Dipholis, Mastichodendron and Apterygia.

Other Common Names: Abricot des Bois, acoma, acoma batard, acoma franc, acomat, acomat franc, acouma jaune, agando, ahern nato, aimoi, almendro, almendo sylvestre, amangkas, antswood, ausubo, awapau, baid, balata indien, balata jaune d'oef, balata moire, balata rosada, bangkalandi, baricoco, barutu, batun, blackhaw, blanquillo colorado, bobi-waata, bois d'ivoire, bois de fer, bois de fer batard, bois de fer blanc, bois ivoire, bois manglier rouge, bois tambalacoque, botgo, brazos bumelia, buckthorn, buckthorn bumelia, bumelia ironwood, buckthorn chittimwood, buis d'annam, bull apple, bully mastic, bustic, caguani, caimite acoma, caixeta, calla de St. Dominique, candlewood, capire, capiri, caracolillo, caroba sequirana, Carolina buckthorn, cassada, caya, caya amarilla, chittamwood, chittimwood, chupon colorado, coma, coopey, cosahuico, cozahuico, creamtree, cuamirro, daru, diphole, downward plum, dulitan, dzoi, dzon, ebano amarillo, faisan, false buckthorn, false mastic, fingo milkwood tree, fogel kop, gomale, guaraja, gum bumelia, gum elastic, gumbijava, gumbixama, gumbixava, gwabale, huacux, ijzerhout, ironwood, jakkalsbessie, jocuma, jocuma amarilla, jocuma blanca, jocuma lechera, jocuma prieta, jubilla, kanta kumla, kantabahul, kantabora, kobak, koesirie paratare, kokeriteballi, konoko, kudibutshi, kumbul, kumpoli, lambapatti, lau tau xanh, lay, lechero, lemo-epo, lohoedoe, mai lal, mai wan, malaihot, malamangga, malasambong-batu, mam da, mamon de leche, manglier, mastic-bully, mastichodendron, mastic jungle plum, mastwood, maylay, milk buckthorn, milkwood, mockorange, mogongoongo, mtunda, narrowleaf bumelia, nato, nato puti, natte batard, nong, palei, putian, quinilla, remoe-epo, riemhout, rirau, sacahuico, saffron plum, saquaia, sea oak, selele boerowin, seloeloe borwin, serere borowin, shittimwood, sifftwig gum, slowwood, small bumelia, smooth bumelia, southern buckthorn, subul, suma-hale, tabloncillo, tambalacoque, tarrico nana, tavia, tempisco, tempisque, tempixque, tempisquillo, tempixtle, Texas bumelia, thitcho, thu-tabat, tocuma amarillo, topee, topek, tortugo, tortugo amarillo, tortugo colorado, tortugo prieto, tototzapotl, totozapotl, tough buckthorn, tough bumelia, treaty tree, tropical buckthorn, tzabac, valvu, varilla del agua, vogelkop, white milkwood, white nato, wild mastic, wild olive, willow bustic, willowleaf bustic, witmelkhout, wolly bucket bumelia, wolly buckthorn, zapote de ave, zapote faisan, zapotillo, zoy.

Distribution: The neotropics, Africa, Madagascar and Mascarene Islands.

The Tree: Mastic reaches heights of 80 feet and diameters of 5 feet. The bark is thick and is dark gray to brownish red, composed of flat scales with thin layers.

General Wood Characteristics: The wood of Mastic has a yellow sapwood and heartwood that is yellow to orange in color. It has a medium luster and texture, variable grain, no odor, a bitter taste and is very hard, tough, strong and heavy. It is not easy to work, but finishes smoothly. It requires care in drying.

Weighta

Weight

Moisture content Specific gravity
lb/ft3 kg/m3

Greena
0.86 77 1234

Greenb
0.89 77 1234

12%a
0.88 62 993

12%b
0.93 65 1041

Ovendrya
1.03 NA NA

aReference (4).
bReference (6).

