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Nomenclature etc. FABACEAE-FABOIDEAE. Myroxylon balsamum (L.) Harms, M. peruiferum L. Trade and local names: cabriuva vermelha, bálsamo, sangue de gato, oleo vermelho (BR); incienso, i. colorado, quina (AR, PY); estoraque, quina-quina (PE); sándalo (EC); bálsamo de tolu (CO). Not protected under CITES regulations.
Tree. Geographic distribution: Mexico and Central America, Caribbean, tropical South America, southern Brazil, temperate South America.
General. Growth ring boundaries distinct or indistinct or absent. Occasionally marked by narrow and often discontiuous marginal parenchyma bands. Heartwood basically brown, red, purple; without streaks. Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour (sapwood cream-coloured, narrow). Odour distinct (aromatic). Density 0.77–0.9 g/cm³.
Vessels. Wood diffuse porous. Vessels in multiples, commonly in short (2–3 vessels) radial rows. Average tangential vessel diameter 110–180 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 10–20 (M. balsamum; 35–40 in M. peruiferum). Average vessel element length 200–350 µm. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 3–5 µm, pits vestured. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders, similar to intervessel pits. Other deposits present (reddish-brown contents frequent, white contents occasionally).
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres of medium wall thickness to very thick-walled. Average fibre length 700–1100 µm. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered. Fibres non-septate.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma only occasionally banded or not banded. Bands marginal (or seemingly marginal). Bands fine. Axial parenchyma apotracheal, or paratracheal. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse-in-aggregates. Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty to vasicentric, or confluent. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per strand: 2–4 (4-seriate only when in direct contact with vessels).
Rays. Rays 8–11 per tangential mm, multiseriate, 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. Sheath cells absent. Tile cells absent.
Storied structures. Storied structure present, all rays storied, axial parenchyma storied, vessel elements storied, fibres storied. Number of ray tiers per axial millimetre 4.
Secretory structures. Oil and mucilage cells absent. Intercellular canals absent.
Cambial variants. Included phloem absent.
Mineral inclusions. Crystals present, prismatic, located in ray cells or axial parenchyma cells. Crystal-containing ray cells upright and/or square, upright and/or square ray cells chambered or not chambered. Crystal-containing axial parenchyma cells chambered (in short, mostly 4-seriate chains). Number of crystals per cell or chamber one. Silica not observed.
Illustrations. • Macroscopic images. transverse (ca. 10x). tangential (natural size). radial (natural size). • Transverse section. Myroxylon balsamum. • Tangential section. Myroxylon balsamum. • Radial section. Myroxylon balsamum.
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’.
