Anatomical characteristics of major plantation species growing in Indonesia II

Abstract

The anatomical characteristics of eight major wood species planted in Indonesia were investigated to provide valuable information for their effective utilization. The growth-ring boundaries of Damar and Sumatran pine were indistinct. Resin canal was found in Sumatran pine but it was not observed in Damar. Cupressoid pit and taxodioid pit were found in Damar and window-like pit and pinoid pit were observed in Sumatran pine. Tracheid length of Damar and Sumatran pine was shorter than 3,000 μm. There were uniseriate rays in Damar and Sumatran pine and fusiform ray in Sumatran pine. All the hardwood species observed in this study were diffuse-porous. They had different vessel groups, i.e., solitary pore in Afrika and Simpur Batu, pore cluster in Angsana and mostly 2-4 rows of radial pore multiple in Mahoni. Mindi and Trembesi had mostly 2-3 rows of radial pore multiple with paratracheal parenchyma as aliform and confluent types. Afrika, Mahoni and Simpur Batu showed heterocellular rays which composed of procumbent cells in the body and mostly 1-2 rows of upright and/or square cells in the margin. All ray cells procumbent was observed in Angsana, Mindi and Trembesi. The large rays commonly exceeding 1 mm in height and ray width of 3∼6 cells were observed in Simpur Batu. The other five hardwood species showed ray width of 1∼3 cells. Vessel number per mm2 of Angsana and Simpur Batu was higher than those of the other hardwood species. The length of wood fiber and tracheid showed a tendency to increase from pith to bark. By IAWA list, fiber length of hardwoods was classified into long in Simpur Batu and short in Angsana and Trembesi.