| | CITESwoodID: descriptions, illustrations, identification and information retrieval |
Nomenclature. Family: MELIACEAE. Other trade relevant species: commercially important species: Cedrela fissilis, C. lilloi, C. odorata. Synonym(s): C. odorata: C. mexicana, C. glaziovii, C. guianensis; C. fissilis: C. balansae, C. brasiliensis; C. lilloi: Cedrela herrerae, C. steinbachii. Further trade and local names: Central American cedar, Honduras cedar, Nicaragua cedar, Tabasco cedar (US, GB); cedar (JA); aluk (CR); calicedro, cedro rojo (MX); yalam (NI); cedro amargo (VE); cédrat (GF); red cedar (AN); cédre rouge (FR); cedrela, cedro colorado, cedro real, cedro salteño (AR). Code according to DIN EN 13556: CEXX - for the entire genus Cedrela.
CITES(EU) status of protection. Listed in Annex II(B).
Similar timbers. Easily mistaken for Toona spp., similar to Swietenia spp. (CITES II).
Geographic distribution. Mexico and Central America to tropical South America. Cedrela odorata: N-Argentina to Central America and the Caribbean; Cedrela fissilis: N-Argentina to Costa Rica; Cedrela lilloi: N-Argentina to Ecuador.
Growth rings, colour, grain, etc. Growth ring boundaries distinct (demarcated by marginal parenchyma bands). Heartwood basically brown, red (light to dark reddish brown); without streaks. Sapwood distinct from heartwood colour. Odour distinct (aromatic). Wood of medium weight (0.43–0.51 g/cm3). Interlocked grain absent (however, it may occur occasionally but is not a characteristic feature of the timber).
Hardwood vs softwood. Vessels (pores) present (= hardwood).
Vessels (pores). Wood ring-porous, or semi-ring-porous (depending on growth conditions the ringporous or semi-ringporous pore distribution is more or less prominent); earlywood pore ring uniseriate (occasionally with short biseriate tracks). Vessels (pores) arranged in no specific pattern; in multiples; commonly in short (2–3 vessels) radial rows. Vessels medium to large (75–240–340 µm); few (3–8). Tyloses absent. Other deposits in heartwood vessels (pores) present (dark reddish brown).
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma present; banded and not banded. Parenchyma bands exclusively marginal (or seemingly marginal); wide. The marginal parenchyma bands accompany the ring of earlywood pores and occasionally enclose the larger pores. Other macroscopically visible types of axial parenchyma: diffuse-in-aggregates and vasicentric.
Rays. Rays narrow. Large rays commonly less than 1 mm high.
Storied structure. Storied structure absent.
Resin canals. Normal resin canals absent (traumatic resin canals in tangential rows can be observed occasionally).
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 (weakly orange); colour shade of ethanol extract colourless to brown. Froth test negative. Splinter burns to partial ash; colour of ash white to grey.
Additional information. See also: Informationsdienst Holz Merkblatt Nr. 38. • Transverse section + wood surface. Cedrela odorata (Cedro). Transverse section ca. 10x. Tangential surface, natural size. • Comparison Cedrela odorata vs Swietenia spp.. Cedrela odorata (Cedro). Swietenia spp. (Echtes Mahagoni, True Mahogany). Cedrela and Swietenia timbers are of similar colour and weight. However, the semi-ringporous Cedrela has large vessels (marked) and is aromatic, the diffuse-porous Swietenia has medium sized pores (marked) and is odourless. • Comparison Cedrela odorata vs Toona spp.. Cedrela odorata (Cedro). Toona spp. (Suren, Toon). The timbers of Cedrela odorata and Toona are virtually indistinguishable given their similar colour, structure and odour. The only means of correct attribution is reliable information about the origin.
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’.
