Pentace spp. (Melunak)
Nomenclature etc. TILIACEAE. Pentace adenophera Kosterm., P. bracteolata ?, P. curtisii King, P. laxiflora Merr., P. macrophylla ?, P. triptera Mast., Pentace spp. Trade and local names: Melunak, Balong ayan, Baru, Pinang, Sisiat, Takalis, Tassiet.
Tree. Geographic distribution: Burma, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Indomalesia.
General. Heartwood basically brown to red. Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour. Basic specific gravity 0.42–0.59–0.73 g/cm³.
Vessels. Vessels present. Wood diffuse-porous. Vessels in multiples, commonly short (2–3 vessels) radial rows. Average tangential vessel diameter 100–150–210 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 6–14. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 3–4(–5) µm. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders and with reduced borders or apparently simple, similar to intervessel pits, horizontal to vertical, unilaterally compound and coarse. Tyloses in vessels present, thinwalled.
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres of medium wall thickness. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered. Fibres non-septate.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma not banded. Axial parenchyma apotracheal and paratracheal. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse-in-aggregates. Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty and vasicentric. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per axial parenchyma strand 4–6–8.
Rays. Rays 6–8 per tangential mm, multiseriate, also if only few, 2–4 cells wide. Rays composed of a single cell type, or two or more cell types (only weakly heterocelular). Homocellular ray cells procumbent. Heterocellular rays square and upright cells restricted to marginal rows. Number of marginal rows of upright or square cells 1. Tile cells absent.
Storied structures. Storied structure present, all rays storied, axial parenchyma storied, vessel elements storied, fibres storied. Number of ray tiers per axial millimetre 2, or 3.
Secretory structures. Intercellular canals absent.
Mineral inclusions. Crystals present, prismatic, located in axial parenchyma cells. Crystal-containing axial parenchyma cells chambered and 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).