KRETTI 



mostly pairs but occasionally fours : rather numerous, 10-20 

 per sq. mm. : a loose arrangement suggesting straggling, wavy 

 lines to the unaided eye : round. 



Rays. Just visible, size 3-4, uniform : equidistant : a pore- 

 width apart, gently avoiding the larger pores, undulating : 

 numerous 8-10 per mm. 



Rings. Faintly, indicated to the unaided eye but not with 

 the lens : perhaps due to the rather closer arrangement of the 

 pores in the Autumn zones : no definite boundary : contour 

 regular. 



Soft-tissue. Neatly encircling the pores but not joining them. 



Pith. Round, hard, about 3 mm. diam. 



Radial Section. Considerably lighter in shade than the 

 Transverse. Pores readily visible, dull grooves. Rays, visible 

 by contrast of lustre being dull against the bright ground. Rings 

 not indicated. 



Tangential Section. As the Radial, but the rays are minute, 

 dark brown lines visible with micro. 



Type specimen received from Messrs. Elder, Dempster and Co. : 

 authenticated by Sir Thos. Hughes. 



No. 157. KRETTI. Nectranda sp. 

 Plate XII. Fig. ioi. 



Natural Order. Laurineae. 



Alternative Name. Keritee. 



Source of Supply. British Guiana. 



Physical Characters, etc. Recorded dry-weight 32 lbs. per 

 cu. ft. Hardness Grade 5, compare Ash and Elm. Smell and 

 taste resembling those of Cigar-box Cedar. Burns well with a 

 lively flame and much crackling : heat expels a brown juice : 

 embers glow in still air. Solution with water crimson, with 

 alcohol brownish-red. 



Grain. Moderately coarse and open. Surface lustrous, not 

 cold to the touch. 



Bark. About I inch thick, resembling that of Sycamore but 

 reddish in colour. 



Uses, etc. " The upper planking of boats, partitions, etc " 

 (78). It has a strong resemblance to some species of Cedrela, 

 for example Havana Cedar, with which it can easily be confused. 

 It works equally well with all tools and takes a good finish. 

 Not ornamental. Can be obtained in logs 80 ft. by 20 in. free 

 of sap-wood (78). 



Authority. McTurk, No. 56 (78). 



Colour. Heart-wood brown, gradually fading into the paler 

 sap-wood, which is about 1-2 inches wide. 



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