Brachylaena hutchinsii Hutch. (Muhuhu)
Nomenclature etc. COMPOSITAE. Plus B. merana Humbert, B. ramiflora Humbert. Trade and local names: muhuhu, muhugwe (D), kipugupugo (EAK), karkarro (ETH); muhugu, mubuubu, ol-magogo, watho, mvumvo, mshenzi. Status of protection under CITES regulations: not protected.
Tree. Geographic distribution: tropical Africa (East Africa).
General. Growth ring boundaries distinct. Heartwood basically brown to yellow brown to green. Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour. Basic specific gravity 0.81 g/cm³.
Vessels. Wood diffuse-porous. Vessels arranged in dendritic pattern or no specific pattern, in multiples, commonly radial rows of 4 or more and in clusters. Average tangential vessel diameter 20–35–50 µm. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 2–3 µm. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders, similar to intervessel pits. Other deposits in heartwood vessels present (pale yellow).
Tracheids and fibres. Vascular or vasicentric tracheids commonly present. Fibres very thick-walled. Fibre pits common in both radial and tangential walls, simple to minutely bordered.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma apotracheal. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse. Axial parenchyma fusiform and as strands. Average number of cells per axial parenchyma strand 2.
Rays. Rays exclusively uniseriate (very occasionally biseriate rays present). Rays composed of a single cell type. Homocellular ray cells procumbent.
Storied structures. Storied structure present, all rays storied, axial parenchyma storied, vessel elements storied, fibres storied or not storied (fibres partly integrated in stories). Number of ray tiers per axial millimetre 4.
Secretory structures. Intercellular canals absent.
Mineral inclusions. Crystals not observed. Silica not observed.
Miscellaneous. • Transverse section. Brachylaena hutchinsii.
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).
