CHAPERNO

Chaperno / Lonchocarpus rugosus

Local Names

Matabuy, Arripín, Canasín, Masicarán, Chapulaltapa, Dogwood, Jabín, Habín, Palo de Gusano, Carao.

Distribution & Tree

Found along streambanks, tropical woodland and subdeciduous forest below 1,400 meters, chaperno is native to Guatemala, southern Mexico, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador. It’s is closely related to the better-known manchiche (L. castilloi) but is somewhat shorter, usually not exceeding 15 meters. Its reddish-purple flowers blossom from June to July.

Wood Appearance

Heartwood is yellowish-brown to dark reddish-brown, striped with fine laminations of a lighter color and a sharply demarcated sapwood. Texture is coarse, grain straight to irregular or interlocked. Luster is low to medium.

Processing Properties

This high-quality wood is fairly easy to saw and works with smooth planing.

Strength & Durability

The wood is heavy, durable and strong with hardness ratings similar to cedrillo (Guarea spp) and santamaria (Calophyllus brasiliense).

Wood Uses

General construction, axles, pilings, tool handles, flooring, furniture components and crossties.

Ecological & Social Importance

Traditionally, a purple dye was extracted from its bark used to color textiles. An intoxicating beverage, known as pitarrilla, is produced from the closely-related balché (L. longistylus) whereby the bark is soaked in water with honey or sugar and fermented. Taken by the Lacandon people of Peten, the milky-white drink has low levels of alcohol.

Values determined at 12% humidity - Provided for reference only
			Reference Species
Technical Characteristics		Chaperno	Black Maple	Teak
Density	kg/m3	670	640	624
Janka Hardness	kgf	533	535	500
Bending Stiffness (Modulus of Elasticity)	GPa	15.3	11.2	13.7
Bending Strength (Modulus of Rupture)	MPa	108.7	91.7	97.1
Crushing Strength	MPa	48.5	46.1	54.8
Shrinkage, Radial	%		4.8%	2.6%
Shrinkage, Tangential	%		9.3%	5.3%
Shrinkage, Volumetric	%		14.0%	7.2%
T/R Ratio			1.9	2.0

DENSITY

JANKA HARDNESS

BENDING STIFFNESS

BENDING STRENGTH

CRUSHING STRENGTH

SHRINKAGE

Values are for reference only and cannot be guaranteed. Wood is a natural material and physical and mechanical properties may vary depending on age, genetics, and other factors. We encourage customers to consult the references provided in the bibliography. For further explanations of wood’s key technical characteristics, an excellent resource is the Wood Database with articles on Density (average dried weight); Janka hardness; Elastic Modulus; Rupture Modulus; Crushing Strength; Radial, Tangential and Volumetric Shrinkage.

References	View Source
“Investigación e Ingeniería de la Madera.” Revista del Laboratorio de Mecánica de la Madera. Volumen 10, Número 3, Diciembre 2014.
Carao Macho. Área de Conservación Guanacaste. Fuente de Vida y Desarrollo.
Excerpts from Jim Conrad's Naturalist Newsletter. BackyardNature.net
HABÍN Lonchocarpus guatemalensis. FICHAS DE PROPAGACIÓN DE ÁRBOLES CLAVE PARA LA RESTAURACIÓN. Red Viveros.
Habín. "Catálogo de Arboles." Red de Viveros de Biodiversidad.
Little, E. Wadsworth, F. "Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands." USDA Forest Service. July 1964.
Lonchocarpus rugosus. iNaturalist.ca
Lonchocarpus rugosus. Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern.
Lonchocarpus rugosus. Vozzo, J.A. (ed) "Manual de Semilas de Arboles Tropicales." 2010.
Standley, PC. Williams, LO. Gibson, DN. "Flora of Guatemala." Volume 24. Field Museum of Natural History. 1974.