Anatomical variation of teakwood from unmanaged mature plantations in East Timor

Abstract

Teak (Tectona grandis L. f.) is an important native species of Southeast Asia, producing an excellent quality wood with high demand in the world market contributing positively to development and economic growth of the countries. There are few published studies on the anatomical variability of teak wood from East Timor. The wood anatomical characterization and its within-tree variation were studied in three axial and radial positions of trees from an unmanaged pure stand. The wood is semi-ring-porous to ring-porous. The vessels are solitary and grouped, with 206 and 89 µm diameter (earlywood and latewood) and 259 µm length. Axial parenchyma is paratracheal unilateral and marginal. Rays are homocellular and heterocellular, varying between 241 and 1293 µm in height. Fibers, the most abundant tissue (52 %), had a mean fiber length, width and wall thickness of 1.15 mm, 28 and 6 µm, respectively. The anatomical features of teak wood differ from those reported for other origins in considerably smaller vessels and thicker walled fibers. Longitudinal variation showed a decrease of vessel area, fiber size, and an increase of vessel frequency, parenchyma and ray proportions towards the top of the tree. Radially vessel size, fiber length and wall thickness tended to increase with cambial age.