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Nomenclature etc. TETRAMELACEAE (DATISCACEAE). Syn.: Octomeles moluccana Teijsm. & Binnend. ex Hassk. Trade and local names: benuang, winuang, binuang bini (ID); erima, irima, ilimo (PG); bilus, barong, barousan (PH). Not protected under CITES regulations.
Tree. Geographic distribution: Indomalesia.
General. Heartwood basically brown, white or grey (pale greyish to yellowish brown). Sapwood colour similar to heartwood colour, or distinct from heartwood colour. Density 0.25–0.38 g/cm³.
Vessels. Vessels present. Wood diffuse porous. Vessels in multiples, commonly in short (2–3 vessels) radial rows. Average tangential vessel diameter 140–260 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 2–4(–7). Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 6–8 µm. Vessel-ray pits with reduced borders or apparently simple, different from intervessel pits, horizontal to vertical. Helical thickenings absent. Tyloses present, thinwalled.
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres very thin-walled. Average fibre length 900–1600(–2000) µm. 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 to vasicentric. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per strand: 2–4(–8).
Rays. Rays 3–5 per tangential mm, multiseriate, 2–5 cells wide. Height of large rays up to 500 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.
Storied structures. Storied structure present, rays not storied, fibres storied.
Secretory structures. Oil and mucilage cells absent. Intercellular canals absent. Laticifers or tanniniferous tubes absent.
Mineral inclusions. Crystals not observed. Silica not observed.
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’.
