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Nomenclature etc. SAPOTACEAE. P. pierrei (A. Chev.) Baehni (syn. Aningeria robusta (A. Chev.) Aubrév. & Pellegr.); P. altissima (A.Chev.) Baehni (syn. Aningeria altissima (A.Chev.) Aubrév. & Pellegr., Sideroxylon altissimum A.Chev.). Trade and local names: aningré blanc, longhi blanc (DE, FR); aninguéri, anigré, agnégré (FR); aningeria (GB); kali, mukali (AO); grogoli, koandio, osam (CI); mukalla (CG), inon, agwa (NE), mukangu, muna (KE); mutoke, osan (UG); landosan (NG). Not protected under CITES regulations.
Tree. Geographic distribution: tropical Africa (West to East Africa).
General. Growth ring boundaries distinct. Heartwood basically brown to yellow to white or grey, red to white or grey. Sapwood colour similar to heartwood colour, or distinct from heartwood colour. Density 0.48–0.52–0.58 g/cm³.
Vessels. Wood diffuse porous. Vessels arranged in no specific pattern, in multiples, commonly in short (2–3 vessels) radial rows and in radial rows of 4 or more. Average tangential vessel diameter 60–105–150 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 12–16–22. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 5–7 µm. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders and with reduced borders or apparently simple, similar to intervessel pits or different from intervessel pits, horizontal to vertical, of two distinct sizes or types in the same ray cell, of the same type in adjacent elements and unilaterally compound and coarse. Tyloses present, thinwalled.
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres of medium wall thickness. Average fibre length 928–1112–1310 µm. Fibre pits common in both radial and tangential walls, simple to minutely bordered. Fibres non-septate.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma banded. Bands marginal (or seemingly marginal) or not marginal (or seemingly marginal). Axial parenchyma bands forming a reticulate pattern with rays. Bands fine. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse-in-aggregates. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per strand: 4–8.
Rays. Rays 7–12 per tangential mm, multiseriate, (1–)2–4 cells wide. Rays with multiseriate portions as wide as uniseriate portions present. Height of large rays up to 500 µm. Rays composed of two or more cell types (heterocellular). Heterocellular rays with square and upright cells restricted to marginal rows, mostly 2–4 marginal rows of upright or square cells and with more than 4 marginal rows of upright or square cells. Disjunctive ray parenchyma end walls indistinct or 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. Silica present, as grains; in rays cells. SiO2 particles typically larger in marginal cells, smaller in procumbent cells.
Physical and chemical tests. Froth test positive.
Illustrations. • Wood surface. Pouteria pierrei. radial (natural size). • Transverse section. Pouteria pierrei. • Tangential section. Pouteria pierrei. • Radial section. Pouteria pierrei. silica grains in ray cells often obscured by droplets of organic compounds. • Silica; vessel-ray pitting. vessel-ray pits typically variable in size and shape. Pouteria superba. silica grains in ray cells typically decreasing in size from marginal towards centrally located cells.
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’.
