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Nomenclature etc. SAPOTACEAE. Syn. Malacantha alnifolia Pierre. Trade and local names: aningré, longhi blanc, aninguéri, anigré, anégré (FR); aningeria (GB); kali (DE); grogoli, koandio, osam (CI); mukali (AO); mukalla (CG); inon, agwa (NG). Not protected under CITES regulations.
Tree. Geographic distribution: tropical Africa (West and Central Africa).
General. Heartwood basically white or grey to yellow. Sapwood colour similar to heartwood colour. Density 0.55–0.6 g/cm³.
Vessels. Wood diffuse porous. Vessels arranged in no specific pattern, in multiples, commonly in short (2–3 vessels) radial rows and in radial rows of 4 or more. Average tangential vessel diameter 65–80–100 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 25–40. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 6–8 µm. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders and with reduced borders or apparently simple, similar to intervessel pits or different from intervessel pits, horizontal to vertical, of uniform size or type and of two distinct sizes or types in the same ray cell, of the same type in adjacent elements and unilaterally compound and coarse. Tyloses present, thinwalled and sclerotic.
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres of medium wall thickness. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma banded or not banded. Bands marginal (or seemingly marginal). Axial parenchyma bands forming a reticulate pattern with rays. Bands fine. Axial parenchyma apotracheal. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse-in-aggregates. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per strand: 4–5.
Rays. Rays 9–15 per tangential mm, multiseriate, (1–)2–4 cells wide. Rays with multiseriate portions as wide as uniseriate portions present. 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 2–4 marginal rows of upright or square cells and with more than 4 marginal rows of upright or square cells.
Storied structures. Storied structure absent.
Secretory structures. Oil and mucilage cells absent.
Mineral inclusions. Crystals not observed. Silica present, as grains and in aggregates; in rays cells (only marginal cells).
Physical and chemical tests. Froth test positive.
Illustrations. • Transverse section. • Tangential section. • Radial section. • Mineral inclusions. Pouteria alnifolia. silica grains and, occasionally, crystals in ray cells.
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’.
