XVI International Botanical Congess

Buddleia comprises nearly 100 species with pantropical distribution. Species habit vary from small shrubs to trees 20-30 meters tall, but few are vines. Mennega, who studied wood of 13 species suggested to examine more material to evaluate the differences found. Moreover, Carlquist mentioned the importance of studying Buddlejaceae wood to indicate the probably affinities of the family. Wood of 30 species was studied. Some wood characters are homogeneous among species. Axial parenchyma is absent or rare, rays are of heterogeneous type, fibers are nonseptate, except for 8 species. Diffuse, semiring and ringporous wood were observed. Porositi appears to be correlated with water availability. Differences exit in vessel grouping: e.g., vessels solitary and with short groups of 2-3 vessels in B. americana, radial multiples of 4-5 cells in B. thyrsoides, and clusters in B. stenostachya. Notably some species that are shrubs tend to have vessels in tangential bands.