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Nomenclature etc. FABACEAE-MIMOSOIDEAE. Trade and local names: vara dulce, cuate, coatillo, palo cuate, rosilla, taray, varaduz (MX); kidneywood (US).
Description based on 5 specimens. Tree. Geographic distribution: North America, Mexico and Central America.
General. Growth ring boundaries distinct or indistinct or absent. Heartwood basically brown, red, yellow (orange brown). Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour. Density 0.8–0.89–0.95 g/cm³.
Vessels. Vessels present. Wood diffuse porous. Vessels arranged in no specific pattern, in multiples, commonly in short (2–3 vessels) radial rows. Average tangential vessel diameter (65–)90–130(–160) µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 16–19. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 5–7 µm, pits vestured. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders, similar to intervessel pits. Helical thickenings absent. Other deposits present (amber).
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 paratracheal. Paratracheal axial parenchyma vasicentric. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per strand: 2–3.
Rays. Rays 6–8 per tangential mm, multiseriate, 1–3 cells wide. Height of large rays up to 500 µm. Rays composed of predominantly a single cell type (homocellular), or two or more cell types (heterocellular); homocellular ray cells procumbent. Heterocellular rays with square and upright cells restricted to marginal rows, mostly 1 marginal row of upright or square cells.
Storied structures. Storied structure absent.
Secretory structures. Intercellular canals absent.
Mineral inclusions. Crystals present, prismatic, located in ray cells. Crystal-containing ray cells upright and/or square or procumbent, upright and/or square ray cells chambered or not chambered. 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 yellow. Heartwood extractives leachable when in contact with water. Ethanol extract fluorescent (bright lime green). Colour of ethanol extract yellow. Froth test positive.
Illustrations. • Macroscopic images. transverse (ca. 10x). tangential (natural size). • 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’.
