38 



Wild Tamarind 



Dialimg ^ivaricatum Vahl» 



Desorijjtion of the tree 



A tree 15 tc 20 ueters high, with smooth bark and elon- 

 gated crovra; young branchlets and inflorescences minutely 

 f erruginous-pubenilous. Leaves 5 to 7-foliolate, the rachis 

 slender, canaliculate, or minutely ferruginous-puberulous, 

 3 to 8 Gm. long; leaflets coriaceous, op^iosite or subalter- 

 ns te, the petiolules puberulous, about 2 mm. long, the 

 blades ovate-lanceolate, rounded or broadly cuneate at the 

 base, long and narrowly obtuse-acuniaate, 2,5 to 7.5 cm. 

 long', 1.5 to 2.5 cm. broad, entirely glabrous, the vena- 

 tion prominulous beneath. Infloresoence large, densely cy- 

 mulose-paniculate. Flowers small, briefly pedicellate, the 

 bractlets diminate and early caducous; calyx minutely ferru- 

 ginous pubescent without, the tube short, the 5 segments 

 obtuse, spreading or reflexed, 1.5 to 2 ram. long; corolla 

 wanting; stamens 2; ovary almost sessile, ovoid, ferrugi- 

 nous-hairy, 2-ovulate, the style filiform at the base, 

 broadening in a thick stigma at the apex. Legume indehis- 

 cent, obovoid, shortly stipitate, glabrous, about 2.5 cm. 

 long and 1.4 om. in diameter. 



Description of the wood 



Sapwood thick and nearly white; heartwood yello.viah 

 brown with irregular streaks of darker color. ;7ood very 

 hard, heavy, strong, tough and very fine ■ iid cross-grained, 

 taking a very smooth polish. It is exceedingly difficult 

 to split and work. Annual rings of growth not visible even 

 under hand lens or compound microscope. 



Pores (transverse section) moderately numerous, small 

 (about .12-. 16 mm. in diameter), round or nearly so, open 

 or more often f iffted with pareachyma tissue and arranged 

 singly or less often in pairs. Vessels (longitudinal sec- 

 tion) with numerous snail bordered pits and small oblique 

 slit-like pit openings. The ends of vessel segments com- 

 pletely absorbed. .Vood fibers about 1.12 mm. long with 

 very thick walls and small cell cavities. 



