|
| Commercial timbers |
Nomenclature etc. FABACEAE-FABOIDEAE. Syn.: Dalbergia cubilquitzensis (Donn.Sm.) Pittier. Trade and local names: Yucatan rosewood, Nicaraguan rosewood, Panama rosewood (US); corazón bonito, hormiguillo, palo de rosa, rosadillo (MX); granadillo (BZ, GT); granadillo rojo (HN). Listed in CITES Annex III.
Description based on 4 specimens. Tree. Geographic distribution: Mexico and Central America.
General. Heartwood basically brown (extremely variable, from yellowish brown to deep orange brown to dark brown); with streaks or without streaks. Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour (light yellowish). Odour distinct (weakly aromatic). Density 0.65–0.82 g/cm³.
Vessels. Wood diffuse porous. Vessels in multiples, commonly in short (2–3 vessels) radial rows or in radial rows of 4 or more. Average tangential vessel diameter (60–)150–270(–450) µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 2–5(–7). Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 6–8(–10) µm, pits vestured. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders, similar to intervessel pits. Helical thickenings absent. Other deposits present.
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres of medium wall thickness to very thick-walled. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered. Fibres non-septate.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma banded or not banded. Bands marginal (or seemingly marginal) or not marginal (or seemingly marginal). Bands fine. It is often impossible to distinguish between marginal and non-marginal bands. Axial parenchyma apotracheal, or paratracheal. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse, or diffuse-in-aggregates. Paratracheal axial parenchyma vasicentric, or aliform, or confluent. Aliform parenchyma of the lozenge type. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per strand: 2–4.
Rays. Rays 10–12 per tangential mm, multiseriate, 1–2(–3) cells wide. Height of large rays up to 500 µm. Rays composed of a single cell type (homocellular); homocellular ray cells procumbent.
Storied structures. Storied structure present, all rays storied, axial parenchyma storied, vessel elements storied, fibres not storied. Number of ray tiers per axial millimetre 4–5.
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 not fluorescent. Water extract not fluorescent; colour of water extract yellow. Ethanol extract fluorescent (pale green). Colour of ethanol extract colourless to brown. Froth test positive.
Illustrations. • Macroscopic images. transverse (ca. 10x). radial (natural size). • 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’.
