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Nomenclature etc. MELIACEAE. Syn.: Entandrophragma macrocarpa A. Chev., E. roburoides Vermoesen, E. thomasii Ledoux. Trade and local names: assié (FR, CM); bada, mébrou, zuiri (CI); assi, ombolobolo, mouragalamando, kos-kosi (GA); efou-konkonti (GH); muyoyu (UG); timbi, assang-assié (CM); kalungi, m'vovo, tshimai rouge/noir (CD); akuk, ogipogo, ubilesan (NG); momboyo (CG); njeli (LR). Not protected under CITES regulations.
Tree. Geographic distribution: tropical Africa.
General. Growth ring boundaries distinct. Heartwood basically brown to red, brown to yellow (upon exposure); without streaks. Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour. Odour indistinct or absent. Density 0.45–0.59–0.7 g/cm³.
Vessels. Wood diffuse porous. Vessels arranged in no specific pattern, in multiples, commonly in short (2–3 vessels) radial rows. Average tangential vessel diameter 140–230–295 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 3–6. Average vessel element length 500–650 µm. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 2–4 µm. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders (though difficult to perceive), similar to intervessel pits. Helical thickenings absent. Other deposits present (dark reddish brown).
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres of medium wall thickness. Average fibre length 830–1440–2060 µm. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered. Fibres exclusively septate to septate and non-septate; evenly distributed. 1–4 septa per fibre.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma banded or not banded. Bands marginal (or seemingly marginal). Bands fine. Axial parenchyma apotracheal, or paratracheal. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse, or diffuse-in-aggregates (short wavy bands often without contact to vessels). Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty, vasicentric, and confluent. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per strand: 7–8.
Rays. Rays (2–)5–7 per tangential mm, multiseriate, 2(–4) cells wide. Height of large rays up to 500 µm. Rays composed of a single cell type (homocellular), or two or more cell types (heterocellular); homocellular ray cells procumbent. Heterocellular rays with square and upright cells restricted to marginal rows, mostly 1 marginal row of upright or square cells and mostly 2–4 marginal rows of upright or square cells (rarely).
Storied structures. Storied structure present or absent, all rays storied, axial parenchyma not storied. Arrangement of tiers regular, or irregular. Number of ray tiers per axial millimetre 2.
Secretory structures. Intercellular canals present or absent, traumatic origin, oriented axially, axial intercellular canals in short tangential lines.
Cambial variants. Included phloem absent.
Mineral inclusions. Crystals present, prismatic, located in axial parenchyma cells. Crystal-containing axial parenchyma cells chambered, or not chambered. Number of crystals per cell or chamber one. Prismatic crystals occur very rarely also in marginal ray cells but are not typical for the species. Silica not observed.
Physical and chemical tests. Heartwood not fluorescent. Water extract not fluorescent; colour of water extract colourless to brown, or red. Ethanol extract fluorescent (yellowish). Colour of ethanol extract colourless to brown, or red. Froth test positive. Splinter burns to partial ash (unter heavy smoke). Ash white to grey.
Illustrations. • Macroscopic images. transverse (ca. 10x). radial (natural size). • Transverse section. • Tangential section. • Radial section.
The interactive key allows access to the character list, illustrations, full and partial descriptions, diagnostic descriptions, differences and similarities between taxa, lists of taxa exhibiting specified attributes, summaries of attributes within groups of taxa, and geographical distribution.
Cite this publication as: ‘Richter, H.G., and Dallwitz, M.J. 2000 onwards. Commercial timbers: descriptions, illustrations, identification, and information retrieval. In English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish. Version: 9th April 2019. delta-intkey.com’.
