Common Name: Suya
Scientific Name: Pouteria speciosa
Wood Description: Suya, from Pouteria speciosa, is an evergreen tree. The sapwood is not highly distinctive from the heartwood, or not distinct at all. The heartwood is light brown, occasionally with a pale purple flush. The wood can sometimes show an attractive figure of dark stripes against a sandy to mid-brown background color. The grain is generally straight. The texture is fine. The tree has an erect, cylindrical bole, 50-80 cm in diameter, and can grow 20-40 meters tall.
Physical Properties: Suya is a heavy wood. Its basic specific gravity is 0.58-0.59. The air-dry density (12% moisture content) is 700-710 kg/m³. The weight by volume can exceed 1140 kg/m³ (71 lb/ft³), causing the wood to sink in water. This indicates a range of densities within the Pouteria genus. Shrinkage from green to oven-dry is radial 5.5-6.4% and tangential 11.0%, with volumetric shrinkage of 16.0-16.5%. The wood is prone to considerable movement and warping when it dries out.
Mechanical Properties: Suya wood is hard, heavy, and resilient. Its bending strength (Modulus of Rupture, MOR) at 12% MC is 10,470 psi, or 116-126 N/mm². The modulus of elasticity (MOE) at 12% MC is 1,820 (1000 psi), or 16966-20888 N/mm². Crushing strength at 12% MC is 5,800 psi. These properties contribute to its suitability for demanding applications.
Uses: Suya is generally a utility timber used for both interior and exterior qualities. It is used for furniture, boat planking, tanks and cooperage, joinery, heavy marine construction, turnery, parquet flooring, veneer, and plywood. Its high density, while making it difficult to work, limits its use for furniture due to transport difficulties. Its primary use is in naval construction, such as dock pilings and deckings, where the wood is continuously waterlogged and its prone movement during drying is not an issue.