Ilex spp. (Holly, congonha)
Nomenclature etc. AQUIFOLIACEAE. I. amplifolia, I. amygdalifolia, I. anomala, I. boliviana, I. laurina, I. parviflora. Trade and local names: holly, jaque blanco, j. negro.
Description based on: 7 specimens. Tree. Geographic distribution: tropical South America.
General. Heartwood basically white or grey. Sapwood colour similar to heartwood colour. Basic specific gravity 0.52–0.62 g/cm³.
Vessels. Vessels present. Wood diffuse-porous. Vessels in multiples, commonly short (2–3 vessels) radial rows or in clusters. Vessel outline angular. Average tangential vessel diameter 56–92 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 14–60. Average vessel element length 116–158 µm. Perforation plates scalariform, with 20–40 bars. Intervessel pits scalariform. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders, similar to intervessel pits. Tyloses in vessels absent.
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres of medium wall thickness to very thick-walled. Average fibre length 1809–2475 µm. Fibre pits common in both radial and tangential walls, distinctly bordered. Fibres non-septate.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma apotracheal. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per axial parenchyma strand 5–8.
Rays. Rays 5–15 per tangential mm, multiseriate, also if only few, 1–15 cells wide (multiseriate rays mostly 5–15 cells wide). Rays of two distinct sizes. Height of large rays commonly over 1000 µm. Rays composed of a single cell type, or two or more cell types. Homocellular ray cells procumbent, or square or upright. Heterocellular rays square and upright cells restricted to marginal rows (square cells).
Mineral inclusions. Crystals present, prismatic, located in ray cells. Crystal-containing ray cells procumbent. Number of crystals per cell or chamber one. Silica not observed.
Physical and chemical tests. Heartwood not fluorescent. Water extract not fluorescent. Water extract basically colourless to brown or shade of brown. Ethanol extract not fluorescent. 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).