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Nomenclature etc. FABACEAE-FABOIDEAE. Syn.: Lonchocarpus albiflorus Hassk., L. leucanthus Burk. Trade and local names: rabo ita (PY); rabo de macaco (AR); rabo de bugio (BR). Not protected under CITES regulations.
Tree. Geographic distribution: southern Brazil, temperate South America.
General. Growth ring boundaries distinct. Demarcated by marginal parenchyma bands accompanied by a dark band of fibres (latewood) almost void of parenchyma. Heartwood basically brown to yellow; with streaks. Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour. Odour indistinct or absent. Density 0.9 g/cm³.
Vessels. 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. Average tangential vessel diameter 150–173–190 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 1–2(–3). Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 9–12 µm, pits vestured. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders, similar to intervessel pits. Other deposits present, tyloses observed in only one specimen - probably of traumatic origin; yellow to amber organic contents frequent.
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) and not marginal (or seemingly marginal). Axial parenchyma bands much wider than rays. Bands fine to coarse. Marginal bands very fine, other bands usually wider (3 and more cells); marginal bands discontinuous in some specimens. Axial parenchyma apotracheal, or paratracheal. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse-in-aggregates. Paratracheal axial parenchyma aliform to confluent. Aliform parenchyma of the lozenge type. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per strand: 2–4. Short bands and parenchyma islands mostly not in contact with vessels.
Rays. Rays multiseriate, 2–4 cells wide. Height of large rays up to 500 µm. Rays composed of a single cell type (homocellular); homocellular ray cells procumbent. Sheath cells absent.
Storied structures. Storied structure present, all rays storied, axial parenchyma storied, vessel elements storied, fibres storied or not storied. Arrangement of tiers regular. Number of ray tiers per axial millimetre 3–4. Storeying of rays sometimes irregular.
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. Crystals in marginal parenchyma numerous; several crystals of the same size in a single parenchyma cell less frequent; crystals also observed in (traumatic) tyloses. Silica not observed.
Physical and chemical tests. Froth test negative.
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’.
