Radial evolution of vascular elements in the oak Quercus ilex L. wood

Abstract

In order to describe and measure the evolution of vascular elements in time, we examined two groups of samples of the green oak (Quercus ilex Linnaeus) wood. These groups are on the same radial plane and come from two trees growing under identical conditions and with different ages. The first group is located in the internal zone between the 15th and 19th growth ring and the second group is situated in the external area before the sapwood. The analysis of results shows the outside zone with isolated, numerous and large vessels compared to the internal zone. The results also explain how the vascular elements develop in advanced age.

Keywords

• vessel diameter
• number of vessels
• early wood
• latewood
• evolution