Simarouba amara Aubl. (Simaruba, marupá)
Nomenclature etc. SIMAROUBACEAE. Trade and local names: Marup , caixeta, cajú-rana, malacacheta, pitomba (BR), hualaja (PE), soemaroepa (SEM, NL), simaruba (D, GB, YV), acajou blanc (GUF, F), bitterwood (USA).
Tree. Geographic distribution: tropical South America.
General. Heartwood basically yellow to white or grey. Sapwood colour similar to heartwood colour. Basic specific gravity 0.32–0.4 g/cm³.
Vessels. Wood diffuse-porous. Vessels in multiples, commonly short (2–3 vessels) radial rows. Average tangential vessel diameter 130–200–290 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 1–4(–10). Average vessel element length 3–720 µm. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 6–8 µm. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders, similar to intervessel pits. Other deposits in heartwood vessels present (yellowish brown).
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres very thin-walled. Average fibre length 770–1150–1590 µm. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma not banded. Axial parenchyma paratracheal. Paratracheal axial parenchyma aliform and confluent. Aliform parenchyma winged. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per axial parenchyma strand 3–7.
Rays. Rays 3–8 per tangential mm, multiseriate, also if only few, (2–)3–5 cells wide. Rays of one size. Rays composed of a single cell type, or two or more cell types. Homocellular ray cells procumbent. Heterocellular rays square and upright cells restricted to marginal rows. Number of marginal rows of upright or square cells 1. Sheath cells absent. Few heterocelular rays.
Storied structures. Storied structure present, all rays storied, axial parenchyma storied, vessel elements storied, fibres storied. Arrangement of tiers regular (horizontal or straight), or irregular. Number of ray tiers per axial millimetre 2.
Secretory structures. Intercellular canals present (of sporadic occurrence), traumatic origin (?), axial type, in long tangential lines.
Mineral inclusions. Crystals present, prismatic, located in rarely ray cells or axial parenchyma cells. Crystal-containing ray cells procumbent. Crystal-containing axial parenchyma cells chambered, or not 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).