MILLER, REGIS B. USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, Center for Wood Anatomy Research, One Gifford Pinchot Drive, Madison, WI 53705-2398. - Wood anatomy of Vochysiaceae with special reference to Qualea and Ruizterania.
Vochysiaceae is a homogeneous family within the order Myrtales. Six of
the seven genera are native to the tropical New World and only
Erismadelphus is endemic to West Africa. The wood of the seven
genera (Callisthene, Erisma, Erismadelphus,
Salvertia, Qualea, Ruizterania, and
Vochysia) is characterized by simple perforation plates,
vestured pits, and high concentrations of aluminum (chrome azurol-S
test). Within the family, characters that vary are: vessel diameter;
ray height, width, and type; presence or absence of septate fibers,
included phloem, traumatic canals, crystals, and silica; intervessel
pit size; vessel-ray pit shape; and axial parenchyma patterns.
Qualea is the only genus in the family that is not anatomically
consistent. Within Qualea, the presence or absence of septate
fibers, crystals, and silica occurs in various combinations. These
combinations tend to match the subgenera and sections of Stafleu.
Species with septate fibers and crystals, but no silica are in
subgenus Amphilochia or the monotypic section Polytrias
of subgenus Qualea. All other species of subgenus Qualea
have nonseptate fibers. Species with crystals and no septate fibers
and silica are in section Costatifolium, and species with
silica bodies in the rays and no septate fibers or crystals are in
section Qualea. In 1969, Ruizterania was elevated to
generic status from section Trichanthera of Qualea. Like
section Qualea, Ruizterania has silica bodies in the
rays and no septate fibers or crystals. Thus, the wood anatomy does
not support the segregation of Ruizterania from Qualea,
but it does suggest the reevaluation of subgenus Amphilochia.
Key words: Qualea, Ruizterania, Vochysiaceae, wood anatomy