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| Commercial timbers |
Nomenclature etc. FABACEAE-CAESALPINIOIDEAE. Incl. Eperua falcata Aubl., E. jenmani Oliv. Trade and local names: espadeira, copaiba-rana, muirapiranga (BR); wallaba, yoboko (GY); bois de sabre, eperu, wapa (GF); roode walaba, bijlhout, tamoene (SR). Not protected under CITES regulations.
Description based on 10 specimens. Tree. Geographic distribution: northern tropical South America.
General. Heartwood basically brown, red; with streaks. Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour. Odour distinct. Density 0.75–0.95 g/cm³.
Vessels. Wood diffuse porous. Vessels in multiples, commonly in short (2–3 vessels) radial rows. Average tangential vessel diameter 100–190–310 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 3–5–7. 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 (reddish brown).
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres of medium wall thickness. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered. Fibres non-septate.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma banded and not banded. Bands not marginal (or seemingly marginal). Axial parenchyma bands much wider than rays. Bands coarse. Axial parenchyma apotracheal, or paratracheal. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse-in-aggregates. Paratracheal axial parenchyma vasicentric and confluent. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per strand: 3–4.
Rays. Rays multiseriate, (1–)2–4 cells wide. Height of large rays up to 500 µm, or commonly 500 to 1000 µm. Rays composed of two or more cell types (heterocellular). Heterocellular rays with square and upright cells restricted to marginal rows, mostly 1 marginal row of upright or square cells or mostly 2–4 marginal rows of upright or square cells or with more than 4 marginal rows of upright or square cells.
Storied structures. Storied structure absent.
Secretory structures. Intercellular canals present, traumatic origin or non-traumatic origin, oriented axially, axial intercellular canals in long 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.
Physical and chemical tests. Heartwood not fluorescent. Water extract not fluorescent; colour of water extract colourless to brown. Ethanol extract fluorescent (orange). Colour of ethanol extract red. Splinter burns to partial ash. Ash white to grey.
Illustrations. • Transverse section. Eperua falcata. axial intercellular canals (IC) in tangential bands. IC. IC. • Tangential section. Eperua falcata. variation in size of individual ray cells represented by two different specimens (left and right) of the same species. • Radial section. Eperua falcata. V = vessel; AC = axial canal. AC. V. • Vessels and axial canals; crystals. Eperua falcata. vessel (V) with adjacent axial canals (AC). axial parenchyma - chambered crystalliferous strands quite frequent (semi-polarized light). V. AC. AC.
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’.
