| | Commercial timbers |
Nomenclature etc. FABACEAE-FABOIDEAE. Trade and local names: edjin, edzil (CM), edzui (GH), muizi (CG), bokanga (CD), zehoui, kouedi (CI), va-tue, vahu-chu (LR). Not protected under CITES regulations.
Description based on 5 specimens. Tree. Geographic distribution: tropical Africa.
General. Growth ring boundaries distinct. Heartwood basically yellow to white or grey. Sapwood colour similar to heartwood colour. Density 0.74 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 100–245–370 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 1–3. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 8–11 µm, pits vestured. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders, similar to intervessel pits. Helical thickenings absent. Other deposits not observed.
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres of medium wall thickness to very thick-walled. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered. Fibres non-septate.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma banded. Bands not marginal (or seemingly marginal). Axial parenchyma bands much wider than rays. Bands coarse. 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: 4(–6).
Rays. Rays 5–7 per tangential mm, multiseriate, 2–4(–6) cells wide. Height of large rays up to 500 µm. Rays composed of a single cell type (homocellular), or two or more cell types (heterocellular); homocellular ray cells procumbent. Heterocellular rays with square and upright cells restricted to marginal rows, mostly 1 marginal row of upright or square cells.
Storied structures. Storied structure present, all rays storied, axial parenchyma storied, vessel elements storied, fibres not storied. Storied structure in some specimens little distinct.
Secretory structures. Intercellular canals absent.
Cambial variants. Included phloem 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.
Illustrations. • Transverse section. Amphimas ferrugineus. • Tangential section: rays storied. Amphimas pterocarpoides. rays storied in this specimen. • Tangential section: rays not storied. Amphimas pterocarpoides. rays not storied in this specimen. • Radial section. Amphimas pterocarpoides.
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’.
