P. K. Pande , Krishna Negi , Magan Singh

Abstract

The intra- and inter-species variations in the dimensions of different wood elements and wood density of Balau, White meranti (Meranti Pa'ang), Yellow meranti (Meranti damar hitam) and the Red meranti group of Malay Shorea were studied. Variance ratio (F) test indicated that intra-species differences of Shorea were non-significant for all the groups. Inter-species variations were significant for fibre length, fibre diameter, wall thickness and vessel element diameter for all the four groups except vessel element diameter for White meranti and fibre length for Yellow meranti. Significant variations in wood density were noticed for all the groups except in the Yellow meranti group (α=0.05). Crystals were present in parenchyma cells as solitary, in idioblast and/or also in short and long chains in the different species of Balau, Red and the Yellow meranti groups. In some species of Red meranti, viz. S. singkawang, prismatic crystals in chambered and non-chambered parenchyma cells were reported for the first time. Similarly crystals in ray cells were recorded in S. leptoclados, S. hemsleyana and S. macrantha. Crystals were not observed in the White meranti group. Silica bodies were a characteristic feature of White meranti group. The three types of normal axial inter-cellular canal, namely solitary, in broken tangential lines and long tangential lines were present in all the groups. Radial canal was present in the Yellow meranti and three species of the Red meranti group. Wall thickness, fibre diameter, wood density and vessel element length were positively correlated (α=0.05). Cluster analysis was done on the basis of qualitative and quantitative wood anatomical characters using binary matrix for all the groups. Two clusters were formed at 0% (Rescaled Distance Cluster Combine = 25) similarity level. One cluster grouped the species that belongs to White meranti, while another clustered the three groups viz. Balau, Red meranti and Yellow meranti. Yellow meranti further split from Balau and Red meranti at 6% similarity level. Red meranti and Balau clustered separately at 26% similarity level.

Keywords

Anti-fungal Activity, Insecticidal Activity, Pongamia Pinnata, Seed Oil, Potato Dextrose Agar Bioassay, Soil Block Bioassay

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P. K. Pande , Krishna Negi , Magan Singh

Abstract

The present paper deals with the variations in physical, gross and minute anatomical features of different species of Shorea of the balau group in the Malay peninsula. Variance ratio (F) test indicated that inter-specific variations among the wood element dimensions of studied species of Shorea were significant while intra-species variations were non-significant for all the characters. A dichotomous key is presented for identification on the basis of anatomical characters upto the species level. The key is based on a pair of contrasting characters e.g. ray height, ray width, diameter of gum canal, ray seriation, location and type of crystals, density of wood and colour. Differences in quantitative characters are analysed using 't' test for the mean. Besides, features like frequency and types of gum canals viz. solitary, in short tangential lines and in short and long tangential lines and density of woods are also used. The occurrence and location of prismatic crystals are found to be of diagnostic value at the species level for balau group Prismatic crystals observed in parenchyma cells as solitary and also chambered (2-25) in normal and idioblast cells. Prismatic crystals were reported in ray cells of S. maxwelliana King first time.

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P. K. Pande , Krishna Negi , Magan Singh

Abstract

The paper deals with the intra- and inter-species variation in the different wood elements of Balau group of Malay Shorea. Variance ratio test indicated that variations in the wood elements viz. fibre length, vessel element diameter and wall thickness are significant between species. These variations are non-significant between samples of same species (α = 0.05). Mean minimum and maximum fibre-, vessel element-length, diameter, wall-thickness were recorded as 954 ± 139μm (S. tumbuggaia) - 1360 ± 139 μm (S. exelliptica), 351 ± 46μm (S. obtusa) - 45l±119 μm in S. atrinervosa (mean 403 ± 70.6), 113 ± 35 (S. obtusa) - 223 ± 34μm (S. submontata) and 4μm (S. lumutensis) - 8.1 ±m (S. atrinervosa), respectively. Minimum density was recorded for S. meadiana (730 kg m^-2) while maximum recorded for S. laevis (1049 kg m^-2). Dimensions of wood elements are also correlated to each other for few characters. Wall thickness and fibre diameter and density and vessel element length are positively correlated (α=0.05). Cluster analysis was done for the 18 species of Balau group on the basis of wood anatomical characters viz. fibre-length, diameter, vessel member-length, diameter, wall thickness and specific gravity. Two clusters are formed at 25 inter-cluster distance.S. guiso, S. ochrophloia, S. meadiana, S. Sumatrana, S. ciliata, S. laevis, S. glauca, S. materia lis, S. exelliptica, S. atrinervosa, S. obtusa form first cluster while S. collina, S. lumutensis, S. maxwelliana, S. foxworthyi, S. robusta. Submontana and S. tumbuggaia form the second cluster S. obtusa was separated from first cluster at 15 inter-cluster distance while S. tumbuggaia separated at 10 inter-cluster distance from the second cluster.

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