Anatomical Characteristics of Artificially Induced Tension Wood in Seedlings of Honduras Mahogany

Seedlings of Honduras mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla King) were laid horizontally for 4 and 10 mo to induce reaction wood. Gelatinous fibers occurred on the upper side of the trunks of the treated seedlings, and the longer the treatment, the higher the extent of the gelatinous fibers. More-abundant axial parenchymatous cells and starch grains were observed in the opposite wood than in the reaction wood. Such anatomical characteristics suggest that there are distinct patterns of regulation between the cambium zones of the reaction wood and opposite wood. Starch storage in axial parenchymatous cells may play a role in the active or passive processes involved in the biochemical
regulation and source-to-sink transportation.