Photographic Atlas for the Microscopic Identification of Twigs of Selected Central European Trees and Shrubs

For the first time in wood anatomical research, this book provides a detailed overview of juvenile wood of Central European trees and shrubs. The atlas utilizes high quality, double stained thin sections to characterize transverse and radial twig-specific features in each species. Presented are photographs and texts on one- to four-year-old twigs of 52 Central European woody species: 9 conifers and 43 deciduous. Each species is characterized morphologically and anatomically. The pith, the primary and secondary xylem and the bark with phloem, cortex and periderm of each species is illustrated with more than 20 photographs. The individual characteristics are explained in a comprehensive feature catalogue. Specific keys for the pith, one- to four-year-old wood and the bark enable the microscopic identification of twig fragments. We clearly show that the anatomy of juvenile twigs differs in various microscopic aspects in comparison to mature wood. Therefore, this book presents a long awaited complement to wood anatomical atlases describing adult xylem and bark. The book is a base for the microscopic identification of twigs from living plants as well as from archaeological and geological deposits. The twig atlas addresses users who are already familiar with wood anatomy. Last but not least we would like to highlight and draw attention to the aesthetic qualities of twig wood anatomy.