1. Forestry 280 Features of Woods 57-74

2. #57: Yellow Birch Betula alleghaniensis
Avg. SG: 0.62
Heartwood Color: Light to dark brown or reddish brown
Pore Distribution: Diffuse-porous
Pores: Small to medium, solitary or in radial multiples of 2 to several; with lens, pore diameters clearly greater than ray width; some pores appear to be filled with whitish substance

3. #58: Paper Birch Betula papyrifera
Like yellow birch, except that heartwood is lighter and less yellow in color
Don’t separate Yellow from Paper birch (#57 and 58)

4. #59: Red Alder Alnus rubra
Avg. SG: 0.41
Heartwood Color: Pale tan when freshly cut darkening w/age to light reddish brown
Pore Distribution: Diffuse-porous
Pores: Small, solitary and in mostly radial multiples
Rays: Large aggregate rays widely scattered but easily seen w/o lens

5. #60: American Beech Fagus grandifolia
Avg. SG: 0.64
Heartwood Color: Creamy white w/reddish tinge to medium reddish brown
Pore Distribution: Diffuse-porous; growth rings distinct
Pores: Small, solitary and in irregular multiples and clusters; numerous and evenly distributed throughout most of the ring; narrow but distinct latewood in each ring having fewer, smaller pores
Rays: Largest rays conspicuous on all surfaces; darker ray fleck against lighter background on radial surfaces

6. #61: Magnolia Magnolia grandiflora
Diffuse porous; pores small and evenly distributed throughout growth ring
Heartwood color variable from yellowto greenish black
Marginal parenchyma create whitish lines at growth ring boundaries

7. #62: Yellow Poplar Liriodendron tulipifera
Avg. SG: 0.42
Heartwood Color: Green, or yellow to tan w/greenish cast
Sapwood Color: Creamy white
Pore Distribution: Diffuse-porous; growth rings delineated by distinct light cream or yellowish line of marginal parenchyma
Pores: Small, solitary, but mostly in radial or irregular multiples and small clusters
Rays: Distinct on cross section w/lens; produce conspicuous fine light ray fleck on radial surface

8. #63: California laurel Umbellularia californica
Wood heavy, hard
“Relatively few pores”
Pores encircled by vasicentric parenchyma gives appearance of a whitish sheath around pores and pore multiples
Heartwood may have a “spicy” or “wintergreen” odor

9. #64: Sweetgum or Redgum Liquidambar styraciflua
Avg. SG: 0.52
Heartwood Color: Grey or reddish brown, sometimes w/variegated pigment
Pore Distribution: Diffuse-porous
Pores: Very small, numerous, solitary and in multiples and small clusters, often in intermittent radial chains
Rays: Very fine, not distinct even w/hand lens
DON’T SEPARATE from #71, Black Gum/Tupelo

10. # 65: Sycamore Platanus occidentalis
Avg. SG: 0.49
Heartwood Color: Light to dark brown, usually w/reddish cast
Pore Distribution: Diffuse-porous; growth rings distinct d/t unusual lighter color of latewood
Pores: Small, solitary and in irregular multiples and clusters, numerous and evenly distributed throughout most of the growth ring
Rays: Easily visible w/o lens on all surfaces, appearing uniform in size and evenly spaced on transverse and tangential surfaces, producing conspicuous dark ray fleck on radial surfaces

11. #66: Holly Ilex opaca Wood hard and heavy
Very light colored heartwood, “ivory white”
Narrow and broad rays
Pores arranged in long radial strings

12. #67: Sugar Maple Acer saccharum (hard maple)
Avg. SG: 0.63
Heartwood Color: Creamy white to light reddish brown
Pore Distribution: Diffuse-porous; growth rings distinct due to darker brown narrow latewood line
Pores: Small, with largest approximately equal to maximum ray width in cross section; solitary or in radial multiples; very evenly distributed
Rays: Visible to eye on tangential surface as very fine, even-sized, evenly distributed lines; on radial surfaces, ray fleck usually conspicuous
DON’T SEPARATE from soft maple (#68)

