Anatomical Features of Five SpeciesProducing-Eagleuood and Two Related Species

Anatomical features can be used identify eaglewood producing species. Some of these species are members of thymeleaceae. Wood sample soffive species producing-eaglewood and two related species were prepared by slidingmicrotome into thin sectionsfor anatomical-structureobservation. Fiber and vesseldimensions were measuredon the samples.Results indicated that wood portions of Aquilaria spp., Gyrinops versteeghii and Gyrinopsis cumingiana contained included-phloem which were not ecountered on Amyxa pluricornis and Phaleria sp. Wood of Aquilaria spp. exhibited the vessels in radial multiples of 2(-3) common cells. Radial multiple vessels are also found in Gyrinops versteeghii and Gyrinopsis cumingiana wood with 2-4(-6-8) common cells. Wood of Gyrinops versteeghii and Gyrinopsis cumingiana could be disting uished by their different ray width, wherelly theformer had uniseriatewidth, while the latter revealeduni-to bi-seriate. Further,Amyxapluricornis and Phaleria sp. woods could be differentiated by theirparencbyma types. The formerwood speciespossesses a confluent axial parencllyma, whilethe latter contained vasicentric axial parencllyma. Solitary-vessel percentage, ray height, and fiber length at the stems of Aquilaria malaccensis and Aquilaria microcarpa were greater than those in their roots, but the reverse was truefor vessel diameterand length.