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Showing posts with label Wood ID. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wood ID. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
Wood ID: Species Characteristics
Wood ID: Species Characteristics
Ring-porous hardwoods
American Elm
Ulmus Americana
Average specific gravity: 0.50 Heartwood color: Light brown to brown or
reddish brown Pore distribution: Ring-porous Earlywood: Pores large, in continuous row Latewood: Pores in wavy bands Tyloses: Present in earlywood, but usually sparse Rays: Not distinct without lens; homogeneous 1-7
(mostly 4-6) seriate.
Ash Fraxinus spp.
Average specific gravity: 0.60Heartwood color: Light brown or grayish brown.Sapwood color: Creamy white (may be very wide)Pore distribution: Ring-porousEarlywood: 2-4 pores wide; pores moderately large,
surrounded by lighter tissue
Latewood: Pores solitary and in radial multiples of 2-3, surrounded by vasicentric parenchyma or connected by confluent parenchyma in outer latewood. Thick-walled.
Tyloses: Fairly abundant (some vessels open) Rays: Not distinct to eye, but clearly visible with lens; 1-3 seriate
Black Locust
Robinia pseudoacacia
Average specific gravity: 0.69 Heartwood color: Olive or yellow-brown to dark
yellow-brown; dark russet brown with exposure Fluorescence: Bright yellow Sapwood: Never more than 3 growth rings wide Pore distribution: Ring-porous Earlywood: 2-3 pores wide; pores large. Latewood: Pores in nest-like groups, which merge
into interrupted or somewhat continuous bands in outer latewood; latewood fiber mass appears dense and dark in contrast to yellowish; tyloses filled pores and rays.
Tyloses: Extremely abundant with yellowish cast and sparkle, solidly packing vessels and making adjacent pores indistinct.
Rays: 1-7 (mostly 3-5) seriate
Hickory
Carya spp.
Average specific gravity: 0.72 Heartwood color: Light to medium brown or
reddish brown Pore distribution: Ring-porous Earlywood: Mostly an intermittent single row or
thick-walled pores with fiber mass where inter-rupted Latewood: Pores not numerous, solitary and in radial
multiples of 2-5. Thick-walled. Tyloses: Moderately abundant Rays: 1-4 seriate Parenchyma: Banded parenchyma and rays form a
reticulate pattern distinctly visible against the background fiber mass with a hand lens (but banded parenchyma absent from earlywood zone)
Northern Red Oak
Quercus rubra
Average specific gravity: 0.63 Heartwood Color: Light brown, usually with flesh or
pinkish-colored cast. Pore Distribution: Ring-porous Earlywood: Up to 4 or 5 rows or large solitary pores. Latewood: Pores solitary in radial lines, few and
distinct ("countable"), vessels thickwalled Tyloses: Absent or sparse in earlywood Rays: Largest rays conspicuous; tallest less than 1 in.
(tangential surface). Narrow raysuniseriate (one cell wide) or in part bisariate
White Oak
Quercus alba
Average specific gravity: 0.68 Heartwood color: Light to dark brown to grayish
brown. Pore Distribution: Ring-porous Earlywood: Up to 4 rows of large pores Latewood: Pores small, solitary or in multiples, in
spreading radial arrangement, numerous and indistinct ("uncountable"), grading to invisibly small with lens. Vessels thin-walled.
Tyloses: Abundant Rays: Largest rays conspicuous; tallest greater than 11/4 in. Narrow rays uniseriate or in part biseriate.
Semi-Ring-Porous Hardwoods
Black Walnut
Juglans nigra
Average specific gravity: 0.55 Heartwood color: medium brown to deep
chocolate brown Pore distribution: semi-ring-porous Pores: earlywood pores fairly large, decreasing
gradually to quite small in outer latewood; pores
solitary or in radial multiples of 2 to several Tyloses: Moderately abundant Rays: fine, visible but not conspicuous with hand
lens, 1-5 seriate, cells appear round in tangential view Crystals: Occur sporadically in longitudinal paren-chyma cells
Diffuse-Porous Hardwoods
American Basswood
Tilia americana
Average specific gravity: 0.37 Heartwood color: Creamy white to pale brown Odor: Faint but characteristic musty odor Pore distribution: Diffuse-porous; growth rings
indistinct or faintly delineated by marginal parynchyma, sometimes with blurry whitish spots along the growth ring boundary
Pores: Small, mostly in irregular multiples and clusters
Rays: Distinct but not conspicuous on transverse surface with lens. 1-6 seriate; ray cells appear laterally compressed in tangential view; rays have bright yellow cast
American Beech
Fagus grandifolia
Average specific gravity: 0.64 Heartwood color: Creamy white with reddish tinge to medium reddish-brown Pore distribution: Diffuse porous; growth rings distinct.
