| | Commercial timbers |
Nomenclature etc. SAPOTACEAE. Incl. Payena leerii, P. lucida, P. lanceolata, P. maingayi, P. obscura. Trade and local names: guttah, mayang (MY); riam (MY-SWK); nato (PH); kanzwe (MM); phikun-pa (TH); nyatoh batu, bitis (MY). Not protected under CITES regulations.
Tree. Geographic distribution: Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indomalesia.
General. Growth ring boundaries distinct or indistinct or absent. If at all distinct, demarcated by lesser number of parenchyma bands (darker zone). Heartwood basically brown, red. Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour. Density 0.55–0.64–0.72 g/cm³ (for the most frequently traded species).
Vessels. Vessels present. Wood diffuse porous. Vessels arranged in mostly a diagonal and/or radial pattern or no specific pattern, in multiples, commonly in short (2–3 vessels) radial rows or in radial rows of 4 or more. Average tangential vessel diameter 100–190 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² (4–)6–14(–25). Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 5–7 µm. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders or with reduced borders or apparently simple, similar to intervessel pits or different from intervessel pits, rounded or angular or horizontal to vertical, of two distinct sizes or types in the same ray cell. Tyloses present, thinwalled. Other deposits present (reddish brown).
Tracheids and fibres. Vascular or vasicentric tracheids commonly present. Fibres of medium wall thickness. Average fibre length 1200–1800 µm. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered.
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, 4–8 per radial mm. Parenchyma bands mostly wavy and frequently discontinuous. Axial parenchyma apotracheal. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse, or diffuse-in-aggregates. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per strand: 6–9.
Rays. Rays 12–15 per tangential mm, multiseriate, 1–2(–3) cells wide. 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 or with more than 4 marginal rows of upright or square cells.
Storied structures. Storied structure absent.
Secretory structures. Intercellular canals absent.
Mineral inclusions. Crystals not observed. Silica present, as grains; in rays cells.
Physical and chemical tests. Froth test positive.
Illustrations. • Transverse section: P. acuminata. Payena acuminata. • Transverse section: P. obscura. Payena obscura. • Tangential section: P. leerii. Payena leerii. • Radial section: P. leerii. Payena leerii. • Silica. Payena leerii. silica grains in ray 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’.
