Commercial timbers

H. G. Richter and M. J. Dallwitz


Minquartia guianensis Aublet (acariquara, manwood)

Nomenclature etc. OLACACEAE. Incl. Minquartia punctata (Radlk.) Sleumer. Trade and local names: manwood (NIC, PA); macaa, lamincouaru (GUYf); huacapú (PE); pachiche (EC); acariquara, acaricorana, acariúba (BR). Status of protection under CITES regulations: not protected.

Description based on: 2 species/specimens, or 6 species/specimens. Tree. Geographic distribution: Mexico and Central America, or tropical South America.

General. Growth ring boundaries indistinct or absent. Heartwood basically brown, without streaks. Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour. Odour indistinct or absent. Basic specific gravity 0.85–1 g/cm³.

Vessels. Wood diffuse-porous. Vessels arranged in no specific pattern, in multiples, commonly short (2–3 vessels) radial rows to radial rows of 4 or more. Vessel outline rounded. Two distinct vessel diameter classes absent. Average tangential vessel diameter 60–80–110 µm. Average tangential diameter of vessel lumina medium. Average number of vessels/mm² (15–)25–35. Vessels per square millimetre few to moderately numerous. Average vessel element length 600–850–1100 µm. Average vessel element length long. Perforation plates scalariform, with 4–10 bars. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 8–11 µm, medium. Pits rather loosely arranged, mostly oval (horizontally extended). Vessel-ray pits with reduced borders or apparently simple, different from intervessel pits, rounded or angular, of the same type in adjacent elements, located throughout the ray. Helical thickenings absent. Tyloses in vessels present, thinwalled. Other deposits in heartwood vessels present, dark greyish brown.

Tracheids and fibres. Vascular or vasicentric tracheids sporadic to absent. Fibres very thick-walled. Average fibre length 1000–1500–2000 µm. Average fibre length medium. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered. Helical thickenings absent. Fibres non-septate.

Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma not banded. Axial parenchyma apotracheal. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse, or diffuse-in-aggregates. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per axial parenchyma strand 7–14. Unlignified parenchyma absent.

Rays. Rays 18–22 per tangential mm, multiseriate, also if only few, 2(–4) cells wide, 2–3 cells wide. Rays with multiseriate portions as wide as uniseriate portions present. 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 more than 4. Sheath cells absent. Tile cells absent. Perforated ray cells absent. Disjunctive ray parenchyma end walls indistinct or absent. Up to 14 marginal rows.

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 present, prismatic, located in axial parenchyma cells. Crystal-containing axial parenchyma cells chambered. Number of crystals per cell or chamber one. Crystal containing cells of normal size. 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).

Index