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Nomenclature etc. CENTROPLACACEAE (CELASTRACEAE). Relvant species: Bhesa archboldiana (Merr. & Perry) Ding Hou, B. paniculata Arn., B. robusta (Roxb.) Ding Hou. Trade and local names: chùm bac (VN); xi bing mu, ku lin mu (CN); gwedauk, inky-aw, tagu-bok, thit-sat (MM); red-flowered Malayan spindle tree (SG); benak, boko-boko, medang tandok (MY); serunai, simun (MY-SWK);.
Description based on 3 specimens. Tree. Geographic distribution: India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indomalesia.
General. Heartwood basically brown, white or grey. Sapwood colour similar to heartwood colour, or distinct from heartwood colour. Density 0.55–0.78 g/cm³.
Vessels. Vessels present. Wood diffuse porous. Vessels arranged in no specific pattern, in multiples, commonly in short (2–3 vessels) radial rows or in radial rows of 4 or more or in clusters (only few). Vessel outline rounded, or angular. Average tangential vessel diameter 90–140–180 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 12–26. Perforation plates scalariform, with 5–20 bars (sometimes branched). Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 8–10 µm. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders or with reduced borders or apparently simple, similar to intervessel pits or different from intervessel pits, rounded or angular. Helical thickenings absent. Tyloses absent.
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres of medium wall thickness. Average fibre length medium. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered. Fibres non-septate.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma apotracheal, or paratracheal. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse-in-aggregates. Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per strand: 6–11.
Rays. Rays 5–9 per tangential mm, multiseriate, 1–3 cells wide. Height of large rays commonly 500 to 1000 µm, or commonly over 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 absent.
Cambial variants. Included phloem absent.
Mineral inclusions. Crystals present, prismatic, located in ray cells or axial parenchyma cells. Crystal-containing ray cells upright and/or square, upright and/or square ray cells chambered. Crystal-containing axial parenchyma cells chambered. Number of crystals per cell or chamber one. Crystalliferous axial parenchyma cells occasionally with unilaterally thickened walls as células cristalíferas do parênquima axial ocasionalmente com paredes espessadas unilateralmente. Silica not observed.
Illustrations. • Transverse section 1. Bhesa paniculata. • Transverse section 2. Bhesa archboldiana. • Tangential section. Bhesa paniculata. • Radial section. Bhesa paniculata. • Crystals. Bhesa paniculata: prismatic crystals in chambered cells of axial parenchyma (left)and rays (right). • Scalariform perforation plates. Bhesa paniculata.
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’.
