New Zealand Journal of Botany abstracts

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Bark anatomy of Nothofagus species indigenous to New Zealand

RAJNI N. PATEL
JULIET E. SHAND

Botany Division, DSIR
Private Bag, Christchurch, New Zealand

Abstract The bark anatomy of Nothofagus menziesii (Hook, f.) Oerst., N. fusca (Hook, f.) Oerst., N. truncata (Col.) Ckn., N. solandri (Hook, f.) Oerst. var. solandri and N. solandri var. cliffortioides (Hook, f.) Poole, is described. Sieve tubes have predominantly scalariform compound sieve plates. Axial parenchyma cells are abundant and some have crystals in chambers. Fibres are derived from the fusiform cambial initials and are arranged in numerous scattered bundles. Each fibre bundle is encased in a sheath of chambered crys- talliferous cells. Rays are usually 1-2 cells wide lacking both crystals and silica grains. Sclereids originate from axial parenchyma, ray parenchyma, and phelloderm cells. Phellogen is not repeatedly formed and only 2-3 periderms close to the stem surface have been observed. Rhytidome usually comprises a small proportion of bark. Coloured contents occur abundantly in the bark tissue of all the species examined. Anatomical features associated with crystals, fibre bundles, and phellem cells suggest separation of the indigenous taxa into three groups: 1) N. menziesii 2) N. fusca, N. truncata 3) N. solandri var. solandri, N. solandri var. cliffortioides. Analysis of the bark structure of New Zealand Nothofagus species suggests that this material is unsuitable for pulp and paper-making.

Keywords Nothofagus menziesii; silver beech; Nothofagus fusca; red beech; Nothofagus truncata; hard beech; Nothofagus solandri var. solandri; black beech; Nothofagus solandri var. cliffortioides; mountain beech; bark anatomy; phloem; periderm; New Zealand

Received 3 January 1985; accepted 20 May 1985
New Zealand Journal of Botany, 1985, Vol. 23: 511-532
0028-825X/85/2304-0511$2.50/0 © Crown copyright 1985 511

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