Commercial timbers

H. G. Richter and M. J. Dallwitz

Nectandra lanceolata Nees (laurel moroti)

Nomenclature etc. LAURACEAE. Syn.: Nectandra lanceolata Nees var. grandifolia Mez, Nectandra lanceolata Nees var. parvifolia Mez, Nectandra lanceolata Nees var.paraguariensis Hassler. Trade and local names: laurel moroti, laurel (PY); ayuí-saiyú, canela loro, laurel canela, laurel amarillo, canela, canela de brejo (RA); canela, canela amarela, canela bosta, canela branca, louro, canela fedorenta, espora-de-galo, canela-da-várzea, canela vermelha (BR). Status of protection under CITES regulations: not protected.

Description based on: 6 species/specimens (specimens). Tree. Geographic distribution: southern Brazil and temperate South America.

General. Growth ring boundaries distinct. Heartwood basically yellow. Basic specific gravity 0.5–0.6 g/cm³.

Vessels. Vessels present. Wood diffuse-porous. Vessels arranged in no specific pattern, in multiples, commonly short (2–3 vessels) radial rows. Vessel outline rounded. Two distinct vessel diameter classes absent. Average tangential vessel diameter 30–95–190 µm. Average tangential diameter of vessel lumina medium. Average number of vessels/mm² 7–20. Vessels per square millimetre few. Average vessel element length 250–450–750 µm. Average vessel element length medium. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits scalariform and alternate, average diameter (vertical) 10–13 µm, large, not vestured. Vessel-ray pits with reduced borders or apparently simple, different from intervessel pits, rounded or angular and horizontal to vertical, of two distinct sizes or types in the same ray cell, of the same type in adjacent elements, located throughout the ray. Helical thickenings absent. Tyloses in vessels present, thinwalled. Other deposits in heartwood vessels not observed.

Tracheids and fibres. Vascular or vasicentric tracheids sporadic to absent. Fibres very thin-walled and of medium wall thickness. Average fibre length 600–1300 µm. Average fibre length medium. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered. Helical thickenings absent. Fibres exclusively septate. Septate fibres evenly distributed. Fibras con 2–3 (hasta 5) septas.

Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma present, not banded. Axial parenchyma paratracheal. Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty and vasicentric. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per axial parenchyma strand 4–6(–8). Unlignified parenchyma absent.

Rays. Rays present, 5–8 per tangential mm, multiseriate, also if only few, 2–3 cells wide, 2–3 cells wide. Rays with multiseriate portions as wide as uniseriate portions absent. Aggregate rays absent. Rays of one size. Height of large rays commonly 500 to 1000 µm. 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. Sheath cells absent. Tile cells absent. Perforated ray cells absent. Disjunctive ray parenchyma end walls indistinct or absent.

Storied structures. Storied structure absent.

Secretory structures. Oil and mucilage cells present, cell type oil and mucilage cells are associated with axial parenchyma, ray parenchyma, and fibres. Intercellular canals absent. Laticifers or tanniniferous tubes absent.

Cambial variants. Included phloem absent. Other cambial variants absent.

Mineral inclusions. Crystals present, needle-like (acicular) and in other forms, located in ray cells and fibres. Crystal-containing ray cells upright and/or square and procumbent. Cystoliths absent. Sustancias cristalinas en forma de bloques en las fibras. Silica not observed.