Forestry 280
Features of Woods 57-74
#57: Yellow Birch Betula alleghaniensis
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Avg. SG: 0.62
Heartwood Color: Light to dark
brown or reddish brown
Pore Distribution: Diffuseporous
Pores: Small to medium, solitary
or in radial multiples of 2 to
several; with lens, pore
diameters clearly greater than
ray width; some pores appear to
be filled with whitish substance
#58: Paper Birch Betula papyrifera
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Like yellow birch, except that heartwood is
lighter and less yellow in color
Don’t separate Yellow from Paper birch (#57
and 58)
#59: Red Alder Alnus rubra
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Avg. SG: 0.41
Heartwood Color: Pale tan
when freshly cut darkening
w/age to light reddish brown
Pore Distribution: Diffuseporous
Pores: Small, solitary and in
mostly radial multiples
Rays: Large aggregate rays
widely scattered but easily seen
w/o lens
#60: American Beech Fagus grandifolia
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Avg. SG: 0.64
Heartwood Color: Creamy white
w/reddish tinge to medium reddish
brown
Pore Distribution: Diffuseporous; growth rings distinct
Pores: Small, solitary and in
irregular multiples and clusters;
numerous and evenly distributed
throughout most of the ring;
narrow but distinct latewood in
each ring having fewer, smaller
pores
Rays: Largest rays conspicuous
on all surfaces; darker ray fleck
against lighter background on
radial surfaces
#61: Magnolia Magnolia grandiflora
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Diffuse porous; pores
small and evenly
distributed throughout
growth ring
Heartwood color
variable from yellowto
greenish black
Marginal parenchyma
create whitish lines at
growth ring boundaries
#62: Yellow Poplar Liriodendron tulipifera
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Avg. SG: 0.42
Heartwood Color: Green, or
yellow to tan w/greenish cast
Sapwood Color: Creamy white
Pore Distribution: Diffuseporous; growth rings delineated by
distinct light cream or yellowish
line of marginal parenchyma
Pores: Small, solitary, but mostly
in radial or irregular multiples and
small clusters
Rays: Distinct on cross section
w/lens; produce conspicuous fine
light ray fleck on radial surface
#63: California laurel Umbellularia californica
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Wood heavy, hard
“Relatively few pores”
Pores encircled by
vasicentric parenchyma
gives appearance of a
whitish sheath around
pores and pore
multiples
Heartwood may have a
“spicy” or “wintergreen”
odor
#64: Sweetgum or Redgum
Liquidambar styraciflua
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Avg. SG: 0.52
Heartwood Color: Grey or
reddish brown, sometimes
w/variegated pigment
Pore Distribution: Diffuseporous
Pores: Very small, numerous,
solitary and in multiples and
small clusters, often in
intermittent radial chains
Rays: Very fine, not distinct
even w/hand lens
DON’T SEPARATE from #71,
Black Gum/Tupelo
# 65: Sycamore Platanus occidentalis
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Avg. SG: 0.49
Heartwood Color: Light to dark
brown, usually w/reddish cast
Pore Distribution: Diffuseporous; growth rings distinct d/t
unusual lighter color of latewood
Pores: Small, solitary and in
irregular multiples and clusters,
numerous and evenly distributed
throughout most of the growth
ring
Rays: Easily visible w/o lens on
all surfaces, appearing uniform
in size and evenly spaced on
transverse and tangential
surfaces, producing conspicuous
dark ray fleck on radial surfaces
#66: Holly Ilex opaca
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Wood hard and heavy
Very light colored
heartwood, “ivory
white”
Narrow and broad rays
Pores arranged in
long radial strings
#67: Sugar Maple Acer saccharum
(hard maple)
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Avg. SG: 0.63
Heartwood Color: Creamy white to
light reddish brown
Pore Distribution: Diffuse-porous;
growth rings distinct due to darker
brown narrow latewood line
Pores: Small, with largest
approximately equal to maximum
ray width in cross section; solitary or
in radial multiples; very evenly
distributed
Rays: Visible to eye on tangential
surface as very fine, even-sized, evenly
distributed lines; on radial surfaces, ray
fleck usually conspicuous
