Cross-field pitting characteristics of compression, lateral, and opposite wood in the stem wood of Ginkgo biloba and Pinus densiflora

Abstract

Abstract The characteristics of cross-field pitting among compression wood, lateral wood, and opposite wood, in the stem woods of Ginkgo biloba and Pinus densiflora were investigated with optical and scanning electron microscopy. In Ginkgo biloba, compression wood exhibited piceoid pits, while lateral and opposite wood exhibited cupressoid pits. The compression wood of Pinus densiflora exhibited cupressoid pits and piceoid pits, while lateral wood and opposite wood exhibited pinoid and window-like pits in the cross-field. In both species, compression wood yielded the smallest pit number among each part, while opposite wood yielded the greatest pit number per cross-field. Cross-field pitting diameters of compression wood and opposite wood were significantly smaller than lateral wood in Ginkgo biloba, while the cross-field pitting of compression wood was the smallest in Pinus densiflora. Radial tracheid diameter of compression wood was slightly smaller than lateral and opposite wood in Ginkgo biloba and significantly smaller than lateral and opposite wood in Pinus densiflora. In conclusion, the cross-field pitting type, pit number, and cross-field pitting diameter could be used to identify reaction wood in the stem wood of Ginkgo biloba and Pinus densiflora.