IAWA Bulletin n.s., Vol. 11 (1), 1990: 47-56 WOOD AND BARK ANATOMY OF LAURACEAE m. ASPIDOSTEMON ROHWER & RICHTER by H. G. Richter Institut fUr Holzbiologie und Holzschutz, Bundesforschungsanstalt fUr Forst- und Holzwirtschaft, LeuschnerstraBe 91, 2050 Hamburg 80, F. R. O. Summary A group of Madagascan species hitherto (1. Rohwer, Institute of Systematic Botany, ascribed to the genus Cryptocarya is segre­ University of Hamburg) these earlier findings gated on account of its widely differing mor­ were revived as a valid contribution to the phology and anatomy of wood and bark. The ever more complex taxonomy of the laurel new genus, Aspidostemon Rohwer & Richter, family. constitutes a small and very homogeneous Taxonomic background taxon, and its wood and bark characteristics The pantropical genus Cryptocarya R.Br. are described in detail. Aspidostemon con­ (approx. 250 species) presents itself as a trasts Cryptocarya proper in nearly all qualita­ rather homogeneous taxon despite its wide tive and quantitative features to a high degree. distribution in tropical and subtropical regions This does not only justify its segregation of the southern hemisphere. A small group of from, but also precludes any close relation­ Madagascan species, however, possess a ship with Cryptocarya. In order to properly ac­ wood structure incompatible with that of commodate Aspidostemon in the framework Cryptocarya (Richter 1981a). More recently of lauraceous taxonomy, additional evidence these species were reinvestigated morpho­ from other botanical disciplines is required. logically and found to be indeed very dif­ Key words: Lauraceae, Aspidostemon, Cryp- ferent from Cryptocarya (Rohwer & Richter tocarya, wood anatomy, bark anatomy, 1987). As there was not sufficient agreement taxonomy. with any other known lauraceous taxon, the species group was assigned the status of a Introduction new genus, Aspidostemon Rohwer & Rich­ This treatise on Aspidostemon is the third ter. Presently 11 species are recognised with­ in a series of papers dedicated to the system­ in Aspidostemon with A. perrieri designated atic wood and bark anatomy of Lauraceae. the type species: For the first time this series covers one of a 1. Aspidostemon perrieri (Danguy) Rohwer (= Cryp­ number of recently established new genera. tocarya perrieri Danguy) As with the two previous papers on Aniba 2. Aspidostemon dolichocarpum (Kosterm.) Roh- (Richter 1981b) and Licaria (Richter 1985) wer (= Cryptocarya dolichocarpa Kosterm.) the present publication meets the conditions 3. Aspidostemon caudatum Rohwer, spec. nov. of a) supply of adequate authenticated speci­ 4. Aspidostemon inconspicuum Rohwer,spec. nov. mens for examination and b) availability of a 5. Aspidostemon percoriacea (Kosterm.) Rohwer (= Cryprocarya percoriacea Kosterm.) recent systematic treatrnentiif 'the genus in 6. Aspidostemon glandulosum Rohwer, spec. nov. question (Rohwer & Richter 1987). The in­ 7. 'Aspidostemon trianthera (Kosterm.) Rohwer (= troduction of the new genus Aspidostemon is Cryptocarya lrianthera Kosterm.) rooted in an earlier study on wood and bark 8. Aspidostemon humbertianum (Kosterm.) Rohwer anatomy of Lauraceae (Richted98Ia) when (= Cryptocarya humbertiana Kosterm.) the respective species were considered 'ano­ 9. Aspidostemon synandra Rohwer, spec. nov. 10. Aspidostemon scintillans (Kosterrn.) Rohwer (= malous' within Cryptocarya and a possible Cryptocarya scintillans Kosterm.) segregation was implied. Through close co­ 11. Aspidostemon lacrimans (Kosterrn.) Rohwer (= operation with a young dedicated botanist Cryptocarya lacrimans Kosterm.) Downloaded from Brill.com09/23/2021 08:51:28PM via free access 48 IAWA Bulletin n.s., Vol. 11 (1),1990 Undoubtedly, an additional species will forts of the Centre Technique Forestier Tro­ be forthcoming which comprises part of the pical (CTFT), Nogent-sur-Marne (France), material described and deposited in herbaria and its Madagascan affiliate, five bark speci­ as Cryptocarya louvelii Danguy. A formal mens were collected under the following ten­ transfer to Aspidostemon had to be postponed tative field identifications: because of a very mixed lot of vouchers 1. Cryptocarya perrieri (now Aspidostemon) under this name: The type specimen repre­ 2. Cryptocaryafulva sents a true Cryptocarya while a subsequent 3. Cryprocarya thouvenotii check of nine authenticated wood samples 4. Cryptocarya alseodaphnifolia showed four (SF 10950, 21829, 21830, 5. Cryptocarya louvelii (now in part Aspido­ 21831) to belong to Aspidostemon, and five stemon) (SF 10495, 10952, 10960, 10978, 10979) to Microscopic slides from all wood speci­ Cryptocarya. Consequently, a subsequent re­ mens were prepared as outlined in Richter vision of the material labeled Cryptocarya (1981a). Bark material was sectioned after louvelii is required. Coincidentally, this still penetration with polyethylene glycol (DP to be named Aspidostemon species repre­ 1500); further treatment followed the proce­ sents the well known commercial timber dures reported earlier in this series. 