Pores: Small, solitary and in irregular multiples and clusters, numerous and evenly distributed through-out most of the ring; narrow but distinct latewood in each ring due to fewer, smaller pores
Rays: Largest rays conspicuous on all surfaces; darker ray fleck against lighter background on radial surfaces. Largest rays 15-25 seriate; uniseriate rays common
Black Cherry
Prunus serotina
Average specific gravity: 0.50
Heartwood color: Light to dark cinnamon or reddish-brown
Pore distribution: Diffuse-porous; growth rings sometimes distinct because of narrow zone or row of numerous slightly larger pores along initial earlywood.
Pores: Pores through growth ring solitary and in radial or irregular multiples and small clusters
Gum Defects: Common
Rays: Not visible on tangential surface; conspicuous light ray fleck on radial surfaces; distinct bright lines across transverse surface, conspicuous with lens. 1-6 (mostly 3-4) seriate.
Black Gum
Nyssa sylvatica
Average Specific Gravity: 0.50 Heartwood Color: Medium grey or grey with green
or brown cast (wood usually has interlocked grain)
Pore Distribution: Diffuse-porous
Pores: Very small, numerous, solitary and in mul-tiples and small clusters
Rays: Barely visible even with hand lens; 1-4 seriate
Eastern Cottonwood
Populus deltoides
Average specific gravity: 0.40
Heartwood color: Grayish to light grayish-brown. Occationally olive.
Pore distribution: Diffuse porous or semi-diffuse-porus. Usually an apparent size graduation from earlywood to latewood
Pores: Small to medium small; Solitary and in radial multiples of 2 to several
Rays: Very fine, not easily seen with hand lens
Sycamore
Platanus occidentalis
Average specific gravity: 0.49
Heartwood color: Light to dark brown, usually with a reddish cast
Pore distribution: Diffuse-porous; growth rings distinct due to unusual lighter color of latewood (thinner band and clearer than beech)
Pores: Small, solitary and in irregular multiples and clusters, numerous and evenly distributed through-out most of the growth ring; latewood zone evident by fewer, smaller pores
Rays: Easily visible without hand lens on all sur-faces, appearing uniform in size and evenly spaced on transverse and tangential surfaces, producing conspicuous dark ray fleck on radial surfaces. Largest rays up to 14 seriate; uniseriate rays not common.
Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum
Average specific gravity: 0.63
Heartwood color: Creamy white to light reddish-brown
Pore distribution: Diffuse-porous; growth rings distinct due to darker brown, narrow latewood line
Pores: Small, with largest approximately equal to maximum ray width in cross section; solitary or in radial multiples; very evenly distributed
Rays: Visible to eye on tangential surface as very fine, even-sized, evenly distributed lines; on radial surfaces, ray fleck usually conspicuous. Rays: Two distinct sizes: largest 7-8 seriate; uniseriate rays numerous.
Red Maple
Acer rubrum
Average specific gravity: 0.54 Heartwood color: Creamy white to light reddish-
brown, commonly with grayish cast or streaks.
Pore distribution: Diffuse-porous
Pores: Small, solitary and in radial multiples, very evenly distributed; largest as large or slightly larger than widest rays on cross section.
Rays: May be visible on tangential surface as very fine, even-sized and evenly spaced lines; on radial surface, ray fleck usually conspicuous. 1-5 seriate.
Yellow Birch
Betula alleghaniensis
Average specific gravity: 0.62Heartwood color: Light brown to dark brown,
reddish-brown.
Pore distribution: Diffuse porous
Pores: Small to medium, solitary and in radial multiples of two to several pores
Rays: Rays smaller than pore diameters. Some pores may appear to be filled with a substance; 1-5 seriate.
Yellow Poplar
Liriodendron tulipifera
Average specific gravity: 0.42 Heartwood color: Green, or yellow to tan with
greenish cast Sapwood color: creamy white (often wide) Pore distribution: Diffuse-porous; growth rings
delineated by distinct light cream or yellowish line of marginal parenchyma. Pores: Small, solitary, but mostly in radial or irregu-lar multiples and small clusters
Rays: Distinct on cross section with lens; produce conspicuous fine light ray fleck on radial surfaces. 1-5 (mostly 2-3) seriate
Softwood Identification
Eastern White Pine
Pinus strobus
Average specific gravity: 0.35 Odor: Pleasant, piney Heartwood: Distinct, darkening with age Grain appearance: Fairly even Earlywood / Latewood transition: Gradual Resin Canals: large, numerous, mostly solitary,
evenly distributed
Southern Yellow Pine
Pinus spp.
