Tabebuia rosea (Bert.) DC. (Rosa morada)
Nomenclature etc. BIGNONIACEAE. Syn. Tecoma rosea Bertol. Trade and local names: roble de sabana, apamate, rosa morada.
Description based on: 5 specimens. Tree. Geographic distribution: Mexico and Central America and tropical South America (Venezuela and coastal Ecuador).
General. Heartwood basically white or grey (pale pinkish brown), without streaks. Sapwood colour similar to heartwood colour. Basic specific gravity 0.5–0.6 g/cm³.
Vessels. Wood diffuse-porous. Vessels in multiples, commonly short (2–3 vessels) radial rows. Two distinct vessel diameter classes absent. Average tangential vessel diameter 85–140 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 13–22. Average vessel element length 332–386 µm. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 3–6 µm. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders, similar to intervessel pits. Helical thickenings absent.
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres of medium wall thickness. Average fibre length 970–1170 µm. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered. Fibres non-septate.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma banded. Axial parenchyma bands marginal (or seemingly marginal), fine, up to three cells wide. Axial parenchyma paratracheal. Paratracheal axial parenchyma vasicentric, or aliform, or confluent. Aliform parenchyma lozenge. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per axial parenchyma strand 2–4.
Rays. Rays 18–19 per tangential mm, multiseriate, also if only few, 2–4 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. Arrangement of tiers regular (horizontal or straight), or irregular. Number of ray tiers per axial millimetre 3–4.
Secretory structures. Intercellular canals absent.
Mineral inclusions. Crystals present (very sporadically, observed only in SJRw 46888 and 9030). Silica not observed.
Physical and chemical tests. Heartwood not fluorescent. Water extract fluorescent, or not fluorescent (blue). Water extract basically yellow or shade of yellow (light yellow). Ethanol extract not fluorescent. Ethanol extract basically colourless to brown or shade of brown.
Miscellaneous. • Tree. Tree at pacific coast in western Mexico. Tabebuia rosea. • Wood surface. Tabebuia rosea. • Transverse section. Tabebuia rosea.
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).
