Series editors' preface - Wood Tools

2.2.2 Wood anatomy: softwoods
The cell structure of softwoods is relatively
simple compared to that of the hardwoods (see
Figure 2.4). Most of the cells found in conifer-
Wood and wooden structures 55
Figure 2.3 Plant classification chart showing the relationship of genera of many common woods found in furniture
ous woods are tracheids, which comprise
90–95% of the volume of the wood. Tracheids
are fibre-like cells with lengths of approximately
100 times their diameter. Average tracheid
length ranges from 2 to 6 millimetres