softwood page

DOUGLAS-FIR

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 Douglas-fir

• parenchyma:
• rays: generally barely visible at 10X but occasionally strong enough to see easily at 10X but still not with the naked eye.
• growth rings: there is a very clear, sharp edge at the end of the dark colored latewood and the beginning of the next years light colored earlywood. The transition from earlywood to latewood within the years generally only spreads over a small amount of the year's ring.
• resin canals:

   

• bigcone Douglas fir / Pseudotsuga macrocarpa --- these two are from near by areas of the same sample
• bigcone Douglas fir / Pseudotsuga macrocarpa --- these two are from near by areas of the same sample

   

• bigcone Douglas fir / Pseudotsuga macrocarpa --- these two are from near by areas of the same sample
• bigcone Douglas fir / Pseudotsuga macrocarpa --- these two are from near by areas of the same sample

     

• Douglas fir / Pseudotsuga menziesii
• Douglas fir / Pseudotsuga menziesii
• Douglas fir / Pseudotsuga menziesii

     

• Douglas fir / Pseudotsuga menziesii
• Douglas fir / Pseudotsuga menziesii
• Douglas fir / Pseudotsuga menziesii

     

• Douglas fir / Pseudotsuga menziesii
• Douglas fir / Pseudotsuga menziesii
• Douglas fir / Pseudotsuga menziesii

     

• Douglas fir / Pseudotsuga menziesii
• Douglas fir / Pseudotsuga menziesii this one has an amazingly tiny earlywood area and the rest is latewood; this is very odd in my experience
• Douglas fir / Pseudotsuga menziesii

     

• Douglas fir / Pseudotsuga menziesii
• Douglas fir / Pseudotsuga menziesii --- these two are from near by areas of the same sample
• Douglas fir / Pseudotsuga menziesii --- these two are from near by areas of the same sample

 

• Douglas fir / Pseudotsuga menziesii --- from a sample that was all sapwood

   

   

• Douglas fir / Pseudotsuga menziesii --- old growth wood heavy with resin
• Douglas fir / Pseudotsuga menziesii --- old growth wood heavy with resin


• Douglas fir / Pseudotsuga menziesii --- old growth wood heavy with resin
• Douglas fir / Pseudotsuga menziesii --- reclaimed wood heavy with resin