| | CITESwoodID: descriptions, illustrations, identification and information retrieval |
Nomenclature. Family: FABACEAE-FABOIDEAE. Synonym(s): Pterocarpus cambodianus, P. glaucinus, P. gracilis, P. parvifolius, P. pedatus. Further trade and local names: Burma padouk, mai-pi-tawk (MM); maidu, pradoo (TH); thnong (KH). Code according to DIN EN 13556: none.
CITES(EU) status of protection. Not protected.
Similar timbers. Other species of the genus Pterocarpus and some of the genus Dalbergia.
Geographic distribution. India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka to Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia. Northern India, Myanmar, Indochina.
Growth rings, colour, grain, etc. Growth ring boundaries distinct, or indistinct or absent. Heartwood basically brown to red to purple (green heartwood pinkish, darkening to reddish brown); with streaks. Sapwood distinct from heartwood colour. Wood of medium weight to heavy and hard (0.78–0.86 g/cm³). Interlocked grain present.
Hardwood vs softwood. Vessels (pores) present (= hardwood).
Vessels (pores). Wood semi-ring-porous to diffuse-porous (depending on growth conditions); earlywood pore ring multiseriate. Vessels (pores) arranged in no specific pattern; in multiples; commonly in short (2–3 vessels) radial rows. Vessels rather unevenly distributed over the cross section. Vessels medium, or large (80–200(-330)); very few, or few (3–6–8). Tyloses absent. Other deposits in heartwood vessels (pores) present (light yellowish brown).
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma present; banded and not banded. Parenchyma bands not (only) marginal; wide; much wider than rays. Other macroscopically visible types of axial parenchyma: vasicentric, aliform winged, and confluent.
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.
Physical and chemical tests. Heartwood not fluorescent. Water extract not fluorescent; colour shade of water extract colourless to brown. Heartwood extractives leaching out when in contact with water (yellow). Ethanol extract fluorescent (lavender orange F orange-lilas); colour shade of ethanol extract red. Froth test negative. Splinter burns to full ash; colour of ash bright white.
Additional information. • Transverse section + wood surface. Pterocarpus macrocarpus (Amboina). 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’.
