Ficus spp. (Caxinguba, bibosi)
Nomenclature etc. MORACEAE. F. anguina, F. crassiuscula, F. glabrata, F. insipida, F. killipii, F. hartwegii, F. mathewsii, F pertusa, F. ruiziana, F. trigona. Trade and local names: higuero, higuerón; figueira (Handelsnamen trade names. Status of protection under CITES regulations: not protected.
Description based on: 11 specimens. Tree. Geographic distribution: Mexico and Central America to temperate South America.
General. Growth ring boundaries distinct or indistinct or absent. Heartwood basically yellow white or grey, without streaks. Sapwood colour similar to heartwood colour. Basic specific gravity 0.3–0.65 g/cm³.
Vessels. Wood diffuse-porous. Vessels in multiples, commonly short (2–3 vessels) radial rows. Average tangential vessel diameter (170–)200–250(–280) µm. Average number of vessels/mm² (2–)3–6(–10). Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 8–11 µm. Vessel-ray pits predominantly with reduced borders or apparently simple, rounded or angular or horizontal to vertical. Tyloses in vessels absent.
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres very thin-walled, or of medium wall thickness. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered. Fibres non-septate.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma banded. Axial parenchyma bands 2–3 per radial mm. Axial parenchyma paratracheal. Paratracheal axial parenchyma aliform, or confluent. Aliform parenchyma lozenge. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per axial parenchyma strand 4–8.
Rays. Rays 4–7 per tangential mm, multiseriate, also if only few, (1–)2–6 cells wide. Height of large rays commonly 500 to 1000 µm, or commonly over 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, or 2–4. Sheath cells occasionally present.
Storied structures. Storied structure absent.
Secretory structures. Intercellular canals absent. Laticifers or tanniniferous tubes F. anguina, F. crassiuscula, F. insipida, F. pertusa, F. ruiziana, F. trigona present (F. glabrata, F. hartwegii, F. killipii, F. mathewsii), or absent.
Mineral inclusions. Crystals present, prismatic, located in ray cells and axial parenchyma cells. Crystal-containing ray cells upright and/or square or procumbent. Crystal-containing axial parenchyma cells chambered, or not chambered. Number of crystals per cell or chamber one, or more than one (up to 2). Silica in some specimens from Peru and Bolivia present or not observed, as grains, in rays cells. Particles usually small and inconspicuous.
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).