| | CITESwoodID: descriptions, illustrations, identification and information retrieval |
Nomenclature. Family: FABACEAE-FABOIDEAE. Other trade relevant species: wood of these two species cannot be distinguished as regards appearance (colour of heartwood, figure) and macroscopic features. Further trade and local names: tzipil, tzipilín (MX, huasteco); palo santo de México (ES). Code according to DIN EN 13556: none.
CITES(EU) status of protection. Listed in Annex II(B).
Similar timbers. The group Dalbergia cubilquitzensis and D. tucurensis, see corresponding item.
Geographic distribution. Mexico and Central America. To date only known from Costa Rica and central México (Sierra Madre Oriental).
Growth rings, colour, grain, etc. Growth ring boundaries indistinct or absent. Heartwood basically brown, yellow, purple (a brown-violet tinge is rather rare); with streaks. Sapwood distinct from heartwood colour. Very much in demand is the rather rare purplish brown heartwood with many wavy almost black streaks which give the wood a conspicuous attractive figure. Wood of medium weight (0.50–0.70 g/cm3). Interlocked grain absent.
Hardwood vs softwood. Vessels (pores) present (= hardwood).
Vessels (pores). Wood diffuse-porous. Vessels (pores) in multiples; commonly in short (2–3 vessels) radial rows and in radial rows of 4 or more (few). Vessels rather unevenly distributed over the cross section. Vessels small to large (65–150–250 µm); very few (1–2–4). Tyloses absent. Other deposits in heartwood vessels (pores) present.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma present; banded and not banded. Parenchyma bands not (only) marginal (non marginal bands can be observed only occasionally); narrow; but much wider than rays. Other macroscopically visible types of axial parenchyma: vasicentric, aliform lozenge type, aliform winged, confluent.
Rays. Rays narrow. Large rays commonly less than 1 mm high.
Storied structure. Storied structure present. Tiers regular (horizontal or slightly inclined); 4–6 per axial millimetre.
Physical and chemical tests. Heartwood not fluorescent. Water extract not fluorescent; colour shade of water extract colourless to brown. Heartwood extractives slightly leaching out when in contact with water. Ethanol extract fluorescent (dull orange (ochre)); colour shade of ethanol extract colourless to brown. Froth test positive. Splinter burns to full ash (under heavy smoke emission); colour of ash white to grey.
Additional information. • Transverse section + wood surface. Transverse section ca. 10x. tangential (centre) and radial (right) surface, natural size.
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., Gembruch, K., and Koch, G. 2014 onwards. CITESwoodID: descriptions, illustrations, identification, and information retrieval. In English, French, German, and Spanish. Version: 4th April 2023. www.delta-intkey.com’.
