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Nomenclature etc. MELIACEAE. Syn.: Entandrophragma tomentosum A. Chev., E. lebrunii Staner. Trade and local names: sapelli (DE, FR, BE); sapele, sapele mahagany (GB, NG); sapeli Mahonie (NL); aboudikro (CI, FR, DE); bibitu, lotouhé, abitigbro, boubousson, pan (CI); penkwa (GH); agiekpogo, ubilesan, ukwekan (NG); assié (CM); lifaki (UG); lifaki, libuyu, bobwe, m'boyo (CF); lifuti, 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 distinct. Density 0.49–0.62–0.72 g/cm³.
Vessels. Wood diffuse porous. Vessels in multiples, commonly in short (2–3 vessels) radial rows. Average tangential vessel diameter 90–140–200 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 9–17. Average vessel element length 450–500 µm. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 2–3 µm. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders, similar to intervessel pits. Other deposits present (reddish brown).
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres of medium wall thickness. Average fibre length 690–1375–2005 µm. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered. Fibres exclusively septate, or septate and non-septate; evenly distributed.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma banded or not banded. Bands marginal (or seemingly marginal). Bands fine or coarse. Axial parenchyma apotracheal (short bands and cell clusters with or without contact to vessels), or paratracheal. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse-in-aggregates. Paratracheal axial parenchyma vasicentric and unilateral. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per strand: 8.
Rays. Rays (3–)5–7 per tangential mm, multiseriate, 2–5 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.
Storied structures. Storied structure present or absent, all rays storied. Arrangement of tiers regular, or irregular. Number of ray tiers per axial millimetre 2. Storied rays present in some specimens (ca. 60%), absent in others.
Secretory structures. Intercellular canals present, traumatic origin, oriented axially, axial intercellular canals in long tangential lines or in short tangential lines.
Mineral inclusions. Crystals present, prismatic, located in ray cells and axial parenchyma cells. Crystal-containing ray cells upright and/or square, upright and/or square ray cells 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 (unter heavy smoke). Ash bright white.
Illustrations. • Macroscopic images. transverse (ca. 10x). radial (natural size). • Transverse section. • Tangential section. rays not storied. rays storied. • 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’.
