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Nomenclature etc. FABACEAE-CAESALPINIOIDEAE. Trade and local names: copaíba, copaúva, óleo-de-copaíba, pau-d'oleo (BR). Not protected under CITES regulations.
Description based on 2 specimens. Tree. Geographic distribution: southern Brazil, temperate South America.
General. Growth ring boundaries distinct (demarcated by wide (2–5 cells) marginal(?) parenchyma bands). Heartwood basically brown and red; with streaks. Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour. Density 0.5–0.7 g/cm³.
Vessels. Wood diffuse porous. Vessels in multiples, commonly in short (2–3 vessels) radial rows or in radial rows of 4 or more. Average tangential vessel diameter 70–180 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 3–12. Average vessel element length 290–550 µm. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 8–11 µm, pits vestured. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders, similar to intervessel pits. Other deposits present (brown).
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres of medium wall thickness. Average fibre length 1100–1500 µm. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered. Fibres non-septate.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma banded or not banded. Bands marginal (or seemingly marginal). Bands fine and coarse. Banded parenchyma only connecting axial intercellular canals. Axial parenchyma apotracheal, or paratracheal. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse, or diffuse-in-aggregates (frequently with prismatic crystals). Paratracheal axial parenchyma vasicentric, or aliform. Aliform parenchyma of the lozenge type. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per strand: 2–5.
Rays. Rays 3–9 per tangential mm, multiseriate, (1–)2–3(–4) cells wide. Height of large rays up to 500 µm and commonly 500 to 1000 µm. Rays composed of a single cell type (homocellular) (only few heterocellular rays); homocellular ray cells procumbent.
Storied structures. Storied structure absent.
Secretory structures. Intercellular canals present, non-traumatic origin, oriented axially, axial intercellular canals in long tangential lines (included in parenchyma bands) or in short tangential lines or diffusely arranged.
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. axial intercellular canals (IC) included in parenchyma bands. IC. IC. • Tangential section. • Radial section. axial intercellular canal (IC). IC.
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’.
