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Latitudinal trends in wood anatomy within species and genera: case study in Cornus S.L. (Cornaceae)

Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2000
AuthorsNoshiro, S,; Baas, P,
Journal TitleAmerican Journal of Botany
Volume87
Pagination1495-1506
ISBN Number0002-9122
Key Wordswood anatomy; vessels; wood fibres; dimensions; latitude; geographical distribution; altitude; forest trees; climatic; factors; temperature; precipitation; evolution; palaeoecology; palaeoclimatology; geographical variation; trees; Cornus; Cornus controve
AbstractLatitudinal trends in wood anatomical characters in 3 Asiatic species of Cornus s.l. (C. controversa, C. kousa and C. macrophylla) were studied and compared with those for the whole genus, based on an extensive sampling covering the specific distribution ranges, and the generic data from a previous systematic study by the authors which covered both Old and New World samples. The studies included 124 specimens of C. controversa from between 31.5 deg and 45.3 deg N. in Japan (including 25 xylarium specimens from the systematic study), 54 of C. kousa from between 24.4 deg and 40.5 deg N. in Japan and on Ishigaki Island in the Ryukyus (including 18 xylarium specimens from the systematic study), and 64 of C. macrophylla from between 27.8 deg and 41.0 deg N. in Japan and Nepal (including 14 xylarium specimens from the systematic study). Characters studied were vessel element length, fibre length, vessel frequency, tangential vessel diameter, and vessel grouping index. At the species level no latitudinal trends were detected throughout the distribution ranges of the species. Neither tree size, altitude, nor climatic factors had a significant correlation with wood anatomical characters. In contrast, at the genus level, latitudinal trends were significant not just for the whole genus, but for both New and Old World species groups. At the genus level, latitude and three climatic factors (annual temperature range, warmth index and annual precipitation) all had a significant correlation with wood anatomical characters, but correlation coefficients with latitude were markedly high. The difference in latitudinal trends between the genus and species levels may be due to the radiation of Cornus along palaeoclimatic gradients in the early Tertiary.