ring porous page

RING POROUS ELM

NOTE: unless otherwise specifically stated, all of the images shown on this
page are of 1/4" square end grain cross sections shown at 12X with the top
of the image towards the bark and the bottom towards the pith so that
earlywood is towards the bottom of the growth rings and latewood is towards the top

to see all species with links to their anatomy page go here: species links

general characteristics of elm end grain (very similar to hackberry)

• pores: clear strong line of earlywood pores, one to several thick, dropping off to much smaller pores in wavy bands throughout the latewood
• parenchyma: the latewood bands are not confluent parenchyma but there is often vasicentric parenchyma that sometimes makes the bands appear to be confluent parenchyma
• rays: present and can usually be seen with a 10X loupe but often don't stand out strongly
• growth rings: classic ring porous, obvious to the naked eye

NOTE: The wavy bands in the latewood pores in elm are so pronounced and typical of the
Ulmus species (and only a few others) that they are called "ulimform" bands or just "ulmiform pores"



     

• American elm / Ulmus americana --- a 1/3" x 1/3" cross section shown here at 9X
• American elm / Ulmus americana
• American elm / Ulmus americana

     

• American elm / Ulmus americana
• American elm / Ulmus americana
• American white elm / Ulmus americana

   

• elm / Ulmus spp.
• elm / Ulmus spp.

     

• cedar elm / Ulmus crassifolia
• cedar elm / Ulmus crassifolia
• Russian elm / Ulmus laevis

     

• Chinese elm / Ulmus parvifolia --- a 1/4" x 1/3" cross section shown here at 9X
• Chinese elm / Ulmus parvifolia --- a 1/4" x 1/3" cross section shown here at 9X
• Chinese elm / Ulmus parvifolia --- a 1/4" x 5/12" cross section shown here at 7X

   

• English elm / Ulmus procera
• English elm / Ulmus procera

     

• Siberian elm / Ulmus pumila
• Siberian elm / Ulmus pumila
• Siberian elm / Ulmus pumila

       

• Siberian elm / Ulmus pumila
• Siberian elm / Ulmus pumila
• Siberian elm / Ulmus pumila
• Siberian elm / Ulmus pumila --- a 1/3" x 3/4" cross section shown here at 4X

   

• September elm / Ulmus serotina
• September elm / Ulmus serotina

     

• red elm / Ulmus rubra
• red elm / Ulmus rubra
• red elm / Ulmus rubra

     

• red elm / Ulmus spp.
• red elm / Ulmus spp.
• red elm / Ulmus spp.

   

• red elm / Ulmus spp. --- these two are from nearby areas of the same sample
• red elm / Ulmus spp. --- these two are from nearby areas of the same sample

   

• slippery elm / Ulmus rubra
• slippery elm / Ulmus rubra

   

• slippery elm / Ulmus rubra --- these two are from nearby areas of the same sample
• slippery elm / Ulmus rubra --- these two are from nearby areas of the same sample

   

• winged elm / Ulmus alata
• winged elm / Ulmus alata

     

• Wyche elm / Ulmus glabra
• Caucasian elm / Zelkova carpinifolia
• smoothleaf elm / Ulmus minor

   

• field elm / Ulmus minor --- heartwood of a piece
• field elm / Ulmus minor --- sapwood of the same piece