Xylem Anatomy of Coppiced and Non-Coppiced Rosewood (Pterocarpus erinaceusPoir.)in relation to their Utilisation

Abstract

The African rosewood (Pterocarpus erinaceus)is an endemic timber across West Africa. However,its lumber is extremely exploited and threateneddue toits high performance and technological qualities. Coppiced wood contributes sustainably to the management of natural forest stands byaugmentingregular timber supply.P. erinaceustissues and their proportions were determined from the Transverse, Radial and Tangential Sections. Its wood is diffuse-porous with no or indistinct growth ring boundary. It has simple-to-minutely bordered pits, tyloses in vessel lumina, with prismatic crystals existing in chambered axial parenchyma. Thick-walledfibres constitute the greatest proportion of the tissues.Fibre proportion was greater for non-coppiced wood than the coppiced,which decreased up their stems [i.e., 57±1, 55±0.6, 52±0 % (sapwood) and 60±1.2, 57±2, 55±0.3 % (heartwood) for noncoppiced and 52±0.6, 52±0, 50±0.3 % (sapwood) and 57±1, 53±0, 50±0.3 % (heartwood) for coppiced respectively].Their sapwood and heartwood vessel and parenchyma percentages increased up their boles. Vessel lumen diameter was greater for non-coppiced trees (92±1.2-126±2µm) than the coppiced (91±0.6-117±3µm). However, both have small-medium size vessels(91±0.6-126±2µm). Coppiced P. erinaceusxylem anatomy compares satisfactorily with that from the non-coppiced and those of several well-known hardwoods appreciated for furniture and construction works. Thus, the coppiced wood wouldsupplement its non-coppiced counterpart forconstructionand other related industrial applications.