WAIBAIMA 



wise straight, scarcely as dense as the ground-tissue : many 

 6-8 per mm. 



Rings. Doubtful : zones of darker and lighter colour here 

 and there and occasionally a zone of more closely-packed pores. 



Soft-tissue. Very small lines or patches close to the pores or 

 encircling them. 



Pith. ? 



Radial Section. Lighter in shade than the Transverse. Pores, 

 prominent, dark, sometimes blackish lines : coarsely chambered 

 and containing drops of dark resin. Rays, rather prominent 

 but small, dark, dull, flakes. 



Tangential Section. As the Radial, but the rays appear as 

 minute dark lines about 0*5 mm. high (need lens). 



Type specimen authenticated by the Forest Officer to the 

 Government of British Guiana, from a log sent to the Colonial 

 and Indian Exhibition. McTurk says that this wood is either 

 a species of Nectandra or Oreodapfme but the former is more 

 probably the correct name. The structure shows no affinity with 

 Oreodaphne while it agrees well with several species of Nectandra 

 in my collection. 



No. 159. WAIBAIMA. Nectandra. sp. 



PLATE XI. As FIG. 99. 



Natural Order. Laurineae. 



Sour 'c; of Supply. British Guiana. 



Physical Characters, etc. Recorded dry-weight 57 Ibs. per cu. ft. 

 Hardness Grade 2, compare Boxwood or Greenheart. Smell none. 

 McTurk says, " a strong aromatic scent," but I think this is 

 due to the bark, not to the wood itself. He also mentions a 

 " bitter taste," which is not very evident in my specimens. 

 Burns well with a lively flame and much crackling : embers 

 glow in still air. Solution bright green. 



Grain. Very dense but coarse and open. Surface bright : 

 scarcely lustrous : feels cold like Greenheart or Boxwood. 



Bark. About f inch thick, composed of small roundish flakes 

 or scales which easily become detached and expose others of 

 varied colour from white to brown. A remarkable and unusual 

 form. 



Uses, etc. " Ship-building and all purposes for which Green- 

 heart is used, and to which it is superior. The best wood of 

 British Guiana for planking vessels,and as Greenheart is becoming 

 scarcer Waibaima is worth attention. Abundant in the Colony." 

 (78). It works well with all tools, more easily than Greer 

 and takes an excellent finish without trouble. 



Colour. Heart-wood green shading to brown, fairly \u 11 



181 



