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| Commercial timbers |
Nomenclature etc. MYRISTICACEAE. Syn.: Pycnanthus kombo Warb., Myristica angolensis Welw., Myrystica kombo Baill. Trade and local names: ilomba (DE, FR, GB, GA, CM, CG); adria, effoi, hétéré, qualélé, walélé (CI); cardwood (GB); otie, etsi (GH) dihn, dihin (LR); abora, akumu, ekom (NG); bali, bemba, bokondo, ilimba, nesamba, teng, tian (CM); kombo, mulomba (GA); bosenga, lomba, thsimbuku, lusenga senga (CG); mutuje (AO) lolako (CD); gboyei (LR) calabo (GQ). Not protected under CITES regulations.
Tree. Geographic distribution: tropical Africa.
General. Heartwood basically red to white or grey. Sapwood colour similar to heartwood colour. Density 0.32–0.4–0.46 g/cm³.
Vessels. Wood diffuse porous. Vessels in multiples, commonly in short (2–3 vessels) radial rows. Average tangential vessel diameter 150–220–320 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 1–3–5. Average vessel element length 600–1200 µm. Perforation plates simple or scalariform (few). Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 9–12 µm. Vessel-ray pits with reduced borders or apparently simple, horizontal to vertical, of uniform size or type. Tyloses present, thinwalled.
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres of medium wall thickness. Average fibre length 1200–1700–2300 µm. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered. Fibres arranged in regular radial rows.
Axial parenchyma. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse-in-aggregates. Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per strand: 10.
Rays. Rays 4–10 per tangential mm, multiseriate, 1–3 cells wide. 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.
Secretory structures. Oil and mucilage cells absent. Intercellular canals absent. Laticifers or tanniniferous tubes present.
Mineral inclusions. Crystals not observed. Silica not observed.
Illustrations. • Transverse section. • Tangential section. • Radial section. tanniniferous tube in ray »».
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’.
