| | CITESwoodID: descriptions, illustrations, identification and information retrieval |
Nomenclature. Family: MELIACEAE. Other trade relevant species: Tropical Africa: G. cedrata, G. thompsonii Tropical America: G. guidonia. Further trade and local names: Guarea cedrata: scented or white guarea (GB, NG); bossé clair (FR); bosasa, lisasa, dumbala (CD); divuiti (GA); bossi, kwabohoro (GH); akuraten, obobonufua (NG); timbi, ebangbembra, obobo (CM); krassé, ibotou, anakué, krassain, m'bossa (CI). G. thompsonii: mutigbanaye (CI); black guarea (NG); bossé foncé (FR); bolon (CM); guarea, diambi (CD). G. guidonia: bois balé (GF); requia (PE); guaraguao (VE); muskwood (US); cedro macho, chuchupate (PA); camboatá, jitó, marinheiro (BR). Code according to DIN EN 13556: G. cedrata: GRXX; G. thompsonii: GRTH.
CITES(EU) status of protection. Not protected.
Similar timbers. Easily mistaken for Swietenia spp. (CITES II).
Geographic distribution. Tropical Africa (G. cedrata, G. thompsonii), Mexico and Central America to tropical South America (G. guidonia).
Growth rings, colour, grain, etc. Growth ring boundaries indistinct or absent. Heartwood basically brown, red. Sapwood distinct from heartwood colour. Odour distinct (aromatic). Wood of medium weight (0.52–0.55–0.65 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. Vessels medium to large (85–140–215 µm); few (7–10–15). Tyloses absent. Other deposits in heartwood vessels (pores) present (dark reddish brown). As with some other Meliaceae timbers (for example cedro, true mahogany, sapele), the wood of Guarea occasionally exudes sticky orange or amber coloured gums.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma present; banded and not banded. Parenchyma bands not (only) marginal; narrow to wide; much wider than rays. Other macroscopically visible types of axial parenchyma: aliform lozenge type and confluent (occasionally also unilateral, i.e., forming semicircular caps only on one side of the vessel).
Rays. Rays narrow. Large rays commonly less than 1 mm high.
Storied structure. Storied structure absent.
Physical and chemical tests. Heartwood not fluorescent. Water extract not fluorescent; colour shade of water extract colourless to brown. Ethanol extract not fluorescent; 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. 69. • Transverse section + wood surface. Guarea spp. (Bossé). Transverse section ca. 10x. Wood 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’.
