Dalbergia nigra Fr. All. (Rio Palisander, Brazilian rosewood)
Nomenclature etc. PAPILIONACEAE. Steht auf WA-Liste, Anhang 1 included in CITES appendix I. Trade and local names: Rio Palisander, Rio Jacarand , Brasilianisches Rosenholz (D), palissandre Brésil, palissandre Rio (F), Brazilian rosewood (GB), cabiúna, camboré, caviuna legitima, jacarandá, pau preto, urauna (BR), palissandro (I), palisandro (E), palissander Rio (NL). Status of protection under CITES regulations: protected: ANNEX I.
Tree. Geographic distribution: tropical South America.
General. Heartwood basically brown to purple, with streaks (black). Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour. Odour distinct (aromatic, sweet). Basic specific gravity 0.72–0.8–0.85(–0.88) g/cm³.
Vessels. Wood diffuse-porous. Vessels arranged in no specific pattern, in multiples, commonly short (2–3 vessels) radial rows. Average tangential vessel diameter 75–175–250 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 1–2–4. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 8–11 µm, vestured. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders (predominantly). Tyloses in vessels absent. Other deposits in heartwood vessels present (dark brown).
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres of medium wall thickness. Average fibre length 1130–1350–1600 µm. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered. Contents mostly brown.
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 vasicentric (also weakly aliform and paratracheal unilateral). Axial parenchyma fusiform and as strands. Average number of cells per axial parenchyma strand 2(–3).
Rays. Rays 9–12 per tangential mm, multiseriate, also if only few, 2–3 cells wide. Rays composed of a single cell type. Homocellular ray cells procumbent.
Storied structures. Storied structure present, all rays storied, axial parenchyma storied, vessel elements storied, fibres storied.
Mineral inclusions. Crystals present, prismatic, located in infrequent ray cells or axial parenchyma cells. Crystal-containing ray cells procumbent. Crystal-containing axial parenchyma cells chambered. Number of crystals per cell or chamber one. Cystoliths absent. Silica not observed.
Miscellaneous. • Transverse section. Dalbergia nigra. • Tangential section. Dalbergia nigra. • Radial section. Dalbergia nigra.
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).