Mechanical Properties
Property

Green Dry

MOEa
1.86 ¥ 106 lbf/in2 12.82 GPa NA NA

MOEb
1.58 ¥ 106 lbf/in2 10.89 GPa 1.78 ¥ 106 lbf/in2 12.27 GPa

MORa
12.4 ¥ 103 lbf/in2 85.49 MPa NA NA

MORb
10.40 ¥ 103 lbf/in2 71.70 MPa 10.20 ¥ 103 lbf/in2 70.33 MPa

C| |a
5.33 ¥ 103 lbf/in2 36.75 MPa 9.54 ¥ 103 lbf/in2 65.78 MPa

C| |b
5.88 ¥ 103 lbf/in2 40.54 MPa 6.93 ¥ 103 lbf/in2 47.78 MPa

C a
1.70 ¥ 103 lbf/in2 11.72 MPa NA NA

C b
2.68 ¥ 103 lbf/in2 18.48 MPa 2.83 ¥ 103 lbf/in2 19.51 MPa

WMLa
17.1 in-lbf/in3 117.90 kJ/m3 NA NA

WMLb
8.10 in-lbf/in3 55.85 kJ/m3 6.20 in-lbf/in3 42.75 kJ/m3

Hardnessb
1770 lbf 7873 N 1790 lbf 7962 N

Shear| |b
1.67 ¥ 103 lbf/in2 11.51 MPa 1.47 ¥ 103 lbf/in2 10.13 MPa

aReference (4).
bReference (6).



Drying and shrinkagea

Percentage of shrinkage
(green to final moisture content)

Type of shrinkage
0%MC 6%MC 20%MC

Tangential
7.5 NA NA

Radial
6.1 NA NA

Volumetric
11.7 NA NA

aReference (5). Care is required in drying to prevent checking & splitting.


Working Properties: Mastic is not easy to work, but finishes smoothly and takes a high polish.

Durability: Rated as fair.

Preservation: No information available at this time.

Uses: Construction, fence posts, vehicles, furniture, crossties.

Toxicity: No information available at this time.

Additional Reading & References Cited (in parentheses):
1. Elias, T.S. 1980. The complete trees of North America, field guide and natural history. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., New York, 948 pp.
2. Lamb, G.N. 1955. Foreign woods. Mastic. Wood and Wood Products 60(3):52.
3. Little, Jr., E.L.1979. Checklist of United States trees (native and naturalized). USDA Forest Service, Ag. Handbook No. 541, USGPO, Washington, DC.
4. 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.
5. Pennington, T.D. 1990. Flora Neotropica, Monograph 52, Sapotaceae. The New York Botanical Garden, New York.
6. Summitt, R. and A. Sliker. 1980. CRC handbook of materials science. Volume 4, wood. CRC Press, Inc., Boca Raton, FL. 459 pp.

Abbreviations

4/4 nominal 1-inch (standard 25.4-mm) thickness lbf pound-force
5/4 nominal 1-1/4-inch (standard 32-mm) thickness m meter
6/4 nominal 1-1/2-inch (standard 38-mm) thickness MC moisture content
8/4 nominal 2-inch (standard 51-mm) thickness MOE modulus of elasticity
10/4 nominal 2-1/2-inch (standard 64-mm) thickness MOR modulus of rupture
12/4 nominal 3-inch (standard 76-mm) thickness Mpa megapascal (106 Pa)
16/4 nominal 4-inch (standard 102-mm) thickness N newton
C| | compression parallel to grain, maximum crushing strength NA information not available
C compression perpendicular to grain, stress at proportional limit Pa pascal
Dry 12 percent moisture content Shear| | shear parallel to grain, maximum shearing strength
Gpa gigapascal (109 Pa) SG specific gravity
Hardness side hardness WML work to maximum load
kJ kilojoule (103 J)


Harry A. Alden, 1996