Wood anatomy characteristics of some lamiaceae species

In this study, the wood anatomical characteristics of 7 shrub species, two of which are endemic, naturally grown within Lamiaceae family were investigated: Teucrium brevifolium Schreb., Teucrium divaricatum Sieber ex Heldr., Teucrium polium L., Satureja spicigera (K.Koch) Boiss., Thymus pectinatus Fisch.&C.A.Mey., Thymbra capitata (L.) Cav., Salvia huberi Hedge. On the wood sections of the studied species, the tangential and radial diameters of the vessels, the vessel wall thickness, the vessel pit diameter, the height of the uniseriate, biseriate, and multiseriate, the number of vessels per unit area, and the number of per mm were determined. On maceration samples, vessel member length, fibre length and width, fibre lumen width, and wall thickness were measured. Qualitative features such as growth ring, perforation plate type, presence of helical thickening and vasicentric vascular tracheids, axial parenchyma, perforated ray cells were determined. Lamiaceae woods can be characterized by the more numerous vessels per unit area, helical thickening on the vessel walls, libriform fibres, scanty axial parenchyma, vasicentric vascular tracheids, and heterocellular rays. The characteristics that the ensuring conductive safety, such as the more numerous vessels per unit area, the presence of helical thickening, and the presence of vasicentric vascular tracheids related to calculated low mesomorphy values.