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| Commercial timbers |
Nomenclature etc. FABACEAE-CAESALPINIOIDEAE. Peltogyne catingae Ducke, P. confertiflora (Hayne) Benth., P. excelsa Ducke, P. lecointei Ducke, P. maranhensis Huber, P. mexicana Martínez, P. venosa (Vahl) Benth., etc. Trade and local names: Amarant, Violettholz (DE); purpleheart, amarant, violetwood (GB, GY, US); bois purpre, b. violet (FR); purpurheart (NL); koroborelli, merawayana, saka (GY); guarabu, jatobazinho, pau roxo, roxinho (BR); dastan, kocolorelli, malako (SR); tananeo (CO); palo de rosa, p. morado (MX). Not protected under CITES regulations.
Description based on 15 specimens. Tree. Geographic distribution: Mexico and Central America, Caribbean, tropical South America.
General. Growth ring boundaries distinct or indistinct or absent (visible or not, as a function of site and growth conditions). Heartwood basically purple (green wood); without streaks. Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour. Density (0.7–)0.83(–1.15) 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 (50–)80–110(–150) µm. Average number of vessels/mm² (6–)9–15(–22). Average vessel element length 250–500 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 (violet, sometimes also brown to almost black).
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres of medium wall thickness, or very thick-walled. Average fibre length (1150–)1660(–2100) µm. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma banded. Bands marginal (or seemingly marginal). Bands fine. Axial parenchyma apotracheal, or paratracheal. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse-in-aggregates. Paratracheal axial parenchyma aliform, or confluent, or unilateral. Aliform parenchyma of the lozenge type. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per strand: (2–)4. Type and amount of axial parenchyma vary considerably from species to species.
Rays. Rays 5–8 per tangential mm, multiseriate, 2–5 cells wide. Height of large rays commonly 500 to 1000 µm. Rays composed of a single cell type (homocellular); homocellular ray cells procumbent.
Storied structures. Storied structure absent.
Secretory structures. Intercellular canals 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 fluorescent (yellow). Water extract fluorescent (orange yellow); colour of water extract colourless to brown, or purple. Ethanol extract fluorescent (yellow green). Colour of ethanol extract colourless to brown, or purple. Froth test positive (a faint ring of foam persists). Splinter burns to full ash. Ash bright white.
Illustrations. • Transverse section: P. lecointei. Peltogyne lecointei. • Transverse section: P maranhensis. Peltogyne maranhensis. • Transverse section: P. pubescens. Peltogyne pubescens. • Tangential section: P. lecointei. Peltogyne lecointei. • Radial section: P. lecointei. Peltogyne lecointei.
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’.
