IDENTIFICATION OF TBUE MAHOGANY. 13 



A striking characteristic of the wood is the presence of very numer- 

 ous, fine, lighter colored, tangential lines of soft tissue, barely visible 

 without a lens. These lines are fairly evenly spaced and average 

 from 120 to 175 per inch of radius. (See fig. 7.) Similar lines, but 

 wider apart, are found in sapeli, and the presence in " Colombian 

 mahogany " of tyloses instead of gum is an additional aid in distin- 

 guishing the two species. 



The rays are not distinctly visible on cross sections, but on radial 

 surfaces are very distinct because of their reddish-brown color. 



" LIBERVILLE MAHOGANY." 



(Bosicellia kladncana Pierre.) 

 Mybeh Family ( Bueseeace^ ) . 

 othee names. 

 Gaboon mahogany ; okume ; okoumie ; African cedar. 



WHEEE GEOWN. 



French Kongo and adjacent territory of Africa. 



PHYSICAL PBOPEETIES. 



The wood is lighter and softer than the average genuine mahogany, 

 although it is firm enough to be used for furniture and similar arti- 

 cles. It is pale pinkish-brown or pale flesh-colored with a faint 

 lavender tinge. Dressed surfaces appear lustrous. The wood is 

 without characteristic odor or taste. 



The grain runs straighter than in mahogany, a^id hence the "rib- 

 bon " effect is not so pronounced in quarter-sawed lumber. 



STEUCTUEE. 



The pores are very distinct to the unaided eye, being of about the 

 same size as those in true mahogany. They are scattered singly, or 

 occasionally several in short radial rows. The pores are empty, 

 except for occasional tyloses. 



Tangential lines of light-colored tissue are absent, although poorly 

 defined tangential zones of darker and lighter wood may occasion- 

 ally be present. (See fig. 8.) 



The rays are very fine, not visible on a cross-section without a 

 hand lens.^^ On radial surfaces they are distinct but comparatively 

 small, and not much darker than the surrounding wood. 



21 " Liberville mahogany " and " Colombian mahogany " are the only species herein 

 described in which the rays are characteristically 2 (occasionally 1 or 3) cells wide, as 

 seen with a high-power microscope on the tangential section. In all the other species 

 the larger rays are 4 or more cells wide, except in some pieces of red gum in which the 

 rays are mostly 2 or 3 cells wide. 



