Description of the Woods in the Collection. 15 



Salient Features. A red wood resembling Mahogany, or, in 

 inferior qualities, the Havana or cigar-box Cedar; soft and 

 lustrous. 



Physical Characters. Dry-weight (so far recorded), 38 J to 46 J 

 Ibs. per cubic ft. Hardness, Grade 6 to 7, firm to soft. Smell 

 when dry 0. Taste slightly astringent. 



Colour of Sapwood the same, but considerably paler than that 

 of the Heartwood and passing gradually into it. Width of Sap- 

 wood 1J-2J ins. Miers (21) says that the Heartwood is " whitish." 

 This must be an error, as even the light-coloured Sapwood cannot 

 be termed whitish. 



Bark. About J i n - thick, hard, woody; dark brown within, 

 smooth outside, something like that of Sycamore. A layer of red 

 bast. Surface of log under bark, smooth. 



Uses, Qualities, etc. " Shipbuilding and carpenter's work 

 masts for ships, on account of its toughness 60 to 80 ft. by 3 : to 4 

 ft. in diameter" (21). Saws easily; takes nails fairly well; 

 planes easily but indifferently; turns moderately easily; polishes 

 indifferently. The better qualities may pass for a medium 

 Mahogany, and are doubtless often sold under that name. Gener^ 

 ally confused (with reason) with the next number, which appears 

 to be merely a variety; also with Caraba-balli, No. 16, on account 

 of the similarity in the names; also with Mahogany and the so- 

 called " Cedars " on account of their close resemblance. 



Authorities. 2. Bell, p. 4. 3. Berkhout, p. 53. 20c Martin- 

 Lavigne, p. 74. 21. Miers. 27a Stone, p. 38, PL III., fig. 24. 



ANATOMICAL CHARACTERS. 



The same as most of the Mahogany-like woods belonging to the 

 Meliaceae. 



Transverse Section. Darker in shade than the other sections. 



Pores. Readily visible with the unaided eye as holes; some 

 variation in size ; irregularly distributed, more numerous in some 

 zones than in others; mostly single, a few pairs and threes. 



Rays. Visible with the lens, very fine; red; uniform; regular, 

 about the width of a Pore apart; not avoiding the Pores. 



Rmgs. Ill-defined ; boundary a fine line of soft tissue (lens) ; 

 contour regular. 



Soft Tissue (?) little beyond that in the boundary line. 



Radial Section. Darker in shade than the Tangential Section 

 on account of the deep colour of the Rays. The Pores are clear 

 grooves, often twinned; bright as though varnished inside. The 

 Rays are small, but conspicuous, flakes. The Rings are difficult 

 to trace. 



Tangential Section as the Radial, but owing to the absence of 

 twinned Pores it appears much finer in the grain. The Rays are 

 just visible as a fine hatching, and the Rings as dark loops when 

 they cut the section (which they may not do in a small specimen). 

 The Rays are about 1 m/m. high. 



