Tachigalia spp. (Tachi branco, t. preto)
Nomenclature etc. CAESALPINIACEAE. Tachigalia myrmecophila Ducke, T. paniculata Aubl. Trade and local names: tachi (taxi) branco, t. preto, t. preto folha grande (BR); caracha-caspi (PE).
Tree. Geographic distribution: tropical South America (Amazone region).
General. Growth ring boundaries distinct. Heartwood basically golden brown and yellow. Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour. Odour indistinct or absent. Basic specific gravity 0.5–0.6 g/cm³.
Vessels. Wood diffuse-porous. Vessels arranged in no specific pattern, in multiples, commonly short (2–3 vessels) radial rows or radial rows of 4 or more. Average tangential vessel diameter 90–170–260 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 2–5. Average vessel element length 220–530–820 µm. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 5–8 µm, vestured. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders, similar to intervessel pits. Helical thickenings absent. Tyloses in vessels absent. Other deposits in heartwood vessels not observed.
Tracheids and fibres. Vascular or vasicentric tracheids sporadic to absent. Fibres very thin-walled, or of medium wall thickness. Average fibre length 640–1000–1460 µm. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered. Helical thickenings absent. Fibres non-septate.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma not banded. Axial parenchyma paratracheal. Paratracheal axial parenchyma vasicentric. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per axial parenchyma strand 2–5.
Rays. Rays 6–15 per tangential mm, exclusively uniseriate. Rays composed of a single cell type. Homocellular ray cells procumbent. Rays rarely biseriate, restricted to short central segment.
Storied structures. Storied structure absent.
Secretory structures. Oil and mucilage cells absent. Intercellular canals absent. Laticifers or tanniniferous tubes absent.
Cambial variants. Included phloem absent. Other cambial variants 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. Crystal containing cells of normal size. Silica not observed.
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).