Average specific gravity: 0.51 to 0.61 Odor: “pitchy” pine odor Heartwood: Distinct Grain appearance: Uneven Earlywood / Latewood transition: abrupt Resin Canals: Large, numerous, mostly solitary,
evenly distributed
Red Spruce
Picea rubens
Average specific gravity: 0.40 Odor: None Heartwood: Light in color; indistinct from sapwood Grain appearance: Fairly even to moderately even Earlywood / Latewood transition: Gradual Resin Canals: Small, relatively few; solitary or
several in tangential groups, variably distributed
Hemlock
Tsuga Canadensis
Average specific gravity: 0.40 Odor: None Heartwood: Indistinct, light in color Grain appearance: Fairly uneven Earlywood / Latewood transition: Fairly abrupt
to gradual Texture: Medium to medium-coarse
Balsam Fir
Abies balsamea
Average specific gravity: 0.36 Odor: None Heartwood: Indistinct, light in color
Grain appearance: moderately uneven to
moderately even Earlywood / Latewood transition: Very gradual Texture: Medium
Eastern Red Cedar
Juniperus virginiana
Average specific gravity: 0.47 Odor: “cedar-chest” odor, very distinct Heartwood: Distinct, deep purplish red, aging to
reddish-brown Grain appearance: Moderately uneven to fairly
even; latewood narrow Earlywood / Latewood transition: Gradual Texture: Very fine
Baldcypress
Taxodium distichum
Average specific gravity: 0.46 Odor: Faint to moderately rancid Heartwood: Usually distinct Grain appearance: Uneven Earlywood / Latewood transition: Abrupt; early-
wood medium yellow-brown; latewood amber to dark brown Texture: Coarse to very coarse
Reference:
Brian Bond, Assistant Professor, and Peter Hamner, Research AssociateDepartment of Forestry, Wildlife and FisheriesThe University of Tennessee
Ring-porous hardwoods
American Elm
Ulmus Americana
Average specific gravity: 0.50 Heartwood color: Light brown to brown or
reddish brown Pore distribution: Ring-porous Earlywood: Pores large, in continuous row Latewood: Pores in wavy bands Tyloses: Present in earlywood, but usually sparse Rays: Not distinct without lens; homogeneous 1-7
(mostly 4-6) seriate.
Ash Fraxinus spp.
Average specific gravity: 0.60Heartwood color: Light brown or grayish brown.Sapwood color: Creamy white (may be very wide)Pore distribution: Ring-porousEarlywood: 2-4 pores wide; pores moderately large,
surrounded by lighter tissue
Latewood: Pores solitary and in radial multiples of 2-3, surrounded by vasicentric parenchyma or connected by confluent parenchyma in outer latewood. Thick-walled.
Tyloses: Fairly abundant (some vessels open) Rays: Not distinct to eye, but clearly visible with lens; 1-3 seriate
Black Locust
Robinia pseudoacacia
Average specific gravity: 0.69 Heartwood color: Olive or yellow-brown to dark
yellow-brown; dark russet brown with exposure Fluorescence: Bright yellow Sapwood: Never more than 3 growth rings wide Pore distribution: Ring-porous Earlywood: 2-3 pores wide; pores large. Latewood: Pores in nest-like groups, which merge
into interrupted or somewhat continuous bands in outer latewood; latewood fiber mass appears dense and dark in contrast to yellowish; tyloses filled pores and rays.
Tyloses: Extremely abundant with yellowish cast and sparkle, solidly packing vessels and making adjacent pores indistinct.
Rays: 1-7 (mostly 3-5) seriate
Hickory
Carya spp.
