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| Commercial timbers |
Nomenclature etc. MELIACEAE. Syn.: Sandoricum indicum Cav. Trade and local names: kecapi (MY, ID); keluat (ID); klampu (BN, MY-SWK); bua apo, kelampu, lalamun, sintol, terapu (MY-SAB); ranggu (MY); donka, tonka (LK); sayai, sevai (IN); tong (LA); thitto (MM); kra-thon, satawn (TH); sâú chua, s. tia, s. do (VN); santor, santul, biot, bagosantul, malasantol (PH); kôm piing riech (KH); suang-ming-kou (CN).
Description based on 5 specimens. Tree. Geographic distribution: India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indomalesia.
General. Growth ring boundaries distinct or indistinct or absent. Heartwood basically brown, red (light pinkish brown). Sapwood colour similar to heartwood colour. Odour distinct, or indistinct or absent. Density 0.3–0.6 g/cm³.
Vessels. Wood diffuse porous. Vessels arranged in no specific pattern, in multiples, commonly in short (2–3 vessels) radial rows. Vessel outline rounded, or angular. Average tangential vessel diameter (105–)140–160(–190) µm. Average number of vessels/mm² (3–)5–7. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 3–4(–5) µm. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders, similar to intervessel pits. Helical thickenings absent. Tyloses absent. Other deposits present.
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres very thin-walled, or of medium wall thickness. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered. Fibres non-septate.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma not banded. Axial parenchyma apotracheal, or paratracheal. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse-in-aggregates (mostly as short 2–3-seriate bandlets geralmente como faixas curtas de 2–3 células de largura). Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty, or vasicentric, or aliform, or confluent. Aliform parenchyma of the winged type. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per strand: 3–7. The apotracheal axial parenchyma (diffuse-in-aggregates) is very irregularly distributed over the cross section; in some places in high concentration, in others absent.
Rays. Rays 7–9 per tangential mm, multiseriate, (1–)2–4 cells wide. Rays with multiseriate portions as wide as uniseriate portions absent. Rays in some specimens of two distinct sizes, or of one size. 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. Sheath cells absent.
Storied structures. Storied structure absent.
Secretory structures. Intercellular canals absent. Laticifers or tanniniferous tubes absent.
Cambial variants. Included phloem absent.
Mineral inclusions. Crystals present, prismatic, located in axial parenchyma cells. Crystal-containing axial parenchyma cells chambered. Crystals generally quite rare and absent in some specimens. Silica not observed.
Illustrations. • Transverse section. • Transverse section with axial parenchyma. AP. AP. one of the few places with well developed axial parenchyma (AP - diffuse-in-aggregates). • Tangential section 1. specimen with narrow multiseriate and very few uniseriate rays. • Tangential section 2. specimen with broader multiseriate and many uniseriate rays. • 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’.