DON’T SEPARATE from soft maple
(#68)
#68: Red Maple Acer rubrum
(Soft maple)
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Heartwood Color: Creamy
white to light reddish brown,
commonly with grayish cast or
streaks
Pore Distribution: Diffuseporous
Pores: Small, solitary and in
radial multiples, very evenly
distributed; largest as large or
slightly larger than widest rays
on cross section
Rays: May be visible on
tangential surface as very fine,
even-sized and evenly spaced
lines; on radial surfaces, ray
fleck usually conspicuous
DON’T SEPARATE from hard
maple, #67
#69: Buckeye Aesculus octandra, A. glabra
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Heartwood creamy white to
yellowish white, often with
darker streaks
Fine, closely-spaced rays
Marginal parenchyma form
whitish lines at growth ring
boundaries
Wood light and soft
Look for RIPPLE MARKS
on tangential surface
#70: Basswood Tilia americana
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Heartwood Color: Creamy white
to pale brown
Wood is relatively easy to cut &
carve
Pore Distribution: Diffuseporous; growth rings indistinct or
faintly delineated by marginal
parenchyma, sometimes w/blurry
whitish spots along growth ring
Pores: Small, mostly in irregular
multiples and clusters
Rays: Distinct but not
conspicuous on transverse surface
with lens; look for ray fleck on
radial surfaces
#71: Black Tupelo Nyssa sylvatica
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Avg. SG: 0.50
Heartwood Color: Medium
grey or grey with green or brown
cast
Pore Distribution: Diffuseporous
Pores: Very small, numerous,
solitary and in multiples and
small clusters
Rays: Barely visible even with
hand lens; closely spaced,
appearing to make up half of
the transverse surface
DON’T SEPARATE from #64
(Sweetgum)
#72: Dogwood Cornus florida
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Avg. SG: 0.73
Heartwood Color: Dark brown
Sapwood Color: Creamy w/flesh
or pinkish cast
Pore Distribution: Diffuseporous
Pores: Very small, mostly
solitary with some radial
multiples
Rays: Approximately as wide or
wider than largest pores
#73: Honduras mahogany Swietenia
macrophylla (or Tropical American mahogany)
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Heartwood reddish
brown
Pores visible to eye,
rather circular in crosssection, solitary and in
multiples
Ripple marks often
observed on
tangential-longitudinal
surfaces
#74: Lauan Shorea spp.
(or Philippine mahogany)
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Avg. SG: 0.46
Heartwood: Pale grayish or
yellowish brown w/pinkish cast
and silvery sheen
Growth Rings: Not distinct
Pores: Medium-large to very
large, distinct w/o lens, solitary
and in radial groups of 2-3
Gum Ducts: In long tangential
lines, embedded in bands of
parenchyma; free of contents
Parenchyma: Vasicentric and
aliform with short wings
Rays: Barely visible without
lens; forms distinctive ray fleck
on radial-longitudinal surfaces
Others
African Mahogany Khaya spp.
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Avg. SG: 0.63
Heartwood: Pale rosy red to dark
reddish brown, often purplish cast
Grain: Typically interlocked
producing even striped figure
Growth Rings: Usually indistinct,
but sometimes distinct d/t increased
fiber density in outer latewood
Pores: Medium to med. large,
visible w/o lens, evenly distributed
solitary and in radial groups of 2-8
Gum: Some pores w/red gum
Parenchyma: Usually not distinct
w/o lens; terminal parenchyma
occasionally present, poorly defined
Rays: Distinct on cross section
Ray Fleck: On radial surfaces, ray
fleck darker than background
Teak Tectona grandis
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Avg. SG: 0.57
Heartwood: Dark golden yellow
turning dark brown or nearly black
Grain: Straight
Odor: Characteristic spicy odor
Growth Rings: Distinct; wood
usually ring-porous
Pores: Earlywood pores very
large, solitary and in radial groups
of 2-3; latewood pores smaller, not
numerous, evenly distributed;
vessels w/tyloses or with
yellowish or whitish deposits
Parenchyma: Terminal &
Vasicentric
Rays: Distinct w/o lens
Acknowledgement
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Photomacrographs by Zach Kriess
Supplemental photomacrographs (those with
white text showing scientific name) courtesy
of the USDA Forest Service, Forest Products
Laboratory