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Nomenclature etc. FABACEAE-CAESALPINIOIDEAE. Incl. Berlinia bracteosa, B. confusa, B. grandiflora, etc. Trade and local names: sarkpei (LR); pocouli, melegba (CI); ekpogoi (NG); abem, essabem (CM); m'possa (CD, AO); berlinia (trade). Not protected under CITES regulations.
Tree. Geographic distribution: tropical Africa.
General. Growth ring boundaries distinct (marked by marginal parenchyma bands). Heartwood basically brown to yellow; with streaks. Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour. Density 0.58–0.76 g/cm³.
Vessels. Wood diffuse porous. Vessels arranged in no specific pattern, in multiples, commonly in short (2–3 vessels) radial rows. Average tangential vessel diameter 185–250 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 3–8. Average vessel element length 150–300 µm. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 4–7 µm, pits vestured. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders, similar to intervessel pits. Other deposits present (yellowish to brown).
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres of medium wall thickness. Average fibre length 1100–1900 µm. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered. Fibres non-septate.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma banded. Bands marginal (or seemingly marginal). Bands fine. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse-in-aggregates. Paratracheal axial parenchyma aliform, or confluent. Aliform parenchyma of the lozenge type. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per strand: 4–8.
Rays. Rays 8–11 per tangential mm, exclusively uniseriate or multiseriate, 1–2 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. Tile cells absent.
Storied structures. Storied structure absent.
Secretory structures. Intercellular canals present, traumatic origin, oriented axially, axial intercellular canals in long tangential lines or in short tangential lines.
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. Froth test negative.
Illustrations. • Transverse section. Berlinia grandiflora. • Tangential section 1. Berlinia bracteosa: species with uniseriate rays. • Tangential section 2. Berlinia confusa: species with multiseriate rays. • Radial section. Berlinia bracteosa.
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’.
