Series editors' preface - Wood Tools

Ash – Fraxinus spp.
(1) F. americana – White ash
(2) F. pennsylvanica – Green
ash
(3) F. latifolia – Oregon ash
(4) F. excelsior – European ash
(5) F. nigra – Black ash
Walnut – Juglans spp.
(1) J. nigra – Black walnut
(2) J. regia – English walnut/
French walnut/Circassian
walnut
Plane – Platanus spp.
(1) P. occidentalis – American
sycamore
(2) P. acerifolia – London
plane
Tyloses generally sparse in early-wood.
Rays not distinct without lens. Heartwood
of (1) fluoresces dim yellow-green
Heartwood colour light brown or greyish
brown (1–4) greyish brown to medium or
dark brown (5). Ring porous. Early-wood
2–4 pores wide, moderately large to large
(5) surrounded by lighter tissue. Late-wood
pores solitary and in radial multiples of 2–3
(not numerous in (5)). In (1–4), late-wood
pores are surrounded by vasicentric
parenchyma or connected by aliform
parenchyma. In (5), aliform or confluent
parenchyma in outer late-wood is rare.
Tyloses fairly abundant. Rays not distinct to
eye but clearly visible with hand lens.
(1): Heartwood medium brown to deep
chocolate brown. Semi-ring porous. Earlywood
pores fairly large, decreasing
gradually to quite small in outer late-wood;
pores solitary or in radial multiples of 2 to
several. Tyloses moderately abundant. Short
tangential lines of banded or diffuse in
aggregates parenchyma visible with lens.
Rays fine, visible but not conspicuous with
lens. (2): very similar but appears lighter
and less uniform in colour and more
diffuse porous
Heartwood light to dark brown usually with
a reddish cast. Diffuse porous; growth rings
distinct due to unusual lighter colour of
late-wood. Pores small, solitary, and in
irregular multiples and clusters, numerous
and evenly distributed throughout most of
the growth ring. Late-wood zone evident by
fewer, smaller pores and lighter colour.
Rays easily visible without lens on all
surfaces, appear uniform in size and
spacing on transverse and tangential
surfaces. Conspicuous dark ray fleck on
radial surfaces
Rays 1–3 seriate.
Late-wood pores
thick-walled
Rays 1–5 seriate; ray
cells appear round in
tangential view.
Crystals in
longitudinal
parenchyma and
‘gash-like pits’ in
late-wood vessels
occasionally found in
(1) but not in (2)
Largest rays up to 14
seriate. Uniseriate
rays not common
(1) 0.60
(2) 0.56
(3) 0.55
(4) 0.61
(5) 0.49
(1) 0.55
(2) 0.56
(1) 0.49
(2) 0.55
51.1
52.2
37.1
9.71
8.61
5.93
106
101
68.9
12 200
11 600
9780
7.8
7.8
7.8
6.4
4.9
5.0
5.5
4.3
continued