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Nomenclature etc. MORACEAE. Species included in the description: Brosimum potabile Ducke (2), Brosimum parinarioides var. parinarioides Ducke (1). Trade and local names: amapá dulce, amapá leiteira, amapá da várzea, amapá amargoso, leiteira, machinga, tamamuri de altura (BR);. Not protected under CITES regulations.
Description based on 3 specimens. Tree. Geographic distribution: tropical South America.
General. Heartwood basically brown and white or grey; without streaks. Sapwood colour similar to heartwood colour. Density 0.5–0.6 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 or in clusters. Average tangential vessel diameter 130–180–250 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 3–5. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 8–11 µm, pits not vestured. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders or with reduced borders or apparently simple, similar to intervessel pits or different from intervessel pits, horizontal to vertical, of uniform size or type. Helical thickenings absent. 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. Fibres non-septate. Many pits in fibres.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma not banded. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse-in-aggregates. Paratracheal axial parenchyma aliform and confluent. Aliform parenchyma of the winged type. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per strand: (2–)4–6.
Rays. Rays 4–6 per tangential mm, multiseriate, (1–)2–4 cells wide. Height of large rays 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 or mostly 2–4 marginal rows of upright or square cells (two marginal rows occasionally observed in B.potabile). Sheath cells absent.
Storied structures. Storied structure absent.
Secretory structures. Intercellular canals absent. Laticifers or tanniniferous tubes present. Latex tubes with brown contents.
Mineral inclusions. Silica not observed.
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 bright white.
Illustrations. • Transverse section. Brosimum potabile. winged aliform parenchyma. • Tangential section. Brosimum parinarioides. latex tube in ray »». • Radial section. Brosimum potabile.
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’.
