Hymenaea

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Hymenaea
Hymenaea courbaril, habitus and bark

Hymenaea courbaril , habitus and bark

Systematics
Eurosiden I
Order : Fabales (Fabales)
Family : Legumes (Fabaceae)
Subfamily : Carob family (Caesalpinioideae)
Tribe : Detarieae
Genre : Hymenaea
Scientific name
Hymenaea
L.

Hymenaea even Anime trees , South American cherries , Brasil cherry , locust trees , Lokustbäume is called a plant genus in the subfamily of caesalpinioideae (Caesalpinioideae) within the family of legumes (Fabaceae). With the exception of one African species, theapproximately 15 species have a neotropical distribution. The wood of some species is among many trade names, such as Jatoba and Courbaril , used.

description

Bark of Hymenaea stigonocarpa .
Pair of pinnate leaves with only one pair of pinnate leaves from Hymenaea stigonocarpa .
Illustration by Hymenaea courbaril .
Inflorescence with large flowers of Hymenaea stigonocarpa with ten stamens protruding from the crown.
Illustration of Hymenaea verrucosa .
Legumes of Hymenaea courbaril .
Hymenaea verrucosa

Appearance

The Hymenaea species grow as evergreen or optionally deciduous trees that can grow to heights of 25 to 35 meters and trunk diameters ( breast height diameter BHD) of 60 to 100 centimeters. Young branches, buds and petioles are usually tomentose. The color of the hair ( trichomes ) is yellow-gold, light-brown or reddish-rust-colored. Older branches have a silver-gray bark that peels off.

leaves

The alternate leaves arranged on the branches are twisted, almost sessile or have a short stalk. The pair of pinnate leaf blades have only one pair of pinnate leaves. The two thick leathery, unequal- sided leaflets are elongated, obovate or sickle-shaped with a blunt or tapering upper end with a length of 5 to 16 centimeters and a width of 2 to 7 centimeters. In some species the undersides of the leaflets are densely hairy, golden-brown. The leaf surfaces are often dotted with translucent glands. The small stipules fall off early.

Inflorescences and flowers

The flowering period extends from December to February or from September to October, depending on the species and location. At the ends of the branches there are about 15 centimeters long, sometimes hairy, panicley inflorescences arranged in a spiral . The concave, egg to circular bracts fall off early. The two bracts (bracts) envelop the young flower bud and then fall off.

The hermaphroditic flowers have a double flower envelope . There are two unequal pairs of free sepals that are thick leathery. Of the five mostly creamy-white petals, they are rarely all the same size, mostly three are large and two are tiny. The petals can be nailed. There are two circles with five free, fertile stamens each. The stamens are glabrous or hairy at their base and the elongated anthers open with longitudinal slits. The only bald or hairy carpel usually contains four to a few ovules . The elongated, thin style ends in a small scar.

Fruits and seeds

The legumes are ellipsoidal with a length from 4 to 15 centimeters and a width from 3.5 to 10 centimeters, oval, ovoid or oblong-inverted flat. In the months of November and December, the light brown, leathery to woody legumes are ripe, fall to the ground, remain closed and usually contain one to three, rarely up to eight seeds. The hard epicarp has many raised resin-filled containers and the endocarp is powdery.

The seeds, which are shaped differently depending on the species, have a hard seed coat (testa), but no endosperm and no aril . The embryo has two thick, fleshy cotyledons ( cotyledons ) and a short, straight Radicula.

The fruits and seeds are used to feed both livestock and local residents in some regions. For example, flour for bread, a coffee-like drink and various fermented drinks (e.g. Chicha de Algarrobo ) can be made from the fruits of the Prosopis pallida variant .

use

The Hymenaea species provide wood species that are primarily known under the trade names Jatoba and Courbaril. Other trade names are, depending on their origin:

Jatoba can easily be confused with Jaboty or Jutai (also called Jatai). This is visually very similar to the real Jatoba, also comes from the same plant family, but has poorer properties (e.g. cracking). In Germany, about 20% of the jatoba is not a real jatoba, as the trade can hardly check it. Jaboty, for example, comes from Suriname and is distributed in the Netherlands. Jutai comes from Paraguay. Most of the Jatoba wood available in stores comes from Brazil.

Wood from Hymenaea courbaril

Wood description

The sapwood is relatively wide with 6 to 12 centimeters and with its white-gray color is clearly different from the orange-salmon-colored heartwood . After drying out it darkens and is then red-brown. Fine dark veins can occur. In cross-section, the growth zones are clearly visible to the naked eye, while a magnifying glass is required for vessels ( trachea ), wood rays and longitudinal parenchyma. The texture is flattened in the tangential section and streaked by veins in the radial section .

Jatoba floorboards.

