Machaerium scleroxylon Tul. (Santos Palisander, morado)
Nomenclature etc. PAPILIONACEAE. Trade and local names: Caviuna, jacarand , pau ferro (BR); morado (BOL); Santos Palisander (D); palissandre de Santos (F).
Tree. Geographic distribution: tropical South America, or southern Brazil.
General. Growth ring boundaries distinct. Heartwood basically black purple, with streaks. Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour. Basic specific gravity 0.85–0.95 g/cm³.
Vessels. Wood diffuse-porous. Vessels arranged in no specific pattern, in multiples, commonly short (2–3 vessels) radial rows or radial rows of 4 or more. Two distinct vessel diameter classes present. Average tangential vessel diameter 60–120 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 30–45. Average vessel element length 150–220 µm. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 4–7 µm, vestured. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders, similar to intervessel pits. Other deposits in heartwood vessels amber to purple-brown present.
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres very thick-walled. Average fibre length 200–300 µm. 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 or coarse, more than three cells wide. Axial parenchyma apotracheal, or paratracheal. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse, or diffuse-in-aggregates. Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty, or vasicentric. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per axial parenchyma strand 2.
Rays. Rays 14–20 per tangential mm, exclusively uniseriate. 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. Arrangement of tiers regular (horizontal or straight). Number of ray tiers per axial millimetre 5–7.
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.
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).