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Nomenclature etc. BETULACEAE (CORYLACEAE). Incl. Corylus colurna L. Trade and local names: Corylus colurna L. = Baumhasel (DE); noisetier, coudrier (FR); nocciolo, avellano (IT); avellano (ES); aveleira (PT); hassel (DK, SE); hazelaar (NL). Not protected under CITES regulations.
Description based on 7 specimens. Tree, or shrub. Geographic distribution: Europe, excl. Mediterranean, Mediterranean incl. N. Africa and Middle East, temperate Asia.
General. Growth ring boundaries distinct. Only Corylus colurna L. becomes a tree of up to 20 m in height and 50 cm in diameter. Heartwood basically light brown. Sapwood colour similar to heartwood colour, or distinct from heartwood colour (C. colurna). Density 0.53–0.63 g/cm³. Wood of commercial potential, or of no commercial potential. Only Corylus colurna has limited commercial potential; the heartwood is darker brown and easily distinguished from the lighter coloured sapwood.
Vessels. Vessels present. Wood diffuse porous. Vessels arranged in a diagonal and/or radial pattern (radial), in multiples, commonly in short (2–3 vessels) radial rows or in radial rows of 4 or more. Average tangential vessel diameter 30–60 µm. Average number of vessels/mm² 60–100. Perforation plates scalariform, with 5–10 bars. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 5–7 µm. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders, similar to intervessel pits, located throughout the ray (in other Corylus species as for instance C. heterophylla) or restricted to marginal rows. Helical thickenings present, in narrow and wide vessel elements, throughout the body of vessel elements. Helical thickenings very fine, not in all vessels.
Tracheids and fibres. Fibres of medium wall thickness. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, simple to minutely bordered or distinctly bordered.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma apotracheal. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per strand: 5–8.
Rays. Rays 15–18 per tangential mm, multiseriate, 1–2 cells wide. Aggregate rays present. Rays of two distinct sizes. Height of large rays up to 500 µm, or commonly over 1000 µm. Rays composed of two or more cell types (heterocellular). Heterocellular rays with square and upright cells restricted to marginal rows, mostly 1 marginal row of upright or square cells (very rarely with two marginal rows).
Mineral inclusions. Crystals present or not observed, prismatic, located in ray cells. Crystal-containing ray cells procumbent. Number of crystals per cell or chamber one. Crystal containing cells of normal size, or enlarged (idioblasts). Crystals extremely rare, not in all specimens present. Silica not observed.
Physical and chemical tests. Heartwood not fluorescent.
Illustrations. • Transverse section. • Tangential section. • Radial section. scalariform perforation plate.
The interactive key allows access to the character list, illustrations, full and partial descriptions, diagnostic descriptions, differences and similarities between taxa, lists of taxa exhibiting specified attributes, summaries of attributes within groups of taxa, and geographical distribution.
Cite this publication as: ‘Richter, H.G., and Dallwitz, M.J. 2000 onwards. Commercial timbers: descriptions, illustrations, identification, and information retrieval. In English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish. Version: 9th April 2019. delta-intkey.com’.
