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This atlas offers anatomical descriptions of 19 Dalbergia and 31 Diospyros species, most of them endemic to Madagascar. Each species is illustrated with color micrographs of double-stained sections through the xylem, bark, and pith of stems, branches, and twigs. Further, a photograph of each plant and information on its height, DBH, habit, and geographical and elevational distribution in Madagascar are included. Dalbergia and Diospyros species provide highly-priced woods, which are intensively traded across the world and therefore highly endangered by illegal trade and harvesting. This book represents a response to the action plan for Diospyros and Dalbergia species regarding the establishment of a reference collection and reliable identification system for species listed by CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Bringing together a wealth of material recently collected in different biogeographical regions of Madagascar and identified by the Missouri Botanical Garden, the book will appeal to plant scientists, taxonomists and practitioners involved in wood identification, and will help to safeguard the legacy of precious wood trading through proper identification.

This atlas presents anatomical descriptions of the xylem, bark and pith of 264 species belonging to 71 families. It highlights the anatomical diversity of trees, shrubs, dwarf shrubs, woody lianas and several of the prominent perennial herbs from the Eastern Mediterranean region, with a focus on the island of Cyprus. The island's topography and biogeographic history combine to provide a wide range of habitats and diverse flora including widespread, endemic, and ornamental species.The monograph for each species includes a description of the anatomical structures of the stem and twig xylem and the twig's bark and pith, as well as color micrographs of double-stained sections of each of these plant parts. These entries are accompanied by a photograph and a brief description of the plant including stem wood density, height, habit, flower, leaf and fruit characteristics, and a map showing its geographic and altitudinal distribution in the region. Xylem descriptions follow the IAWA lists of microscopic features for hardwood and softwood identification. For bark and pith descriptions, a new coding system developed by the authors is applied. Lastly, the work offers a key for wood identification that was developed to differentiate between groups of species by using a small number of features that are unambiguous and clearly visible. The atlas will be a valuable guide for botanists, ecologists, foresters, archeologists, horticulturists and paleobotanists.