| | Commercial timbers |
Nomenclature etc. MALVACEAE (BOMBACACEAE). Durio griffithii, D. lowianus, D. oxleyanus, D. wyatt-smithii, D. zibethinus; in addition, timbers of the genera Coelostegia and Neesia are traded as 'durian'. Trade and local names: durian (MY, ID, DE); punggai, durian isa (MY) -- Coelostegia spp.: bengang, apa-apa (MY) -- Neesia spp. Not protected under CITES regulations.
Tree. Geographic distribution: Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indomalesia.
General. Heartwood basically brown to red. Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour (sapwood often very wide, occupying 50% or more of total tree volume). Density 0.4–0.65 g/cm³.
Vessels. Wood diffuse porous. Vessels in multiples, commonly in short (2–3 vessels) radial rows. Average tangential vessel diameter 150–320 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 2–4. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 3–5(–7) µm. Intervessel pits very small (3–4 µm) in Coelostegia spp., somewhat larger (5–7 µm) in Durio spp. and Neesia spp.. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders, similar to intervessel pits. Other deposits present (reddish brown).
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres very thin-walled, or of medium wall thickness. Fibre pits common in both radial and tangential walls, simple to minutely bordered.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma banded. Bands marginal (or seemingly marginal) or not marginal (or seemingly marginal). Axial parenchyma bands forming a reticulate pattern with rays or forming a scalariform pattern with rays (depending on the width of rays). Bands fine. Axial parenchyma apotracheal. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per strand: 6–9.
Rays. Rays multiseriate, 1–4 cells wide. Rays of two distinct sizes. Height of large rays up to 500 µm, or commonly 500 to 1000 µm. Rays composed of two or more cell types (heterocellular). Heterocellular rays with square and upright cells restricted to marginal rows, mostly 1 marginal row of upright or square cells. Tile cells present.
Secretory structures. Intercellular canals present, traumatic origin, oriented axially, axial intercellular canals in short tangential lines.
Mineral inclusions. Crystals present, prismatic, located in axial parenchyma cells. Crystal-containing axial parenchyma cells chambered, or not chambered. Number of crystals per cell or chamber one. Silica present or not observed, as grains; in axial parenchyma. Silica observed only in: Durio griffithii, D. wyatt-smithii, Coelostegia griffithii.
Illustrations. • Transverse section. Durio malaccensis. • Tangential section 1. Durio malaccensis. • Tangential section 2. Durio sp. • Radial section. Durio sp. tile cells in rays (for blow-up see next picture). • Crystals; tile cells. Durio sp. prismatic crystals in non-chambered axial parenchyma cells (left); tile cells in rays (right).
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’.
