Dalbergia decipularis Matt. & Rizz. (Bahia Rosenholz, tulipwood)
Nomenclature etc. PAPILIONACEAE. Trade and local names: Bahia Rosenholz (D), sebastiao de arruda, cego machado, pau rosa, p. cravo (BR), pinkwood (USA), Brazilian tulip wood (USA, GB), bois de rose (F). Status of protection under CITES regulations: not protected.
Tree. Geographic distribution: tropical South America.
General. Growth ring boundaries distinct. Heartwood basically white or grey, with streaks (red to orange). Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour. Odour distinct. Basic specific gravity 0.85–0.95–1 g/cm³.
Vessels. Wood ring-porous, or semi-ring-porous. Vessels in multiples, commonly short (2–3 vessels) radial rows (rarely 4 or more). Two distinct vessel diameter classes present. Average tangential vessel diameter 50–90–210 µm. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 7–10 µm, vestured. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders, similar to intervessel pits. Helical thickenings absent. Other deposits in heartwood vessels present (yellowish to light red).
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres very thick-walled. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma banded. Axial parenchyma bands marginal (or seemingly marginal), fine, up to three cells wide. Axial parenchyma apotracheal and paratracheal. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse and diffuse-in-aggregates. Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty, aliform, and unilateral paratracheal. Aliform parenchyma winged (infrequent). Axial parenchyma fusiform and as strands. Average number of cells per axial parenchyma strand 2.
Rays. Rays 10–12 per tangential mm, multiseriate, also if only few, (1–)2–3 cells wide. Height of large rays up to 500 µm. Rays composed of a single cell type and two or more cell types (state 2 very inconspicuous). Homocellular ray cells procumbent. Heterocellular rays square and upright cells restricted to marginal rows. Number of marginal rows of upright or square cells 1.
Storied structures. Storied structure present, all rays storied, axial parenchyma storied, vessel elements storied, fibres storied. Number of ray tiers per axial millimetre 5–6.
Mineral inclusions. Crystals present, prismatic, located in ray cells (infrequent). Crystal-containing ray cells upright and/or square, upright and/or square ray cells chambered. Crystal-containing axial parenchyma cells chambered. Number of crystals per cell or chamber one. 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).