Commercial timbers

H. G. Richter and M. J. Dallwitz


Sorbus aucuparia L. (Vogelbeere, Eberesche)

Nomenclature etc. ROSACEAE. Status of protection under CITES regulations: not protected.

Description based on: 6 specimens. Tree. Geographic distribution: Europe, excl. Mediterranean and temperate Asia.

General. Growth ring boundaries distinct, growthring limits demarcated by radially flattened, thick-walled fibres (latewood). Heartwood basically brown and red, with streaks and without streaks. Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour. Odour indistinct or absent. Basic specific gravity 0.57–0.64–0.78 g/cm³.

Vessels. Vessels present. Wood semi-ring-porous and diffuse-porous. Vessels arranged in no specific pattern, in multiples, commonly short (2–3 vessels) radial rows and in clusters. Vessel outline rounded and angular. Two distinct vessel diameter classes absent. Average tangential vessel diameter 50–60 µm. Average tangential diameter of vessel lumina medium. Vessels per square millimetre very numerous. Perforation plates simple, scalariform, and reticulate, foraminate or other types, with scalariform and reticulate perforations very rare. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 5–6 µm, small, not vestured. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders, similar to intervessel pits, of uniform size or type, of the same type in adjacent elements, located throughout the ray. Helical thickenings present, in narrow and wide vessel elements, throughout the body of vessel elements. Tyloses in vessels absent. Other deposits in heartwood vessels present and not observed.

Tracheids and fibres. Vascular or vasicentric tracheids sporadic to absent. Fibres very thin-walled and of medium wall thickness. Fibre pits common in both radial and tangential walls, distinctly bordered. Helical thickenings absent. Fibres non-septate.

Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma present, not banded. Axial parenchyma apotracheal. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse and diffuse-in-aggregates. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per axial parenchyma strand 2–4. Unlignified parenchyma absent. Short lines more frequent in latewood and along growthring limits but not forming (marginal) bands.

Rays. Rays present, 10–15 per tangential mm, multiseriate, also if only few, 1–2(–3) cells wide, 2–3 cells wide. Rays with multiseriate portions as wide as uniseriate portions absent. Aggregate rays absent. Rays of one size. Height of large rays up to 500 µm. Rays composed of a single cell type and two or more cell types. Homocellular ray cells procumbent. Heterocellular rays square and upright cells restricted to marginal rows. Number of marginal rows of upright or square cells 1. Sheath cells absent. Tile cells absent. Perforated ray cells absent. Disjunctive ray parenchyma end walls indistinct or absent.

Storied structures. Storied structure absent.

Secretory structures. Oil and mucilage cells absent. Intercellular canals absent. Laticifers or tanniniferous tubes absent.

Cambial variants. Included phloem absent. Other cambial variants absent.

Mineral inclusions. Crystals not observed. Silica not observed.

Physical and chemical tests. Heartwood fluorescent. Water extract not fluorescent. Water extract basically colourless to brown or shade of brown. Heartwood extractives not leachable by water. Ethanol extract not fluorescent. Ethanol extract basically colourless to brown or shade of brown. Chrome azurol-S test negative. Froth test positive. Splinter burns to partial ash. Ash other than white, grey, yellow or brown (dark grey to black gris oscuro a casi negro).


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).

Index