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Wood Identification of Commercially Important North American Species of Birch (Betula)

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Wood Identification of Commercially Important North American Species of Birch (Betula) IAWA Bulletin n.s., Vol. 10 (4), 1989: 364-373 WOOD IDENTIFICATION OF COMMERCIALLY IMPORTANT NORTH AMERICAN SPECIES OF BIRCH (BETULA) by Regis B. Miller and Eric Cahow USDA Forest Service. Forest Products Laboratory, One Gifford Pinchot Drive, Madison, WI 53705-2398, U. S. A. Summary The wood anatomy was studied of the key, however, was not incorporated into text­ four commercially important North American books or later cited by authors. Panshin and species of birch: Betula alleghaniensis, B. De Zeeuw (1970, 1980) and Panchin et al. lenta, B. nigra, and B. papyrifera. Although (1964) grouped five North American tree the wood from these species is fairly homo­ species of birch and made no mention of geneous. it appears that B. papyrifera can be diagnostic features for species separation. separated from B. nigra; B. alleghaniensis Core et al. (1976, 1979) stated ‘the various and B. lenta, though indistinguishable from birches cannot be separated.’ To determine if each other, can be separated from both B. reliable diagnostic features are present to papyrifera and B. nigra. The diagnostic fea­ separate species or species groups, we stud­ tures are as follows: ray width, ray and ray ied the wood anatomy of the following four cell shape as viewed on the tangential longi­ commercially important North American spe­ tudinal section, average number of bars per cies of birch: yellow birch, B. alleghaniensis perforation plate, and contents of axial paren­ Britton (= B. lutea Michx. f.); sweet birch, chyma cells. In addition to these species, two B. lenta L.; river birch, B. nigra L.; and pa­ commercially important European species (B. per birch, B. papyrifera Marsh. For com­ pendula and B. pubescens) and two addi­ parison, we examined the two commercially tional North American tree species (B. occi­ important European birches, B. pendula Roth dentalis and B. populifolia) were studied. A (= B. verrucosa Ehrh.) and B. pubescens dichotomous key to all eight species is pre­ Ehrh., and two additional North American sented. tree species, e.g. water birch, B. occidentalis Key word: Wood anatomy, wood identifica­ Hook. (= B. fontinalis Sarg.) and gray birch, tion, Betula, birch, Betulaceae. B. populifolia Marsh. Virginia roundleaf birch [B. uber (Ashe) Fern.], the only other Introduction North American tree species of Betula, was In the forest products industry and in oth­ not examined, because it is extremely rare er identification situations, it is often de­ and specimens were not available. sirable to distinguish between species, es­ There is some disagreement as to which pecially the commercially important ones. North American species of Betula are com­ Wood anatomists have not previously dem­ mercially important. Brisbin and Sonderman onstrated methods for the reliable separation (1973) state that B. alleghaniensis, B. lenta, of the birches. Hall (1952) studied the wood and B. papyrifera are of primary significance of 33 species of Betula L., but offered no and B. nigra and B. populifolia are second­ means for their separation. A year later, Stark ary. Core et al. (1976, 1979) limit discussion (1953) published a key to the woods of six to B. alleghaniensis and B. nigra; where-as North American tree species of birch using Panshin and De Zeeuw (1970, 1980) and number of bars per perforation plate, vessel Panshin et al. (1964) include B. alleghan­ element and fibre lengths, heartwood colour, iensis, B. lenta, B. nigra, B. papyrifera, and and density as distinguishing features. This B. populifolia. We followed Brisbin and Son- Miller & Cahow - Wood identification of birch (Betula) 365 derman (1973) and selected B. alleghanien­ of Canada and west to Alaska. It extends sis, B. lenta, and B. papyrifera as the com­ south to Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and into mercially important species. We included B. Idaho. It will occur as far north as Hudson’s nigra because Panshin and De Zeeuw (1980) Bay in the east and into the Northwest Terri­ and Core et al. (1979) also included this spe­ tories in the west (Little 1971). cies. Of the three other North American tree Following the classification of Rehder species, we excluded B. uber, B. occidenta­ (1949), the six North American tree species lis, and B. populifolia as commercially im­ of Betula alleghaniensis, B. lenta, and B. ni­ portant because of their limited range, size, gra are placed within subsection Costatae; and availability. whereas, B. papyrifera, B. occidentalis, andB. The properties and economic uses of B. populifolia are assigned to subsection Albae. alleghaniensis and B. lenta are similar (Pan- Hall (1952) reports that subsections Costatae shin & De Zeeuw 1980; USDA Forest Ser­ and Albae are very closely allied, with the vice 1987), and these species