TULIP TREE 



G.N. 61 



I. BROAD-LEAVED TREES 

 TULIP TREE (CANARY WHITEWOOD) 



Liriodendron tulipifera Linn. Magnoliaceae. 



A diffuse-pored wood of a white colour sometimes with a greenish 

 tinge, deepening to brown or even black by exposure to the light. 

 Distinctly green when polished. Soft and light in weight. A sapwood 

 tree. 



Transverse section. Boundary a very clear, fine line, lighter in colour 

 than the fibres. 



Parenchyma not visible with lens: dispersed amongst the fibres. 



Vessels, small (lens), crowded and evenly distributed throughout the 

 section, diminishing a little, regularly outwards to the boundary. 



Rays very clear though small, visible at arm's length especially when 

 wetted ; direct, not avoiding or running round the pores; slightly nodose 

 where crossing the boundaries; much lighter in colour than the ground- 

 fibres ; multiseriate (microscope) : uniseriate rays rare. 



Radial section. Boundary clear, vessels fine, but still visible; rays 

 obscure (but though small yet very distinct when wet or polished). 



Tangential section, as the radial, but the boundaries are somewhat 

 more prominent; in darkened wood they appear frequently as hoary 

 loops. Rays very obscure even with lens. 



May be confused with: 



Willow (colour pinkish-brown: 

 uniseriate rays). 



Poplar (white or brownish- white : 

 rays uniseriate). 



Horse Chestnut (white: very 

 light in weight: rays uniseriate). 



Birch (white or ecru : rays chiefly 

 multiseriate just visible to the 

 naked eye: many uniseriate). 



Lime (white or ecru : rays chiefly 

 multiseriate, many uniseriate : just 

 visible). 



Sycamore (white: rays in tan- 

 gential section produce a half- tone 

 effect: in transverse section the 

 larger are thick and thin, irregularly 

 spaced, and of seldom less than 

 5 rows of cells wide, still uniseriate 

 rays are abundant). 



May be distinguished by: 



Colour white to brown or green- 

 ish-brown : multiseriate rays which 

 in transverse section are visible at 

 arm's length. 



As above, rays multiseriate. 



As above, rays multiseriate. 



As above, uniseriate rays very 

 rare. 



As above, uniseriate rays very 

 rare. 



Rays in tangential section, ob- 

 scure, no half-tone effect: in trans- 

 verse section regular in size and 

 spacing: uniseriate rays rare. 

 Septa of the vessels with grids 

 (scalarifonn). 



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