Without vessels (softwood)

Hand lens or endgrain

Assessing the presence or absence of vessels is the foremost and simplest means of distinguishing hardwoods from softwoods: in softwoods they are absent whilst in hardwoods they are present. Occurring parallel to the longitudinal axis of a tree, vessels are the conduits that transport water and sap from the roots of a tree to its leaves. A single vessel is made up of cells (vessel elements) separated by perforation plates. Vessels are also known as pores, particularly when viewed on the transverse surface.

Procedure
Polish a small area of the endgrain surface and examine with a dissecting light microscope or hand-lens.

Select this state if... vessels are present on the transverse surface. If the wood is a hardwood, vessels will punctuate the surface; they are usually the largest and most apparent cell type.

Note
Vessels are rarely absent in dicotyledons but there are some exceptions (Metcalfe & Chalk 1989: 202). None of the families in which vessels are absent are treated in this identification tool and only one family of dicotyledons in which vessels are absent - Winteraceae - occurs in Australia.