Anatomy of root wood in araucariaceae and some podocarpaceae indigenous to new zealand

Abstract

The structure of root wood in Agathis australis Salisb., Dacrydium cupressinum Lamb., Podocarpus dacrydioides A. Rich., P. ferrugineus G. Benn. ex D. Don, P. spicatus R. Br. ex Mirbel, and P. totara G. Benn. ex D. Don, is described. In A. australis up to 24 pits per cross-field are observed. Axial parenchyma in uniseriate tangential bands and diffuse clusters of 2–3 cells, is rarely observed. In the podocarp species examined, biseriate bordered pits are common especially in D. cupressinum, and triseriate pitting is occasionally observed. Cross-field pit apertures are often large especially in D. cupressinum. Measurements of tracheid dimensions do not show consistent trends when compared with similar measurements of stem wood tracheids given in previous work on these species. Compression wood is not observed in the roots of any of the species examined. © 1983 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.