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Nomenclature etc. CHRYSOBALANACEAE. Incl. L. angustata Prance, L. apetala (E. Meyer) Fritsch, L. divaricata Benth., L. elliptica Standl., L. heteromorpha Benth.,i L. hypoleuca Benth., L. incana Aubl., L. longistyla (Hook. F.) Fritsch, L. macrophylla Benth., L. membranacea Sagot ex Laness., L. oblongifolia Stench., L. octandra (Hoffmannsegg ex Roem. & Schultes) Kuntze, L. ovalifolia Kleinhoonte, L. parvifolia Benth., L. platypus (Hemsl.) Fritsch, L. polita Spruce ex Hook.f., L. robusta Sagot. Trade and local names: anauerá, caraipé, turiuva (BR); anaura, grigri, fengoe (SM); kautaballi, konoko (GY); zapote (CR, MX, PE); carbonero (PE, CO, VE). Not protected under CITES regulations.
Tree. Geographic distribution: Mexico and Central America, tropical South America.
General. Heartwood basically brown and red; with streaks. Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour. Density 0.88–1.13 g/cm³.
Vessels. Wood diffuse porous. Vessels arranged in a diagonal and/or radial pattern or no specific pattern, exclusively solitary. Average tangential vessel diameter (70–)100–180(–300) µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 3–6. Vessels smaller (50–200 µm) in L. elliptica, L. heteromorpha, L. polita; 8–10 vessels per mm² in L. elliptica, L. apetala.. Perforation plates simple. Vessel-ray pits with reduced borders or apparently simple, different from intervessel pits, rounded or angular or horizontal to vertical. Tyloses present, thinwalled or sclerotic.
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres very thick-walled. Fibre pits common in both radial and tangential walls, distinctly bordered.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma banded and not banded. Axial parenchyma bands forming a reticulate pattern with rays. Bands fine. Axial parenchyma apotracheal, or paratracheal. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse and diffuse-in-aggregates. Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per strand: 6–12.
Rays. Rays 13–18 per tangential mm, predominantly exclusively uniseriate or multiseriate, 1–2 cells wide. Rays with multiseriate portions as wide as uniseriate portions absent. Height of large rays up to 500 µm, or commonly 500 to 1000 µm. Rays composed of a single cell type (homocellular) and 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.
Secretory structures. Intercellular canals absent.
Mineral inclusions. Crystals not observed. Cystoliths absent. Silica present, as grains; in rays cells.
Physical and chemical tests. Heartwood not fluorescent. Water extract not fluorescent; colour of water extract colourless to brown. Ethanol extract not fluorescent. Colour of ethanol extract colourless to brown. Chrome azurol-S test positive. Splinter burns to partial ash. Ash white to grey.
Illustrations. • Transverse section: Licania sp.. Licania sp. • Tangential section: Licania sp.. Licania sp. • Radial section: Licania sp.. Licania sp. • Transverse section: L. platypus. Licania platypus. • Tangential section: L. platypus. Licania platypus. • Radial section: L. platypus. Licania platypus. • Silica. Licania parviflora. all Licania species feature silica grains in rays though variable in size and quantity.
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’.
