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Nomenclature etc. MALVACEAE (TILIACEAE). Pentace adenophera Kosterm., P. curtisii King, P. laxiflora Merr., P. macrophylla King, P. triptera Mast., Pentace spp. Trade and local names: melunak, balong ayan, baru, pinang, sisiat, takalis, tassiet (ID, MY); "Burmese mahogany" (trade); thitka (MM). Not protected under CITES regulations.
Tree. Geographic distribution: Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indomalesia.
General. Heartwood basically brown to red. Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour. Density 0.42–0.59–0.73 g/cm³.
Vessels. Vessels present. Wood diffuse porous. Vessels in multiples, commonly in short (2–3 vessels) radial rows. Average tangential vessel diameter 100–150–210 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 6–14. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 3–4(–5) 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, unilaterally compound and coarse. Helical thickenings absent. Tyloses present, thinwalled.
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres of medium wall thickness. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered. Fibres non-septate.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma not banded. Axial parenchyma apotracheal, or paratracheal. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse and diffuse-in-aggregates. Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty and vasicentric. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per strand: 4–6.
Rays. Rays 6–8 per tangential mm, multiseriate, 2–4 cells wide. Rays composed of a single cell type (homocellular), or two or more cell types (heterocellular) (only weakly heterocelular); homocellular ray cells procumbent. Heterocellular rays with square and upright cells restricted to marginal rows, mostly 1 marginal row of upright or square cells. 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 2–3.
Secretory structures. Intercellular canals absent.
Mineral inclusions. Crystals present, prismatic, located in axial parenchyma cells. Crystal-containing axial parenchyma cells chambered and not chambered. Number of crystals per cell or chamber one. Silica not observed.
Illustrations. • Transverse section. Pentace triptera. • Tangential section. Pentace triptera. • Radial section. Pentace triptera. • Vessel-ray pitting. Pentace triptera. vessel-ray pits unilaterally compound.
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’.
