32 The Timbers of British Guiana. 



ANATOMICAL CHARACTERS. 



Transverse Section. Much darker than the other sections. 



Pores. Readily visible to the naked eye on account of their 

 lighter colour; not diminishing towards the close of the season 'i 

 growth; little variation; evenly distributed, almost crowded; 

 mostly, if not all, single. 



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

 about the width of a Pore apart; very slightly avoiding the 

 Pores. Mostly, if not all, single. 



Rings. Not defined; boundary doubtful. Alternative zones 

 of lighter and darker wood may or may not indicate the season'i 

 growth; contour regular. 



Soft Tissue of no definite arrangement. 



Pith. (?) 



Radial Section. The Pores are fine, light brown scratches. 

 The Rays are minute brown flakes about as large and as visible 

 as the Pores. 



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

 being minute (" stockwerkartige "), and about '2 m/m. high. 



Type Specimens. Authenticated by Bell, No. 31/2687. 



32. PROTIUM ARACOUCHINI. MART. 

 Nat. Ord., BURSERACE.E. 



Synonyms, P. ARACOUCHI. MARCH; ICICA ARACOUCHI. AUBL. ; 



I. ARACOUCHILI. MARCH; I. ARACOUCHI. AUBL.; I. ACUCHINI. 



GMEL; I. HETEROPHYLLA, A.D.C. 



Alternative Names. " Hiawa " (2); " Acouchini " (28). 



Salient Features. A rather light, rather pale-red, glossy ^ood. 



Physical Characters. Dry- weight (so far recorded), 49f Ibs. 

 per cubic ft. Hardness, Grade 6, firm; compare Beech. Smell 

 when dry 0. Taste astringent. Heartwood darkens but little on 

 exposure to the air. Sapwood the colour of oatmeal; width 2-3 

 ins., well, but not sharply defined from the Heartwood. Surface 

 glossy . 



Bark. About J in. thick, smooth or warty; brown and fibrous 

 within : full of light-coloured bodies. Surface of log beneath 

 bark, smooth. 



Use, Qualities, etc. " Liable to rapid decay " (2). " Should 

 be useful for drawers and wardrobe-shelves 50 ft. high, will 

 square 10 ins." (20). Rather hard to saw. Fissile, takes naili 

 badly. Planes fairly well and moderately easily ; turns moderately 

 hard but well ; polishes indifferently. Of no export value. Some- 

 time* confused with Hiawa-balli or Hiawao-balli, No. 33 ; and 

 more so with Hiawa, the Incense tree, Protium heptaphyllum. 



Authorities. -2. Bell, p. 5. 20. McTurk, p. 6. 



