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Nomenclature etc. FABACEAE-CAESALPINIOIDEAE. Syn. Guilandina echinata (Lam.) Spreng. Trade and local names: Pernambuk, Rotholz, Echtes Brasilholz (DE); arabutan, brasiletto, ibira-pitanga, pau rosado, pau Pernambuco, ypirapiranga (BR); legno del Brasile, legnorosso (IT); bois de Brésil, bois de fernambouc, pernambouc (FR); brazilwood (GB). Listed in CITES Annex II ((in Brazil on the IBAMA list of endangered plants)).
Tree. Geographic distribution: tropical South America, southern Brazil (natural distribution northeastern Brazil, cultivated in southern Brazil).
General. Growth ring boundaries distinct. Heartwood basically brown to red to yellow (orange brown when fresh, darkening upon exposure); without streaks. Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour. Density 0.75–0.82–1 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 54–107–225 µm (65–100–140 fide Wagenführ). Average number of vessels/mm² 15–23–30. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 4–5 µm, pits vestured. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders, similar to intervessel pits. Helical thickenings absent. Other deposits present (orange to dark brown).
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres very thick-walled. Average fibre length 610–1075–1310 µm. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered. Fibres non-septate.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma banded and not banded. Bands marginal (or seemingly marginal). Bands fine. Axial parenchyma apotracheal, or paratracheal. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse-in-aggregates. Paratracheal axial parenchyma vasicentric to aliform to confluent. Aliform parenchyma of the lozenge type. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per strand: 2–4 (rarely more).
Rays. Rays 7–12 per tangential mm, multiseriate, (1–)2–3 cells wide. Aggregate rays absent. Height of large rays up to 500 µm. Rays composed of a single cell type (homocellular); homocellular ray cells procumbent. Occasionally also heterocellular rays.
Storied structures. Storied structure present or absent, all rays storied, axial parenchyma storied, vessel elements not storied. Arrangement of tiers frequently irregular.
Secretory structures. Intercellular canals absent.
Mineral inclusions. Crystals present, prismatic, located in ray cells and axial parenchyma cells. Crystal-containing ray cells upright and/or square and procumbent, upright and/or square ray cells chambered. Crystal-containing axial parenchyma cells chambered. Number of crystals per cell or chamber one, or more than one (rarely more then one). Crystals in one cell or chamber of the same size, or of two distinct sizes (rarely). Silica not observed.
Physical and chemical tests. Heartwood fluorescent (orange). Water extract fluorescent (brilliant yellow to yellowish-green); colour of water extract red and yellow (orange red). Ethanol extract fluorescent (light yellow). Colour of ethanol extract yellow (yellowish orange). Froth test negative. Splinter burns to full ash. Ash white to grey.
Illustrations. • Macroscopic images. transverse (ca. 10x). radial (natural size). • Transverse section 1. vessels smaller, less frequent. • Transverse section 2. vessels larger, more frequent. • 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’.
