Abstract:

The present study is based on the wood microstructure of two species i.e., Broussonetia papyrifera L’Herit. ex Vent. and Antiaris toxicaria Lesch. belongs to family Moraceae. These two genera were important for paper making and manufacturing of plywood from ancient times. For making permanent slides an internationally recognised standard procedure is followed and the features were recorded according to list given by IAWA for hardwood identification. Photomicrographs were taken from all three sections to record diagnostic feature of each taxon. A. toxicaria is a diffuse porous wood with aliform and confluent parenchyma; rays are multiseriate with few 1-3 seriate; all septate fibres; polygonal IVPs and presence of prismatic crystals. B. papyrifera is a ring-porous wood with only multiseriate rays; crystals in upright or square ray cells; palisade VRPs; polygonal IVPs and heterocellular rays. For the first time in the Indian context, the wood microstructure of these selected two species were reported according to the feature list of IAWA for hardwood identification.