The Wood 
Color 
The heartwood is light brown with either a grayish or somewhat golden hue. 
Fine lines of deep brown form a conspicuous pattern, especially on the tan- 
gential surface. The sapwood is yellowish to white when freshly cut, becom- 
ing light brown after drying and exposure, -nnd not very distinct from the 
heartwood U, 6, 9, 10, 12, 18, 21, 27). 
Texture, Grain, Figure 
Roble bianco has a medium to rather coarse texture. The grain may be inter- 
locked, showing a ribbon-stripe figure on the radial or quartersawn surface 
of the wood, or it may be straight. The tangential or ilatsawn surface 
often shows a distinctive figure of fine brown lines, caused by the abundant 
parenchyma that contains dark, gummy material (4, 9, 10, 21, 25, 31). 
Luster 
The luster is low to medium (21). 
Odor and Taste 
The wood is odorless and tasteless when dry (4, 11). 
Weight 
Roble bianco is rated moderately heavy to heavy (4, 9, 21), with an average 
specific gravity of 0.52 (0.44 to 0.63) based on weight when ovendry and 
volume when green. It averages about 55 pounds per cubic foot when green 
and 38 pounds when air-dry (4). 
Mechanical Properties ,- 
Values obtained for the mechanical properties of roble bianco in the green 
and air-dry condition are given in table 1. Values for white ash ( Fraxinus 
air.ericana ) and white oak ( Que reus alba ) are included for comparison (32)~ 
Seasoning and Shrinkage 
Roble bianco is rated easy to season. Slight checking and warping may occur 
with rapid drying, but these defects can be minimized by slower drying (32). 
Kiln schedule 4 of the British Forest Froducts Research Laboratory has been 
Rept. No. 1980 -3- 
