540 
PACIFIC SCIENCE, Vol. XXI, October 1967 
TABLE l 
Timber Species Tested 
TIMBER SPECIES TRADE NAME FAMILY 
Agathis vitiensis (Seem.) Drake 
Alphitonia zizyphoides (Spreng.) A. Gray 
Calophyllum spp.* 
Canarium spp.* 
Casuarina nodi flora Forst.* 
Dacrydium elatum Wall. 
Endospermum macrop hyllum (Muell. Arg. ) 
Pax et Hoffm. 
Eucalyptus citriodora Hook. 
Eagraea gracilipes A. Gray 
Garcinia myrtifolia A. C. Smith 
Gonystylus punctatus A. C. Smith 
Heritiera ornitbocephala Kosterm. 
Intsia bijuga (Colebr.) O. Kuntze 
My ri Stic a spp.* 
Palaquium fidjiense Pierre* 
Palaquium hornei (Hartog ex Baker) 
Dubard 
Parinari insularum A. Gray 
Podocarpus javanica (Burm. f.) Merr. 
Podocarpus neriifolius D. Don 
Podocarpus vitiensis Seem. 
Serianthes myriadenia Planch. 
Swietenia macrophylla King 
Syzygium spp. complex* 
Terminalia catappa L. 
Trichospermum richii (A. Gray) Seem. 
Eucalyptus microcorys F. MuelD 
Eucalyptus obliqua L’Herit. 1 
Pin us radiata D. Don 1, 
Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco 1 
Tectona grandis Lid 
dakua makadre 
Araucariaceae 
doi 
Rhamnaceae 
damanu 
Guttiferae 
kaunicina, kaunigai 
Burseraceae 
velau 
Casuarinaceae 
yaka 
Podocarpaceae 
kauvula 
Euphorbiaceae 
lemon scented gum 
Myrtaceae 
buabua 
Loganiaceae 
laubu 
Guttiferae 
mavota 
Gonystylaceae 
rosarosa 
Sterculiaceae 
vesi 
Leguminosae 
kaudamu 
Myristicaceae 
bauvudi 
Sapotaceae 
sacau 
Sapotaceae 
sa 
Rosaceae 
aumunu 
Podocarpaceae 
kuasi 
Podocarpaceae 
dakua salusalu 
Podocarpaceae 
vaivai-ni-veikau 
Leguminosae 
mahogany 
Meliaceae 
yasiyasi 
Myrtaceae 
tivi 
Combretaceae 
mako 
Tiliaceae 
tallowwood 
Myrtaceae 
messmate 
Myrtaceae 
radiata pine 
Pinaceae 
Douglas fir 
Pinaceae 
teak 
Verbenaceae 
* Groups consisting of more than one botanical species but regarded as one commercial species, 
t Reference timbers of known durability included for comparison. 
they have been listed with the other species, as 
they have been grown in plantations in Fiji 
for some years. 
Timber was collected in Fiji for each species, 
but often after testing had begun subsequent 
examination of botanical material showed that 
there were more than one botanical species 
within the "species” collected, two or more 
genera sometimes being represented. Wherever 
these species have been found to be very similar 
in appearance in the field, in anatomical struc- 
ture, physical and strength properties, and 
durability, the mixture has been regarded as one 
commercial species. These species mixtures are 
indicated in Table 1 and are discussed further 
under "Results.” In cases where a species 
differed appreciably from the main species of 
the group, it has been omitted. 
As these decay tests give comparative results 
only, five reference timbers, whose durability 
and performance in service are well known and 
which represent a wide range of durability, 
were included and are also listed in Table 1. 
As a general rule, specimens from five sep- 
arate trees were tested for each timber species. 
However, this number was not always avail- 
able and smaller numbers of trees were sam- 
pled for a few species (see Table 2). The 
timber was shipped in the form of green logs, 
and then a pith-to-bark billet measuring ap- 
proximately 24 inches longitudinally and 6 
inches tangentially was cut from each tree, the 
