| | CITESwoodID: descriptions, illustrations, identification and information retrieval |
Nomenclature. Family: FABACEAE-CAESALPINIOIDEAE. Other trade relevant species: this species is very likely Caesalpinia platyloba S. Watson. Further trade and local names: curly paela (US), aka-chak-te-viga, palo colorado, guayabón de playa (MX). Code according to DIN EN 13556: none.
CITES(EU) status of protection. Not protected.
Similar timbers. Easily mistaken for Caesalpinia echinata (CITES II).
Geographic distribution. Mexico and Central America and tropical South America. From northwest Mexico to Yucatan and Central America (Guatemala).
Growth rings, colour, grain, etc. Growth ring boundaries indistinct or absent. Heartwood basically yellow (to light orange); with streaks. Sapwood distinct from heartwood colour. Wood heavy and hard (0.89–0.96–1.01 g/cm3). Interlocked grain present.
Hardwood vs softwood. Vessels (pores) present (= hardwood).
Vessels (pores). Wood diffuse-porous. Vessels (pores) in multiples; commonly in short (2–3 vessels) radial rows. Vessels small to medium ((70-)120–145); few to moderately numerous ((10-)16–20(-27)). Tyloses absent. Other deposits in heartwood vessels (pores) present (pale yellow).
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma present; banded. Parenchyma bands exclusively marginal (or seemingly marginal); narrow. Other macroscopically visible types of axial parenchyma: vasicentric and aliform lozenge type.
Rays. Rays narrow. Large rays commonly less than 1 mm high.
Storied structure. Storied structure present, or absent. Tiers regular (horizontal or slightly inclined), or irregular; 4(–5) per axial millimetre.
Physical and chemical tests. Heartwood not fluorescent. Water extract not fluorescent; colour shade of water extract yellow. Heartwood extractives leaching out when in contact with water (two weak color components visible: crimson red and yellow). Ethanol extract fluorescent (pale pinkish orange); colour shade of ethanol extract yellow (yellowish orange). Splinter burns to full ash; colour of ash white to grey.
Additional information. • Transverse section + wood surface. Coulteria platyloba (Chakté viga). Transverse section ca. 10x. Radial 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’.
