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Nomenclature etc. MYRISTICACEAE. Species included in the description: Horsfieldia amygdalina Warb. (1), H. brachiata (King) Warb. (1), H. bracteosa Hend. (1), H. flocculosa (King) Warb. (1), H. glabra (Bl.) Warb. (3), H. irya (Gaertn.) Warb. (2), H. lauterbachii Warb. (1), H. macrocoma (Miq.) Warb. (2), H. pilifera Markgraf (1), H. punctatifolia I.Sinclair (2), H. ralunensis Warb. (1), H. spicata (Roxb.) I.Sinclair var. sepikensis (Markgraf) I.Sinclair (1), H. succosa (King) Warb. (1), H. superba (Hook.f. & Thoms.) Warb. (1), H. sylvestris (Hott.) Warb. (2), H. trifida A.C. Smith (1), H. wallichii (Hook.f. & Thoms.) Warb. (2), Horsfieldia sp. (1). Trade and local names: pianggu (MY);. Not protected under CITES regulations.
Description based on 25 specimens. Tree. Geographic distribution: India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indomalesia.
General. Growth ring boundaries distinct. Mostly demarcated by marginal parenchyma bands; in H. macrocoma and H. brachiata by bands of septate fibres. Heartwood basically brown, red, yellow (pinkish to grey-brown, rarely red brown). Sapwood colour similar to heartwood colour. Density 0.3–0.65 g/cm³.
Vessels. Vessels present. Wood diffuse porous. Vessels arranged in no specific pattern, in multiples, commonly in short (2–3 vessels) radial rows or in clusters (few). Average tangential vessel diameter 65–157–270 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 2–4. Perforation plates simple and scalariform, with 5–10 bars. Perforation plates predominantly simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 8–12 µm. Scalariform and opposite pitting occurs occasionally. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders and with reduced borders or apparently simple, similar to intervessel pits and different from intervessel pits, rounded or angular and horizontal to vertical, of two distinct sizes or types in the same ray cell. Tyloses present, thinwalled.
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres very thin-walled, or of medium wall thickness. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered. Fibres septate and non-septate, or non-septate; scattered near vessels and rays, or arranged in parenchyma-like bands alternating with ordinary fibres (Horsfieldia macrocoma, H. brachiata). H. succosa: with thick-walled fibres in strictly radial rows.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma present, banded and not banded. Bands marginal (or seemingly marginal). Bands fine and coarse. Axial parenchyma apotracheal, or paratracheal. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse-in-aggregates. Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty, or vasicentric. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per strand: 3–8. H. brachiata + H. macrocoma: without marginal parenchyma bands.
Rays. Rays 4–10 per tangential mm, multiseriate, (1–)2(–3) cells wide. Height of large rays up to 500 µm, or commonly 500 to 1000 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 and mostly 2–4 marginal rows of upright or square cells. Sheath cells absent. H. spicata, H. sylvestris: with procumbent, square and upright cells mixed throughout the ray.
Storied structures. Storied structure absent.
Secretory structures. Intercellular canals absent. Laticifers or tanniniferous tubes present (tanniniferous tubes tubes à tanins).
Mineral inclusions. Crystals present or not observed, prismatic and needle-like (acicular), located in ray cells and axial parenchyma 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, or more than one (H. brachiata, H. macrocoma). Crystals in one cell or chamber of the same size. Silica not observed.
Physical and chemical tests. Heartwood not fluorescent. Water extract fluorescent; colour of water extract colourless to brown. Heartwood extractives not leachable by water. Ethanol extract not fluorescent. Colour of ethanol extract colourless to brown. Splinter burns to partial ash. Ash white to grey.
Illustrations. • Transverse section. Horsfieldia sucosa. • Tangential section. Horsfieldia sucosa. • Radial section. Horsfieldia sucosa. • Tanniniferous tubes. Horsfieldia bracteosa. horizontal tanniniferous tube (left); networking horizontal (in rays) and vertical (in axial parenchyma) tanniniferous tubes.
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’.
