Forest Products Laboratory

Title: Separation of Dalbergia nigra from Dalbergia spruceana

Author: Miller, Regis B.; Wiemann, Michael C.

Date: 2006

Source: Research Paper FPL-RP-632. Madison, WI: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory. 5 pages

Station ID: RP-FPL-632

Description: The wood anatomical characteristics of Dalbergia nigra and Dalbergia spruceana are too similar to permit reliable species separation, which is sometimes important because D. nigra is a Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species-protected species whereas D. spruceana is not. However, the density, water fluorescence, and ethanol fluorescence of heartwood specimens are different between the species and these chracteristics permit the separation of the species. Dalbergia spruceana is denser (≥1.0 g/cm3) than D. nigra (<1.0 g/cm3), its water extract is fluorescent whereas that of D. nigra is not, and its ethanol extract fluorescence is blue whereas that of D. nigra is greenish-blue.

Keywords: Dalbergia nigra, Dalbergia spruceana, density, fluorescence

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Citation

Miller, Regis B.; Wiemann, Michael C.  2006.  Separation of Dalbergia nigra from Dalbergia spruceana.   Research Paper FPL-RP-632. Madison, WI: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory. 5 pages.