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Nomenclature etc. FABACEAE-CAESALPINIOIDEAE. Afzelia africana Smith ex Pers., A. bella Harms, A. bipindensis Harms, A. pachyloba Harms, A. quanzensis Welw. Trade and local names: doussié rouge (CM, FR), apa (NG), chamfuta (MZ), lingue (CI, FR), ovala (AO), azodau (CI). Not protected under CITES regulations.
Tree. Geographic distribution: tropical Africa (A. quanzensis East Africa, remaining species West Africa).
General. Growth ring boundaries distinct (demarcated by marginal parenchyma bands). Heartwood basically brown to red; with streaks (A. pachyloba) or without streaks. Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour. Density 0.7–0.78–0.88 g/cm³. Conspicuous interlocked grain.
Vessels. Wood diffuse porous. Vessels arranged in no specific pattern, in multiples, commonly in short (2–3 vessels) radial rows. Average tangential vessel diameter 100–180–270 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 1–3(–10). Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 6–8 µm, pits vestured. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders, similar to intervessel pits. Helical thickenings absent. Tyloses absent. Other deposits present (yellowish to brownish).
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres of medium wall thickness. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls or common in both radial and tangential walls, simple to minutely bordered. Fibres non-septate.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma banded (very fine, not always continuous) or not banded. Bands marginal (or seemingly marginal). Bands fine. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse-in-aggregates. Paratracheal axial parenchyma aliform to confluent. Aliform parenchyma of the lozenge type. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per strand: 2–6.
Rays. Rays 5–8 per tangential mm, multiseriate, (1–)2–3(–4) cells wide. Height of large rays up to 500 µm. Rays composed of a single cell type (homocellular); homocellular ray cells procumbent.
Storied structures. Storied structure present (rarely) or absent, all rays storied, axial parenchyma not storied, vessel elements not storied. Arrangement of tiers regular.
Secretory structures. Intercellular canals absent.
Mineral inclusions. Crystals present, prismatic, located in axial parenchyma cells. Crystal-containing axial parenchyma cells chambered. Number of crystals per cell or chamber one. Silica not observed.
Physical and chemical tests. Heartwood fluorescent (yellow), or not fluorescent (A. bipindensis). Water extract not fluorescent; colour of water extract colourless to brown. Ethanol extract fluorescent (yellow). Colour of ethanol extract red. Froth test positive. Splinter burns to full ash. Ash bright white.
Illustrations. • Macroscopic images. transverse (ca. 10x). tangential (natural size). • Transverse section. Afzelia africana. • Tangential section. Afzelia africana. • Radial section. Afzelia africana.
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’.
