| | Commercial timbers |
Nomenclature etc. MORACEAE. Syn.: Brosimum paraensis Huber, B. lanciferum Ducke. Trade and local names: muirapiranga, amapá amargoso, a. rana, pau rainha, falso pau brasil (BR); satinwood (GY); satiné rouge, s. rubane, siton paya (GF); satijnhout , doekaliballi (SR); bloodwood, satinwood (GB); ferolia, legno satino (IT); palo de oro (ES). Not protected under CITES regulations.
Tree. Geographic distribution: tropical South America (Guyanas + Amazonas).
General. Heartwood basically red, purple. Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour. Density 0.75–1.05 g/cm³.
Vessels. Wood diffuse porous. Vessels in multiples, commonly in short (2–3 vessels) radial rows or in radial rows of 4 or more. Average tangential vessel diameter 110–210 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 3–6. Average vessel element length 310–440–630 µm. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 5–7 µm. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders or with reduced borders or apparently simple, similar to intervessel pits or different from intervessel pits, horizontal to vertical (pits between axial parenchyma and vessels often horizontally extended), of uniform size or type. Helical thickenings absent. Tyloses present, thinwalled and sclerotic. Other deposits not observed.
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres of medium wall thickness to very thick-walled. Average fibre length 850–1250–1570 µm. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered or distinctly bordered. Fibres non-septate.
Axial parenchyma. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse-in-aggregates. Paratracheal axial parenchyma aliform and confluent. Aliform parenchyma of the winged type. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per strand: 2–4.
Rays. Rays 4–8 per tangential mm, multiseriate, 2–4 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.
Secretory structures. Intercellular canals absent. Laticifers or tanniniferous tubes present (latex tubes in rays, frequent).
Mineral inclusions. Crystals present, prismatic, located in ray cells or axial parenchyma cells (in axial parenchyma very few). Crystal-containing ray cells upright and/or square. Crystal-containing axial parenchyma cells not chambered. Number of crystals per cell or chamber one. Silica not observed.
Physical and chemical tests. Heartwood fluorescent (blue). Water extract fluorescent (brilliant light blue); colour of water extract colourless to brown. Ethanol extract fluorescent (blue). Colour of ethanol extract red and purple (color of red wine). Froth test positive. Splinter burns to full ash. Ash white to grey.
Illustrations. • Macroscopic images. transverse (ca. 10x). radial (natural size). • Transverse section. • Tangential section. latex tubes in rays (Lc). Lc. Lc. Lc. • 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’.
