Do You Know? Pemphis acidula, locally called Ngehat, is traditionally used for caulking by the Sama Dilaut of Tawi-Tawi in Southern Philippines.
Ngehat belongs to mangrove species that widely grows where seawater wet its roots regularly. It has a wide tropical and subtropical distribution and is common in East Africa and South Asia.
Its heartwood is solid and durable, and resistant to wood-boring mollusks and termites, making it the most favored timber in coastal areas. It is used for boat building, particularly for internal beams and pegs to hold planks together.
It is also suitable for carved objects such as tool handles (long knife, ax, and adz), chess pieces, toys, and other handicrafts.
It is also preferred as firewood but with a scorching flame. The wood of this species has been traditionally valued across cultures for it is hard and heavy and resistant to rot and warp.
It also has a natural fine finish and maybe fashioned into walking canes, fence posts, tool handles, and anchors.
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