Milicia excelsa (Welw.) C.C. Berg (Iroko, Kambala)
Nomenclature etc. MORACEAE. Syn. Chlorophora excelsa (Welw.) Benth., Morus excelsa Welw. Trade and local names: Iroko (D, F, GB, NL, WAN), Kambala (G, RPC, ZRE), Odum (GH, CI), Abang, Bang (CAM), Amoreira (ANG), Chamfutu (MOC), Semli (WAL, LB), Rokko (WAN), Lusanga (ZRE).
Tree. Geographic distribution: tropical Africa.
General. Growth ring boundaries indistinct or absent (growth ring increments distinct only in eastafrican prevenances). Heartwood basically brown to yellow to green. Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour. Basic specific gravity 0.48–0.63–0.67 g/cm³.
Vessels. Vessels present. Wood diffuse-porous. Vessels arranged in no specific pattern, in multiples, commonly short (2–3 vessels) radial rows. Average tangential vessel diameter 145–235–310 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 1–3–10. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 9–12 µm. Vessel-ray pits with reduced borders or apparently simple, rounded or angular, of uniform size or type, of the same type in adjacent elements. Helical thickenings absent. Tyloses in vessels present, thinwalled.
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres of medium wall thickness. Average fibre length 590–1320–2030 µm. Fibre pits common in both radial and tangential walls, simple to minutely bordered. Fibres non-septate.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma not banded. Axial parenchyma paratracheal. Paratracheal axial parenchyma vasicentric, aliform, and confluent. Aliform parenchyma winged. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per axial parenchyma strand 4.
Rays. Rays 3–9 per tangential mm, multiseriate, also if only few, 3–4 cells wide. Rays with multiseriate portions as wide as uniseriate portions present. 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 absent.
Secretory structures. Intercellular canals absent.
Mineral inclusions. Crystals present, prismatic, located in ray cells and axial parenchyma cells. Number of crystals per cell or chamber one, or more than one. Crystals in one cell or chamber of the same size, or of two distinct sizes. Cystoliths absent. 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).