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Nomenclature etc. FABACEAE-CAESALPINIOIDEAE. Brachystegia cynometroides Harms, B. eurycoma Harms, B. leonensis Hutch. & Davy, B. nigerica Hoyle & A.P.D. Jones, Brachystegia spp. Trade and local names: ekop-naga (CM); bogdei, tebako (LR); mendou (GA); meblo (CI). Not protected under CITES regulations.
Tree. Geographic distribution: tropical Africa.
General. Growth ring boundaries distinct (marked by marginal parenchyma bands). Heartwood basically brown, yellow; without streaks. Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour. Density 0.6–0.72 g/cm³.
Vessels. Wood diffuse porous. Vessels in multiples, commonly in short (2–3 vessels) radial rows. Average tangential vessel diameter 100–190 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 3–10. Average vessel element length 150–400 µm. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 5–7 µm, pits vestured. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders, similar to intervessel pits. Helical thickenings absent. Other deposits present (yellowish to brown).
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres of medium wall thickness. Average fibre length 720–1750 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 or coarse. 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(–12).
Rays. Rays (10–)14–17(–19) per tangential mm, exclusively uniseriate. 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, all rays storied, vessel elements not storied. Arrangement of tiers irregular. Storeying always irregular.
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.
Illustrations. • Transverse section. Brachystegia cynometroides. quantitative variation (vessel diameter, banded parenchyma) in different specimens of a single species. • Tangential section 1. irregular storied arrangement of mostly uniseriate rays. Brachystegia cynometroides. • Tangential section 2. storied arrangement of rays hardly perceptible. Brachystegia cynometroides. • Radial section. Brachystegia cynometroides.
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’.
