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| Commercial timbers |
Nomenclature etc. FABACEAE-FABOIDEAE. Trade and local names: hazovola, h. mena, hazovolo, manary, sovoka, voambona (MG). Listed in CITES Annex II.
Description based on 6 specimens. Tree. Geographic distribution: Madagascar & other islands (northern and eastern Madagascar).
General. Heartwood basically brown to yellow; with streaks. Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour. Odour distinct (aromatic, sweetish). Density 0.52–0.75–0.85 g/cm³.
Vessels. Wood diffuse porous. Vessels arranged in no specific pattern, in multiples, commonly in short (2–3 vessels) radial rows or in radial rows of 4 or more. Some of the larger vessels typically appended with radial rows of many small and radially flattended vessels. Average tangential vessel diameter 90–280–550 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 2–5 (not counting the small vessels in radial groups). Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 10–13 µm, pits vestured. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders, similar to intervessel pits. Other deposits present (organic, amber or brown).
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres of medium wall thickness. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered. Yellow to brown organic organic deposits in fibres, of irregular distribution.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma banded. Bands marginal (or seemingly marginal) or not marginal (or seemingly marginal). Axial parenchyma bands much wider than rays. Bands fine and coarse. Parenchyma bands variable in width from 2 to 20 cells. Axial parenchyma apotracheal, or paratracheal. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse-in-aggregates. Paratracheal axial parenchyma vasicentric and aliform. Aliform parenchyma of the lozenge type. Axial parenchyma fusiform. Fusiform cells often subdivided (2 cells).
Rays. Rays 7–11 per tangential mm, multiseriate, 1–2 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 present, all rays storied, axial parenchyma storied, vessel elements storied, fibres storied. Number of ray tiers per axial millimetre 4–6.
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 not fluorescent. Water extract fluorescent (yellowish green); colour of water extract colourless to brown. Ethanol extract fluorescent (greenish). Colour of ethanol extract colourless to brown, or red. Froth test negative. Splinter burns to partial ash. Ash bright white.
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’.
