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Nomenclature etc. EUPHORBIACEAE. Syn.: Sebastiania lucida (Sw.) Muell. Arg., Ateramnus lucidus (Sw.) Rothm., Excoecaria lucida (Sw.) Sw. Trade and local names: crabwood, crab bush, oysterwood, poisonwood (US-Florida); aceitillo, aité, aití, nagrona, yaité bobo, yaitecillo, yaya macho (CU); baboncillo (PR); bois marbré (HT); granadillo, palo de tabaco (DO); bois vert, bois madre, casse haches, colas, ebène verte, ebène verte brune (FR); false lignum-vitae (BZ); yaitil (MX); ébano verde (cAm). Not protected under CITES regulations.
Description based on 3 specimens. Tree. Geographic distribution: Mexico and Central America, Caribbean.
General. Heartwood basically brown (olive hue); with streaks. Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour (outer heartwood and sapwood light yellowish-brown). Density 1–1.2 g/cm³. Wood of no commercial potential.
Vessels. Wood diffuse porous. Vessels in multiples, commonly in short (2–3 vessels) radial rows to in radial rows of 4 or more. Vessels very thick-walled. Average tangential vessel diameter (30–)45(–70) µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 40–50. Average vessel element length 400–450 µm. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 5–7 µm. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders, similar to intervessel pits. Other deposits present (yellow to dark brown).
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres very thick-walled. Average fibre length 400–450 µm. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma apotracheal. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per strand: 4–6.
Rays. Rays 18–22 per tangential mm, exclusively uniseriate. Height of large rays up to 500 µm. Rays composed of two or more cell types (heterocellular). Heterocellular rays with procumbent, square and upright cells mixed throughout the ray. Disjunctive ray parenchyma end walls distinct, or indistinct or absent.
Mineral inclusions. Crystals present, prismatic, located in ray cells. Crystal-containing ray cells upright and/or square and procumbent. Crystal-containing axial parenchyma cells not chambered. Number of crystals per cell or chamber one. Silica present, in aggregates; in rays cells (silica aggrgates large, often filling the entire cell).
Illustrations. • Transverse section. • Tangential section. uniseriate rays containing both prismatic crystals and silica aggregates. • Radial section. • Mineral inclusions. rays containing both prismatic crystals (Cr) and silica aggregates (Si). Cr. Cr. Cr. Si. Si. Si.
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’.
