Neobalanocarpus heimii (King) Ashton (Chengal)
Nomenclature etc. DIPTEROCARPACEAE. Syn.: Balanocarpus heimii King, B. wrayi King, B. accuminatus Heim. Trade and local names: Chengal (D, GB, NL, MAL), Chingal, Penak (MAL), Takien Chan (T).
Tree. Geographic distribution: Indomalesia (Malay peninsula).
General. Heartwood basically yellow to brown red to brown green to brown (yellowish brown when fresh, darkening to olive or red brown). Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour. Basic specific gravity 0.7–0.8 g/cm³.
Vessels. Wood diffuse-porous. Vessels exclusively solitary or in multiples, commonly short (2–3 vessels) radial rows. Average tangential vessel diameter 105–155–210 µm. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 4–6 µm, vestured. Vessel-ray pits with reduced borders or apparently simple, rounded or angular, of uniform size or type (same type in different sizes). Vessel-parenchyma pits often scalariform. Tyloses in vessels present (frequent), thinwalled.
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres very thick-walled. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, distinctly bordered.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma banded and not banded. Including axial resin canals. Axial parenchyma apotracheal and paratracheal. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse-in-aggregates. Paratracheal axial parenchyma vasicentric, aliform, confluent, and unilateral paratracheal (predominantly unilateral, always fine). Aliform parenchyma winged. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per axial parenchyma strand 2–4(–6).
Rays. Rays multiseriate, also if only few, (1–)3–5 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, or 2–4, or more than 4. Sheath cells present.
Storied structures. Storied structure present, all rays storied, axial parenchyma storied, vessel elements storied.
Secretory structures. Intercellular canals present, axial type, in long tangential lines or in short tangential lines.
Mineral inclusions. Crystals present, prismatic, located in ray cells. Crystal-containing ray cells upright and/or square and procumbent. Crystals in procumbent ray cells not in radial alignment. 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).