Morphological Variation of Vessel Elements in the Korean Diffuse-porous Woods

한국산(韓國産) 주요(主要) 산공재(散孔材)의 도관요소(導管要素) 형태변이(形態變異)

This study was carried out to investigate the variations of dimension and exterior shape of vessel elements, morphology of spiral thickening and ray-vessel pit in korean diffuse-porous woods (56 species, 18 families), The tangential pore diameter and vessel element length was increased, whereas the pore number per unit area($1mm^2$) was decreased from pith outwards. The tangential pore diameter was decreased but the length of vessel element was not changed from earlywood to latewood within an annual ring. However, the dimensional variations of vessel element was not able to be recognized among relative positions in peripheral variation. The exterior shape of vessel element could be classified into four types; Type 1 is without tail, Type 2 with ligulate tail, Type 3 with broad taper tail and Type 4 with the very short length between perforations. The distribution frequency of Type 2 and 3 was relatively high in comparision with the others. According to the prominence, distribution position and branched shape, the spiral thickenings could be divided into five types. The spiral thickenings occurred 52% in the species observed. Thus it was doubtful to consider the simple presence of spiral thickening as diagnostic index in diffuse-porous woods. The morphology of ray-vessel pit could be grouped as reticulate, scalariform, oval, linear and coalescent type. Most of species examined showed oval and linear type.