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Nomenclature etc. SAPOTACEAE. Chrysophyllum albidum G. Don (syn. Gambeya albida (G. Don) Aubrev. & Pellegr.); C. africanum A.DC. (syn. Gambeya delevoyi (de Wild.) Aubrev. & Pellegr.); C. giganteum A. Chev. (syn. Gambeyobotrys gigantea (A. Chev.) Aubrev.). Trade and local names: aningré, a. blanc, longhi blanc (DE, FR); aninguéri, anigré, agnégré (FR); aningeria (GB); kali (DE); grogoli, koandio, osam (CI); mukali (AO); mukalla (CG); inon, agwa (NG); mukangu (KE); osan (UG). Not protected under CITES regulations.
Tree. Geographic distribution: tropical Africa (West and East Africa).
General. Growth ring boundaries distinct. Heartwood basically brown to yellow to white or grey, red to white or grey. Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour. Density 0.55–0.65 g/cm³.
Vessels. Wood diffuse porous. Vessels in multiples, commonly in short (2–3 vessels) radial rows and in radial rows of 4 or more. Average tangential vessel diameter 60–105–160 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 9–14. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 4–8 µm. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders and with reduced borders or apparently simple, similar to intervessel pits or different from intervessel pits, horizontal to vertical, of two distinct sizes or types in the same ray cell, of the same type in adjacent elements and unilaterally compound and coarse. Tyloses present, thinwalled and sclerotic.
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres of medium wall thickness. Fibre pits common in both radial and tangential walls, simple to minutely bordered.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma banded or not banded. Bands marginal (or seemingly marginal) or not marginal (or seemingly marginal). Axial parenchyma bands forming a reticulate pattern with rays. Bands fine. Axial parenchyma apotracheal. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse (rare), or diffuse-in-aggregates. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per strand: 7–8.
Rays. Rays 8–14 per tangential mm, multiseriate, (1–)2–4 cells wide. Rays with multiseriate portions as wide as uniseriate portions present. 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 2–4 marginal rows of upright or square cells to with more than 4 marginal rows of upright or square cells. Disjunctive ray parenchyma end walls distinct (only in Chrysophyllum africanum and C. giganteum).
Mineral inclusions. Crystals present and not observed, prismatic and in form of crystal sand (only in axial parenchyma of Chrysophyllum albidum and C. giganteum), located in axial parenchyma cells and tyloses. Crystal-containing axial parenchyma cells chambered. Number of crystals per cell or chamber one. Silica not observed.
Physical and chemical tests. Froth test positive.
Illustrations. • Transverse section. Chrysophyllum africanum. • Tangential section. Chrysophyllum africanum. • Radial section. Chrysophyllum africanum.
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’.
