RED BEAN 



other or cease abruptly, and hence are probably no indication of 

 the ring boundaries : colour the same as the rays. 



Radial Section. The pores are coarse, prominent shining 

 grooves, often in closely adjoining parallel lines, containing drops 

 of brilliant ruby resin or gum : the rays are inconspicuous and 

 difficult to see : no trace of the rings : the soft-tissue is visible to 

 good sight as faint, hoary, zigzag lines. 



Tangential Section. Resembles the Radial, except that the 

 pores are exposed singly, not in numbers side by side : the rays 

 are minute lines readily visible with lens : about 075 mm. high : 

 coarsely cellular, of one row of cells readily visible with micro. 

 (2 inch objective) : bright red. 



Type specimen authenticated by F. M. Bailey. 



No. 34. RED BEAN. Dysoxylum Muelleri. 

 Benth. 



Natural Order. Meliaceae. 



Synonym. Dysoxylon, Blume. 



Alternative Names. Turnip wood in New South Wales and 

 Queensland. Kedgy-kedgy and Pencil-cedar. The latter name 

 is also applied to D. Fraseranum, Benth. 



Physical Characters, etc. Recorded dry-weight 46 lb. per cu. 

 ft. Hardness Grade 7, compare Hazel or Alder. Smell none 

 when dry, but " like that of a Swedish turnip when fresh " (85). 

 Taste none. Burns well with a lively flame, no smell, embers 

 glow in still air. Solution with water faint, scarcely any ; ditto 

 with alcohol. 



Grain. Moderately coarse and open with considerable varia- 

 tion according to the cut. Surface very lustrous, the ground 

 and pores shining, the rays and soft-tissue dull but incon- 

 spicuous. 



Uses, etc. "Joinery, cabinet-making, cigar-boxes" (5). "Easily 

 wrought, interior fittings in general" (85). Works well and 

 would fill the place of any of the softer and medium quality 

 Mahoganies. A tree " attaining a height of 100 ft. and a 

 diameter of 4 ft." (85). Usually confused with its near rela- 

 tive D. Fraseranum and with Mahoganies in general. 



Authorities. F. Manson Bailey (5), No. 61a, p. 30. Nilson (85), 



P-53- 



Colour. Deep red, quite uniform. Sap-wood ? 



Anatomical Characters. As D. Fraseranum, with the follow- 

 ing variations : — 



Pores. Increasing rapidly in size as the tree ages : in groups 

 of 2-9 pores : few from 1-15 per mm. ; often with ruby con- 

 tents : shortly oval. 



41 



