Millettia stuhlmannii Taub. (Panga panga)
Nomenclature etc. PAPILIONACEAE. Trade and local names: Panga panga (D, EAf), Jambire (MOC), Mpande, Partridge wood (EAT).
Tree. Geographic distribution: tropical Africa.
General. Heartwood basically brown to black, with streaks. Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour. Odour indistinct or absent. Basic specific gravity 0.75–0.8 g/cm³. Colour striping not due to coloured deposits but periodical structural changes (from light coloured parenchyma to dark fibers.
Vessels. Wood diffuse-porous. Vessels arranged in no specific pattern, in multiples, commonly short (2–3 vessels) radial rows (rarely 4 or more). Average tangential vessel diameter 100–200–310 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 1–3. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 7–9 µm, vestured. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders, similar to intervessel pits. Helical thickenings absent. Other deposits in heartwood vessels present (dark brown or yellow).
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres very thick-walled. Fibre pits common in both radial and tangential walls, simple to minutely bordered.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma banded and not banded. Axial parenchyma bands marginal (or seemingly marginal), fine, up to three cells wide or coarse, more than three cells wide. Axial parenchyma paratracheal. Paratracheal axial parenchyma aliform to confluent. Aliform parenchyma winged. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per axial parenchyma strand 2–3–4.
Rays. Rays 6–8 per tangential mm, multiseriate, also if only few, 2–4–6 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.
Secretory structures. Intercellular canals 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. Cystoliths absent. Silica not observed.
Physical and chemical tests. Heartwood not fluorescent. Water extract fluorescent (bluish-green). Water extract basically colourless to brown or shade of brown. Ethanol extract fluorescent (bright green). Ethanol extract basically colourless to brown or shade of brown. Froth test positive.
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).