Author(s): Monday Daniel Odiye, Seun Mercy Owolabi, Akinwumi Johnson Akinloye*, A. E. Folorunso and Abiodun Emmanuel Ayodele

Affiliation: *Department of Botany, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria

Abstract: The striking resemblance of Albizia species based on their macromorphological characters necessitated this study, to evaluate the wood anatomical features of the genus and to assess the suitability of the wood for pulp and paper production. Transverse, tangential and radial longitudinal sections of the wood of five Albizia species and macerated samples were obtained by standard methods. Wood of all selected species was diffuse-porous with no growth ring. Aseptate fibres, heterogeneous rays, vessels with simple perforation plates and alternate pitting were present in all species indicating generic characters of the taxa. Axial parenchyma cells, Ray type, tyloses and vessel grouping were the diagnostic features. Quantitative wood anatomical characters such as fibre length, fibre diameter, vessel length, vessel width, ray length, ray width and pore diameter were of taxonomic importance in this genus. The mean fibre length indicated that Albizia odoratissima (614.8 231.9 µm) had the shortest fibres while Albizia adianthifolia (758.8 122.1 µm) had the longest fibres amongst the species studied. The mean runkel ratio, slenderness and flexibility ratios of Albizia adianthifolia (0.97 µm), Albizia odoratissima (0.75 µm) and Albizia zygia (0.81 µm) indicated the suitability of the species for pulp and paper production.

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