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| Commercial timbers |
Nomenclature etc. FABACEAE-CAESALPINIOIDEAE. Syn.: Copaifera arnoldiana (de Wild. & Th. Dur.) Th. & H. Dur., Copaipa arnoldiana de Wild. & Th. Dur. Trade and local names: benge; mutene (BE, CD); kouan, ogboneli (CM); benzi, libengé, nténé, tungi (CG); "Jaspis-, Paradies-Nussbaum" (DE); "olivier tropical" (FR); "olive walnut" (GB). Not protected under CITES regulations.
Tree. Geographic distribution: tropical Africa.
General. Growth ring boundaries distinct. Demarcated by marginal parenchyma and changes in vessel frequency. Heartwood basically brown, yellow, green (light brown to light olive); with streaks (with nearly black stripes). Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour. Odour indistinct or absent. Density 0.78–0.88–0.96 g/cm³.
Vessels. Wood diffuse porous. Vessels in multiples, commonly in short (2–3 vessels) radial rows. Average tangential vessel diameter 75–110–140 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 9–15–27. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 5–8 µm, pits vestured. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders, similar to intervessel pits. Helical thickenings absent. Other deposits present (dark brown).
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. Fibre pits large and conspicuous.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma banded and not banded. Bands marginal (or seemingly marginal). Bands fine. Axial parenchyma apotracheal, or paratracheal. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse, or diffuse-in-aggregates (strands with mostly thick-walled, often sclerosed cells, crystalliferous and located immediately adjacent to rays). Paratracheal axial parenchyma vasicentric, aliform, and confluent. Aliform parenchyma of the lozenge type. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per strand: 2–4–6.
Rays. Rays 4–9–17 per tangential mm, multiseriate, (1–)3–5 cells wide. Aggregate rays absent. Height of large rays up to 500 µm, or commonly 500 to 1000 µm. Rays composed of a single cell type (homocellular); homocellular ray cells procumbent.
Storied structures. Storied structure absent.
Secretory structures. Oil and mucilage cells absent. Intercellular canals absent. Laticifers or tanniniferous tubes 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 not fluorescent. Water extract fluorescent (green); colour of water extract yellow. Ethanol extract fluorescent (light blue). Colour of ethanol extract colourless to brown and yellow (yellowish-brown). Froth test positive, or negative.
Illustrations. • Transverse section. • Tangential section. • Radial section.
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’.
