Wood Identification Study Guide for Forest Technology Students

1
Wood Identification Study Guide for Forest
Technology Students

• The following wood identification study guide
  was initially designed to assist forest
  technology students in identifying the wood of
  different tree species that are covered at the
  University of Maine at Fort Kent. Cross-sectional
  images are included for 30 species. Important
  macro-features useful for identification purposes
  are indicated and described in each image. In
  some instances, an image of the tangential face
  is also included where it may be useful for
  identification.
• I wish to make this resource available to all
  forest technology instructors and their students.
  Please feel free to use this guide as you wish in
  your classes. My only stipulation is that I
  receive credit for all images that appear in this
  guide. It is my intent in the future to add
  additional species. If you would like to add a
  species that you cover in class, please send me a
  small sample with a brief description of the
  species and I will add it to the guide. Any
  feedback in regard to this guide is appreciated.
• Jeff Dubis
• Assistant Professor of Forestry
• University of Maine at Fort Kent
• jdubis_at_maine.edu

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While viewing as a slideshow, you may go directly
to any species by clicking on the name below

• HARDWOODS
• Red Oak
• White Oak
• White Ash
• Black Ash
• Hickory
• American Elm
• Black Walnut
• Butternut
• American Beech
• Sycamore
• Sugar Maple
• Red Maple
• Yellow/White birch
• Black Cherry
• Basswood
• Yellow Poplar
• Quaking Aspen

• SOFTWOODS
• White Pine
• Red Pine
• Southern Yellow Pine
• White Spruce
• Douglas-Fir
• Tamarack
• Balsam Fir
• Eastern Hemlock
• Northern White Cedar
• Incense Cedar
• Western Red Cedar
• Eastern Red Juniper
• Redwood

