The anatomy of the secondary xylem of seven species of the Tachigali Aubl. type. from the Walter A. Egler wood collection of the Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Pará, Brazil

Species of Tachigali Aubl. have potential for reforestation and biofuel projects. However, information about the wood anatomy ofthis species is still very embryonic, hampering identification work. The objective of this study was to anatomically characterize sevenspecies of Tachigali available in the Walter. A. Egler wood collection of the Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, thereby facilitating future identification work. The following species were studied: T. froesii (Pires) L.F. Gomes da Silva & H.C. Lima, T. melanocarpa (Ducke) Van Der Weff, T. paniculata Aubl., T. paraensis (Huber) Barneby, T. reticulosa (Dwyer) Zarucchi & Herend., T. setifera (Ducke) Zarucchi & Herend e T. tinctoria Bent. var. tinctoria (Benth.) Zarucchi & Herend. Analyses followed standard wood anatomy techniques and scanning electronic microscopy (SEM). All species except T. froesii and T. melanocarpa present uniseriate and homogeneous rays, with the exceptions being heterogeneous. A vasicentric paratraqueal parenchyma is present in all the species, combined with another type of parenchyma. The pores are predominantly solitary, except in T. melanocarpa and T. reticulosa which have multiple pores. Tachigali froesii was the only species that presented enclosed bast and calcium carbonate crystals. The composition and organization of the ray cells, allied to the axial type of parenchyma, is important in distinguishing the peculiarity of each species.