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Recent wood can often be identified by macroscopic characteristics,
particularly by colour, gloss, odour, weight and structure.
As such characteristics are generally modified or destroyed in fossil,
historic or carbonized wood, only a few species or species groups
of the indigenous flora can be identified with the naked eye or
only with the aid of a magnifier (5 to 20x).
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Coniferous wood
In coniferous wood it is possible to distinguish the species which
have resin canals from those which do not. The transition from earlywood
to latewood can be sharp or continuous.
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Ring porous
dicotyledonous wood
The diameter of the pores in the earlywood is much greater than
the diameter of the pores in latewood.
Arrangement and size of pores in the latewood, fine and large rays
can be differentiated.
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Semi-ring to diffuse porous
dicotyledonous wood
In semi-ring porous woods, the pores are more numerous in earlywood,
in diffuse porous woods the size of pores and distribution is more
regularely. Arrangement and size of pores, fine and large rays differ
from species to species.
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