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Nomenclature etc. FABACEAE-FABOIDEAE. Trade and local names: sangre, sangre de drago (sAm); bollo blanco (CO); palo de pollo; sangre (ES); ainda, aldrago, indio-que-chora, pau sangue, pau drago, sangueiro (BR); sangre de gallo, s. cricamola, suela (PA); llora sangre; moutouchi rouge (GF); corkwood, swamp bloodwood (US); itikiboro (GY). Not protected under CITES regulations.
Description based on 7 specimens. Tree. Geographic distribution: Mexico and Central America, Caribbean, tropical South America.
General. Heartwood basically yellow, white or grey (facultatively formed heartwood rare, of dark brown color). Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour. Density 0.45–0.6 g/cm³.
Vessels. Wood diffuse porous. Vessels arranged in no specific pattern, in multiples, commonly in short (2–3 vessels) radial rows. Two distinct vessel diameter classes present. Average tangential vessel diameter 110–250 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 2–10. Average vessel element length 200–350 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. Helical thickenings absent. Other deposits present (yellowish).
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres of medium wall thickness. Average fibre length 1110–2130 µm. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma banded. Bands marginal (or seemingly marginal). Bands fine. Axial parenchyma apotracheal, or paratracheal. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse-in-aggregates. Paratracheal axial parenchyma vasicentric, or aliform, or confluent. Aliform parenchyma of the winged type. Axial parenchyma fusiform, or as strands. Average number of cells per strand: 1–2.
Rays. Rays 10–19 per tangential mm, exclusively uniseriate. 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. Arrangement of tiers regular. Number of ray tiers per axial millimetre 4–5.
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. Crystal containing cells of normal size. Silica not observed.
Physical and chemical tests. Heartwood not fluorescent. Water extract not fluorescent; colour of water extract yellow. Ethanol extract not fluorescent. Colour of ethanol extract colourless to brown. Froth test positive.
Illustrations. • Transverse section. Pterocarpus officinalis. • Tangential section. Pterocarpus officinalis. • Radial section. Pterocarpus officinalis.
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’.
