Liriodendron tulipifera L. (Whitewood)
Nomenclature etc. MAGNOLIACEAE. Trade and local names: Amerikanisches Whitewood, American Whitewood, Canary (White-)Wood (USA); weitere (irreführende) US-Bezeichnungen: Tulip Wood, Tulip Poplar, Yellow Poplar further (misleading US names: Tulip Wood, Tulip Poplar, Yellow Poplar.
Tree. Geographic distribution: North America (not in the extreme northerly and southeasterly parts).
General. Growth ring boundaries distinct, demarcated by thick-walled fibres, marginal parenchyma bands and widened rays. Heartwood basically yellow to green to brown (darkening to olive-brown), mostly without streaks (rarely with dark stripes = Calico poplar). Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour. Basic specific gravity 0.4–0.5 g/cm³.
Vessels. Vessels present. Wood diffuse-porous. Vessels in multiples, commonly short (2–3 vessels) radial rows and in clusters (predominantly in radial groups). Vessel outline angular. Average tangential vessel diameter 40–70–120 µm. Perforation plates scalariform, with 3–5–10 bars. Intervessel pits scalariform to opposite, average diameter (vertical) 10–11 µm. Vessel-ray pits with reduced borders or apparently simple, horizontal to vertical, of the same type in adjacent elements or unilaterally compound and coarse. Compound pits mostly arranged horizontally. Helical thickenings absent. Tyloses in vessels present, thinwalled.
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres very thin-walled and of medium wall thickness. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, distinctly bordered.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma present, banded. Axial parenchyma bands marginal (or seemingly marginal), fine, up to three cells wide. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per axial parenchyma strand (4–)8–12.
Rays. Rays multiseriate, also if only few, (1–)2–3(–4) cells wide (uniseriates rare). Rays composed of two or more cell types. Heterocellular rays square and upright cells restricted to marginal rows. Number of marginal rows of upright or square cells 1.
Secretory structures. Oil and mucilage cells absent. Intercellular canals absent.
Mineral inclusions. Crystals not observed. Silica not observed.
Miscellaneous. • Wood surface. Liriodendron tulipifera. • Transverse section. Liriodendron tulipifera. • Tangential section. Liriodendron tulipifera. • Radial section. Liriodendron tulipifera.
Cite this publication as: H. G. Richter and M. J. Dallwitz (2000 onwards). 'Commercial timbers: descriptions, illustrations, identification, and information retrieval.' In English, French, German, and Spanish. Version: 4th May 2000. http://biodiversity.uno.edu/delta/.
Dallwitz (1980) and Dallwitz, Paine and Zurcher (1993 onwards, 1995 onwards, 1998) should also be cited (see General references).
