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| Commercial timbers |
Nomenclature etc. FABACEAE-FABOIDEAE. Trade and local names: Senegal ebony (GB, US); pau preto (MZ); babanus (SD); mufunjo (UG); mpingo (KE); babanusi, moghano, sibbe (ET); atiyi (TG). Not protected under CITES regulations.
Tree. Geographic distribution: tropical Africa (in dry savannah forests of Central and East Africa, extending north to Senegal).
General. Heartwood basically brown and black; without streaks. Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour. Density 0.9–1.2 g/cm³.
Vessels. Wood semi ring porous or diffuse porous. Vessels in multiples, commonly in short (2–3 vessels) radial rows. Two distinct vessel diameter classes present. Average tangential vessel diameter 80–130–220 µm. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 5–8 µm, pits vestured. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders, similar to intervessel pits. Other deposits present (dark brown).
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres very thick-walled. Fibre pits common in both radial and tangential walls, simple to minutely bordered.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma banded. Bands marginal (or seemingly marginal). Bands fine. Axial parenchyma apotracheal and paratracheal. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse and diffuse-in-aggregates. Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty. Axial parenchyma fusiform, or as strands. Average number of cells per strand: 2.
Rays. Rays multiseriate, (1–)2–3 cells wide. 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.
Storied structures. Storied structure present, all rays storied, axial parenchyma storied, vessel elements storied, fibres storied. Arrangement of tiers regular, or irregular. Number of ray tiers per axial millimetre 4–5. In some specimens storied structure irregular or missing.
Secretory structures. Intercellular canals absent.
Mineral inclusions. Crystals present, prismatic, located in ray cells and axial parenchyma cells. Crystal-containing ray cells procumbent. 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 not fluorescent; colour of water extract colourless to brown. Ethanol extract fluorescent (greenish-blue). Colour of ethanol extract colourless to brown. Froth test positive.
Illustrations. • 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’.
