Definitions of Column Heads: Compendium A

Taxon:

Subclass, family, genus, or species name, or general descriptive category (for example, diffuse porous, ring porous, semi-ring porous), when wood type is unknown. Most of the scientific names listed in this column are from A Utah Flora (Welsh et al. 1987*1); the names of several plants not recorded in A Utah Flora are from Arizona Flora (Kearney and Peebles 1960*1).

Common Name:

Most of the names listed in this column are from A Utah Flora (Welsh et al. 1987*1); the names of several plants not recorded in A Utah Flora are from Arizona Flora (Kearney and Peebles 1960*1).

Ring Patterns:

The general appearance of the wood rings and the patterning of background cells.

• Diffuse Porous: Vessels are of various sizes, are abundant or sparse, and are scattered throughout the ring; there are no large vessels at the ring boundary, nor do vessels grade from larger in the earlywood to smaller in the latewood.
• Ring Porous: Vessels are clearly larger in the earlywood and smaller in the latewood, with an abrupt transition between the two; the wood has an obvious "ring" of vessels just inside the ring boundary, often visible at low magnification or with the naked eye.
• Semi-ring Porous: Vessels gradually grade from larger in the earlywood to smaller in the latewood throughout the ring.
• Other: Described individually.
• None: No woods rings present.

Vessels:

Present or absent; abundant or sparse; how distributed within ring; comments on size and/or shape; solitary, paired, or multiples; occluded; etc.

Resin Canals:

Present or absent; this feature is unique to conifer woods.

Rays:

Visible or not visible at low magnification (50X or less), or absent altogether; distinct or indistinct; continuous or discontinuous; etc.

Ring Boundaries:

Distinct or indistinct, presence or absence of cork tissue, information on earlywood and/or latewoods zones, light-reflectiveness, etc.

Comments:

Additional information relevant to the identification of the taxon in question.

Photo Number(s):

Linked to specimen photograph(s).