Mouriri spp. (Pau ripa)
Nomenclature etc. MELASTOMATACEAE. M. crassifolia, M. ficoides, M. huberi. Trade and local names: perhuetamo, guarotaro, komotolie, claro.
Description based on: 5 specimens. Tree. Geographic distribution: tropical South America.
General. Heartwood basically brown red (dark greyish brown to reddish). Sapwood colour similar to heartwood colour. Basic specific gravity 0.75–0.85 g/cm³.
Vessels. Wood diffuse-porous. Vessels arranged in no specific pattern, exclusively solitary. Average tangential vessel diameter 98–116 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 6–9. Average vessel element length 261–387 µm. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 5–6 µm, vestured. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders, similar to intervessel pits. Other deposits in heartwood vessels present.
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres of medium wall thickness to very thick-walled. Average fibre length 789–912 µm. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered or distinctly bordered. Fibres non-septate.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma paratracheal. Paratracheal axial parenchyma aliform, or confluent. Aliform parenchyma winged. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per axial parenchyma strand 3–8.
Rays. Rays 12–18 per tangential mm, exclusively uniseriate. 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. Disjunctive ray parenchyma end walls distinct.
Storied structures. Storied structure absent.
Cambial variants. Included phloem present, diffuse.
Mineral inclusions. Crystals not observed. Silica not observed.
Physical and chemical tests. Heartwood not fluorescent. Water extract fluorescent (light blue). Water extract basically colourless to brown or shade of brown. Ethanol extract not fluorescent. Ethanol extract basically colourless to brown or shade of brown.
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).