| | CITESwoodID: descriptions, illustrations, identification and information retrieval |
Nomenclature. Family: FABACEAE-FABOIDEAE. Other trade relevant species: Dalbergia cambodiana, D. cultrata, D. dongnaiensis, D. fusca. Further trade and local names: D. cochinchinensis: mai payung (TH); kra-nhoung (KH); trac (VN); palisandrode Tonkin (ES). D. cultrata + D. fusca: cam lai giao, trac giao (VN). D. dongnaiensis: cam lai dong nai, camlai mat (VN). Code according to DIN EN 13556: none.
CITES(EU) status of protection. Listed in Annex II(B).
Similar timbers. As regards the colour of the heartwood, colour striping and macroscopically discernible structural features, the wood of D. cochinchinensis cannot be safely distinguished from that of other species native to the region (Indochina) as for instance: Dalbergia cambodiana, D. cultrata, D. dongnaiensis, D. fusca.
Geographic distribution. Burma, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia. Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar.
Growth rings, colour, grain, etc. Growth ring boundaries indistinct or absent. Heartwood basically brown (leather to almost violet or blackish brown), purple; with streaks. Sapwood distinct from heartwood colour. Odour distinct (rather unpleasant). Wood heavy and hard (0.98–1.06 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 and in radial rows of 4 or more (few). Vessels of rather different size and unevenly distributed over the cross section. Vessels medium to large (120–180–270 µm); very few (1–4). Tyloses absent. Other deposits in heartwood vessels (pores) present.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma present; banded and not banded. Parenchyma bands not (only) marginal; narrow; partially much wider than rays. Parenchyma bands often very fine and discontinuous. Other macroscopically visible types of axial parenchyma: diffuse-in-aggregates, aliform winged, confluent.
Rays. Rays narrow. Large rays commonly less than 1 mm high.
Storied structure. Storied structure present. Tiers regular (horizontal or slightly inclined), or irregular; 5–7 per axial millimetre.
Physical and chemical tests. Heartwood not fluorescent. Water extract fluorescent (light green); colour shade of water extract colourless to brown. Heartwood extractives leaching out when in contact with water (purplish brown). Ethanol extract not fluorescent; colour shade of ethanol extract colourless to brown (dark brown). Froth test positive. Splinter burns to full ash, or to partial ash; colour of ash white to grey, or yellow-brown (different specimens = variable ash colour).
Additional information. • Transverse section + wood surface. Transverse section ca. 10x. Tangential 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’.
