WOOD RESEARCH Volume 69, Number 2, 2024
ANTHONY EJIOFOR NWEZE, ANGELA NKECHI AMUJIRI, GODSWILL CHINONSO AJUZIOGU, and EUGENE OBASHI OJUA

WOOD ANATOMY INDICES AND REVEGETATION POTENTIALS OF THREE TAXA OF THE EUPHORBIACEAE

The suitability of three plant taxa namely: Bridelia ferruginea, Hura crepitans and Ricinodendron heudelotii as potential revegetation plants in desertified areas were assessed using Calquist’s wood anatomy indices (vulnerability and mesomorphy) using an ecological survey design. Temporal and permanent slides of transverse sections were prepared and vessel length and diameter (µm) measured using a Motic B3 Compound Microscope and vessel density determined for each of the plant taxa. The observed high vulnerability and high mesomorphy index values in Hura crepitans and Ricinodendron heudelotii indicates that they did not fall within the required ranges of 0 – 2.5 and 0 – 99 for the two indices respectively and cannot adapt well in xeric areas. However, Bridelia ferruginea fell within the range. In conclusion, Hura crepitans and Ricinodendron heudelotii are mesophytes while Bridelia ferruginea was xerophytic and can flourish in xeric areas, therefore, it possesses a great revegetation potential

WOOD RESEARCH Volume 67, Number 5, 2022
Ziwei Wang, Xianghua Yue, Jing Li, Hankun Wang, and Genlin Tian

Research on the structure and connections of pits in different cells of moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens)

The plant grows within the transportation of water and nutrients, including radial and longitudinal, but bamboo only exists pits in the radial, so it plays an irreplaceable role at this moment. This study aims at giving rise to further understanding of the biological functions of pits in bamboo. Light microscopy (LM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were applied to investigate the structure and connections of bamboo pits. The results show that the arrangement of pits is significantly different, including alternate, scalariform and opposite arrangements. The presence or absence of the bordered on different cells is also displayed distinctively, these characteristics extremely affect the transportation of water and nutrients in bamboo.