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Red Oak
Very dense wood Reddish-brown heartwood Ring
porous Pores very large in earlywood Rays two
widths. Largest clearly visible Obvious bands
of parenchyma between latewood pores
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Dubis 2001
4
Very dense wood Light to dark brown
heartwood Ring porous. Pores very large in
earlywood Abundant tyloses Obvious bands of
parenchyma between earlywood pores and in
flame-tracts Rays two widths. Largest clearly
visible
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Dubis 2001
5
Very dense wood Pale yellow to light brown
heartwood with a golden tinge Ring porous. Lesser
number of latewood pores Parenchyma
arrangement Aliform Vasicentric
Confluent Rays very indistinct. Visible with
hand lens
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Dubis 2001
6
Very dense wood Reddish- brown heartwood Ring
porous. Earlywood pores larger than white ash
Vasicentric parenchyma. No bands of
parenchyma. Rays very indistinct. Visible with
hand lens
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Dubis 2001
7
Very dense wood Pale brown to brown
heartwood Ring porous. Generally a single row of
large earlywood pores. Latewood pores very
indistinct but visible with hand
lens Tyloses Banded parenchyma. Rays very
indistinct. Visible with hand lens
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Dubis 2001
8
Moderately dense wood Pale brown to brown
heartwood Ring porous. Single row of pores in
early- wood. Latewood pores in ulmiform
arrangement. Parenchyma not visible. Rays very
indistinct. Visible with hand lens
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Dubis 2001
9
Very dense wood Very distinct odor when freshly
cut Light brown to chocolate-brown
heartwood Semi-ring porous. Gradual transition
between latewood and earlywood pores Diffuse-aggre
gate parenchyma. Barely visible with hand
lens. Rays very indistinct.
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Dubis 2001
10
Moderately light wood. Easily scratched with
fingernail Nutty taste and odor Light to medium
brown heartwood Semi-ring porous.
Tyloses Diffuse aggregateparenchyma. Rays very
indistinct. Visible with hand lens
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Dubis 2001
11
Ray flecks on Tangential face
Dense wood Heartwood white with reddish-brown
tinge Diffuse-porous. Pores visible only with
hand lens Parenchyma not visible. Rays both
bi-serrate and multiserate. Largest very
visible Noded rays
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Dubis 2001
12
Moderately dense wood Heartwood light to dark
brown with reddish tinge Diffuse-porous. Visible
only with hand lens. Solitary or in irregular
multiples Parenchyma not visible. Rays both
Uniserate and multiserate. Noded rays
Ray flecks on Tangential face
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Dubis 2001
13
Very dense wood Heartwood light
reddish-brown Diffuse-porous.Solitary pores small
but distinct without a hand lens Parenchyma not
visible. Rays fairly obvious without a hand lens.
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Dubis 2001
14
Moderately dense wood Heartwood light to medium
brown Diffuse-porous.Solitary pores small but
distinct without a hand lens Parenchyma not
visible. Rays fairly obvious without a hand lens.
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Dubis 2001
15
Moderately dense to very dense wood Heartwood
light to dark-brown or reddish brown Diffuse-porou
s. Pores solitary or in radial multiples. Largest
pores wider than largest rays. Parenchyma not
visible. Rays visible with hand
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Dubis 2001
16
Moderately dense wood Heartwood
reddish-brown Diffuse-porous. Pores solitary or
in radial multiples. Row of pores along growth
ring. (not obvious in picture) Parenchyma not
visible. Rays visible with hand
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Dubis 2001
17
Moderately light wood. Can be scratched with
fingernail Light to pale brown heartwood Diffuse-p
orous. Pores solitary or in pore
clusters. Boundary parenchyma arrangement Rays
visible to unaided eye. No ray nodes
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Dubis 2001
18
Light wood. Can be scratched with fingernail
though less than basswood or aspen Yellow-green
heartwood. Rarely with purple tinge. Diffuse-porou
s. Pores solitary or in pore clusters. Boundary
parenchyma arrangement Noded rays visible to
unaided eye.
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Dubis 2001
19
Very soft wood. Can be scratched with fingernail
Creamy white heartwood. Diffuse-porous. Pores
solitary, or arranged in radial multiples or pore
clusters. Parenchyma not visible Rays Uniserate.
Barely visible with hand lens.
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Dubis 2001
20
Cream to light brown to reddish-brown heartwood.
Slightly resinous odor Medium texture Rays
Uniserate. Very fine. Barely visible with hand
lens. Medium-sized resin canals appearing as
white flecks Gradual latewood transition
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Dubis 2001
21
Cream to light brown to reddish-brown heartwood.
Very strong resinous odor Medium texture Rays
Uniserate. Very fine. Small-medium-sized resin
canals barely visible to unaided eye Fairly
abrupt latewood transition
Cream to light brown to reddish-brown heartwood.
Very strong resinous odor Medium texture Rays
Uniserate. Very fine. Small-medium-sized resin
canals barely visible to unaided eye Fairly
abrupt latewood transition
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Dubis 2001
22
Variable heartwood color. Ranges from yellow to
orange to reddish-brown to light brown Strong
resinous odor Medium texture Resin canals very
obvious in latewood Rays Uniserate. Very fine.
Abrupt latewood transition. Latewood very dense
and wide
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Dubis 2001
23
White to pale yellow-brown. Same as sapwood No
odor Fine texture Rays Uniserate. Very fine.
Resin canals appear as small white
dots Semi-abrupt latewood transition.
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Dubis 2001
24
Variable heartwood color ranging from yellow to
pale reddish-yellow to orange red to deep
red. Characteristic plywood odor Resin canals
small white dots Fairly coarse texture Rays
Uniserate. Abrupt latewood transition. Sometimes
wavy
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Dubis 2001
25
Yellowish to light brown heartwood No odor Resin
canals small and scattered. Sometimes in
multiples Fine to medium texture Rays
Uniserate. Lustrous tangential and radial face.
Abrupt latewood transition. Very dense
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Dubis 2001
26
White to yellowish-white heartwood. Same as
sapwood No odor No resin canals Medium
texture Lacking rays tracheids. Gradual latewood
transition.
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Dubis 2001
27
White to yellow-brown. Same as sapwood No odor No
resin canals Medium to coarse texture Rays not
visible with hand lens Abrupt latewood
transition. Sometimes wavy
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Dubis 2001
28
Light to medium straw brown heartwood Mild, sweet
odor No resin canals Fine to medium texture Rays
very fine. Visible with hand lens Gradual
transition but latewood is obvious.
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Dubis 2001
29
Reddish-brown to dull brown heartwood Strong
distinct odor. Smells like wooden pencils No
resin canals Medium texture Rays very fine.
Barely visible with hand lens Gradual latewood
transition. Acrid taste
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Dubis 2001
30
Reddish to dull brown heartwood Sweet fragrant
cedar smell No resin canals Medium to course
texture Rays very fine. Barely visible with hand
lens Abrupt latewood transition.
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Dubis 2001
31
White to yellowish-white sapwood.Distinct
reddish-brown or purplish-brown heartwood Dark
red parenchyma Very strong and fragrant smell No
resin canals Very fine texture Rays very fine.
Gradual latewood transition.
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Dubis 2001
32
Light red to deep reddish brown No odor No resin
canals Very course texture Rays coarse for a
conifer species Abrupt latewood transition.
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Dubis 2001