Species List

Coniferous wood | Dicotyledon wood | A-Z by Latin Name | A-Z by Familiy Name
 
 
 

Acer platanoides L.

Norway Maple

Aceraceae

 
 

Transversal section

   
  Diffuse-porous. Pores widely spaced, solitary and in radial multiples of two to 4 (rarely to 6). A few rows of radially flattened fibres mark the growth ring boundaries. Walls of the fibres vary in thickness and thus often form a patchy pattern. Parenchyma sparse, apotracheal, diffuse, occasionally paratracheal and rarely marginal.
 
 

Radial section

   
  Simple perforation plates. Distinct spiral thickenings in all vessels. Homogeneous rays, occasionally square marginal cells. Slightly enlarged ray-vessel pits in the marginal cells of the rays. Libriform fibres present, fibre-tracheids absent.
 
 

Tangential section

   
  Rays generally 3- to 5-, occasionally up to 7-seriate; uni- and biseriate rays rather frequent. Average height 40 to 50 cells, rarely up to 70 cells. In some cases (in adult stemwood mostly) these three species can be differentiated on the basis of ray width:
A. campestre (2- to 4-seriate),
A. platanoides (3- to 5-seriate),
A. pseudoplatanus (3- to 6-seriate).
 
 

Key characters

   
  Diffuse-porous, pores widely spaced, often in short radial multiples. Rays 3- to 5-seriate. Spiral thickenings.
 
 

Remarks

   
  Based on the stem wood anatomy, Acer platanoides and Acer pseudoplatanus cannot be differentiated. (Acer campestre can be differentiated by on the average smaller rays).
 

  © / authors / citation / 03.05.06