compression wood
Quick Summary
Compression wood is a type of reaction wood found on the lower sides of leaning tree trunks and branches. It is characterized by a darker color, a glassy appearance, and unevenly wider annual rings. This wood also features shorter vascular elements and excessive, uneven shrinkage compared to normal wood.1
Compression wood forms in conifers and exerts an upward pushing force, contributing to an eccentric growth pattern where the stem is more oval-shaped near the ground. This type of wood is more lignified and has reduced cellulose content. The tracheids in compression wood are rounder, with intercellular spaces and thicker walls, making the wood appear reddish.2
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angiospermTransport and plant growth…tissue (wood), the cambium produces compression wood on the lower side (in conifers) or tension wood on the upper side (in eudicotyledons) in response to a hormone; the stem responds by pushing (in conifers) or pulling (in eudicotyledons) itself upright. Transport of growth-regulating substances is thus largely responsible for the…
Read More…tissue (wood), the cambium produces compression wood on the lower side (in conifers) or tension wood on the upper side (in eudicotyledons) in response to a hormone; the stem responds by pushing (in conifers) or pulling (in eudicotyledons) itself upright. Transport of growth-regulating substances is thus largely responsible for the…
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treeWood adaptations…conifers, the reaction wood, called compression wood, forms on the lower side with respect to gravity and exerts a pushing force in the upward direction. In compression woods there is more growth on the lower side of the stem where the compression wood forms; this results in an oval cross…
Read More…conifers, the reaction wood, called compression wood, forms on the lower side with respect to gravity and exerts a pushing force in the upward direction. In compression woods there is more growth on the lower side of the stem where the compression wood forms; this results in an oval cross…
Read More