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Nomenclature. Family: FABACEAE-FABOIDEAE. Further trade and local names: Rio Palisander, Rio Jacarandá, Brasilianisches Rosenholz (DE); palissandre du Brésil, palissandre Rio (FR); Brazilian rosewood (GB); cabiúna, camboré, caviuna legitima, jacarandá, pau preto, uraúna (BR); palissandro (IT); palisandro (ES); palissander Rio (NL). Code according to DIN EN 13556: DLNG.
CITES(EU) status of protection. Listed in Annex I(A) (since 1992).
Similar timbers. Easily mistaken for Machaerium scleroxylon (not protected), similar to Dalbergia madagascariensis (CITES II).
Geographic distribution. Tropical South America. Northeast Brazil, from southern Bahia to northern São Paulo, west into Minas Gerais.
Growth rings, colour, grain, etc. Growth ring boundaries distinct to indistinct or absent (to be recognized occasionally on clean-cut transverse surfaces). Heartwood basically brown to red to black; with streaks. Sapwood distinct from heartwood colour (whitish to yellowish grey). Heartwood colour varies considerably between trees and even within one log. At irregular intervals dark brown to purple brown to black streaks can be observed which cause a characteristic venation on both radial and tangential surfaces. Odour distinct (aromatic sweetish, similar to that of vanilla). Wood of medium weight to heavy and hard (0.75–0.90 g/cm3). Interlocked grain absent (however, irregular grain of frequent occurrence).
Hardwood vs softwood. Vessels (pores) present (= hardwood).
Vessels (pores). Wood diffuse-porous. Vessels (pores) arranged in no specific pattern; in multiples; commonly in short (2–3 vessels) radial rows. Vessels medium and large (75–175–250 µm); very few (1–2–4). Tyloses absent. Other deposits in heartwood vessels (pores) present (dark brown).
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma present; banded and not banded. Parenchyma bands exclusively marginal (or seemingly marginal), or not (only) marginal (only sporadically); narrow. Other macroscopically visible types of axial parenchyma: diffuse-in-aggregates and vasicentric (apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse and diffuse-in-aggregates; paratracheal axial parenchyma vasicentric (also weakly aliform and paratracheal unilateral)).
Rays. Rays narrow. Large rays commonly less than 1 mm high.
Storied structure. Storied structure present. Tiers regular (horizontal or slightly inclined); 5–6 per axial millimetre.
Physical and chemical tests. Heartwood not fluorescent. Water extract not fluorescent; colour shade of water extract colourless to brown, or red. Heartwood extractives leaching out when in contact with water. Ethanol extract fluorescent (greenish blue); colour shade of ethanol extract colourless to brown, or red. Froth test positive. Splinter burns to full ash, or to partial ash; colour of ash white to grey.
Additional information. See also: Informationsdienst Holz Merkblatt Nr. 53, 66. • Transverse section + wood surface. Transverse section ca. 10x. Tangential surface, natural size. • Comparison Dalbergia nigra vs Cordia glabrata. Dalbergia nigra (Rio Palisander, Brazilian rosewood). Cordia glabrata (Louro preto, Piquana negra). The vessels (pores) of Cordia glabrata are much smaller and more numerous, sometimes arranged in clusters (marked) and filled with tyloses. The non-storied rays of Cordia glabrata are relatively high and broad; the wood is odourless. • Comparison Dalbergia nigra vs D. latifolia. Dalbergia nigra (Rio Palisander, Brazilian rosewood). Dalbergia latifolia (Indian rosewood, Sonokeling). 1. 2. The vessels (pores) of Dalbergia latifolia are more numerous than in Dalbergia nigra. The paratracheal axial parenchyma of Dalbergia latifolia is more distinctly aliform (winglike) (1) and confluent (2). • Comparison Dalbergia nigra vs D. spruceana. Dalbergia nigra (Rio Palisander, Brazilian rosewood). Dalbergia spruceana (Amazonas Palisander, Amazonas rosewood). The timbers of Dalbergia nigra and Dalbergia spruceana are virtually indistinguishable given their similar colour and figure. However, wood of Dalbergia spruceana is heavier (harder) and nearly odourless; its ethanol extract fluoresces blue, that of Dalbergia nigra greenish blue. • Comparison Dalbergia nigra vs D. stevensonii. The timbers of Dalbergia nigra and Dalbergia stevensonii are difficult to distinguish given their similar colour and figure. However, wood of Dalbergia stevensonii is heavier (harder); its ethanol extract fluoresces pinkish yellow, that of Dalbergia nigra greenish blue. Dalbergia nigra (Rio Palisander, Brazilian rosewood). Dalbergia stevensonii (Honduras Palisander, Honduras rosewood). • Comparison Dalbergia nigra vs D. tucurensis. Dalbergia nigra (Rio Palisander, Brazilian rosewood). Dalbergia tucurensis (Korallen Palisander, Guatemalan rosewood). Dalbergia tucurensis (Central America) and Dalbergia nigra (Northeast Brazil) are very similar in color, weight and macroscopic structural features. They can only be separated by their different fragrances and/or a reliable certificate of origin. • Comparison Dalbergia nigra vs Machaerium scleroxylon. Dalbergia nigra (Rio Palisander, Brazilian rosewood). Machaerium scleroxylon (Santos Palisander, Morado). Machaerium scleroxylon and Dalbergia nigra are very similar in colour and figure. However, Machaerium scleroxylon has much smaller and more numerous vessels (pores) than Dalbergia nigra; the parenchyma bands are exclusively marginal. • Comparison Dalbergia nigra vs Platymiscium yucatanum. The wood of most Platymiscium species hardly ever has colour streaks and is odourless. On transverse section it differs from Dalbergia nigra by its distinctly aliform (marked) and banded (marginal) parenchyma. Dalbergia nigra (Rio Palisander, Brazilian rosewood). Platymiscium yucatanum (Granadillo).
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’.
