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Nomenclature etc. MELIACEAE. Syn.: Cabralea oblongifolia C.DC. Trade and local names: cedro rã (PY); acayara (AR); canjerana (BR). Not protected under CITES regulations.
Description based on 5 specimens. Tree. Geographic distribution: Mexico and Central America, tropical South America, southern Brazil, temperate South America.
General. Heartwood basically brown to red. Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour. Density 0.67–0.7 g/cm³.
Vessels. Vessels present. Wood diffuse porous. Vessels in multiples, commonly in short (2–3 vessels) radial rows or in radial rows of 4 or more (few). Average tangential vessel diameter 100–300 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 6–12 (up to 25/mm² according to Tortorelli 1956). Average vessel element length 300 µm. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 4–7 µm. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders, similar to intervessel pits. Helical thickenings absent. Other deposits present (dark reddish brown).
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres of medium wall thickness. Average fibre length 700–900–1100 µm. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered. Fibres exclusively septate; evenly distributed. Fibres each with 3 to 8 septa, frequently with organic deposits accumulating near them.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma banded. Axial parenchyma bands much wider than rays. Bands coarse. Bands often discontinuous and wavy; wide or narrrow and often in contact with vessels. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse-in-aggregates. Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per strand: 4–8.
Rays. Rays 6–11 per tangential mm, multiseriate, 1–2(–3) cells wide. Height of large rays up to 500 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 or mostly 2–4 marginal rows of upright or square cells (up to 2 marginal rows).
Storied structures. Storied structure absent.
Secretory structures. Intercellular canals absent.
Mineral inclusions. Crystals not observed. Cystoliths absent. Silica not observed.
Physical and chemical tests. Heartwood not fluorescent. Water extract not fluorescent; colour of water extract colourless to brown. Ethanol extract not fluorescent. Colour of ethanol extract colourless to brown. Froth test positive. Splinter burns to charcoal.
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’.
