Forestry 280Features of Woods 48-56

#48: Sassafras Sassafras albidum

Avg. SG: 0.45 Heartwood Color: Grey or

grayish brown Heartwood Odor: Spicy odor

and taste Pore Distribution: Ring-porous Earlywood: 3-8 pores wide;

pores medium to large Latewood: Pores solitary and in

radial multiples of 2-3, forming fine tangential lines in outer latewood

Tyloses: Fairly abundant Rays: Barely visible to eye

#49: Black Cherry Prunus serotina

Avg. SG: 0.50 Heartwood Color: Light to dark

cinnamon or reddish brown Pore Distribution: Diffuse-

porous Pores: Pores through growth ring

solitary and in radial or irregular multiples and small clusters

Gum Defects: Common Rays: Not visible on tangential

surface; conspicuous light ray fleck on radial surfaces; distinct whitish lines across transverse surface (distinct to naked eye)

#51: Common Persimmon Diospyros virginiana

Heartwood Color: Core dark, nearly black

Sapwood Color: Creamy white, darkening to yellow or light grey

Pore Distribution: Semi-ring-porous

Pores: Largest pores medium to large, thick walled; appear to be relatively few; solitary or in radial multiples

Tyloses: Occasionally present Parenchyma: Fine tangential lines Rays: Fine, visible w/lens Ripple Marks: On tangential

surfaces; denotes storied structure

#52: Eastern Cottonwood Populus deltoides

Avg. SG: 0.40 Heartwood Color: Grayish to

light grayish brown, sometimes with olive cast

Odor: Moist wood with foul odor (not universal)

Pore Distribution: Diffuse-porous or semi-diffuse porous

Pores: Medium to small, solitary and in radial multiples of 2 to several

Rays: Very fine, not easily seen with lens

#54: Black Willow Salix nigra

Avg. SG: 0.39 Heartwood Color: Light brown

to pale reddish or grayish brown, frequently with dark streaks

Pore Distribution: Diffuse-porous to semi-diffuse-porous

Pores: Medium to small, usually with apparent size gradation from earlywood to latewood, solitary and in multiples of 2 to several. Pores typically much more visible (larger) than in cottonwood and aspen

Rays: Very fine, barely visible w/hand lens

#53: Quaking Aspen Populus tremuloides

Avg. SG: 0.38 Heartwood Color: Creamy

white to light grayish brown Pore Distribution: Diffuse-

porous Pores: Small to very small,

w/gradation from earlywood to latewood, solitary and in multiples of 2 to several

Rays: Very fine, not easily seen w/hand lens

NOTE: Don’t separate #52 and #53

#55: American Hornbeam Carpinus caroliniana

Heartwood Color: Pale yellowish or brownish white

Pore Distribution: Diffuse-porous

Pores: Indistinct without a hand lens

Rays: Two types: Narrow and aggregate; wide aggregate rays are fairly abundant

Other: Wood heavy and hard; often has wavy growth ring boundaries

#56: Eastern Hophornbeam Ostrya virginiana

Heartwood Color: Whitish to light brown tinged with red

Pore Distribution: Diffuse-porous

Pores: Indistinct or barely visible to the eye; often aggregated into flame-shaped groups

Rays: Fine, indistinct, closely spaced (NOTE: no aggregate rays as in #55)

Other: Wood heavy and very hard; growth rings often with “ragged contours”

Acknowledgement Photomacrographs by Zach Kriess Supplemental photomacrographs (those with

white text showing scientific name) courtesy of the USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory