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Nomenclature etc. FABACEAE-CAESALPINIOIDEAE. G. demeusei (Harms) J. Léonard (syn.: Copaifera demeusei Harms, C. laurentii de Wild.); G. pellegriniana J. Léonard; G. tessmannii (Harms) J. Léonard (syn.: Copaifera tessmannii Harms). Trade and local names: kevazingo (DE, GA); essingang, noméle, okweni, owogn, simingan (CM); ovang (GA); oveng (GQ); waka (CG, CD); ebana, Afrikanisches Rosenholz, African rosewood (trade). Not protected under CITES regulations.
Tree. Geographic distribution: tropical Africa.
General. Growth ring boundaries distinct. Demarcated by marginal parenchyma and changes in vessel frequency. Heartwood basically brown, red, purple; with streaks (dark reddish brown to purple). Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour. Density 0.72–0.76–0.88 g/cm³.
Vessels. Wood diffuse porous. Vessels in multiples, commonly in short (2–3 vessels) radial rows. Average tangential vessel diameter 60–140–220 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 1–3–5. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 7–9 µm, pits vestured. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders, similar to intervessel pits. Helical thickenings absent. Other deposits present (light to dark reddish brown).
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres of medium wall thickness to very thick-walled. Average fibre length 1630–1780–1860 µm. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered. Fibres non-septate. Fibre pits quite distinct.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma banded and not banded. Bands marginal (or seemingly marginal). Bands fine. Axial parenchyma apotracheal, or paratracheal. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse, or diffuse-in-aggregates (strands with mostly thick-walled, often sclerosed cells, crystalliferous and located immediately adjacent to rays). Paratracheal axial parenchyma vasicentric, aliform, and confluent. Aliform parenchyma of the lozenge type. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per strand: (2–)4–8.
Rays. Rays 4–8 per tangential mm, multiseriate, (1–)2–5(–6) cells wide. Height of large rays up to 500 µm, or commonly 500 to 1000 µm. Rays composed of a single cell type (homocellular); homocellular ray cells procumbent.
Storied structures. Storied structure absent.
Secretory structures. Intercellular canals present (rare) or absent, traumatic origin, oriented axially, axial intercellular canals in short tangential lines.
Mineral inclusions. Crystals present, prismatic, located in axial parenchyma cells. Crystal-containing axial parenchyma cells chambered (cristalliferous cells/chambers often thick-walled). Number of crystals per cell or chamber one. Cristalliferous cells/chambers often thick-walled. Silica not observed.
Physical and chemical tests. Heartwood not fluorescent. Water extract not fluorescent; colour of water extract red. Ethanol extract fluorescent (yellow). Colour of ethanol extract colourless to brown. Froth test positive. Splinter burns to partial ash. Ash bright white.
Illustrations. • Macroscopic images. Guibourtia tessmannii. transverse (ca. 10x). tangential (natural size). • Transverse section. Guibourtia tessmannii. • Tangential section. Guibourtia tessmannii. • Radial section. Guibourtia tessmannii.
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’.
