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Nomenclature etc. BIGNONIACEAE. Incl. Jacaranda acutifolia H.B.K., J. caroba C.DC., J. cuspidifolia Ktze., J. lasiogyne Bur. & K. Schum., J. micrantha Cham., J. mimosaefolia D. Don, J. rhombifolia G.F.W. Meyer, J. semiserrata Cham. Trade and local names: copaia (trade); gobaia, foeti-i (SR);, caroba, amchi ponga, arabisco; parapar (BR); tarco, jacaranda (AR); cupay, chingale; gualandai, gualandayo (EC, PA). Not protected under CITES regulations.
Description based on 5 specimens. Tree. Geographic distribution: Mexico and Central America, Caribbean, tropical South America, southern Brazil, temperate South America.
General. Heartwood basically yellow, white or grey (very light to yellowish brown). Sapwood colour similar to heartwood colour. Density 0.3–0.52 g/cm³.
Vessels. Vessels present. Wood diffuse porous. Vessels arranged in no specific pattern, in multiples, commonly in short (2–3 vessels) radial rows. Average tangential vessel diameter 159–210 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 2–3. Average vessel element length 460–650–890 µm. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 8–10 µm, pits not vestured. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders, similar to intervessel pits. Helical thickenings absent. Tyloses absent.
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres of medium wall thickness. Average fibre length 790–1640 µm. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered. Fibres non-septate.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma apotracheal, or paratracheal. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse-in-aggregates. Paratracheal axial parenchyma aliform, confluent, and unilateral. Aliform parenchyma of the winged type. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per strand: 4–9.
Rays. Rays 6–8 per tangential mm, multiseriate, 2–3 cells wide. Aggregate rays absent. Height of large rays up to 500 µm. Rays composed of a single cell type (homocellular); homocellular ray cells procumbent.
Storied structures. Storied structure absent.
Secretory structures. Intercellular canals absent.
Mineral inclusions. Crystals not observed. Silica not observed.
Physical and chemical tests. Heartwood not fluorescent. Water extract not fluorescent; colour of water extract colourless to brown to yellow. Ethanol extract not fluorescent. Colour of ethanol extract colourless to brown.
Illustrations. • Macroscopic images. transverse (ca. 10x). tangential (natural size). • Transverse section. Jacaranda copaia. • Tangential section. Jacaranda copaia. • Radial section. Jacaranda copaia.
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., and Dallwitz, M.J. 2000 onwards. Commercial timbers: descriptions, illustrations, identification, and information retrieval. In English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish. Version: 9th April 2019. delta-intkey.com’.
