Commercial timbers

H. G. Richter and M. J. Dallwitz


Terminalia ivorensis A. Chev. (Framiré)

Nomenclature etc. COMBRETACEAE. Trade and local names: framiré (B, D, F, NL), idigbo (F, GH, WAN, GB), agni, bouna, boti, cauri, fela, mboti, onidjo (CI), emeri, emil, frameri (GH), lidia (CAM), deohr (LB), black afara, kokango, mboti, ubiri (WAN), treme (WAN, USA), bassi (WAL).

Tree. Geographic distribution: tropical Africa.

General. Growth ring boundaries demarcated by latewood with lower vessel requency and thicker-walled fibres. Heartwood basically brown to yellow to green. Sapwood colour similar to heartwood colour. Basic specific gravity 0.44–0.47–0.55 g/cm³ (plantation-grown wood generally lighter in weight).

Vessels. Vessels present. Wood diffuse-porous. Vessels arranged in no specific pattern, in multiples, commonly short (2–3 vessels) radial rows. Average tangential vessel diameter 200–265–320 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 3–5–7. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 8–10 µm, vestured. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders, similar to intervessel pits. Helical thickenings absent. Tyloses in vessels present, thinwalled.

Tracheids and fibres. Fibres very thin-walled to of medium wall thickness. Average fibre length 1800–2100–2850 µm. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls (few and indistinct), simple to minutely bordered. Fibres non-septate.

Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma not banded. Axial parenchyma paratracheal. Paratracheal axial parenchyma vasicentric and aliform. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per axial parenchyma strand (4–)6–8.

Rays. Rays 6–9 per tangential mm, multiseriate, also if only few, (1–)2–3(–4) cells wide. Rays of one size. Rays composed of a single cell type, or two or more cell types (rarely state 2). Homocellular ray cells procumbent. Heterocellular rays square and upright cells restricted to marginal rows. Number of marginal rows of upright or square cells 1. Sheath cells absent.

Storied structures. Storied structure absent.

Secretory structures. Intercellular canals present or absent, traumatic origin, axial type, in short tangential lines. Laticifers or tanniniferous tubes absent.

Cambial variants. Included phloem absent.

Mineral inclusions. Crystals not observed. Silica not observed.

Physical and chemical tests. Water extract basically yellow or shade of yellow. Heartwood extractives leaching out when in contact with water.


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).

Index