are often mixed Costatae most likely the more advanced of the in the trade. Although these two species are two. relatively difficult to work with hand tools, they can be easily machined. However, they Materials and Methods must be dried carefully to prevent checking For each of the four commercially im­ and warping. Betula alleghaniensis is among portant North American species, 10 or 11 the principal furniture woods of the United wood samples were selected from the States (Brisbin & Sonderman 1973). Betula MADw* wood collection. The samples ex­ papyrifera and B. nigra are lighter and rank amined are listed below by species. Speci­ considerably below B. alleghaniensis and B. mens are cited by species, collector, collec­ lenta in strength, stiffness, and hardness. tor’s number, and xylarium designation in They are relatively easy to dry and to work parentheses.Unvouchered specimens arecited with hand tools. Both species are used for only by xylarium designation in parentheses. pulp, fuel wood, and small crafts, and B. papyrifera is desirable for tooth picks, tongue Betula alleghaniensis: W. E. McQuilken, depressors, and coffee stirrers because of its BWCw 8666 (MADw 767); H.P. Brown, machineability, nearly white colour, and the BWCw 8002 (MADw 8723); F. Schmidt fact that it does not impart a colour, odour, or (MADw 10162); Watkins, USw 2230 taste. (MADw 19910); W.E. Johns (MADw Bentula alleghaniensis and B. lenta are mes­ 23625); H.H. Smith, F 72208 (MADw ic forest species native to the Appalachian 27319); H.H. Smith, F 72202 (MADw region. Betula alleghaniensis, however, is 27320); H.H. Smith, F 72210 (MADw more northern and extends into the Lake 27321); A. Okkonen 1 (MADw 40885); A. States and Canada. It occurs along the Appa­ Okkonen 2 (MADw 40886). - B. lenta: lachian Mountains as far as northern Geor­ Ostronder (MADw 944); (MADw 6179); A. gia, and to the north grows east to the Koehler (MADw 6466); (MADw 6698); Maritimes and west to Minnesota. Betula len­ H.S. Newins, BWCw 8046 (MADw 8765); ta grows as far south as Alabama and as far D.A. Kribs, BWCw 8172 (MADw 8912); north as Maine. It is bounded in the west by Northeastern For. Exp. Stat., (MADw the Ohio Valley and Lake Erie. Betula nigra 23594); US Bureau Forestry, F 01690 is a southern lowland species, and it occurs (MADw 27316); H.H. Smith, F 72198 in the southeastern United States. It grows to (MADw 27317); H.H. Smith, F 72200 the Atlantic Ocean in the east and to Mis­ (MADw 27318). - B. nigra: Allegheny souri, eastern Oklahoma, and eastern Texas For. Exp. Stat., BWCw 8602 (MADw 825); in the west. It extends north to New Jersey, Allegheny For. Exp. Stat., BWCw 8601 Ohio, and Iowa and occurs locally in Wis­ consin, New York, and New Hampshire. * MADw and SJRw are acronyms for the Betula papyrifera is a northern boreal spe­ wood collection at the Forest Products cies, growing east to the Maritime Provinces Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.A. 366 IAWA Bulletin n.s., Vol. 10 (4), 1989 (MADw 826); H. Nogle, BWCw 8723 The number of bars per scalariform per­ (MADw 1262); (MADw 1730); D.T. foration plate was counted from macerations. Dinsmore, BWCw 8073 (MADw 8783); We arbitrarily selected and assessed 25 intact B.H. Paul, BWCw 8097 (MADw 8804); B. vessel elements. One perforation plate per Spike, BWCw (MADw 8902); R.O. Marts element was examined. In addition to calcu­ (MADw 11294); J.W. Thieret 1289 (MADw lating an average of the 25, the 10 perforation 25417); H.H. Smith, F 72228 (MADw plates with the greatest number of bars were 27322); H.H. Smith, F 72230 (MADw selected and averaged. 27324). - B. papyrifera: (MADw 7022); Jahn e Martell, BWCw 8362 (MADw 9222); Results H.P. Brown, BWCw 8000 (MADw 8721); The description follows the IAWA Stan­ H.S. Newins, BWCw 8136 (MADw 8846); dard List of Characters (IAWA Committee E. Fritz, BWCw (8228) (MADw 8943); For. 1981; Miller 1981) and is based on the ex­ Exp. Stat., BWCw (MADw 8968); Haines e amination of B. alleghaniensis, B. lenta, B. Wangaard, BWCw 8505 (MADw 9430); nigra, and B. papyrifera. Characters not spe­ H.C. Sulerud (MADw 18391), W.E. Johns cifically mentioned are negative. Quantitative (MADw 23624); US Bureau Forestry, F characters are ranges of averages. Table 1 01686 (MADw 27327). lists the ranges of averaged for vessel For each of the other species, we survey­ diameters, vessels per square millimetre, ray ed available slides and selected additional height, vessel element length, and fibre specimens from the MADw and SJRw wood length. Table 2 lists the diagnostic characters collections, but in no case did we examine for identification. The Appendix is a dicho­ more than seven specimens per species. tomous key including the four described spe­ We cut sectioning blocks and samples for cies, the two commercially important Euro­ maceration from the outer portion of the sap­ pean species (B. pendula and B. pubescens), wood whenever possible to obtain mature and the two additional North American tree trunk wood.
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