Wood anatomical variations in some species of Quercus of Meghalaya

Abstract

The main aim of present study is to gather original information on anatomical features and variations in dimensions of wood elements of some Quercus species of Meghalaya. All species of Quercus show diffuse porous wood with indistinct growth rings except Q. acutissima which shows tendency towards semi ring porous and Q. semiserrata with fairly distinct growth rings. Vessels are solitary or radial multiple of two arranged in radial or diagonal pattern. All species of Quercus show presence of scalariform perforation plates and vasicentric tracheids. Aggregate rays are present only in Q. acutissima where as Q. lanceofolia and Q. semiserrata show the presence of multiseriate rays. Both homocellular and heterocellular rays are present in Quercus species except Q. acutissima and Q. fenestrata which show only heterocellular rays. Axial parenchyma is apotracheal diffuse in all species except Q. acutissima that shows diffuse in aggregate, banded and unilateral paratracheal parenchyma in addition to apotracheal diffuse. Chambered crystals are present in Q. dealbata and Q. fenestrata.Tissue proportion of different wood elements shows that fiber percentage is maximum in all species. Variance ratio (F test) indicates that there are statistically significant differences in wood elements dimension namely fiber length, fiber diameter, vessel diameter, vessel density and wood density. Also a positive and significant correlation exists between fiber diameter and wall thickness while other parameters are not correlated with each other.