'Longotra mena', highly esteemed for its at­ The wood description adheres largely to tractive colour and grain, strength and natural the standards developed by the International durability. Associaten of Wood Anatomists in its most recent form (lAWA Committee 1989); bark Material and Methods description follows the terminology outlined The wood description of Aspidostemon is by Trockenbrodt (1989). based on 10 specimens of 7 species as well as 3 commercial wood samples attributed to Wood description 'Longotra' and labeled Cryptocarya louvelii (Figs. 1-3, Figs. 4-6 for comparison with Danguy (see Table 1). Cryptocarya) Bark specimens were still unavailable when General: Heartwood dark orange to red­ it was first suggested that the species group dish brown and well differentiated from the in question represented something entirely lighter coloured sapwood; vessels evenly dis­ different from Cryptocarya (Richter 1981a). tributed with hardly any gradient of pore size Meanwhile, through the much appreciated ef- and number along radial distance; growth in- Table 1. Specimens examined of the genus Aspidostemon Rohwer & Richter. RBHw No. Species Herbarium voucher 6929 Aspidostemon humbertianum SF 10967 = 696 R 182 (paratype) 1265 Aspidostemon lacrimans SF 12809 = 64 R 62 (holotype) 16014 Aspidostemon percoriaceum SF 10934 =Jerome 531 (paratype) 9742 Aspidostemon perrieri SF 10951 = 48 R 172 1181 Aspidostemon scintillans SF 10968 = 707 R 182 5969 Aspidostemon trianthera SF 12064 = 113 R 176 (holotype) s.n. Aspidostemon spec. (,Longotra mena') SF 10590 s.n. ibid. SF 21829 s.n. ibid. SF 21830 s.n. ibid. SF 21831 2342 ibid. Commercial specimen 5371 ibid. ibid. 9781 ibid. ibid. Downloaded from Brill.com09/23/2021 08:51:28PM via free access Richter - Wood and bark anatomy of Aspidostemon 49 Figs. 1-3. Secondary xylem of Aspidostemon in transverse, tangential and radial view. -la, 2a & 3: A. percoriacea. -lb & 2b: Aspidostemon spec. = 'Longotra mena'. Note storeyed rays in Fig. 2a & b. - Figs. 4-6. Secondary xylem of Cryptocarya (Madagascar) in transverse, tan­ gential and radial view. - 4: C. helicina. - 5 & 6a: C.fulva. - 6b: C. spathulata. Note marginal parenchyma bands (Fig.4, arrows) and horizontal stratification of fibres (Fig. 6b, arrows) under polarised light. Scale bar = 200 IJ.m. Downloaded from Brill.com09/23/2021 08:51:28PM via free access 50 IAWA Bulletin n.s., Vol. 11 (1), 1990 Downloaded from Brill.com09/23/2021 08:51:28PM via free access Richter - Wood and bark anatomy of Aspidostemon 51 crements mostly indistinct; grain typically 3-4 (up to 5) cells wide; heterogeneous, interlocked giving rise to an attractive ribbon body cells procumbent with 1 marginal row figure on radial surfaces; ripple marks pres­ of upright and/or square cells; height of ent, ± distinct to the naked eye, approx. 2.5 tallest rays 0.3-0.5 mm; generally 7-8, in to 3 tiers/mm; texture medium, surface non­ some specimens up to 13 rays/mm; vessel­ fluorescent; without specific odour or taste; ray pits similar to intervascular pits in cross­ wood dense and heavy, specific gravity '" fields pertaining to procumbent cells, typi­ 0.80-0.90 g/cm3 (6-8% mc). cally enlarged with much reduced borders Anatomy: Wood diffuse porous (Fig. 1); (scalariform, diagonal and palisade pattern) vessels predominantly in short radial multi­ in square/upright cell crossfields; usually ples of 2-3, interspersed with solitary ves­ replete with reddish-brown gum deposits in sels and few clusters; thin-walled, mostly heartwood. oval on outline; 20-32/mm2 in mature stem Secretory (oil) cells common in the sec­ wood, up to 45/mm2 in specimens from ondary xylem, most frequently associated young trees (or branches?); average tangen­ with rays (marginal rows), to a lesser degree tial diameter 80-140 J.UD, that of largest ves­ with the rare axial parenchyma and inter­ sels 140-170 (up to 200) Ilm in mature spersed between fibres; often of considerable wood, from 90-150 Ilm in younger samples; size (up to 100 J.UD in diameter and 400 J.UD in perforation plates predominantly simple, oc­ length) and easily mistaken for smaller ves­ casionally scalariform (Fig. 8) with less than sels. 10 bars; intervascular pitting alternate, pits Crystalline and silica deposits not observ­ circular to polygonal depending on varying ed in the specimens examined. degrees of crowding, 6-8 Ilm in diameter (vertical dimension); some ornamentation Bark description present in pit cavities (vestures or incrusta­ (Figs. 9,