Canarium schweinfurthii Engl. (Aielé)
Nomenclature etc. BURSERACEAE. C. schweinfurthii Engl. - Syn.: C. chevalieri Guillaum., C. occidentale A. Chev., C. velutinum Guillaum.; similar:. Trade and local names: aiélé (D, F, CI, GH, G, B), canarium (D, GB, B, WAN), m'bili (ANG, RPC, WAL), African canarium (GB, WAN), bidikala, bidinkala, mbidikala (B, ZRE), ahie, labe (CI), abel, abeul, ovili (G), bediwunua (GH), olem (EGu), atué, botua, wotua (CAM), goekwehn (LB), elimi, ibagho (WAN), m'wafu (EAU), bobele, mubiri, mupafu (ZRE). Status of protection under CITES regulations: not protected.
Tree. Geographic distribution: tropical Africa.
General. Heartwood basically yellow to white or grey (yellowish to pinkish grey). Sapwood colour similar to heartwood colour. Basic specific gravity 0.33–0.46–0.53 g/cm³. Frequently with interlocked grain.
Vessels. Wood diffuse-porous. Vessels in multiples, commonly short (2–3 vessels) radial rows. Average tangential vessel diameter 170–220–255 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 2–4–5. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 10–13 µm, not vestured. Vessel-ray pits with reduced borders or apparently simple, rounded or angular or horizontal to vertical, of uniform size or type (same type but of different sizes), of the same type in adjacent elements (rarely unilaterally compound). Tyloses in vessels present, thinwalled.
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres very thin-walled. Average fibre length 990–1185–1415 µm. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered. Fibres exclusively septate. Septate fibres evenly distributed.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma apotracheal and paratracheal (apotracheal parenchyma very rare). Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse. Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty to vasicentric. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per axial parenchyma strand 4–6–8.
Rays. Rays multiseriate, also if only few, (1–)2–3 cells wide. Rays composed of a single cell type (rare), or two or more cell types. Homocellular ray cells procumbent. Heterocellular rays square and upright cells restricted to marginal rows. Number of marginal rows of upright or square cells 1 to 2–4. Sheath cells absent.
Storied structures. Storied structure present or absent (in most specimsns rather indistinct), all rays storied. Arrangement of tiers regular (horizontal or straight) to irregular.
Secretory structures. Intercellular canals absent.
Mineral inclusions. Crystals present, prismatic or druses or in other forms, located in ray cells or axial parenchyma cells. Crystal-containing ray cells upright and/or square or procumbent. Crystal-containing axial parenchyma cells chambered. Number of crystals per cell or chamber one (this state does not refer to prismatic crystals). Spherical crystalline particles distributed over the entire ray, partly also druses present; true prismatic crystals and small splinters primarily in marginal rows, occasionally together with silica particles. Silica present, as grains, in rays cells (mostly but not exclusively restricted to marginal upright cells) or in axial parenchyma (rare) or in fibres (rare). According to literature the occurrence and type of silica in Canarium species is extremely variable.
Cite this publication as: H. G. Richter and M. J. Dallwitz (2000 onwards). 'Commercial timbers: descriptions, illustrations, identification, and information retrieval.' In English, French, German, and Spanish. Version: 4th May 2000. http://biodiversity.uno.edu/delta/.
Dallwitz (1980) and Dallwitz, Paine and Zurcher (1993 onwards, 1995 onwards, 1998) should also be cited (see General references).