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How Does A Tree Grow?: Glossary of Tree Terms
How Does A Tree Grow?: Glossary of Tree Terms
How Does A Tree Grow?: Glossary of Tree Terms
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In some trees a difference in color exists between the outer part of the wood, the sapwood or alburnum, and the inner part, the heartwood or duramen. The sapwood is the light part of the wood as seen in cross section. It is the most recently formed wood, the circle farthest from the central cylinder. Sapwood is the physiologically active part of the wood through which the sap rises and has a high level of humidity. Thus, it is susceptible to rot and vulnerable to attack by fungi and insects. The heartwood is the part of the trunk nearest the center, the older part, which makes up the greater part of the trunk. It is simply a form of the sapwood modified by aging, and differs from it in its greater compactness and darker, more intense color. Humidity is lower in heartwood and its cells walls are thickened by deposits of tannins, resins, starchy substances, coloring matter and oils. This part of the plant is already dead, performing only the functions of support and storage.
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treegrowth
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Tree Growth
From Fun With Science: Trees and Leaves, Rosie Harlow and Gareth Morgan, Warwick Press, 1991
Other Tree Topics: Tree Identification Tips Tree Identification - Parts of a Tree Butler Campus Tree Walk Tree Walk in Autumn Why Trees Change Color in Autumn Trees with Spring Blooms Links To Other Useful Tree Identification and Information Sites
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treegrowth
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Return to How To Identify Trees page Return to Friesner Herbarium Home Page
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