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Nomenclature etc. MAGNOLIACEAE. Incl. Magnolia tsiampacca (L.) Figlar & Noot. (syn. Elmerrillia mollis Dandy, E. papuana (Schltr.) Dandy, E. tsiampaca (L.) Dandy), M. vrieseana (Miq.) Baill. ex Pierre (syn. Elmerrillia ovalis (Miq.) Dandy), M. pubescens (Merr.) Figlar & Noot. (syn. Elmerrillia pubescens (Merr.) Dandy). Trade and local names: cempaca (ID); tsiampacca (PG);. Not protected under CITES regulations.
Description based on 17 specimens. Tree. Geographic distribution: India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indomalesia.
General. Growth ring boundaries distinct (demarcated by marginal parenchyma bands). Heartwood basically yellow, white or grey. Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour.
Vessels. Wood diffuse porous. Vessels in multiples, commonly in short (2–3 vessels) radial rows or in radial rows of 4 or more or in clusters. Vessel outline rounded, or angular. Average tangential vessel diameter 60–130–200 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 8–20. Perforation plates scalariform, with 1–7 bars. Intervessel pits scalariform, average diameter (vertical) 8–10 µm. Vessel-ray pits with reduced borders or apparently simple, different from intervessel pits, rounded or angular or horizontal to vertical. Tyloses present, thinwalled.
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres very thin-walled, or of medium wall thickness. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered (fibre pits inconspicuously bordered).
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma banded. Bands marginal (or seemingly marginal). Axial parenchyma bands much wider than rays. Bands coarse. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per strand: 4–6–8. Axial parenchyma with oil cells.
Rays. Rays 4–6 per tangential mm, multiseriate, (1–)2–4 cells wide. Height of large rays up to 500 µm and commonly 500 to 1000 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 and mostly 2–4 marginal rows of upright or square cells. Oil cells in marginal rows of rays.
Secretory structures. Oil and mucilage cells present, associated with axial parenchyma and ray parenchyma. Oil cells not observed in two specimens of E. ovalis.
Mineral inclusions. Crystals not observed. Silica present (only in some specimens), as vitreous silica; in vessels.
Physical and chemical tests. Heartwood not fluorescent. Water extract fluorescent; colour of water extract colourless to brown. Ethanol extract fluorescent. Colour of ethanol extract colourless to brown. Splinter burns to partial ash. Ash white to grey.
Illustrations. • Transverse section. Magnolia tsiampacca. • Tangential section. Magnolia tsiampacca. abundant oil cells in marginal rows of rays. • Radial section. Magnolia tsiampacca. oil cells and scalariform vessel-ray pitting. • Vitreous silica. Magnolia vrieseana. vitreous silica (VSi) in vessels of some specimens. VSi.
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’.