The vessels are scattered, mostly single, sometimes in pairs or in groups. The average diameter of the vessels is 180 micrometers . The longitudinal parenchyma is usually paratracheal band-shaped and up to ten cells wide. The rays are arranged irregularly and on average 420 micrometers high and 48 micrometers wide. The irregularly arranged libriform fibers and fiber tracheids are on average 1370 micrometers long and mostly run straight with only a slight alternating growth . In the longitudinal parenchyma, relatively large calcium oxalate crystals can be found in the crystal tubes .

As wood defects can occur warping, irregular shape, cracks and rare insect holes. The wood smell is not noticeable. When it comes into contact with iron, the wood can turn gray-blue to black.

properties

Jatoba has a kiln density of 710 to 900 kg / m³ and a bulk density of up to 1100 kg / m³. The degree of shrinkage is relatively low (tangential 8%, radial 3.8%). The proportion of pores is 53%. The cellulose content is 40%. The proportion of tannin is relatively large.

Jatoba heartwood is durable to moderately durable ( durability class 2-3), and resistant to insect attack (class D).

Editing and use

Jatoba can be sawed, ground, drilled and turned easily, but poorly planed; overall, increased effort is required, which is why tools quickly become blunt. There are no known difficulties with drying as long as it is slow. The wood can be glued well and is easy to glaze and paint.

Jatoba is primarily used as trim wood for furniture, interior fittings, stairs, floorboards and parquet , but also as construction wood in interior and exterior construction. Due to its durability, it is also suitable for garden furniture or garden decks after appropriate treatment. Jatoba is only occasionally used as a knife wood for face veneer.

It is now also used as a replacement for rosewood in electric guitars and basses, especially as fingerboard wood.

distribution

The genus Hymenaea has a mainly neotropical distribution. Their distribution area extends from Mexico through Central America and the Antilles to South America. A Hymenaea species is native to the coasts of Africa and Madagascar, Mauritius and the Seychelles .

Systematics

The genus Hymenaea was established in 1753 by Carl von Linné in Species Plantarum , 2, p. 1192. The type species is Hymenaea courbaril L. The generic name Hymenaea is derived from the Greek god of marriage, Hymen , and refers to the two beautiful, green leaflets that always form a matching pair. A synonym for Hymenaea L. is Trachylobium Hayne . The genus Hymenaea belongs to the tribe Detarieae in the subfamily of Caesalpinioideae within the family of Fabaceae .

In 1974 Jean H. Langenheim and Yin-Tse Lee divided the African, monotypical genus Trachylobium Hayne into Hymenaea L. , which was previously purely neotropical.

There are about 15 recent Hymenaea species and two extinct species. Except for one African species, they are native to the Neotropics :

Extinct Species Detected in Amber :

Sources and further information

  • Dezhao Chen, Dianxiang Zhang , Kai Larsen & Supee Saksuwan Larsen: Hymenaea , p. 24 - Online , In: Wu Zheng-yi, Peter H. Raven, Deyuan Hong (eds.): Flora of China , Volume 10: Fabaceae , Science Press and Missouri Botanical Garden Press, Beijing and St. Louis, February 22, 2010, ISBN 978-1-930723-91-7 . (Section description, distribution and systematics)
  • Yin-Tse Lee & Jean H. Langenheim: New taxa from Brazil and Guyana in the Genus Hymenaea (Leguminosae, Caesalpinioideae) . In: Journal of the Arnold Arboretum . Volume 54, No. 1 , 1973, p. 94-104 ( at botanicus.org - scanned).
  • Jean H. Langenheim & Yin-Tse Lee: Reinstatement of the Genus Hymenaea (Leguminosae: Caesalpinioideae) in Africa . In: Brittonia . Volume 26, No. 1 , 1974, p. 3-21 , JSTOR : 2805914 .
  • Jean H. Langenheim & Yin-Tse Lee: Systematics of the genus Hymenaea L. (Leguminosae, Caesalpinioideae, Detarieae) . In: University of California Publications in Botany . Volume 69, 1975, pp. 1-109 .
  • RK Brummitt, AC Chikuni, JM Lock & RM Polhill: Leguminosae , In: Flora Zambesiaca , Volume 3, 2007. Hymenaea . (Section description)
  • Gerhard Boehm: Commercial Timbers from Latin America . 1st edition. Verlag Kessel, Remagen-Oberwinter 2011, ISBN 978-3-941300-40-8 , p. 274-275 . (Usage section)
  • Rudi Wagenführ: wooden atlas . 6. Edit again u. exp. Edition. Carl Hanser Verlag, Munich 2007, ISBN 978-3-446-40649-0 , p. 204-206 . (Usage section)

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Revista Lasallista de Investigación, July 2008: Pharmacological properties of the carob tree (Hymenaea courbaril Linnaeus) interesting for the food industry
  2. ↑ [1]
  3. ^ Hymenaea at Tropicos.org. Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis
  4. ^ A b Hymenaea in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), USDA , ARS , National Genetic Resources Program. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
  5. ↑ Enter "Hymenaea" in the search mask at ILDIS = International Legume Database & Information Service .

Web links

Commons : Hymenaea  - collection of images, videos and audio files