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Nomenclature etc. EUPHORBIACEAE. Syn.: Ricinodendron africanum Muell. Arg., Jatropha heudelotii Baill. Trade and local names: erimado (NG); eho (CI); essessang (GA); wama (GH); nsezang (GQ); sanga-sanga (CG). Not protected under CITES regulations.
Tree. Geographic distribution: tropical Africa.
General. Heartwood basically white or grey. Sapwood colour similar to heartwood colour. Density 0.22–0.35(–0.4) g/cm³.
Vessels. Wood diffuse porous. Vessels arranged in no specific pattern, in multiples, commonly in short (2–3 vessels) radial rows to in radial rows of 4 or more. Average tangential vessel diameter 200–320(–380) µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 2–7. Average vessel element length 450–800(–1000) µm. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) (10–)13–17 µm, pits not vestured. Vessel-ray pits with reduced borders or apparently simple, different from intervessel pits, rounded or angular, of the same type in adjacent elements or unilaterally compound and coarse. Tyloses present, thinwalled.
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres very thin-walled. Average fibre length 1450–1800(–2050) µm. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered or distinctly bordered. Fibres non-septate.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma not banded. Axial parenchyma apotracheal. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per strand: 4–12.
Rays. Rays 7–12 per tangential mm, exclusively uniseriate. Height of large rays commonly 500 to 1000 µm to commonly over 1000 µm (up to 1.7 mm). Rays composed of a single cell type (homocellular), or two or more cell types (heterocellular); homocellular ray cells procumbent. Heterocellular rays with square and upright cells restricted to marginal rows, mostly 1 marginal row of upright or square cells.
Storied structures. Storied structure absent.
Secretory structures. Laticifers or tanniniferous tubes absent.
Mineral inclusions. Crystals present, prismatic, located in axial parenchyma cells. Crystal-containing axial parenchyma cells not chambered. Number of crystals per cell or chamber one, or more than one. 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’.
