| | CITESwoodID: descriptions, illustrations, identification and information retrieval |
Nomenclature. Family: APOCYNACEAE. Other trade relevant species: Alstonia scholaris, A. spathulata, A. angustiloba. Further trade and local names: sua, mo cua (VN); tin pet (MM); dita (PH); chatian (IN); white cheesewood (AU, GB). Code according to DIN EN 13556: AOXX.
CITES(EU) status of protection. Not protected.
Similar timbers. Easily mistaken for Gonystylus spp. (CITES II).
Geographic distribution. India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka to Indomalesia. Primarily Malaysia and Indonesia.
Growth rings, colour, grain, etc. Growth ring boundaries indistinct or absent. Heartwood basically yellow to white or grey; without streaks. Sapwood similar to heartwood colour. Wood light weight and soft (0.33–0.51 g/cm3). Interlocked grain present, or absent (occasionally).
Hardwood vs softwood. Vessels (pores) present (= hardwood).
Vessels (pores). Wood diffuse-porous. Vessels (pores) arranged in no specific pattern, or a radial pattern; in multiples; commonly in short (2–3 vessels) radial rows, or in radial rows of 4 or more. Vessels medium to large (80–150–190 µm); very few to few (3–8). Tyloses absent. Other deposits in heartwood vessels (pores) present (white to yellowish, hardly visible due to lack of colour contrast).
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma present; banded. Parenchyma bands not (only) marginal; narrow; forming a reticulate pattern with rays. The parenchyma bands are partly continuous (marginal); between these bands are shorter and wavy bandlets originating from the confluence of winged parenchyma around the pores. Other macroscopically visible types of axial parenchyma: aliform winged and confluent.
Rays. Rays narrow. Large rays commonly less than 1 mm high.
Storied structure. Storied structure absent.
Resin canals. Normal resin canals absent.
Physical and chemical tests. Heartwood not fluorescent. Water extract fluorescent (yellow); colour shade of water extract colourless to brown. Ethanol extract not fluorescent; colour shade of ethanol extract colourless to brown. Froth test weakly positive. Splinter burns to partial ash; colour of ash bright white.
Additional information. • Transverse section + wood surface. Alstonia spp. (Pulai). Transverse section ca. 10x. Wood surface, natural size.
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., Gembruch, K., and Koch, G. 2014 onwards. CITESwoodID: descriptions, illustrations, identification, and information retrieval. In English, French, German, and Spanish. Version: 4th April 2023. www.delta-intkey.com’.
