Further studies on the structure and composition of variably degraded ancient woody tissues

Authors

  • J. Sen Indian Botanic Gardens, Sibpur, Calcutta

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54991/jop.1960.595

Abstract

Ancient wood of Heritiera fomes, Bischofia javanica and Picea excelsa has been studied with reference to chemistry of these woods and of their normal representatives in relation to anatomical degradation; structure and texture of the walls of tracheids and fibres and their chemical degradation; microscopic architecture of the cell-wall in terms of its submicroscopic organization, and of its composition.

The cellulose in ancient wood is degraded and disappears relatively guickly, whereas lignin is largely retained. When cellulose is destroyed, its original trend of orientation is left in the form of texture in lignin. In some cases, the original submicroscopic structure of cellulose is, however, well preserved. Probably the mineralization of the decaying cell-wall is mainly controlled by the surviving cellulose or the pattern it leaves in the texture of lignin.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

References

ARNOLD CA (1947). An introduction to Palaeobotany. McGraw-Hill Book Company. Inc., New York & London.

ASUNMAA S (1955). Morphology of middle lamella of Swedish spruce (Picea excelsa). Svensk Papper-Tidn., 58(8): 308.

BAILEY IW & KERR T (1935). The visible structure of the secondary wall and its significance in physical and chemical investigations of tracheary cells and fibres. Journ. Arnold Arb. 16(3): 273-300.

BAILEY IW & KERR T (1937). The structural variability of the secondary wall as revealed by lignin residues. Ibid. 18(4): 261-272.

BAILEY IW & VESTAL MARY R (1937a). The orientation of cellulose in the secondary walls of tracheary cells. Ibid. 18 (3): 185-195.

BAILEY IW & VESTAL MARY R (1937b). The significance of certain wood destroying fungi in the study of the enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose. Ibid. 18 (3): 196-205.

BAILEY IW & BARGHOORN ES (1942). Identification and physical condition of the stakes and wattles from the fish weir. Papers of the Robert S. Peabody Foundation for Archaeology. 2: 82-89.

BAILEY IW & BERKLEY EARL E (1942). The significance of X-rays in studying the orientation of cellulose in the secondary wall of tracheids. Amer. Journ. Bot. 29(3): 231-241.

BARGHOORN ES (1949a). Degradation of plant remains in organic sediments. Bot. Mus. Leaflets. Harvard University. 14: 1-18.

BARGHOORN ES (1949b). Palaeobotanical studies of the fishweir and associated deposits. Papers of the Robert S. Peabody Foundation for Archaeology. 3: 49-83.

BARGHOORN ES (1952). Degradation of the plant tissues in organic sediments. Journ. Sed. Pet. 22(1): 34.

BARGHOORN ES & BAILEY IW (1938). Occurrence of Cedrus in the auriferous gravels of California. Amer. Journ. Bot. 25(8): 641-647.

BARGHOORN ES & SPACKMAN W (1950). Geological and botanical study of the Brandon lignite and its significance in coal petrology. Ecom. Geol 45(4): 344-357.

BARGHOORN ES & SCOTT RA (1958). Degradation of the plant cell wall and its relation to certain tracheary features of the Lepidodendrales. Amer. Journ. Bot. 45(3): 222-227.

CHOWDHURY KA (1953). Structure of the cell wall in ancient and fossil woods. Proc. 7th Intern. Bot. Congr., Stockholm (1950): 566, 567.

COPPICK S & FOWLER WF (1939). The location of potential reducing substances in woody tissues. Paper Tr. Journ. 109 (11): T.S 135.

EICKE R (1952). Neus uber die Feinstruktur der Zellwand Verkieselter Holzer. Ber. Dtsch. Bot. Ges. 65(7): 246-248.

EICKE R (1957). Elektronenmikroskopische Unterschungen an Gymnospermenholzern als Beitrag zur Phylogenie der Gnetales. Bot. Jb. 77(2/3): 193-217.

ERDTMAN G (1943). An introduction to pollen analysis. Chronica Botanica. N.S. 12.

FREEMAN RD (1946). Analytical data and their significance. In ‘Wood Chemistry’ Ed. By L. E. wise. Reinhold Pub. Corpn., New York.

FREY-WYSSSLING A (1953). Submicroscopic morphology of protoplasm and its derivatives. E;sevier Pub. Co., Inc., New York.

FREY-WYSSSLING A (1957). Macromolecules in cell structure. Harvard university Press, Cambridge, Mass.

HARLOW WM (1932). Contributions to the chemistry of the plant cell wall. VI. Further studies on the location of lignin in the cell walls of wood. Amer. Journ. Bot. 19(9): 729-739.

HARLOW WM (1946). The chemistry of the cell walls of wood. In ‘Wood chemistry’ Ed. By L. E. Wise. Reinhold Pub. Corpn., New York.

HAGGLUND E (1951). Chemistry of wood. Academic press, New York.

