Product Code Database
Teak ( Tectona grandis) is a tropical hardwood tree species in the family Lamiaceae. It is a large, deciduous tree that occurs in mixed hardwood forests. Tectona grandis has small, fragrant white flowers arranged in dense clusters () at the end of the branches. These flowers contain both types of reproductive organs (perfect flowers). The large, papery leaves of teak trees are often Trichome on the lower surface. Teak wood has a leather-like smell when it is freshly milled and is particularly valued for its durability and water resistance. The wood is used for boat building, exterior construction, veneer, furniture, carving, turnings, and various small projects.
Tectona grandis is native to South Asia and southeast Asia, mainly Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Sri Lanka, but is naturalised and cultivated in many countries in Africa and the Caribbean. Myanmar's teak forests account for nearly half of the world's naturally occurring teak. Molecular studies show that there are two centres of the genetic origin of teak: one in India and the other in Myanmar and Laos.
Fragrant white flowers are borne on long by wide from June to August. The corolla tube is 2.5–3 mm long with 2 mm wide obtuse lobes. Tectona grandis sets fruit from September to December; fruits are globose and 1.2–1.8 cm in diameter. Flowers are weakly protandrous in that the precede the stigma in maturity and pollen is shed within a few hours of the flower opening.Tangmitcharoen, S. and J. N. Owens. 1996. Floral biology, pollination, pistil receptivity, and pollen tube growth of teak ( Tectona grandis Linn f.). Annals of Botany, 79(3): 227–241. The flowers are primarily entomophily (insect-pollinated), but can occasionally be anemophily (wind-pollinated).Bryndum, K. and T. Hedegart. 1969. Pollination of teak ( Tectona grandis Linn.f.). Silv. Genet. 18: 77–80. A 1996 study found that in its native range in Thailand, the major pollinators were species in the bee genus Ceratina.
Tectona grandis is found in a variety of habitats and climatic conditions from arid areas with only of rain per year to very moist forests with up to of rain per year. Typically, though, the annual rainfall in areas where teak grows averages with a 3–5 month dry season.Kaosa-ard, A. 1981. Teak its natural distribution and related factors. Natural History Bulletin of the Siam Society, 29: 55–74.
The vast majority of commercially harvested teak is grown on teak plantations found in Indonesia and controlled by Perum Perhutani (a state-owned forest enterprise) that manages the country's forests. The primary use of teak harvested in Indonesia is in the production of outdoor teak furniture for export. Nilambur in Kerala, India, is also a major producer of teak and is home to the world's oldest teak plantation.
Teak consumption raises several environmental concerns, such as the disappearance of rare old-growth teak. However, its popularity has led to growth in sustainable plantation teak production throughout the seasonally dry tropics in forestry . The Forest Stewardship Council offers certification of sustainably grown and harvested teak products. Propagation of teak via tissue culture for plantation purposes is commercially viable.
Teak plantations were widely established in Equatorial Africa during the Colonial era. These timber resources, as well as the oil reserves, are at the heart of the current (2014) South Sudanese conflict.
Much of the world's teak is exported by Indonesia and Myanmar. There is also a rapidly growing plantation-grown market in Central America (Costa Rica) and South America. With a depletion of remaining natural hectares of teak forests, growth in plantations in Latin America is expected to rise.
Hyblaea puera, commonly known as the teak defoliator, is a moth native to southeast Asia. It is a teak pest whose caterpillar feeds on teak and other species of trees common in the region of Southeast Asia.
Teak is used extensively in India to make doors and window frames, furniture, and columns, and beams in homes. It is resistant to termite attacks and damage caused by other . Mature teak fetches a very good price. It is grown extensively by forest departments of different states in forest areas. It was also used in the construction of the Kaaba in the Masjid al-Haram of Mecca, which is the holiest structure in the Islamic faith.
Leaves of the teak wood tree are used in making Pellakai gatti (jackfruit dumpling), where batter is poured into a teak leaf and steamed. This type of usage is found in the coastal district of Udupi in the Tulunadu region in South India. The leaves are also used in gudeg, a dish of young jackfruit made in Central Java, Indonesia, and give the dish its dark brown colour.
Teak is used as a food plant by the of of the genus Endoclita including Endoclita aroura, E. chalybeatus, Endoclita damor, E. gmelina, E. malabaricus, E. sericeus and E. signifer other Lepidoptera including the turnip moth.
When used on boats, teak is also very flexible in the finishes that may be applied. One option is to use no finish at all, in which case the wood will naturally weather to a pleasing silver grey. The wood may also be oiled with a finishing agent such as linseed oil or tung oil oil. This results in a somewhat dull finish. Finally, teak may also be varnished for a deep, lustrous glow.
Teak is also used extensively in boat decks, as it is extremely durable but requires regular maintenance. The teak tends to wear into the softer 'summer' growth bands first, forming a natural 'non-slip' surface. Any sanding is therefore only damaging. The use of modern cleaning compounds, oils, or preservatives will shorten the life of the teak, as it contains natural teak oil a very small distance below the white surface. Wooden boat experts will only wash the teak with salt water, and re-caulk when needed. This cleans the deck and prevents it from drying out and the wood shrinking. The salt helps it absorb and retain moisture and prevents any mildew and algal growth. Over-maintenance, such as cleaning teak with harsh chemicals, can shorten its usable lifespan as decking. Teak has been used by the U.S. Navy for ship decks, such as the Iowa-class battleship USS Missouri, to protect against sparks caused by metal rubbing on metal, and as insulation to avoid the interior of the ship getting too hot.
Clonal propagation of teak has been successfully done through grafting, rooted stem cuttings, and micropropagation. While bud grafting onto seedling root stock has been the method used for establishing clonal seed orchards that enables assemblage of clones of the superior trees to encourage crossing, rooted stem cuttings and micro propagated plants are being increasingly used around the world for raising clonal plantations.
Since 1989, the state-owned Myanma Timber Enterprise has run the country's logging industry. In 2014, Myanmar's government imposed a strict ban on exporting wild-grown teak logs. In 2015, 153 Chinese loggers were sentenced to life in prison for illegal logging. Illegal teak logging persists, especially in contested areas. While it is illegal for timber to be exported via land borders, 95% of Myanmar's teak enters China through the China–Myanmar border.
Since the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, illegal logging of teak and tamalan trees has surged in Sagaing Region, predominantly in key contested battlegrounds, including Kani Township, Yinmabin, Kanbalu Township, Indaw Township, and Banmauk Township. Both the Burmese military and resistance groups have profited from the illegal logging trade. Smugglers transport the wood to India to circumvent economic sanctions and use the Myanma Timber Enterprise to license the wood as being sourced from permitted areas.
This regulation specifically applies to teak and other high-risk timber species, particularly those sourced from countries with poor forest governance or illegal logging activities. Myanmar, for example, has been a focus due to concerns over illegal teak harvesting from there.
Previously, the world's biggest recorded teak tree was located within the Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary in the Palakkad District of Kerala in India, named Kannimara. The tree is approximately tall. Its age is between 450 and 500 years and is considered one of the oldest teak trees in the world.
In 2017, a tree was discovered in the Ottakallan area of the Thundathil range of the Malayattoor Forest Division in Kerala with a girth of and a height of . A teak tree in Kappayam, Edamalayar, Kerala, which used to be considered the biggest, has a girth of 7.23 metres.
Tree No. 23 is the oldest planted teak on Earth. It is located in Conolly's plot (the world's oldest teak plantation), Nilambur, Kerala.
|
|
