| | Commercial timbers |
Nomenclature etc. MELIACEAE. Syn.: Swietenia angolensis Welw. Trade and local names: edinam (DE, GH); gedu nohor, gedu lohor (GB, NG); koupri, lokoa popo (CI); abenbegne (GA); timbi (CM); ipaki, longo, mukumi (CG); mukuso, muyovou (UG); kalungi, lifaki (CD); livuite (AO). Not protected under CITES regulations.
Tree. Geographic distribution: tropical Africa.
General. Growth ring boundaries distinct. Heartwood basically brown to red. Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour. Odour indistinct or absent. Density 0.44–0.52–0.59 g/cm³.
Vessels. Wood diffuse porous. Vessels in multiples, commonly in short (2–3 vessels) radial rows. Average tangential vessel diameter 140–170–220 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 2–4–8. Average vessel element length 430–600 µm. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 2–3 µm. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders, similar to intervessel pits. Helical thickenings absent. Other deposits present (reddish brown).
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres of medium wall thickness. Average fibre length 960–1640–2075 µm. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered. Fibres septate and non-septate (very few).
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma banded. Bands marginal (or seemingly marginal). Bands fine. Paratracheal axial parenchyma vasicentric. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per strand: 8.
Rays. Rays (2–)3–5 per tangential mm, multiseriate, 3–5(–7) cells wide. 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 1 marginal row of upright or square cells or mostly 2–4 marginal rows of upright or square cells.
Storied structures. Storied structure absent.
Secretory structures. Intercellular canals present, traumatic origin, oriented axially, axial intercellular canals in short tangential lines.
Mineral inclusions. Crystals present, prismatic, located in ray cells or axial parenchyma cells. Crystal-containing ray cells predominantly upright and/or square or procumbent, upright and/or square ray cells chambered or not chambered. Crystal-containing axial parenchyma cells chambered, or not 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 (yellowish). Colour of ethanol extract colourless to brown. Froth test positive. Splinter burns to partial ash. Ash white to grey.
Illustrations. • Macroscopic images. transverse (ca. 10x). radial (natural size). • Transverse section 01. • Transverse section 02. • Tangential section. • Radial section.
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’.
