Commercial timbers

H. G. Richter and M. J. Dallwitz


Cabralea canjerana Sald. (cancharana)

Nomenclature etc. MELIACEAE. Syn.: Cabralea oblongifolia C.DC. Trade and local names: cancharana, cedro rã (PY); acayara (RA); canjerana (BR). Status of protection under CITES regulations: not protected.

Description based on: 5 specimens. Tree. Geographic distribution: southern Brazil to temperate South America.

General. Growth ring boundaries indistinct or absent. Heartwood basically brown to red, without streaks. Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour. Odour indistinct or absent. Basic specific gravity 0.67–0.7 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. Few radial multiples of 4–5 vessels present. Average tangential vessel diameter 100–300 µm. Average tangential diameter of vessel lumina large to very large. Average number of vessels/mm² 6–12. Vessels per square millimetre very few to few. Average vessel element length 300 µm. Average vessel element length short. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 4–7 µm, small, not vestured. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders, similar to intervessel pits, of uniform size or type, of the same type in adjacent elements, located throughout the ray. Helical thickenings absent. Tyloses in vessels absent. Other deposits in heartwood vessels present (dark reddish brown organic deposits).

Tracheids and fibres. Vascular or vasicentric tracheids sporadic to absent. Fibres very thin-walled to of medium wall thickness. Average fibre length 700–900–1100 µm. Average fibre length short to medium. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered. Helical thickenings absent. Fibres exclusively septate. Septate fibres evenly distributed. Fibres each with 3 to 8 septae, frequently with organic deposits accumulating near septae.

Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma banded. Axial parenchyma bands not marginal (or seemingly marginal), bands much wider than rays, coarse, more than three cells wide. Bands often discontinuous and wavy; the can be wide or narrrow and are often in contact with vessels. Axial parenchyma paratracheal. Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per axial parenchyma strand 4–8. Unlignified parenchyma absent.

Rays. Rays 6–11 per tangential mm, multiseriate, also if only few, 1–2(–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 up to 500 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 to 2–4 (up to two marginal rows). Sheath cells absent. Tile cells absent. Perforated ray cells absent. Disjunctive ray parenchyma end walls indistinct or absent. Predominantly uni and biseriate rays, less common three-seriate rays.

Storied structures. Storied structure absent.

Secretory structures. Oil and mucilage cells absent. Intercellular canals absent. Laticifers or tanniniferous tubes absent.

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

Mineral inclusions. Crystals not observed. Cystoliths absent. Silica not observed.

Physical and chemical tests. Heartwood not fluorescent. Water extract not fluorescent. Water extract basically colourless to brown or shade of brown. Ethanol extract not fluorescent. Ethanol extract basically colourless to brown or shade of brown. Chrome azurol-S test negative. Froth test positive. Splinter burns to charcoal.


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