wood_traits_Erythrophleum

Tangential vessel diameter, vessel density, vessel grouping index (ratio of total number of vessels to total number of vessel groupings), proportion of vessel lumen, fibre, axial and radial parenchyma measured for the two species, E. ivorense and E. suaveolens, in their natural habitat (branch and stem samples) and in a common garden experiement (only branch samples). On branch sections, these measurements were done on 0.16 mm² quadrats systematically distributed from the pith to the bark (from [0;400] to [2800;3200]), in order to include radial variation in wood traits. For stem sections, measurements were done on two quadrats of 9.40 mm². Intervessel wall thickness and fiber wall thickness (measured as the double wall between two adjacent fibers) were also measured at higher magnification. Conduit wall reinforcement was calculated by determining the wall thickness (t) to conduit wall span (b) ratio . On tangential sections, we measured the horizontal pit membrane diameter at its widest point but only for branch samples from natural habitat.