Mora
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Common Name(s): Mora
Scientific Name: Mora excelsa, M. gonggrijpii Distribution: Northeastern South America (primarily Guyana and Suriname) Tree Size: 100-130 ft (30-40 m) tall, 2-3 ft (.6-1.0 m) trunk diameter Average Dried Weight: 63 lbs/ft3 (1,015 kg/m3) Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC): .80, 1.01 Janka Hardness: 2,300 lbf (10,230 N) Modulus of Rupture: 22,550 lbf/in2 (155.5 MPa) Elastic Modulus: 2,790,000 lbf/in2 (19.24 GPa) Crushing Strength: 11,950 lbf/in2 (82.4 MPa) Shrinkage: Radial: 6.7%, Tangential: 9.9%, Volumetric: 17.7%, T/R Ratio: 1.5 |
Color/Appearance: Heartwood is light to medium reddish brown. Wide pale yellow-brown sapwood is clearly demarcated from heartwood.
Grain/Texture: Has a straight to interlocked grain, with a medium to coarse texture. Good natural luster.
Endgrain: Diffuse-porous; large pores in no specific arrangement, few; solitary and radial multiples of 2-3; heartwood deposits present; narrow rays faintly visible without lens, normal spacing; parenchyma vasicentric,lozenge, winged, confluent, and marginal.
Rot Resistance: Mora is rated as durable to very durable, and also has good resistance to insect attacks.
Workability: Pieces with interlocked grain can be difficult to work, frequently resulting in tearout during machining operations. Mora also has a pronounced blunting effect on cutting edges.
Odor: Mora can have an unpleasant and sour odor while being worked.
Allergies/Toxicity: Mora has been reported to cause respiratory irritation. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information.
Pricing/Availability: Mora is used within its native range, and is only occasionally exported. When available, prices should be moderate for an imported hardwood.
Sustainability: This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Common Uses: Flooring, boatbuilding, heavy (exterior) construction, and turned objects.
