Wood structure of Prosopis alpataco and P. argentina growing under different edaphic conditions.

VILLAGRA, P.E.; ROIG-JUÑENT, F.A.

IAWA JOURNAL

INT ASSOC WOOD ANATOMISTS

Año: 1997 vol. 18 p. 37 - 51

0928-1541

Prosopis alpataco Phil. and P. argentina Burk.are shrubs growing under different ecological conditions within the Monte Desert, Argentina. Both species have similar wood structure: semi-ring-porosity, vessels with a bimodal diameter distribution, short vessel elements, paratracheal confluent axial parenchyma, Iibriform fibres and homocellular rays . Prosopis alpataco has wider vessels and a greater proportion of solitary vessels than P. argentina which has narrower vessels. mainly in clusters, and a larger number of vessels per mrn-, The wood structure of P. argentina suggests a safer, but less efficient, water-conducting system than that of P. a/pataca . This could be related to P. argentina´s tolerance to high water stress, as this species occurs mostly in sand dunes . Instead P. alpataco is a phreatophyte, getting a regular water supply. Phil. and P. argentina Burk.are shrubs growing under different ecological conditions within the Monte Desert, Argentina. Both species have similar wood structure: semi-ring-porosity, vessels with a bimodal diameter distribution, short vessel elements, paratracheal confluent axial parenchyma, Iibriform fibres and homocellular rays . Prosopis alpataco has wider vessels and a greater proportion of solitary vessels than P. argentina which has narrower vessels. mainly in clusters, and a larger number of vessels per mrn-, The wood structure of P. argentina suggests a safer, but less efficient, water-conducting system than that of P. a/pataca . This could be related to P. argentina´s tolerance to high water stress, as this species occurs mostly in sand dunes . Instead P. alpataco is a phreatophyte, getting a regular water supply.