Family: Sapotaceae (African Hardwood Family)
Origin: Native to eastern and western tropical Africa, often exported from Cameroon, Nigeria and Kenya.
Common Names: Varied spellings of Aniegre, Mugangu, Muna, Osan, Anegre Blanc, Longhi, Mukaly, Tanganyika Nuss.
The Tree: Aniegre is a large tree, up to 180 feet tall and approximately 4 feet in diameter. Boles are clear of branches for up to 80 feet yielding large amounts of lumber & veneer in excellent widths. Lurking inside the trees is an astounding variety of figure types including fiddleback, block mottle, quilted, crotch and even bird’s eye.
Appearance: Aniegre wood is plain-looking in appearance. The heart is a light yellowish-brown to pinkish-brown. The color tends to darken with age. There is no demarcation between the sapwood and heartwood. The grain is generally straight, occasionally interlocked with a medium texture with closed pores similar to maple. Growth rings are not always defined.
Density: Average specific gravity ranges from 0.40 to 0.48 (oven-dry weight/green volume) equivalent to an air-dried weight of 30 to 36 pcf. Janka hardness is 980 pounds of force.
Drying and Shrinkage: Aniegre wood dries well without any degrade. Average reported shrinkage values (green to oven-dry) are 3.8% radial, 7.0% tangential and 11.8% volumetric.
Working Properties: Aniegre is considered an easy-to-work-with wood with both hand and power tools. Although silica may be present and have a blunting effect on tools, this effect is species-dependent. (Aniegre is a group of species not sorted into separate identities.) To be on the safe side, carbide tooling is recommended for machining. Glues, screws, and nails with no problem. Of course, being a hardwood, pre-drilling for screws and nails is necessary. It stains and finishes well and can be polished to a high luster.
Durability: Aniegre is used primarily as an interior wood: it is decidedly non-durable and thus not recommended for outdoor applications. In its untreated form, Aniegre is susceptible to termite and fungi attacks.
Uses: Aniegre is used for veneer, plywood, cabinetry and furniture. In its board form, it can be used for boat building, general carpentry and light construction uses.
Availability: Aniegre is not considered threatened or endangered. Some species are reported by the ICUN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) to be conservation dependent. Cessation of any current conservation programs would likely result in a vulnerable or endangered Red List status.