Chlorocardium rodiei (R.Schomb.) R.R.W. (Greenheart)
Nomenclature etc. LAURACEAE. Syn.: Nectandra rodiei R.Schomb., Ocotea rodiei (R.Schomb.) Mez. Trade and local names: greenheart, bebeere, tugul (GUY), Demerara groenhart, sipiroe (SME), viruviru (YV), Demerara greenheart, black-, brown-, yellow-, white- (GB). Status of protection under CITES regulations: not protected.
Tree. Geographic distribution: tropical South America (only in the Guayanas).
General. Heartwood basically brown and green, with streaks. Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour. Basic specific gravity 0.9–1.02–1.1 g/cm³.
Vessels. Wood diffuse-porous. Vessels in multiples, commonly short (2–3 vessels) radial rows. Average tangential vessel diameter 108–130–170 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 6–11–13. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 3–4 µm. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders and with reduced borders or apparently simple, similar to intervessel pits, of two distinct sizes or types in the same ray cell. In crossfields between vessels and ray/axial parenchyma presence of very large pit(fields) apparently resulting from fusion of numerous small pits. Tyloses in vessels present, thinwalled or sclerotic.
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres very thick-walled. Average fibre length 600–1100–1500 µm. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered. Fibres septate and non-septate. Septate fibres evenly distributed.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma present. Axial parenchyma paratracheal. Paratracheal axial parenchyma vasicentric. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per axial parenchyma strand 5–8.
Rays. Rays 6–10 per tangential mm, multiseriate, also if only few, 2 cells wide. Rays with multiseriate portions as wide as uniseriate portions absent. Rays composed of a single cell type. Homocellular ray cells procumbent (also few heterocelular rays with one marginal row of square cells).
Secretory structures. Greenheart is the only among the better known lauraceous species in which oil and mucilage cells have never been observed, either wood or bark.
Mineral inclusions. Crystals not observed. 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).