Dipteryx odorata (Aubl.) Willd. (cumarú)
Nomenclature etc. PAPILIONACEAE. Syn.: Coumarouna odorata Aubl., Dipteryx tetraphylla Spruce. Trade and local names: cumarú verdadeiro, muimapagé, champagne (BR); koemaroe, tonka (SME); gaiac cayenne (GUYf); shihuahuaco (PE); visguero, yesquero (BOL). Status of protection under CITES regulations: not protected.
Tree. Geographic distribution: tropical South America.
General. Growth ring boundaries indistinct or absent. Heartwood basically greyish brown, without streaks. Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour (cream-coloured). Odour indistinct or absent. Basic specific gravity 0.9–1.15 g/cm³. Strongly interlocked grain.
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. Average tangential vessel diameter 100–250 µm. Average tangential diameter of vessel lumina large to very large. Average number of vessels/mm² 5–10. Vessels per square millimetre few. Average vessel element length 300–550 µm. Average vessel element length medium. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 9–13 µm, medium to large, vestured. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders, similar to intervessel pits. Helical thickenings absent. Tyloses in vessels absent. Other deposits in heartwood vessels present.
Tracheids and fibres. Vascular or vasicentric tracheids sporadic to absent. Fibres very thick-walled. Average fibre length 1100–2400 µm. Average fibre length medium to long. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered. Helical thickenings absent. Fibres non-septate.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma present, not banded. Axial parenchyma paratracheal. Paratracheal axial parenchyma aliform to confluent. Aliform parenchyma lozenge. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per axial parenchyma strand 2–4.
Rays. Rays 10–15 per tangential mm, exclusively uniseriate to multiseriate, also if only few (in some specimens few 2-seriate rays), 1–2 cells wide. Height of large rays up to 500 µm (0.15–0.30mm). Rays composed of a single cell type. Homocellular ray cells procumbent.
Storied structures. Storied structure present, all rays storied, axial parenchyma storied, vessel elements storied, fibres storied to not storied. Number of ray tiers per axial millimetre 3.
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).