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| Commercial timbers |
Nomenclature etc. FABACEAE-MIMOSOIDEAE. Syn.: Lysiloma bahamense Benth., L. sabicu Benth. Trade and local names: wild tamarind, Bahamas tamarind (US); tzalán, tzukté, zalam, dzalám (MX); salám (BZ); t‘zalám (GT); abey, sabicú (CU); tavernon (HT). Not protected under CITES regulations.
Description based on 6 specimens. Tree. Geographic distribution: Mexico and Central America, Caribbean.
General. Growth ring boundaries distinct (demarcated by very narrow marginal parenchyma bands). Heartwood basically brown; with streaks or without streaks. Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour. Density 0.7–0.88 g/cm³.
Vessels. Wood diffuse porous. Vessels in multiples, commonly in short (2–3 vessels) radial rows or in radial rows of 4 or more. Average tangential vessel diameter 72- 135–190 µm (-270). Average number of vessels/mm² 3- 5–9 (-13). Average vessel element length (160–)240–400 µm. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 4–5 µm, pits vestured. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders, similar to intervessel pits. Helical thickenings absent. Other deposits present.
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). Bands fine. Axial parenchyma apotracheal, or paratracheal. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse (exclusively chambered crystalliferous cells), or diffuse-in-aggregates. Paratracheal axial parenchyma aliform. Aliform parenchyma of the lozenge type. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per strand: (2–)4.
Rays. Rays multiseriate, (1–)2–3 cells wide. Height of large rays up to 500 µm. Rays composed of a single cell type (homocellular); homocellular ray cells procumbent.
Storied structures. Storied structure absent.
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. Silica not observed.
Physical and chemical tests. Heartwood fluorescent (yellow). Water extract not fluorescent; colour of water extract colourless to brown, or yellow. Heartwood extractives leachable when in contact with water. Ethanol extract fluorescent (mostly bright violet, occasionally yellow). Colour of ethanol extract colourless to brown. Froth test positive. Splinter burns to full ash. Ash white to grey.
Illustrations. • Macroscopic images. transverse (ca. 10x). radial (natural size). • Transverse section. • Transverse section enlarged. • Tangential section. • Radial section. • Crystals. prismatic crystals of different size in axial parenchyma.
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’.
