Qualea spp. (Cêdre gris, mandioqueira, quaruba rana)
Nomenclature etc. VOCHYSIACEAE. Q, dinisii, Q. paraensis, Q. parviflora, Q. rosea. Trade and local names: mandioqueira, florecillo.
Description based on: 11 specimens. Tree. Geographic distribution: Mexico and Central America and tropical South America.
General. Heartwood basically brown red (pinkish brown to reddish brown). Sapwood colour similar to heartwood colour, or distinct from heartwood colour. Basic specific gravity 0.5–0.75 g/cm³.
Vessels. Wood diffuse-porous. Vessels in multiples, commonly short (2–3 vessels) radial rows. Average tangential vessel diameter 151–283 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 4–12. Average vessel element length 350–510 µm. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 5–8 µm, vestured. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders, similar to intervessel pits. Tyloses in vessels absent. Other deposits in heartwood vessels not observed.
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres of medium wall thickness. Average fibre length 1170–1500 µm. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered. Fibres septate and non-septate.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma banded. Axial parenchyma bands not marginal (or seemingly marginal). Axial parenchyma paratracheal. Paratracheal axial parenchyma vasicentric, or aliform. Aliform parenchyma lozenge. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per axial parenchyma strand 3–8.
Rays. Rays 5–8 per tangential mm, multiseriate, also if only few, 3–6 cells wide. Height of large rays commonly over 1000 µm. Rays composed of a single cell type, or two or more cell types. Homocellular ray cells procumbent. 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 present, traumatic origin, axial type.
Mineral inclusions. Crystals present, prismatic, located in axial parenchyma cells. Crystal-containing axial parenchyma cells chambered. Number of crystals per cell or chamber one. Silica present or not observed, as grains, in rays cells.
Physical and chemical tests. Heartwood not fluorescent. Water extract not fluorescent. Water extract basically yellow or shade of yellow. Ethanol extract not fluorescent. Ethanol extract basically colourless to brown or shade of brown. Chrome azurol-S 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).