Description of the Woods in the Collection. 89 



Rays. Difficult to see even with the lens; uniform; equi- 

 distant; rather less than the width of a Pore apart; scarcely 

 lighter in colour than the ground; numerous, 8-13 per m/m. 



Rings. Clearly denned if indicated by the regularly recurring 

 lines of denser wood, but these sometimes run into one another 

 and fade away. 



Soft Tissue. Little or none. 



Pith.( ?) 



Radial Section. Rather lighter in shade than the other 

 sections. The Pores are rather fine and contain red gum or a 

 white deposit. The Rays are just visible as minute red flakes. 

 The Rings are not indicated. 



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

 being minute. The Pores bleed crimson gum when freshly exposed, 

 and glisten like tiny mirrors when dry. 



Type Specimens. Authenticated by Bell, No. 86/2712. 

 Noerdliner's Sections under synonym Myrodendron. 



87. NOT IDENTIFIED (Probably a Brosimum). 

 Nat. Ord., UBTICACE^E. 



Alternative Names. " Tibicushi, Bastard Letter-wood" (2); 

 " Tibicusi " (12); (?) " Oeman Letterhout " (1); " False Letter- 

 wood " (20). 



Salient Features. A hard, heavy wood of a rich reddish-brown 

 to nut-brown colour, streaked with black lines ; hardly cold to the 

 touch. 



Physical Characters. Weight (so far recorded), 63-67 Ibs. 

 per cubic ft. Berkhout gives the figure of 1*477 for the Sp. Gr., 

 which equals 92'31 Ibs., but this seems to me to be impossible. 

 The Sapwood, when dry, will float in water. Hardness, Grade 2, 

 extremely hard ; compare Boxwood. Smell 0. Taste astringent. 

 Heartwood darkens considerably on exposure to the air; surface 

 rather dull. Colour of Sapwood reddish-white; width about 

 5 ins. 



Bark. About J in. thick, light grey or yellow; nearly smooth 

 and nearly white in Transverse Section. Surface of log under 

 bark, smooth or finely striated. 



Uses, Qualities, etc. " Similar to those of the true Letter- 

 wood " (2). "Bows" (20). Hard to saw. Fissile, takes nails 

 badly; planes hard and but moderately well; turns hard and 

 well; polishes indifferently. There is evidently but little Heart- 

 wood in each tree, still it should find a market amongst the turners 

 and makers of small wooden wares. Usually confused ^ with the 

 True Letterwood, No. 60, on account of the similarity in colour, 

 structure and name. 



Authorities. I. Aublett. 2. Bell, p. 10. 3. Berkhout. 12. 

 Hawtayne, p. 387. 20. McTurk. 



SA 



