18 The Timbers of British Guiana. 



ANATOMICAL CHARACTERS. 

 As those of other Nectandras. Cf . No. 89, Frontispiece. 



Transverse Section. Darker than the radial. 



['ores. Conspicuous on account of their size and colour, coarse ; 

 little variation. Some single, many sub-divided groups of five or 

 even ten Pores. Evenly distributed, oval; few, 9-22 per square 

 zn/m. The arrangement sometimes suggests loose, straggling lines. 

 Dark resin is occasionally present in them. 



Rays. Just visible with the naked eye; fine, uniform, regular; 

 equi-distant, less than the width of a Pore apart; many, 6-8 per 

 m/m. ; avoiding the Pores, otherwise straight. 



Rings. Doubtful ; zones of darker and lighter colour here and 

 there, and occasionally a zone of more closely-packed Pores ; contour 

 regular. 



Soft, Tissue. Of definite arrangement, in very small lines or 

 patches close to the pores and encircling them. 



Radial Section. Lighter in shade than the other sections. The 

 Pores are prominent, dark, sometimes blackish lines, coarsely 

 chambered and containing drops of resin. The Rays are rather 

 prominent as) small dull flakes. 



Tangential Section as the Radial, but the Rays need the lens, 

 being minute dark lines about 5 m/m. high. 



Type Specimens. Authenticated by Bell, No. 17/2672. Imp. 

 Inst., No. 0232. 



18. NECTANDRA SP. 

 Nat. Ord., LAURINE.E. 



It is reputed to be N. pisi, and it is on the strength of this, and 

 also of comparison with Berkhout's specimens, that the alternative 

 names are given. It is not the wood described by Martin-Lavigne 

 (20c), p. 66, which may or may not be correctly named. 



Alternative Names. " Yellow Cirouaballi " (20); "Black 

 Cedar" (4a) ; "Yellow Siruaballi; Yellow Silverballi; Yakoora " 

 (2); "Pisie" (3a) ; " Yakooroo " (14); " Yakooro Cirouaballi" 

 (12). 



Salient Features. A light brown, fine, even-grained wood with 

 a spicy taste, like that of cigar-box (Havana) Cedar. 



Physical Characters. Weight (so far recorded), 37-52 Ibs. per 

 cubic ft. Hardness, Grade 3, very hard. Smell when worked like 

 that of certain kinds of Cedar or Callitris. Taste as above. Sur- 

 face bright, almost lustrous. Heartwood darkens but little on 

 exposure to the air. Colour of Sapwood, dirty white; width about 

 1 in., well defined from the Heart. 



Bark. About J in. thick; smooth, reddish, coarsely fibrous 

 within. Smells like camphor when broken. 



Use*, Qualities, etc. " As planking for boats it is most dur- 

 able " (20). Hard to saw. Fissile, takes nails badly. Planes and 

 turns easily and polishes well. Apart from its beautiful surface it 



