Hercules Club

Description

stand of Hercules club shrubs at a field edge.

Hercules Club (Aralia spinosa/Araliaceae). The genus Aralia is composed of about 36 species native to North America, eastern Asia and Malaysia. This is not a commercial lumber species and thus, no technical information is available on the properties of the wood. It is also known as the Devil’s Walking Stick. It can reach heights of 36 feet, with diameters of less than 1 foot. It is common in rich open woods and along streams.

Characteristics

Characteristics found in the Hercules Club (Aralia spinosa)

  • Ring to semi-ring porous
  • Coalesced/Confluent parenchyma
  • Tyloses
  • Spirals in vessels
  • Simple perforations
  • I/V pits medium to large (8-50)
  • R/V pits large
  • Rays 5-14 seriate & heterocellular
close view of Hercules club branch with flowers.

 

 

 

 

 

Slides (Click on each image to view a larger image)

WOOD SLIDES

Microscope slide of Hercules club wood. Arrows points to earlywood, the growth ring boundary, and latewood.
Microscope slide of transverse section of Hercules club wood. Arrows identify tyloses, large earlywood vessels, the growth ring boundary, latewood vessels, rays, and fibers.
Microscope slide of radial section of Hercules club wood. Arrows identify the inter-vessel pits, simple perforation vessel walls, the rays, and fibers.
Microscope slide of radial section of Hercules club wood at greater magnification. Arrows identify the vessels, simple perforation vessel wall, and ray.
Microscope slide and gentle section of Hercules club wood. Arrows point to the fibers, the inner vessel pits, and the rays
Microscope slide of tangential section of Hercules club wood. Arrows identify inner vessel pits, tyloses, and rays.
Microscope slide of tangential section of Hercules club wood at greater magnification. Arrows identify the fibers, the rays, and the inter-vessel pits.
Microscope slide of tangential section of Hercules club wood at greater magnification. Arrows identify a branch trace and the raise.
Microscope slide of tangential section of Hercules club wood. Arrows identify the location of a branch trace and the rays.

CHARCOAL SLIDES

Microscope slide of radial surface of Hercules club charcoal. Arrows identify the rays vessels and fibers.
Microscope slide of the radial surface of Hercules club charcoal at greater magnification. Arrows identify the interfacial pitting, fibers, and race.
Microscope slide of the radial surface of Hercules club charcoal. Arrows identify the fibers, rays, and vessels.
Microscope slide of tangential surface of Hercules club charcoal. Arrows point to the rays, fibers, and circular voids which are artifacts of pyrolysis.
Microscope slide of tangential surface of Hercules club charcoal. under greater magnification. Arrows point to the rays and voids which are artifacts of pyrolysis.
Microscope slide of transverse section of Hercules club wood charcoal. Arrows point to the rays, vessels, and growth ring boundary.
Microscope slide of transverse section of Hercules club charcoal. Arrows identify the rays and vessels.
Microscope slide of transverse section of Hercules club charcoal at higher magnification. Arrows identify earlywood, growth ring boundary, and latewood.