The Wood Anatomy of Rubiaceae tribes Anthospermeae and Paederieae

Detailed wood anatomical descriptions are given for the genera Anthospermum, Nenax, Phyllis, Carpacoce, Coprosma, Neogaillonia, Crocyllis, Plocama and Spermadictyon, and miscellaneous wood anatomical data on the genera Normandia, Pomax, Opercularia, Leptodermis and Aitchisonia. The wood anatomical variation within the large genus Anthospermum is discussed. Secondary woodiness is likely to occur in a number of Anthospermum species; other species of the genus have “normal” wood structure or are herbaceous. Nenax and Carpacoce may also have secondary woodiness. The Anthospermeae and the Paederieae differ from each other primarily in the fibre type: Anthospermeae have fibre tracheids, Paederieae libriform fibres. Except for the genus Phyllis, wood anatomical features largely support the delimitiation of the two tribes and to a certain extent the suggested groupings of genera within the two tribes