Koompassia malaccensis Maing. (Kempas)
Nomenclature etc. CAESALPINIACEAE. Trade and local names: Kempas (MAL, RI, MAL.Sar., GB, NL), hampas, pah, mengris, impas, toemaling, garis, ajam (RI).
Tree. Geographic distribution: Indomalesia.
General. Growth ring boundaries demarcated by fine marginal bands. Heartwood basically brown to red brown to yellow. Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour. Basic specific gravity 0.7–0.82–0.9 g/cm³.
Vessels. Wood diffuse-porous. Vessels in multiples, commonly short (2–3 vessels) radial rows. Average tangential vessel diameter 196–255–314 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 3–4. Average vessel element length 314–510–666 µm. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, vestured. Vessel-ray pits with reduced borders or apparently simple, rounded or angular. Other deposits in heartwood vessels present (brown).
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres of medium wall thickness and very thick-walled. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma banded. Axial parenchyma bands marginal (or seemingly marginal), fine, up to three cells wide. Axial parenchyma paratracheal. Paratracheal axial parenchyma aliform and confluent. Aliform parenchyma lozenge and winged. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per axial parenchyma strand 6–9.
Rays. Rays multiseriate, also if only few, 2 cells wide (few 3-seriates). 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 or not storied, vessel elements storied or not storied, fibres storied or not storied.
Secretory structures. Intercellular canals absent.
Mineral inclusions. Crystals present, prismatic, located in axial parenchyma cells. Crystal-containing axial parenchyma cells not chambered. Number of crystals per cell or chamber more than 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).