2006-09-17 15:43:52 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Botany
Ok- contrary to popular belief a hardwood is not a hardwood just because of it's leaves. A hardwood differs from a softwood in that it's wood has vessels. A softwood doesn't have vessels, they have a thing called tracheids.
Hardwoods are angiosperms which means they have flowers for pollination and produce seeds that are covered by a type of fruit (can come in many forms nut, drupe, berry, pomme, legume, pod, etc.). Most angiosperms are deciduous which means they drop their leaves in the fall, but some like the southern magnolia are evergreen.
Softwoods are gymnosperms which produce "naked" seeds, that are usually housed in a cone until maturation occurs. Most softwoods have needle like leaves that tend to be evergreen or at least appear that way (they do shed their needles just not all at once). However a Ginko tree is a gymnosperm and has fan like leaves that are deciduous. Larches and Cypress are also deciduous softwoods.
Hopefully this answers your question.
2006-09-18 07:23:16 · answer #1 · answered by guitar4peace 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Hardwood: Referring to the timber from broadleaved trees and the trees themselves. According to Maine law, a stand is considered hardwood if greater than 75% of the trees are hardwood (Field 1994)
2006-09-17 15:54:17 · answer #2 · answered by iyiogrenci 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's based on the leaves. Broad-leaved trees are hardwood, conifers are softwood.
2006-09-17 19:27:49 · answer #3 · answered by btsmith_y 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Softwood is normally uniform in grain (texture) and color; hardwood, in which the rays are more prominent and the arrangement of tissues is variable, produces lumber in which the grain may run vertically or horizontally and be coarse or smooth.
2006-09-17 16:19:42 · answer #4 · answered by Professor Armitage 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
most hardwoods are srtonger than furs or timber trees mostlly oak maple cypress and many more. there root system is lager that softwood and also there cross is closer or tighter
2006-09-17 15:56:16 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The definition is, trees with broad flat leaves.
2006-09-17 15:53:03 · answer #6 · answered by Desi 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A dicotyledonous tree.
A dicotyledon is a flowering plant with two embryonic seed leaves or cotyledons that usually appear at germination.
2006-09-17 15:50:53 · answer #7 · answered by Shaun 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
deciduous trees the ones that drop their leaves every year
2006-09-17 15:48:32 · answer #8 · answered by wizard 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
like a maple or oak...their wood is hard
2006-09-17 17:15:52 · answer #9 · answered by sunflare63 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