Anatomical Variation in Planted Kelempayan (Neolamarckia Cadamba, Rubiaceae)

Abstract

Six plantation grown Kelempayan trees [ Neolamarckia cadamba (Roxb.) Bosser, syn. Anthocephalus chinensis (Lamk.) A. Rich. ex Walp., Rubiaceae] were sampled along their radii and at five different height levels to evaluate variations of wood anatomical properties. Analysis of variance indicates that between tree differences in all anatomical properties measured were significant. Vessel proportion increases while ray proportion decreases with height, while both fibre diameter and fibre lumen diameter decrease with height. No significant trend was found for fibre length vertically. Cell wall substance and vessel and ray proportion increase from pith to bark, while fibre proportion decreases. Fibre length and fibre wall thickness increase from pith to bark, while fibre diameter and fibre lumen diameter first increase and then decrease. Within-tree variations are more consistent radially than vertically.