WOOD ANATOMY OF THE CARMICHAELIA (FABACEAE) COMPLEX IN NEW-ZEALAND

Wood anatomy of Carmichaelia australis, Ca. compacta, Ca. corrugata, C a. monroi, Ca. nana, Ca. odorata, Ca. petriei, Ca. williamsii, Chordos partium muritai, Ch. stevensonii, Corallospartium crassicaule, Notospa rtium carmichaeliae, N. glabrescens, and N. torulosum is described. Th ese species share vessels with helical thickening and simple perforati ons; vessels, axial parenchyma, and short rays arranged in storied str ucture; predominantly fusiform parenchyma; and rays 1-20 cells wide. T he ray cells of Carmichaelia and Corallospartium are procumbent, squar e, or upright, and those of Chordospartium and Notospartium procumbent . The wood of the Carmichaelia complex has well developed xeromorphic features that include narrow diameter and short vessel elements, high numbers of vessels per mm(2), and the vessels usually arranged in pron ounced diagonal aggregations. Vulnerability and mesomorphy indices are calculated and these support the relationship between species wood an atomy and the xeric habitats they occupy.