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Nomenclature etc. COMBRETACEAE. + T. guianensis Aubl. Trade and local names: guacharaco, nogal amarillo (PE); guayabo (CO); almendro, cumbillo, guatuso, guayabo león, naranjo, palo prieto (HO); tanimbuca (BR); guayabón (NI); sombrerete, tepesuchil (MX); guayo, chicharrón (CU); bullywood (BZ); aspirín, aceituno (VE); verdolago (BO); canchán, canxun (GT); carboncillo (PA); amarillón, guayabón, roble coral (CR);. Not protected under CITES regulations.
Description based on 6 specimens. Tree. Geographic distribution: Mexico and Central America, tropical South America.
General. Growth ring boundaries distinct. Heartwood basically brown, yellow, green (yellowish olive to golden brown); with streaks. Sapwood colour similar to heartwood colour. Density 0.57–0.8 g/cm³.
Vessels. Wood diffuse porous. Vessels in multiples. Average tangential vessel diameter 90–185 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 6–15. Average vessel element length 349–625 µm. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 8–10 µm, pits vestured. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders, similar to intervessel pits. Tyloses present.
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres of medium wall thickness. Average fibre length 1187–1732 µm. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered. Fibres septate and non-septate.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma banded. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse-in-aggregates. Paratracheal axial parenchyma aliform, or confluent. Aliform parenchyma of the lozenge type. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per strand: 3–4.
Rays. Rays 12–15 per tangential mm, exclusively uniseriate. Rays composed of a single cell type (homocellular); homocellular ray cells procumbent.
Storied structures. Storied structure absent.
Mineral inclusions. Crystals present, prismatic or styloids or elongate, located in ray cells or axial parenchyma cells. Crystal-containing ray cells procumbent. Crystal-containing axial parenchyma cells chambered. Number of crystals per cell or chamber one. Silica not observed.
Physical and chemical tests. Heartwood not fluorescent. Water extract not fluorescent; colour of water extract colourless to brown. Ethanol extract fluorescent. Colour of ethanol extract colourless to brown.
Illustrations. • Macroscopic images. transverse (ca. 10x). radial (natural size). • Transverse section. • Tangential section. • Radial section. • Crystals. large styloid crystals in rays and axial parenchyma (right); septate fibres present.
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’.
