Wood Anatomy of Trees and Shrubs from China. IV. Ulmaceae

Abstract

The wood anatomy of 37 species belonging to the eight genera of Ulmaceae native to China is described. The wood of Chinese Ulmaceae is characterised by mostly simple perforations (sporadic scalariform plates occur in Hemiptelea and Zelkova ); altemate, non-vestured intervessel pits; relatively short vessel elements and fibres; non septate fibres with simple to minutely bordered pits confined to the radial walls; mainly paratracheal parenchyma; rays rarely higher than 1 mm. Tanniniferous tubes are reported for the first time in Ulmaceae; they are limited to the genus Pteroceltis . Other, sporadically occurring features such as perforated ray and axial parenchyma cells and perforated fibres are also reported for the first time.