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| Commercial timbers |
Nomenclature etc. FABACEAE-FABOIDEAE. Trade and local names: barbasco, flor de papagallo, haabi, jabi, matapiojo (MX); fish-poison-tree (US); Jamaica dogwood (JM). Not protected under CITES regulations.
Description based on 2 specimens. Tree. Geographic distribution: North America (USA-Florida), Mexico and Central America, Caribbean.
General. Growth ring boundaries distinct (demarcated by very narrow marginal parenchyma bands). Heartwood basically brown, yellow, white or grey; with streaks (dark brown). Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour (somewhat greenish). Density 0.85–0.93–0.98 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 150–245–340 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 1- 2–4 (-7). Average vessel element length 200–260 µm. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 7–10 µm, pits vestured. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders, similar to intervessel pits. Other deposits present (yellow to amber colored).
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres of medium wall thickness, or very thick-walled. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered. Fibres non-septate.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma banded. Bands marginal (or seemingly marginal) and not marginal (or seemingly marginal). Axial parenchyma bands much wider than rays. Bands fine (marginal bands) or coarse (intermittent bands). Axial parenchyma paratracheal. Paratracheal axial parenchyma aliform, or confluent. Aliform parenchyma of the lozenge type. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per strand: 2.
Rays. Rays multiseriate, 2–4 cells wide. Height of large rays commonly 500 to 1000 µm. Rays composed of a single cell type (homocellular); homocellular ray cells procumbent.
Storied structures. Storied structure present, all rays storied or some rays storied, some not, axial parenchyma storied, vessel elements storied. Number of ray tiers per axial millimetre 5.
Secretory structures. Intercellular canals absent.
Mineral inclusions. Crystals present, prismatic, located in axial parenchyma cells. Crystal-containing axial parenchyma cells chambered (primarily in marginal cells of banded and aliform parenchyma). Number of crystals per cell or chamber one. Silica not observed.
Physical and chemical tests. Heartwood fluorescent (yellow). Water extract not fluorescent; colour of water extract colourless to brown. Ethanol extract fluorescent (yellow). Colour of ethanol extract yellow. Froth test positive. Splinter burns to full ash. Ash white to grey.
Illustrations. • Macroscopic images. transverse (ca. 10x). tangential (natural size). • Transverse section. • Transverse section enlarged. • 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’.