Average specific gravity: 0.72 Heartwood color: Light to medium brown or
reddish brown Pore distribution: Ring-porous Earlywood: Mostly an intermittent single row or
thick-walled pores with fiber mass where inter-rupted Latewood: Pores not numerous, solitary and in radial
multiples of 2-5. Thick-walled. Tyloses: Moderately abundant Rays: 1-4 seriate Parenchyma: Banded parenchyma and rays form a
reticulate pattern distinctly visible against the background fiber mass with a hand lens (but banded parenchyma absent from earlywood zone)
Northern Red Oak
Quercus rubra
Average specific gravity: 0.63 Heartwood Color: Light brown, usually with flesh or
pinkish-colored cast. Pore Distribution: Ring-porous Earlywood: Up to 4 or 5 rows or large solitary pores. Latewood: Pores solitary in radial lines, few and
distinct ("countable"), vessels thickwalled Tyloses: Absent or sparse in earlywood Rays: Largest rays conspicuous; tallest less than 1 in.
(tangential surface). Narrow raysuniseriate (one cell wide) or in part bisariate
White Oak
Quercus alba
Average specific gravity: 0.68 Heartwood color: Light to dark brown to grayish
brown. Pore Distribution: Ring-porous Earlywood: Up to 4 rows of large pores Latewood: Pores small, solitary or in multiples, in
spreading radial arrangement, numerous and indistinct ("uncountable"), grading to invisibly small with lens. Vessels thin-walled.
Tyloses: Abundant Rays: Largest rays conspicuous; tallest greater than 11/4 in. Narrow rays uniseriate or in part biseriate.
Semi-Ring-Porous Hardwoods
Black Walnut
Juglans nigra
Average specific gravity: 0.55 Heartwood color: medium brown to deep
chocolate brown Pore distribution: semi-ring-porous Pores: earlywood pores fairly large, decreasing
gradually to quite small in outer latewood; pores
solitary or in radial multiples of 2 to several Tyloses: Moderately abundant Rays: fine, visible but not conspicuous with hand
lens, 1-5 seriate, cells appear round in tangential view Crystals: Occur sporadically in longitudinal paren-chyma cells
Diffuse-Porous Hardwoods
American Basswood
Tilia americana
Average specific gravity: 0.37 Heartwood color: Creamy white to pale brown Odor: Faint but characteristic musty odor Pore distribution: Diffuse-porous; growth rings
indistinct or faintly delineated by marginal parynchyma, sometimes with blurry whitish spots along the growth ring boundary
Pores: Small, mostly in irregular multiples and clusters
Rays: Distinct but not conspicuous on transverse surface with lens. 1-6 seriate; ray cells appear laterally compressed in tangential view; rays have bright yellow cast
American Beech
Fagus grandifolia
Average specific gravity: 0.64 Heartwood color: Creamy white with reddish tinge to medium reddish-brown Pore distribution: Diffuse porous; growth rings distinct.
Pores: Small, solitary and in irregular multiples and clusters, numerous and evenly distributed through-out most of the ring; narrow but distinct latewood in each ring due to fewer, smaller pores
Rays: Largest rays conspicuous on all surfaces; darker ray fleck against lighter background on radial surfaces. Largest rays 15-25 seriate; uniseriate rays common
Black Cherry
Prunus serotina
Average specific gravity: 0.50
Heartwood color: Light to dark cinnamon or reddish-brown
Pore distribution: Diffuse-porous; growth rings sometimes distinct because of narrow zone or row of numerous slightly larger pores along initial earlywood.
Pores: Pores through growth ring solitary and in radial or irregular multiples and small clusters
Gum Defects: Common
Rays: Not visible on tangential surface; conspicuous light ray fleck on radial surfaces; distinct bright lines across transverse surface, conspicuous with lens. 1-6 (mostly 3-4) seriate.
Black Gum
Nyssa sylvatica
Average Specific Gravity: 0.50 Heartwood Color: Medium grey or grey with green
or brown cast (wood usually has interlocked grain)
Pore Distribution: Diffuse-porous
Pores: Very small, numerous, solitary and in mul-tiples and small clusters
Rays: Barely visible even with hand lens; 1-4 seriate
Eastern Cottonwood
Populus deltoides
Average specific gravity: 0.40
Heartwood color: Grayish to light grayish-brown. Occationally olive.
Pore distribution: Diffuse porous or semi-diffuse-porus. Usually an apparent size graduation from earlywood to latewood
Pores: Small to medium small; Solitary and in radial multiples of 2 to several
Rays: Very fine, not easily seen with hand lens
Sycamore
Platanus occidentalis
Average specific gravity: 0.49
Heartwood color: Light to dark brown, usually with a reddish cast
Pore distribution: Diffuse-porous; growth rings distinct due to unusual lighter color of latewood (thinner band and clearer than beech)
Pores: Small, solitary and in irregular multiples and clusters, numerous and evenly distributed through-out most of the growth ring; latewood zone evident by fewer, smaller pores
Rays: Easily visible without hand lens on all sur-faces, appearing uniform in size and evenly spaced on transverse and tangential surfaces, producing conspicuous dark ray fleck on radial surfaces. Largest rays up to 14 seriate; uniseriate rays not common.
Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum
Average specific gravity: 0.63
Heartwood color: Creamy white to light reddish-brown
Pore distribution: Diffuse-porous; growth rings distinct due to darker brown, narrow latewood line
Pores: Small, with largest approximately equal to maximum ray width in cross section; solitary or in radial multiples; very evenly distributed
Rays: Visible to eye on tangential surface as very fine, even-sized, evenly distributed lines; on radial surfaces, ray fleck usually conspicuous. Rays: Two distinct sizes: largest 7-8 seriate; uniseriate rays numerous.
Red Maple
Acer rubrum
Average specific gravity: 0.54 Heartwood color: Creamy white to light reddish-
brown, commonly with grayish cast or streaks.
Pore distribution: Diffuse-porous
Pores: Small, solitary and in radial multiples, very evenly distributed; largest as large or slightly larger than widest rays on cross section.
Rays: May be visible on tangential surface as very fine, even-sized and evenly spaced lines; on radial surface, ray fleck usually conspicuous. 1-5 seriate.
Yellow Birch
Betula alleghaniensis
Average specific gravity: 0.62Heartwood color: Light brown to dark brown,
reddish-brown.
Pore distribution: Diffuse porous
Pores: Small to medium, solitary and in radial multiples of two to several pores
Rays: Rays smaller than pore diameters. Some pores may appear to be filled with a substance; 1-5 seriate.
Yellow Poplar
Liriodendron tulipifera
Average specific gravity: 0.42 Heartwood color: Green, or yellow to tan with
greenish cast Sapwood color: creamy white (often wide) Pore distribution: Diffuse-porous; growth rings
delineated by distinct light cream or yellowish line of marginal parenchyma. Pores: Small, solitary, but mostly in radial or irregu-lar multiples and small clusters
Rays: Distinct on cross section with lens; produce conspicuous fine light ray fleck on radial surfaces. 1-5 (mostly 2-3) seriate
Softwood Identification
Eastern White Pine
Pinus strobus
Average specific gravity: 0.35 Odor: Pleasant, piney Heartwood: Distinct, darkening with age Grain appearance: Fairly even Earlywood / Latewood transition: Gradual Resin Canals: large, numerous, mostly solitary,
evenly distributed
Southern Yellow Pine
Pinus spp.
Average specific gravity: 0.51 to 0.61 Odor: “pitchy” pine odor Heartwood: Distinct Grain appearance: Uneven Earlywood / Latewood transition: abrupt Resin Canals: Large, numerous, mostly solitary,
evenly distributed
Red Spruce
Picea rubens
Average specific gravity: 0.40 Odor: None Heartwood: Light in color; indistinct from sapwood Grain appearance: Fairly even to moderately even Earlywood / Latewood transition: Gradual Resin Canals: Small, relatively few; solitary or
several in tangential groups, variably distributed
Hemlock
Tsuga Canadensis
Average specific gravity: 0.40 Odor: None Heartwood: Indistinct, light in color Grain appearance: Fairly uneven Earlywood / Latewood transition: Fairly abrupt
to gradual Texture: Medium to medium-coarse
Balsam Fir
Abies balsamea
Average specific gravity: 0.36 Odor: None Heartwood: Indistinct, light in color
Grain appearance: moderately uneven to
moderately even Earlywood / Latewood transition: Very gradual Texture: Medium
Eastern Red Cedar
Juniperus virginiana
Average specific gravity: 0.47 Odor: “cedar-chest” odor, very distinct Heartwood: Distinct, deep purplish red, aging to
reddish-brown Grain appearance: Moderately uneven to fairly
even; latewood narrow Earlywood / Latewood transition: Gradual Texture: Very fine
Baldcypress
Taxodium distichum
Average specific gravity: 0.46 Odor: Faint to moderately rancid Heartwood: Usually distinct Grain appearance: Uneven Earlywood / Latewood transition: Abrupt; early-
wood medium yellow-brown; latewood amber to dark brown Texture: Coarse to very coarse
Reference:
Brian Bond, Assistant Professor, and Peter Hamner, Research AssociateDepartment of Forestry, Wildlife and FisheriesThe University of Tennessee
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