78 The Timbers of British Guiana. 



Rays. Visible with the naked eye to good sight, very fine ; 

 yellow; uniform; rather irregular, rather less than the width of 

 a Pore apart and lightly avoiding them. 



Rings. Occasionally defined; boundary, when present, a zone 

 of denser wood which may Jbe absent over large areas; contour 

 regular. 



Soft Tissue of no definite arrangement; narrowly sheathing the 

 Pores only. 



Pith.( ?) 



Radial Section. The Pores are very fine, just visible scratches 

 glistening with beads of gum. The Rays are almost imperceptible 

 without lens. The Rings are not often indicated, but the wood is 

 conspicuously banded. 



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

 being minute. 



Type Specimens. Authenticated by Ball, No. 76/2732. 



77. VOUAPA BIFOLIA. AUBL. 

 Nat. Ord., LEGUMINOS^E. 



Alternative Names. " Sereebebe, meaning Water Wallaba " 

 (20); " Saribebe, variously spelled" (12). 



Salient Features. A light red, rather coarse-grained wood, of 

 uniform colour, rather soft. Would pass for a Mahogany. 



Physical Characters. Weight (so far recorded), 46 Ibs. per 

 cubic ft. Hardness, Grade 7, soft; compare Pine. Smell or 

 taste 0. 



Colour of Heartwood sharply defined from the Sapwood ; sur- 

 face bright to lustrous ; darkens but little upon exposure to the air. 

 Sapwood, dirty pinkish-grey; width about 2 ins. 



Bark. About J in. thick, smooth, closely adherent, rather 

 woody and full of brown grains. Outside of log beneath bark 

 quite smooth. 



Uses, Qualities, etc. " Easily procurable in logs of 16-20 ft. 

 squaring from 8-10 ins. (2). " Grows in the water at the edge of 

 the river never used" (20). Saws easily. Fissile, takes nails 

 badly ; planes easily but badly ; turns moderately hard but in- 

 differently : polishes but moderately well. A wood of good appear- 

 ance which may compete as a furniture wood with common Bay- 

 wood. Sometimes confused with Wallaba, No. 91, on account of 

 the similarity in colour and name, and is regarded by McTurk as a 

 variety. 



Authorities. 2. Bell, p. 9. 12. Hawtayne, p. 388. 17. Las- 

 lett, p. 451. 20. McTurk, p. 4. 



ANATOMICAL CHARACTERS. 



Transverse Section. As light in colour as the other sections, 

 but duller. 



Pores. Some visible with the naked eye on account of their 

 white contents and size ; not diminishing towards the close of the 



