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Nomenclature etc. FABACEAE-CAESALPINIOIDEAE. D. senegalense: syn. D. heudelotianum Baill. Trade and local names: mambode (DE, GW); bodo (CI); kpuyai (LR); bowiwasi, takyikyroa (GH); alen (GA); kolei, kpay (LR); ogbogbo (NG); tallow tree (GB); D. senegalense: bobode; D. macrocarpum: aboranzork, enouk, modhon. Not protected under CITES regulations.
Tree. Geographic distribution: tropical Africa.
General. Growth ring boundaries distinct (demarcated by marginal parenchyma bands). Heartwood basically brown to red (often copper brown); with streaks (dark brown to black, due to resin canals; colour striping irregular, not always distinct). Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour. Odour indistinct or absent. Density 0.65–0.75 g/cm³.
Vessels. Wood diffuse porous. Vessels arranged in no specific pattern, in multiples, commonly in short (2–3 vessels) radial rows (radial groups of 3 and some clusters occasionally present). Average tangential vessel diameter 145–250–360 µm (60–155–225 fide Wagenführ). Average number of vessels/mm² 2–4. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 5–7 µm, pits vestured. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders, similar to intervessel pits. Other deposits present (dark reddish brown).
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres of medium wall thickness. Average fibre length 575–935–1405 µm. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered. Fibres non-septate. Predominantly in radial arrangement.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma banded or not banded. Bands marginal (or seemingly marginal). Bands fine or coarse. Frequently in combination with resin canals. Axial parenchyma apotracheal and paratracheal. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse and diffuse-in-aggregates. Paratracheal axial parenchyma vasicentric to aliform to unilateral (confluent in conjunction with resin canals). Aliform parenchyma of the lozenge type, or of the winged type. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per strand: 2–4–6.
Rays. Rays 3–4 per tangential mm, multiseriate, (1–)3–4–6 cells wide. Height of large rays commonly 500 to 1000 µm. Rays composed of a single cell type (homocellular) and two or more cell types (heterocellular); homocellular ray cells procumbent. Heterocellular rays with square and upright cells restricted to marginal rows, mostly 1 marginal row of upright or square cells to mostly 2–4 marginal rows of upright or square cells. Mixed homocelular and heterocelular rays in a single specimen.
Storied structures. Storied structure absent.
Secretory structures. Intercellular canals present, non-traumatic origin, oriented axially, axial intercellular canals in long tangential lines or in short tangential lines.
Mineral inclusions. Crystals present, prismatic, located in axial parenchyma cells. Crystal-containing axial parenchyma cells chambered. Number of crystals per cell or chamber one. Silica not observed.
Physical and chemical tests. Froth test negative.
Illustrations. • Transverse section. Detarium senegalense. axial intercellular canals (IC) in tangential bands. IC. • Tangential section. Detarium senegalense. • Radial section. Detarium senegalense.
The interactive key allows access to the character list, illustrations, full and partial descriptions, diagnostic descriptions, differences and similarities between taxa, lists of taxa exhibiting specified attributes, summaries of attributes within groups of taxa, and geographical distribution.
Cite this publication as: ‘Richter, H.G., and Dallwitz, M.J. 2000 onwards. Commercial timbers: descriptions, illustrations, identification, and information retrieval. In English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish. Version: 9th April 2019. delta-intkey.com’.
