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Nomenclature etc. FABACEAE-FABOIDEAE. Syn.: Coumarouna odorata Aubl., Dipteryx tetraphylla Spruce. Trade and local names: cumaruzeiro, cumarú verdadeiro, muimapagé, champagne (BR); koemaroe, tonka (SR); gaiac cayenne (GF); shihuahuaco (PE); visguero, yesquero (BO); coumaron (FR); fève tonka (GF); fava tonka (IT); haba tonka (ES); tonka bean (GB, US). Not protected under CITES regulations.
Tree. Geographic distribution: tropical South America.
General. Heartwood basically greyish or yellowish brown; without streaks. Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour (cream-coloured). Density 0.9–1.15 g/cm³. The wood has strongly interlocked grain.
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 100–250 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 5–10. Average vessel element length 300–550 µm. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 9–13 µm, pits vestured. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders, similar to intervessel pits. Helical thickenings absent. Other deposits present (honey colored and very dark brown).
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres very thick-walled. Average fibre length 1100–2400 µm. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered. Helical thickenings absent. Fibres non-septate.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma banded. Bands marginal (or seemingly marginal). Bands fine (frequently discontinuous, very difficult to observe). Axial parenchyma apotracheal, or paratracheal. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse-in-aggregates. Paratracheal axial parenchyma aliform to confluent. Aliform parenchyma of the lozenge type. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per strand: 2–4.
Rays. Rays 10–15 per tangential mm, exclusively uniseriate to multiseriate (in some specimens few 2-seriate rays), 1–2 cells wide. Height of large rays up to 500 µm (0.15–0.30 mm). 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 to not storied. Number of ray tiers per axial millimetre 3.
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 fluorescent (blue); colour of water extract colourless to brown. Ethanol extract fluorescent (greenish yellow to bright yellow). Colour of ethanol extract colourless to brown. Froth test positive. Splinter burns to partial ash. Ash white to grey.
Illustrations. • Macroscopic images. transverse (ca. 10x). tangential (natural size). Dipteryx odorata. • Transverse section: D. odorata. Dipteryx odorata. • Transverse section: D. alata. Dipteryx alata. • Tangential section: D. odorata. Dipteryx odorata. • Tangential section: D. alata. Dipteryx alata. • Radial section: D. odorata. Dipteryx odorata. • Radial section: D. alata. Dipteryx alata.
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’.
