| | Commercial timbers |
Nomenclature etc. FABACEAE-CAESALPINIOIDEAE. Syn.: Copaifera coleosperma Benth. Trade and local names: wood quite similar to 'bubinga' but traded under separate names: copalier, Rhodesian copalwood (GB), muzaule (ZW). Not protected under CITES regulations.
Tree. Geographic distribution: tropical Africa.
General. Growth ring boundaries distinct. Demarcated by marginal parenchyma and slight changes in vessel frequency. Heartwood basically brown, red, purple; with streaks. Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour. Odour indistinct or absent. Density 0.72–0.76–0.88 g/cm³.
Vessels. Wood diffuse porous. Vessels arranged in no specific pattern, in multiples, commonly in short (2–3 vessels) radial rows. Average tangential vessel diameter 80–130–180 µm. Vessels per square millimetre very few, or few. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 6–9 µm, pits vestured. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders, similar to intervessel pits. Helical thickenings absent. Other deposits present (dark brown).
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres of medium wall thickness to very thick-walled. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered. Fibres non-septate.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma banded or not banded. Bands marginal (or seemingly marginal). Bands fine. Axial parenchyma apotracheal, or paratracheal. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse, or diffuse-in-aggregates. Paratracheal axial parenchyma vasicentric, or aliform, or confluent. Aliform parenchyma of the lozenge type. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per strand: (2–)4–8.
Rays. Rays multiseriate, (1–)2–5(–6) cells wide. Height of large rays up to 500 µm, or 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. Heartwood fluorescent (green). Water extract not fluorescent; colour of water extract colourless to brown to red. Ethanol extract fluorescent (purple). Colour of ethanol extract red. Froth test positive, or 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’.
