75 



The aiant Llilkwood 



Sapium glganteu m Pittier, Contr. U.S. ITat. Herb. 20: 128. 1913. 



Description of the t;ree 



A tree, a^ tc 30 meters high and 1 meter in diameter, 

 the triui/c straight, the- li:nbs divaricate, fcrming 9 flat. 

 Si-reading crcvvn; bar^: grayish and rimcse. Leaveo ccriacecas, 

 glabrous, the xjetioles 1.4 to 2 cm. long with rounded-co- 

 nical glands contiguous to the oase cf the blade, this ellix;- 

 tic, 5 to 12 cm. lon^:, 2.5 tc 3.5 cm. broad, ta^jering at 

 the apex to a slender, incurved appendage; margins sinuate- 

 toothed on the lower half of the blade, serrate toward the 

 apex, r'lov/ers net known. Capsules 4 tc 8 on each spike, 

 sessile, globe se-depressed, about 10 mra. long by 15 mm. 

 in diameter, the divisions of the carpels and the dorsal, 

 loculicid lines of dehiscence marked by distinct meridian 

 furrows; seeds whitish, suboroiculate and flattened, Sj.>ar- 

 sely tubercalate , apiculate, about 5 mm. long and 6 mm. broad, 

 Burroonded with a red, aril-like tissue. 



Descrixjtion of the wood 



Sapv/ood thick, light cream colored; heartv/ood slightly 

 darker, ,/ood soft, light, net Yery strong, brittle, fairly 

 fine grained, easily v/orked, does net take a good polish, 

 and is not durable in contact with the soil. Annual rings 

 of growth not clearly visible under high power microscope. 



Pores numerous, (about .2 mqi. in diameter), round when 

 solitary or irregular v/hen in groups, open, end arranged 

 singly or more often in small irregular groups or radial 

 rows of from 3 to 6. The vessel walls (longitudinal sec- 

 tion) in contact with wood parenchyma and pith-ray cells 

 have large transversely elongated simple pits; where two 

 vessels are in contact, the pits are numerous, larger with 

 a narrow border, x^erf orations simple, //tod fibers about 

 1.724 mm. long, with thin walls, large lumina and small 

 simple pits. ,Vood-parenchyma fibers 3parii:igly developed, 

 chiefly grouped arcund vessels, ^-{ays numerous, very narrow, 

 only one ceil wide end from a few tc 12 cr sometimes 15 

 cells hi^h. 



