Pittosporum

Voucher:   Pittosporum angustifolium  Lodd.  JAB113  Previously known as P. phylliraeoides.

Family:  Pittosporaceae  Common name(s):  Native apricot, weeping pittosporum , native willow, poisonberry tree, apricot tree, berigan, butterbush, meemeei

Habit:  Shrub or small tree to 6 m tall.  Distribution: Widespread in arid regions and semi-arid regions of mainland Australia; occurs in all mainland states.

General features: Density 800 kg/m3 .  Pale wood with heartwood indistinct from sapwood.   

Microscopic features:

Vessels  Tangential vessel diameter: range 20-56 µm; mean 32 µm; SD 8 µm; average maximum 40-46 µm; n =  310 vessels.  Vessels per square millimetre not recorded for vessels arranged in dendritic or tangential bands (IAWA 1989: 259).  Vessels are in clusters and tangential bands - strictly speaking they form a dendritic arrangement.   Perforation plates simple with prominent rim. 

Axial parenchyma   Axial parenchyma banded.

Rays  Rays 1-3(4) cells wide with uniseriate rays present (n = 76 rays).  Rays of uniform width and not wider than vessels.  Rays 8-10 per tangential mm (n =   3 sampled areas).  Ray height: range 121-406 µm; mean 225 µm; SD 70 µm; n =    35 rays.   Rays heterocellular?  

Helical thickenings  Present.

Physical and chemical tests:  Chrome azurol-s test negative.   Heartwood fluorescence absent.    Froth test positive.   Ethanol extract fluorescence absent.  Ethanol extract colourless. Water extract colourless.   Water extract fluorescence absent.