Commercial timbers

H. G. Richter and M. J. Dallwitz


Breviea leptosperma Heine (Aningré)

Nomenclature etc. SAPOTACEAE. Trade and local names: aningré, longhi (D, F), aninguéri, anigré, agnégré (F), aningeria (GB), kali (D), grogoli, koandio, osam (CI), mukali (ANG), mukalla (RPC), inon, agwa (WAN). Status of protection under CITES regulations: not protected.

Description based on: 1 species/specimens (1 specimen). Tree. Geographic distribution: tropical Africa.

General. Heartwood basically white or grey to yellow. Sapwood colour similar to heartwood colour. Basic specific gravity 0.55–0.65 g/cm³.

Vessels. Wood diffuse-porous. Vessels arranged in diagonal and/or radial pattern (radial), in multiples, commonly radial rows of 4 or more. Average tangential vessel diameter 45–73–100 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 17–23. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 3–5 µm. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders and with reduced borders or apparently simple, similar to intervessel pits, horizontal to vertical, of uniform size or type and of two distinct sizes or types in the same ray cell, of the same type in adjacent elements and unilaterally compound and coarse. Tyloses in vessels present, thinwalled.

Tracheids and fibres. Vascular or vasicentric tracheids sporadic to absent. Fibres 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 marginal (or seemingly marginal), reticulate, fine, up to three cells wide.

Rays. Rays 9–14 per tangential mm, multiseriate, also if only few, (1–)2–3 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 2–4 and more than 4.

Mineral inclusions. Crystals present, in form of crystal sand. Crystal sand observed in vessels only. Silica present, as grains, in rays cells. SiO2 particles always embedded in reddish brown gums; larger in marginal cells, smaller in procumbent cells.

Physical and chemical tests. Froth test positive.


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).

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