JAHN EC & HARLOW WM (1942). Chemistry of ancient beech stakes from the fishweir. Papers of the Robert S. Peabody Foundation for Archaeology. 2: 90-95.

JONES JKN & MERLER E (1956). The hemicellulose of the fossilized wood of Cedrus Penhallowii. Canad. Journ. Chem. 34 (6): 840.

KERR T & BALLEY IW (1934). The cambium and its derivative tissues. No. X. Structure, optical properties and chemical composition of the so-called middle lamella. Journ. Arnold. Arb. 15(4): 327-349.

KINNEY CR & DOUCETTE EI (1958). Infrared spectra of a coalification series from cellulose and lignin to anthracite. Nature. 182 (4638): 785-786.

MEIER H (1955). Uber den Zellwandabbau durch Holzvermorchungspilze und die submikroskopische Struckture von Fichtentracheiden und Birkenholzfaern. Holz a. Roh-u. Werkst. 13(9): 323.

MULLER-STOLL WR (1951). Mikroskopie des zerstzten und fossilisierten Holzes. In ‘Mikroskopie des Holzes und des Papiers’ Ed. By H. Freund. 5 (2): 727-816. Umschau Verlag, Frankfurt a.M.

NORTHCOTE DH (1958). The cell wall of higher plants. Biol. Rev. 33(1): 53-102.

ONSLOW MW (1931). Principles of plant bio-chemistry. Cambridge Univ. Press, London.

PRESTON RD (1952). Molecular architecture of plant cell walls. Chapman & Hall, London.

SEIFRIZ W (1936). Spierer lens and colloidal structure. Industr. & Eng. Chem. 28(1): 136-140.

SEN J (1948). Orientation of cellulose and its relation to decay cavities in the secondary walls of Chir (Pinus longifolia) tracheids. Sci & Cult. 14: 163, 164.

SEN J (1955a). The organization of microscopic super-micelles in some carbonaceous materials and Indian coal, and their woody mother substance. Riv. Ital. Pal. e Strat. 61(1): 1-16.

SEN J (1955b). Orientation of quartz grains in some Indian silicified woods. The Palaeobotanist. 4: 77-82. https://doi.org/10.54991/jop.1955.473

SEN J (1956a). Fine structure in degraded, ancient and buried wood, and other fossilized plant derivatives. Bot. Rev. 22(6): 343-374.

SEN J (1956b). The organization of structural units in fossil wood. Riv. Ital. Pal. e Strat. 62(4): 221-224.

SEN J & BASAK RK (1955). The nature of ancient wood. II. The Structure and properties of well-preserved tracheids and fibres. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club. 82(3): 183-195.

SEN J & BASAK RK (1957). The chemistry of ancient buried wood. Geol Foren Forhandl. 79(4): 737-758.

SIEGEL SM, LEFEVRE B & BORCHARDT R (1958). Ultraviolet-absorbing components of fossil and modern plants in relation to thermal alterations of lignins. Amer. Journ. Sci. 256(1): 48-53.

THIESSEN R (1932). Physical structure of coal, cellulose fibre and wood. Industr. & Eng. Chem. 24(9): 1032-1041.

TRAYNARD PH, AYROUD AM, EYMERY A, ROBERT A & DE COLIGNY S (1954). Distribution of lignin in the secondary wall of plant tissues. Holzforschung. 8(2): 42.

VAROSSIEAU WW (1949). Ancient buried and decayed wood seen from a biological point of view. Pub. Central Inst. voor Materiaalonderzoek (C.I.M.O.) te Delft.

VAROSSIEAU WW & BREGER IA (1952). Chemical studies on ancient buried wood and the origin of the humus. C.R. Troisieme congr. Avanc. Etudes Strat. Et Geol. Carbonif. (Heerlen, 1951).

WALTON J (1953). An introduction to the study of fossil plants. Adam & Charles Black, London.

WARDROP AB & DADSWELL HE (1948). The nature of reaction wood. I. The structure and properties of tension wood fibres. Aust. Journ. Sci. Res. B1 (1): 3-16.

WARDROP AB & DADSWELL HE (1950). The nature of reaction wood. II. The cell wall organization of Compression wood tracheids. Aust. Journ. Sci. Res. B3(1): 1-13.

WARDROP AB & PRESTON RD (1947). Organization of the cell walls of tracheids and wood fibres. Nature. 160 (4078): 911.

YASUI K (1925). On the alteration of the cell wall in the process of coalification, with special reference to the optical property of the wall. Bot. Mag. 39(467): 280-290.

ZIMMERMANN G (1953). Anatomische unterschungen an Kieselholzern aus dem stubendandstein Wurttembrgs. Palaeontographica. 93B (4-6): 69-102.

Downloads

Published

1960-12-31

How to Cite

Sen, J. (1960). Further studies on the structure and composition of variably degraded ancient woody tissues. Journal of Palaeosciences, 9((1-2), 32–48. https://doi.org/10.54991/jop.1960.595

Issue

Section

Research Articles