MAHOGANY G.N. 1195 



if any, white substance. Rays visible at arm''* leu- in yet very fine, 

 sometimes sinuous as though wriggling their way amongst the vessels; 

 sub-regular in size and spacing, the width of a vessel apart. Multiseriate. 



Radial section. Boundary visible with great difficulty, if at all, without 

 lens. Rays visible, more so when wet. A little white deposit in the 

 ray cells. 



Tangential section. As the radial, but the boundaries sometimes very 

 obscure indeed. Vessels as rather fine grooves evenly disposed over the 

 surface. Rays (microscope), symmetrical, i.e. not lop-sided or sub- 

 divided by strands of fibres drawn across them (compare Fig. 10). 



(See note to following variety.) 



MAHOGANY (TABASCO) 



Reputed to be Swietenia macrophylla King. (MeliaceaB.) 



A rich brownish-red wood of uniform colour: grain medium coarse, 

 open and straight: surface lustrous in radial section at least. 

 A rather pretty silver-grain of small flakes. 



Transverse section. Boundary a fine light-coloured line. Parenchyma 

 vasicentric (sheathing the vessels-), very scanty or none. Perhaps the 

 boundary line is of this tissue. Structure as the Honduras Mahogany, 

 which is to be compared. 



May be confused with many other similar woods, particularly Hon- 

 duras Mahogany. If any difference is to be discerned it is in the rather 

 larger vessels in the present variety and the boundaries of the rings which 

 in tangential section are usually evident though sometimes but faintly, 

 contrasting with the ground. Tabasco is no doubt of the same species 

 as the Honduras, but differs in quality and colour. 



From the Cuban Mahogany which is reputed to be the true Swietenia 

 Mahagoni and which I believe it to be, both Tabasco and Honduras may 

 be distinguished by the white substance being more abundant in the 

 rays whereas in the Cuban it is more abundant in the vessels. Further 

 the present species is much straighter in the grain, softer and lighter in 

 weight. The rays in tangential section are different, those of the Cuban 

 being distorted and of the Honduras and Tabasco, symmetrical. 



