Cunninghamia lanceolata variant with red-heart wood a mini-review

This review introduces the red-heart Chinese fir to the world and focuses on the characteristics and the economic value of this taxon. Red-heart Chinese fir is famous for the possession of a shiny, chestnut brown xylem that sorrouds the pith; the red-heart wood ratio of this species is more than 50.5%, and can be as high as 80% in mature forests. The red-heart characteristics increases this tree’s value, while simultaneously decreasing the value of timber from some other species with red-heart wood, for example, Fagus sylvatica. Previous research on red-heart Chinese fir has focused on its cultivation, value and utilization, including methods of propagation, genetic resources, its chemical composition and wood application. The mechanisms that underlie the formation of these characteristics, however, have seldom been researched and discussed. Although redheart Chinese fir is one of the most valuable variants of C. lanceolata, the formation of this species has been neglected. The conclusion of this review comprises a perspective on future research, including how genetics and environment affect the formation of red-heart in Chinese fir. The relationships between the formation of red-heart Chinese fir and the properties of cambium and ray cell walls as well as other cells in the stem are important research gaps in this taxon.