Hardwood
From Freepedia
The term hardwood designates wood from angiosperm trees. Hardwood contrasts with softwood, which comes from gymnosperm (coniferous) trees. They are in general of higher density and hardness, but there is considerable variation in actual wood hardness in both groups, with a large amount of overlap; some hardwoods (e.g. balsa) are softer than most softwoods.
The wood of hardwood species is generally much more variable than in softwoods. One of the reasons for this is that there are more types of cells in hardwoods; vessel elements, fibre-tracheids and fibres in addition to tracheids. There may be considerable variation, between species, in arrangement and shape of cells as well. As an example the vessel elements may appear solitary or in clusters in various patterns (when seen under a microscope in transversal section), and may show considerable variation in size, shape of perforation plates (simple, scalariform, reticulate, foraminate), and structure of cell wall (e.g. spiral thickenings).
Hardwoods are usually used in appearance products such as furniture, flooring, etc. In some regions where softwood is scarce, such as Australia, hardwood may also be used for structural components of constructions.
- See List of woods
External link
References
- Schweingruber, F.H. (1990) Anatomie europäischer Hölzer - Anatomy of European woods. Eidgenössische Forschungsanstalt für Wald, Schnee und Landscaft, Birmensdorf (Hrsg,). Haupt, Bern und Stuttgart.
- Timonen, Tuuli (2002). Introduction to Microscopic Wood Identification. Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki.
- Wilson, K. & D.J.B. White (1986). The Anatomy of Wood: its Diversity and variability. Stobart & Son Ltd, London
