The heartwood is yellow brown and becomes red brown with air. The sapwood is clearly demarcated. The grain is interlocked and the texture is medium. It has an unpleasant odour when green.

The blunting effect is fairly high and peeling and slicing is not recommended or without interest. Requires power. It is sometimes difficult to obtain a good finish because of highly interlocked grain. Tendency to tear on quartersawn. Nailing is good but pre-boring is necessary. Gluing is correct for interior only. It dries slowly and kiln drying must be handled carefully.

Okan is very durable to fungi and is durable to dry wood borers; sapwood demarcated (risk limited to sapwood). Due to its high specific gravity and hardness, this species naturally covers the biological hazard class 5 (end-uses in marine environment or in brackish water).

Okan can be used for several applications such as:

• Interior: e.g. flooring, sculpture, industrial or heavy flooring

• Exterior: e.g. bridges, posts, sleepers, heavy carpentry, vehicle or container flooring

Substitute for Azobe (Lophira alata) and Greenheart (Ocotea rodiaei).

References: CIRAD Forestry Department