Pawpaw

Close view of pawpaw branch with leaves and fruit.

Description

Pawpaw (Asimina triloba/Annonaceae).The genus Asimina is composed of about 8 species native to eastern North America. It flowers early (March – April) and grows best in rich woods at low elevations. Also known as Pawpaw, it is a shrub to small tree reaching heights of 36 feet with diameters of less than 1 foot. This is not a commercial lumber species and thus, no technical information is available on the properties of the wood. The wood is light in weight, has a yellowish tinge and a coarse grain.

Characteristics

Characteristics found in the Pawpaw (Asimina triloba)

  • Ring Porous
  • Coalesced/Confluent parenchyma
  • Simple perforations
  • I/V pits small to medium (4-12)
  • Rays 5-14 seriate & heterocellular
second view of pop-up branch with leaves and multiple fruit.

 

 

 

 

 

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

WOOD SLIDES

Microscope slide of transverse section of paw paw wood. Arrows identify large early wood vessels, growth ring boundaries, and smaller latewood vessels.
Microscope slide of radial section of Pawpaw wood. Arrows identify vessels and rays.
Microscope slide of radio section of Pawpaw wood. Arrows identify vessels, and ray.
Microscope slide of radial section of pawpaw at higher magnification. Arrows identify rays with starch grains, ray vessel pits, simple perforation vessel and walls, and the vessel.
Microscope slide of radial section of pawpaw wood. Arrows identify vessels and rays.
Microscope slide of radial section of Pawpaw wood at higher magnification. Arrows identify location of rays.
Microscope slide of radial section of pawpaw wood at higher magnification. Arrows identify the rays, latewood vessels, earlywood vessels, and the growth ring boundary.
Microscope slide of tangential section of pawpaw wood at high magnification. Arrows point to rays and vessels.
Microscope slide of tangential section of Pawpaw wood at high magnification. Arrows point to inter- vessel pits, and axial parenchyma.

CHARCOAL SLIDES

Microscope slide of radial surface of pawpaw charcoal. Arrows identify the vessels, fibers, and rays.
Microscope slide of tangential surface of pawpaw charcoal at high magnification. Arrows point to inner vessel pitting.
Microscope slide of tangential surface of pawpaw charcoal at high magnification. Arrows point to multiple sections of inter-vessel pitting and rays.
Microscope slide of transverse section of pawpaw charcoal. Arrows point to rays, latewood, earlywood, and growth ring boundaries.
Microscope slide of transverse section of pawpaw charcoal at higher magnification. Arrows point to latewood, earlywood, and the growth ring boundaries.