13. #68: Red Maple Acer rubrum (Soft maple)
Heartwood Color: Creamy white to light reddish brown, commonly with grayish cast or streaks
Pore Distribution: Diffuse-porous
Pores: Small, solitary and in radial multiples, very evenly distributed; largest as large or slightly larger than widest rays on cross section
Rays: May be visible on tangential surface as very fine, even-sized and evenly spaced lines; on radial surfaces, ray fleck usually conspicuous
DON’T SEPARATE from hard maple, #67

14. #69: Buckeye Aesculus octandra, A. glabra
Heartwood creamy white to yellowish white, often with darker streaks
Fine, closely-spaced rays
Marginal parenchyma form whitish lines at growth ring boundaries
Wood light and soft
Look for RIPPLE MARKS on tangential surface

15. #70: Basswood Tilia americana
Heartwood Color: Creamy white to pale brown
Wood is relatively easy to cut & carve
Pore Distribution: Diffuse-porous; growth rings indistinct or faintly delineated by marginal parenchyma, sometimes w/blurry whitish spots along growth ring
Pores: Small, mostly in irregular multiples and clusters
Rays: Distinct but not conspicuous on transverse surface with lens; look for ray fleck on radial surfaces

16. #71: Black Tupelo Nyssa sylvatica
Avg. SG: 0.50
Heartwood Color: Medium grey or grey with green or brown cast
Pore Distribution: Diffuse-porous
Pores: Very small, numerous, solitary and in multiples and small clusters
Rays: Barely visible even with hand lens; closely spaced, appearing to make up half of the transverse surface
DON’T SEPARATE from #64 (Sweetgum)

17. #72: Dogwood Cornus florida
Avg. SG: 0.73
Heartwood Color: Dark brown
Sapwood Color: Creamy w/flesh or pinkish cast
Pore Distribution: Diffuse-porous
Pores: Very small, mostly solitary with some radial multiples
Rays: Approximately as wide or wider than largest pores

18. #73: Honduras mahogany Swietenia macrophylla (or Tropical American mahogany)
Heartwood reddish brown
Pores visible to eye, rather circular in cross-section, solitary and in multiples
Ripple marks often observed on tangential-longitudinal surfaces

19. #74: Lauan Shorea spp. (or Philippine mahogany)
Avg. SG: 0.46
Heartwood: Pale grayish or yellowish brown w/pinkish cast and silvery sheen
Growth Rings: Not distinct
Pores: Medium-large to very large, distinct w/o lens, solitary and in radial groups of 2-3
Gum Ducts: In long tangential lines, embedded in bands of parenchyma; free of contents
Parenchyma: Vasicentric and aliform with short wings
Rays: Barely visible without lens; forms distinctive ray fleck on radial-longitudinal surfaces

20. Others

21. African Mahogany Khaya spp.
Avg. SG: 0.63
Heartwood: Pale rosy red to dark reddish brown, often purplish cast
Grain: Typically interlocked producing even striped figure
Growth Rings: Usually indistinct, but sometimes distinct d/t increased fiber density in outer latewood
Pores: Medium to med. large, visible w/o lens, evenly distributed solitary and in radial groups of 2-8
Gum: Some pores w/red gum
Parenchyma: Usually not distinct w/o lens; terminal parenchyma occasionally present, poorly defined
Rays: Distinct on cross section
Ray Fleck: On radial surfaces, ray fleck darker than background

22. Teak Tectona grandis Avg. SG: 0.57
Heartwood: Dark golden yellow turning dark brown or nearly black
Grain: Straight
Odor: Characteristic spicy odor
Growth Rings: Distinct; wood usually ring-porous
Pores: Earlywood pores very large, solitary and in radial groups of 2-3; latewood pores smaller, not numerous, evenly distributed; vessels w/tyloses or with yellowish or whitish deposits
Parenchyma: Terminal & Vasicentric
Rays: Distinct w/o lens

23. Acknowledgement Photomacrographs by Zach Kriess
Supplemental photomacrographs (those with white text showing scientific name) courtesy of the USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory