| | CITESwoodID: descriptions, illustrations, identification and information retrieval |
Nomenclature. Family: FABACEAE-FABOIDEAE. Further trade and local names: caviuna, jacarandá, pau ferro (BR); palissandre de Santos (FR); Bolivian rosewood (US);. Code according to DIN EN 13556: MHSC.
CITES(EU) status of protection. Not protected.
Similar timbers. Easily mistaken for Dalbergia nigra (CITES I), but Santos rosewood can be distinguished very well by the smaller size and larger number the pores.
Geographic distribution. Tropical South America to temperate South America. Bolivia, southwestern Brazil, Paraguay.
Growth rings, colour, grain, etc. Growth ring boundaries distinct, or indistinct or absent. Heartwood basically brown, yellow, black, purple; with streaks. Sapwood distinct from heartwood colour. Santos rosewood is very similar to the Brazilian rosewood (Dalbergia nigra, CITES I) with regard to its heartwood color and figure. Odour indistinct or absent (the timber exudes a weak honey-like odour only when processed). Wood heavy and hard (0,85–0,95 g/cm3). Interlocked grain present.
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 (60–120 µm); moderately numerous to numerous (30–45). Tyloses absent. Other deposits in heartwood vessels (pores) present (amber to purple brown).
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma present; banded and not banded. Parenchyma bands not (only) marginal; narrow. Other macroscopically visible types of axial parenchyma: vasicentric.
Rays. Rays narrow. Large rays commonly less than 1 mm high.
Storied structure. Storied structure present. Tiers regular (horizontal or slightly inclined); 4–6 per axial millimetre. Rays, axial parenchyma, vessels (pores) and fibres storied.
Physical and chemical tests. Heartwood not fluorescent. Water extract not fluorescent; colour shade of water extract colourless to brown. Heartwood extractives not leachable by water. Ethanol extract fluorescent (yellow); colour shade of ethanol extract colourless to brown to red (dark). Froth test negative. Splinter burns to full ash; colour of ash white to grey.
Additional information. See also: Informationsdienst Holz Merkblatt Nr. 53. • Transverse section + wood surface. Machaerium scleroxylon (Santos Palisander, Morado). Transverse section ca. 10x. Tangential surface (variegated), 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’.
