In all Mediterranean-type ecosystems, evergreen and deciduous trees differing in wood anatomy, growth pattern and leaf habit coexist, suggesting distinct adaptative responses to environmental constraints. This study examined the effects of summer water stress on carbon (C) storage and growth in seedlings of three coexisting Mediterranean trees that differed in phenology and wood anatomy charact...

Qualitative and quantitative features are reported for mature wood and bark of two species of Kadsura and five species of Schisandra. Newly reported for the family are predominance of simple perforation plates (all species); presence of pit membrane remnants in vessels of first-formed secondary xylem; two to three series of pits per facet on tracheids; diffuse axial parenchyma (Kadsura); multis...

Wood and bark anatomy and histochemistry of Acacia bilimekii Humb. & Bonpl., Acacia cochliacantha Mcbride, Conzatia nultiflora (Rob) Stand. and Guazuma ulmifolia Lam. are described from stem samples collected in a tropical dry forest (Morelos, Mexico). Enzyme activities were tested in tangential, radial and transverse cuts of fresh material. Histochemistry and stem anatomy were studied on simil...

Trees of tropical semi-deciduous forests range from "drought-avoiding" stem-succulent species with low-density wood (< 0.5 g cm(-3)), which maintain high stem water potentials (psi(STEM) > -0.7 MPa) throughout the year, to "drought-tolerant" deciduous hardwood species (wood density > 0.75 g cm(-3)), which dehydrate strongly during seasonal drought (psi(STEM) < -6 MPa). In stem-succulent and oth...

This study contributes to our understanding of the phylogenetic significance and major evolutionary trends in the wood of the dogbane family (Apocynaceae), one of the largest and economically most important angiosperm families. Based on LM and SEM observations of 56 Apocynoideae species-representing all currently recognized tribes-and eight Periplocoideae, we found striking differences in vesse...