RADIAL VARIATION OF WOOD ANATOMY AND BASIC DENSITY OF Anadenanthera colubrina (Vell.) Brenan

Abstract

We investigated wood samples of five Anadenanthera colubrina trees, aiming to study radial variation of anatomy and basic density. The trees were cut from “lote 5 do Rodoanel trecho sul” in Embu municipality, State of São Paulo, where vegetation is classified as Montane Ombrophilous Dense Forest and climate is classified as Cwa. We cut discs from the diameter at breast height ‒ DBH, and then cut samples from pith-to-bark to anatomical and basic density analysis. The results suggest that Anadenanthera colubrina has a very common anatomical and basic density radial variation pattern from pith-to-bark between hardwoods with an increase in vessel diameter favoring hydraulic conductivity, fiber wall thickness and length, ray height and width, and basic density. While the negative relationship between vessel diameter and frequency is well reported for many species, it has not been observed in A. colubrina because vessel frequency oscillates radially. This typical radial pattern also occurs in other native species in planting conditions, already demonstrated by our group in other studies, obviously with some changes depending on species.

Keywords

• pith-bark variation
• hydraulic conductivity
• angico branco
• Brazilian native wood