In the diploma work three wood species were microscopically identified and anatomically analysed, namely: Mahonia aquifolium (Pursh) Nutt (Oregon grape), Amorpha fruticosa L. (False indigo-bush) and Spiraea japonica L. f. (Japanese meadowsweet). Material for microscopic identification and anatomical analysis of wood was obtained within the APPLAUSE project. Before these samples were brought to the Department of Wood Science, they had previously been dendrologically identified in the field. Since macroscopic analysis of these samples is mostly impossible or rather unreliable due to their small size, microscopic analysis is very important because we can then determine wood species and their properties in more detail. Identification of these species is difficult, because the identification keys are often incomplete or even misleading. With the help of the literature we described the individual species in detail, as previously not much was known about them because they are of little economic importance and considered less interesting. Finally, based on the results we suggest how the IAWA (International Association of Wood Anatomists) identification keys could be supplemented to identify the species examined in this work.
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