Commercial timbers

H. G. Richter and M. J. Dallwitz


Elmerrillia spp.

Nomenclature etc. MAGNOLIACEAE. Species included in the description: Elmerrillia mollis Dandy (4), Elmerrillia ovalis (Miq.) Dandy (8), Elmerrillia papuana Dandy (3), Elmerrillia pubescens (Merr.) Dandy (1), Elmerrillia tsiampaca (L.) Dandy (1). Status of protection under CITES regulations: not protected.

Description based on: 17 specimens. Tree. Geographic distribution: India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Indomalesia.

General. Growth ring boundaries distinct, growth ring limits demarcated by marginal parenchyma bands. Heartwood basically yellow and white or grey, without streaks. Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour. Odour indistinct or absent.

Vessels. Vessels present. Wood diffuse-porous. Vessels arranged in no specific pattern, in multiples, commonly short (2–3 vessels) radial rows, radial rows of 4 or more, and in clusters. Vessel outline rounded and angular. Two distinct vessel diameter classes absent. Average tangential vessel diameter 60–130–200 µm. Average tangential diameter of vessel lumina medium and large. Average number of vessels/mm² 8–20. Vessels per square millimetre few. Perforation plates scalariform, with 1–7 bars. Intervessel pits scalariform, average diameter (vertical) 8–10 µm, medium, not vestured. Vessel-ray pits with reduced borders or apparently simple, rounded or angular and horizontal to vertical, of uniform size or type, of the same type in adjacent elements, located throughout the ray. Helical thickenings absent. Tyloses in vessels present, thinwalled. Other deposits in heartwood vessels not observed.

Tracheids and fibres. Vascular or vasicentric tracheids sporadic to absent. Fibres very thin-walled. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered. Helical thickenings absent. Fibres non-septate. Fibre pits very inconspicuous.

Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma present, banded. Axial parenchyma bands marginal (or seemingly marginal), bands much wider than rays, coarse, more than three cells wide. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per axial parenchyma strand 4–6–8. Unlignified parenchyma absent. Axial parenchyma with oil cells.

Rays. Rays present, 4–6 per tangential mm, multiseriate, also if only few, (1–)2–4 cells wide, 2–3 cells wide. Rays with multiseriate portions as wide as uniseriate portions absent. Aggregate rays absent. Rays of one size. Height of large rays up to 500 µm and commonly 500 to 1000 µm. Rays composed of two or more cell types. Heterocellular rays square and upright cells restricted to marginal rows. Number of marginal rows of upright or square cells 1 and 2–4. Sheath cells absent. Tile cells absent. Perforated ray cells absent. Disjunctive ray parenchyma end walls indistinct or absent. Oil cells in marginal rows of rays.

Storied structures. Storied structure absent.

Secretory structures. Oil and mucilage cells present, cell type oil and mucilage cells are associated with axial parenchyma and ray parenchyma. Oil cells not observed in two specimens of A. ovalis. Intercellular canals absent. Laticifers or tanniniferous tubes absent.

Cambial variants. Included phloem absent. Other cambial variants absent.

Mineral inclusions. Crystals not observed. Silica not observed.

Physical and chemical tests. Heartwood not fluorescent. Water extract fluorescent. Water extract basically colourless to brown or shade of brown. Heartwood extractives not leachable by water. Ethanol extract fluorescent. Ethanol extract basically colourless to brown or shade of brown. Chrome azurol-S test negative. Froth test negative. Splinter burns to partial ash. Ash white to grey.


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