Commercial timbers

H. G. Richter and M. J. Dallwitz


Acacia mangium Willd. (akasia, mangium)

Nomenclature etc. MIMOSACEAE. Trade and local names: akasia, mangium (RI, MAL).

Tree. Geographic distribution: Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia to Australia.

General. Growth ring boundaries indistinct or absent, growth rings macroscopically visible in wood from certain provenances (e.g. Thailand). Heartwood basically light golden to olive brown, with streaks or without streaks. Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour. Basic specific gravity 0.4–0.5 g/cm³. Wood of commercial potential (mainly from plantations).

Vessels. Wood diffuse-porous. Vessels arranged in no specific pattern, in multiples, commonly short (2–3 vessels) radial rows. Average tangential vessel diameter 120–160 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 4–9. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 6–9 µm, vestured. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders, similar to intervessel pits, of the same type in adjacent elements. Helical thickenings absent. Other deposits in heartwood vessels not observed.

Tracheids and fibres. Fibres very thin-walled to of medium wall thickness. Average fibre length 900–1300 µm. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered. Fibres non-septate.

Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma not banded. Axial parenchyma paratracheal. Paratracheal axial parenchyma vasicentric. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per axial parenchyma strand 2–4.

Rays. Rays 4–8 per tangential mm, multiseriate, also if only few, 1–3 cells wide. Rays composed of a single cell type. Homocellular ray cells procumbent.

Storied structures. Storied structure absent.

Secretory structures. Intercellular canals absent.

Cambial variants. Included phloem absent.

Mineral inclusions. Crystals present, prismatic, located in axial parenchyma cells. Crystal-containing axial parenchyma cells chambered. Number of crystals per cell or chamber one. Silica not observed.

Physical and chemical tests. Heartwood fluorescent (yellow).


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