| | Commercial timbers |
Nomenclature etc. FABACEAE-MIMOSOIDEAE. Syn.: Piptadenia africana Hook.f. Trade and local names: dabema, dahoma (trade); mbele, mbeli, guli (LR); dabema (CI); dahoma (GH); agboin, ekhimi (NG); atui (CM); tom (GQ); toum (GA); n'singa (AO, CG); bokungu, likundu (CD). Not protected under CITES regulations.
Description based on 8 specimens. Tree. Geographic distribution: tropical Africa.
General. Growth ring boundaries indistinct or absent. Heartwood basically brown; with streaks. Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour. Odour distinct, or indistinct or absent (only green wood stinks). Density 0.6–0.74 g/cm³.
Vessels. Wood diffuse porous. Vessels in multiples, commonly in short (2–3 vessels) radial rows. Average tangential vessel diameter 150–250–330 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 2–6. Average vessel element length 240–280–300 µm. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 6–8 µm, pits vestured. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders, similar to intervessel pits. Helical thickenings absent. Other deposits present (yellowish brown).
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres of medium wall thickness. Average fibre length 1150–2340 µm. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered. Fibres septate and non-septate, or non-septate; evenly distributed, or scattered near vessels and rays.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma banded. Bands marginal (or seemingly marginal). Bands fine or coarse. Axial parenchyma apotracheal (individual, mostly crytalliferous strands), or paratracheal. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse. Paratracheal axial parenchyma vasicentric, aliform, and confluent. Aliform parenchyma of the lozenge type. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per strand: 4–6.
Rays. Rays 4–7 per tangential mm, multiseriate, (2–)3–5 cells wide. Height of large rays 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 absent.
Mineral inclusions. Crystals present, prismatic, located in axial parenchyma cells. Crystal-containing axial parenchyma cells chambered. Number of crystals per cell or chamber one. Silica not observed.
Physical and chemical tests. Froth test negative.
Illustrations. • Transverse section. • 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’.
