Detection of Reaction Wood of Mahagony Using Two Differences Methods

Abstract

This research focuses on the reaction wood and macerated fibers of Mahagony. Reaction wood as defined by IAWA is a wood with distinctive anatomical and physical characteristics, formed typically in parts of leaning or crooked stems and in branches, that tends to restore the original position of the branch or stem when it has been disturbed, also known as tension wood (in deciduous trees) and compression wood (in conifers)”. The samples were taken from the tree at Mulawarman university area. For determining the reaction zone, ‘Herzberg’s reagent and double staining method were used. Observation on both macroscopic and microscopic feature used IAWA standard, included wood fibers. The result showed that using Herzberg’s method the macroscopical and microscopical structure of reaction wood and also the macerated fibers were distinctively clear. Macroscopically the reaction wood was identified by eccentricity appearance of the ring wood and dark brown color with coarse texture in the cross section and interlocked grain in the radial section and also wolly structure in tangential section while microscopical structure using Double staining method showed that the reaction cells and macerated fibers are distinctively not clear.