Commercial timbers

H. G. Richter and M. J. Dallwitz


Rhodognaphalon brevicuspe (Sprague) Roberty (Kondroti)

Nomenclature etc. BOMBACACEAE. Syn.: Bombax brevicuspe Sprague, B. chevalieri Pellgr. Trade and local names: Kondroti (F, CI, D), Alone (D, G, RPC), Bombax (D), Akagaouan, Kouobene (CI), Kuntunkun, Anyinakobin (GH), Kingue, Zuihn (LB), Bouma, Boumadanga (CAM), Ogumalanga, Koma (G), N'Demo (RPC).

Tree. Geographic distribution: tropical Africa (West Africa).

General. Growth ring boundaries distinct. Heartwood basically brown to red. Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour. Basic specific gravity 0.35–0.46–0.56 g/cm³.

Vessels. Vessels present. Wood diffuse-porous. Vessels in multiples, commonly short (2–3 vessels) radial rows. Average tangential vessel diameter 160–295–395(–450) µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 1–5. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 9–11 µm, not vestured. Occasionally also some opposite intervessel pits. Vessel-ray pits with reduced borders or apparently simple, different from intervessel pits, horizontal to vertical, of uniform size or type, of the same type in adjacent elements. Occasionally pits of two sizes in one ray cell. Helical thickenings absent. Tyloses in vessels present, thinwalled.

Tracheids and fibres. Fibres of medium wall thickness. Average fibre length 1970–2685–3940 µm. Fibre pits common in both radial and tangential walls, simple to minutely bordered. Fibres non-septate.

Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma apotracheal and paratracheal. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse-in-aggregates. Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty. Axial parenchyma fusiform and as strands. Average number of cells per axial parenchyma strand 4–8.

Rays. Rays 6–8 per tangential mm, multiseriate, also if only few, 4–8 cells wide. Rays composed of two or more cell types. Heterocellular rays square and upright cells restricted to marginal rows. Number of marginal rows of upright or square cells 1.

Storied structures. Storied structure present, all rays storied, axial parenchyma storied, vessel elements storied, fibres storied. Number of ray tiers per axial millimetre 1.5–1.8. Highest rays extending over two stories.

Mineral inclusions. Crystals present, prismatic, located in axial parenchyma cells. Crystal-containing axial parenchyma cells not chambered. Number of crystals per cell or chamber one, or more than one (rarely). 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).

Index