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Tanoak: Lithocarpus densiflorus, Fagaceae |
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Tanoak: Lithocarpus densiflorus, Fagaceae |
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Tanoak is a genus with about 100 species native to North America [1] and Asia/ Indomalaysia [100]. It is believed to be an evolutionary link between the oaks (Quercus spp.)
and chestnuts (Castanea spp.). The name lithocarpus is derived from the Greek, stone and fruit, in allusion to the hard acorns. Cyclobalanops spp., Quercus densiflora and Pasania densiflora are old scientific names.
Other Common Names: California chestnut oak, chestnut oak, live oak, peach oak, tanbark oak.
Distribution: Southwestern Oregon south to southern California, on the coast and in the Sierra Nevada.
The Tree: The flowers of tanoak resemble chestnut flowers, while the fruits look more like those of oaks (acorns). Tanoak grows mostly in association with redwood, Douglas-fir and California live oak. In close stands the trunks are long and rarely straight, while in the open they are short and thick. The bark is pale brown tinged with red, and can be gray in places. It can be smooth, or broken into wide, square plates by narrow seams. Tanoak is a slow- growing species, resistant to insects, but susceptible to fire injury. The flowers are produced in upright spikes or catkins, with the male flowers on the upper three-fourths of the flower spike and the female flowers (one-several) at the base. The fruits are acorns with fringed cups and thin scales. Tanoak requires moist climates and grows in association with coastal redwood, Port Orford cedar, Douglas-fir, bigleaf maple and box elder.
General Wood Characteristics: The sapwood and heartwood are light to dark red brown. The wood of tanoak is diffuse porous with wide rays.
Weighta |
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Moisture content |
Specific gravity |
Weight |
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lb/ft3 |
kg/m3 |
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Green 12% Ovendry |
0.58 0.71 |
65 |
1,041 657 NA |
aReferences: specific gravity, green, (98); specific gravity, ovendry, (90); weight, (90).
Mechanical propertiesa
Property |
Greena |
Dryb |
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MOE |
1.55 × 106 lbf/in2 |
10.687 GPa |
2.16 × 106 lbf/in2 |
14.893 GPa |
MOR |
10.5 × 103 lbf/in2 |
72.398 MPa |
16.6 × 103 lbf/in2 |
114.457 MPa |
C| | |
4.65 × 103 lbf/in2 |
32.062 MPa |
9.20 × 103 lbf/in2 |
63.434 MPa |
C ⊥ |
3.64 × 103 lbf/in2 |
25.098 MPa |
1.66 × 103 lbf/in2 |
11.446 MPa |
WML |
13.4 in-lbf/in3 |
92.393 kJ/m3 |
NA |
NA kJ/m3 |
Hardness |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
Shear| | |
1.41 × 103 lbf/in2 |
9.722 MPa |
1.96 × 103 lbf/in2 |
13.514 MPa |
aReference (98) except C⊥ and Shear| | (69). bReference (69).
Drying and shrinkagea
Percentage of shrinkage (green to final moisture content)
Type of shrinkage 0% MC 6% MC 20% MC
Tangential 11.7 NA 8.0
Radial 4.9 NA 2.7
Volumetric 17.3 NA NA
aReferences: 0% MC , (98); 20% MC, (90).
Kiln drying schedulea
4/4, 5/4, 6/4 8/4 10/4 12/4 16/4
Condition stock stock stock stock stock
Standard T3-B1 T3-B1 NA NA NA
aReferences (6, 86).
Working Properties: No information available at this time. Durability: No information available at this time.
Preservation: No information available at this time.
Uses: Flooring, crossties, fuel wood, mine timbers, baseball bats, veneers, pulpwood, furniture. Historically, bark was used for tannin extraction.
Toxicity: No information available at this time. Additional Reading: 29, 55, 67, 68, 74.
Page url: http://www.fsclumber.us?tanoaklithocarpusdensifloru.htm
