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Until a few decades ago, Bolivian wood was studied very little in the country, because of the lack of specialized technical people and of the adequate equipment to perform test and corresponding exercises.

Fragmented information exists about some various native wood species tested in foreign laboratories. Sometimes, the studies were conducted through restlessness of institutions to governmental standards like " the Bolivian - Argentina Mixed Commission or representatives of all private activity, interested in knowing the property of our wood and to promote a better use of them.

Toward the mid-70's, the countries of the The Andes Pact (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela) introduced in the sub regions a integral study of the wood that was know little in each country. In this time, they realized that an agreement and installation of two technological wood laboratories, in the cities of Tarija (equipment brought by the university) and Santa Cruz (equipment donated by IDRC of Canada) with the promotion of a national wood investigation began.

They have enough various information of the performed studies or the process of execution about the physics , mechanics societal and anatomical structure characteristics of the Bolivian wood. Lamentably, all this technical information is scattered in different investigation, production, commercialization, and use of the wood, a situation that sometimes gives many places duplicated information. For example, "el jichiturique" is a wood that was studied for its physical properties and initial mechanics through the CDF (Center of Forrest Development ) between 1979 and 1980; but during this time the "Camara" National Forest studied the same wood and found similar information.

Actually, there is a market interest in the country and an international standard through promotion of the use of the tropical wood.

The exertion of the technological investigation in the wood circulation of the results are technical and economically felt by some worlds like Japan, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, the United States, and the European Economic community, and others.

It is hoped that future national and Latin-American standards will keep better dates and technical publications about our wood.

The objective of this present work is bring together the best technical information about our wood, that has been studied in the country and aboard and condensed into documents and distributed. The information refers to the identification of botany, commercial names, physical properties, mechanical properties, workability, preservation, natural durability, and finally the possible uses and applications. In some cases, we were not able to get all of the information. All the information we found is listed in order and has been distributed to the specific countries.

For information to be effective we have consulted various information, personal records,m institutional archives from the world, from the industrial wood companies, Universities, libraries in Santa Cruz, La Paz, Tarija and Yacuiba, and places where material has been relocated.

The information was completed with observation from the authors and accumulated through many long years of work in state and private institutions.

COMMON NAME: Ochoo, Soliman
COMMERCIAL NAME: Possumwood, Assacu (22) (54)
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Hura crepitans L.
FAMILY: Euphorbiaccae
DISTRIBUTION AREA: In transition, seeks tropical humidity to subtropical humidity, sections of Santa Cruz, Beni, Cochabamba, La Paz, Pando (13)

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TREE: The total height approximately is 40 meters, treetop large, intensely green foliage color, alternate leaves, simple; color of bark clear brown to grayish color, from appearance it looks smooth, but it has pricklers approximately 6mm., after it diminishes, it exudes a yellowish caustic latex color, dangerous to the view, diluted in water is toxic and venomous; thickness of the bark is 2 to 5cm., conical shaft.

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE WOOD: Sapwood color is white, gradual final change to a yellow color; without odor characteristics, some caustic flavor, straight grain; smooth grain; differentiated growth rings; porosity diffusion, large pores visible through simple view, limited (less than 3mm squared) solitary and in radial multiples of four, large and very large (o.20-0.40mm); slender radius (less than 0.05 mm) not straight, visible with a magnifying glass, numerous (45 to 60 by 5mm),; absent stratification.

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES:
Density at 12 % controlled humidity = 0.52 gr/m3
Total radial contraction = 3.9%
Total tangential contraction = 5.7%
Appraisal (T/R) = 1.5 stable wood
Total volumetric contraction = 9.7%
Basic weight = 0.44 average
Total porosity = 6.8%
Saturation point of fibers = 25%

MECHANICAL PROPERTIES:

EXERTION OF STRUCTURAL DESIGN, ACCORDING TO THE ANDES PACT
Flexion = 100 kg/cm2
Parallel Compression = 80 kg/cm2
Perpendicular Compression =15 kg/cm2
Parallel shears =8 kg/cm2
Modulation of average elasticity =90,000kg/cm2
Work corresponds to structural group C.

EXERTION OF DESIGN KGR/NAIL

WORKABILITY: Wood is easy to work with, a successful finish can be obtained. In dry air, the board have bends and curves.

PRESERVATION & DURABILITY: Wood is moderately permeable absorption good in a hot-cold bath of pentachlorophenol at 5 % concentration, results between 132 and 194 kg/m3. It has an elevated absorption in treatment at pressure, results between 327 and 788 kg/m3. Green lumber from the saw is not durable, but proper treatment including chemical baths, air and kiln drying makes it suitable for high quality millwork.

USES & APPLICATION:
Carpentry, cabinetmaking, paneling, (short rotary and together), plywood, sets of drawers, interior work, molding, plywood, toys, chest of drawers in a vestry. In the 70s, wood was exported to Argentina, Brazil, the US, and Italy.