Comparative wood anatomy of species of Psychotria L. (Rubiaceae) in Atlantic Rainforest remnants of Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil

ABSTRACTPsychotria is the largest Rubiaceae genus and one of the most abundant in the Atlantic Rainforest of Rio de Janeiro State. The present work aims to characterize and compare the wood of nine of these species. ThePsychotria wood were characterized by: slightly distinct growth rings; diffuse porosity; solitary vessels or on radial multiples of 2-6 or clusters of 3-5 vessel elements, with terminal and lateral simple perforation plates and vestured and alternate intervessel and vessel-ray pits; septate fiber-tracheids; and rare axial parenchyma. Although, the wood anatomy of thePsychotria may be considered homogeneous, the statistical analyses, based on qualitative and quantitative features, allowed the segregation of the species and indicated the importance of habit (arboreous or shrubby) on the wood anatomy of the species. It is worth mentioning that the sampling was realized in only one studied site (Ilha Grande), which contributed to the conclusion that the wood characteristics are more related to the specificities of each studied taxon than to with environmental variations