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Exploring the anatomical variability along the stem of cacti requires obtaining high-quality thin sections from hard and soft tissues. Several embedding, infiltration, and sectioning methods have been applied mainly to investigate the harder stem base of cacti, where thin cross-sections are relatively easy to obtain. However, analyzing the variation of anatomical features along cacti stems remains a challenge. Specifically, at the tip of cacti stems, the soft and water-rich dominant tissues are difficult to infiltrate. Here we show results obtained by adapting polyethylene glycol (PEG) infiltration techniques and present a step-by-step description of a fast and hazardous chemical-free method that allows successful cross-sectioning. This infiltration technique may provide a tool to further explore and quantify xylem anatomical trait variation along stems of a wide range of succulent-stemmed taxa.

Wood identification has never been more important to serve the purpose of global forest protection, by controlling international illegal timber trade and enabling the enforcement of timber trade regulations. Macroscopic wood identification is the fastest method for the first identification of an unknown timber and, with proper training, it can be performed by operators in the timber industry, restorers and curators of cultural heritage, wood traders, designers, students and customs officers. Here we describe a wood atlas and accompanying software, SIR-Legno, developed for the identification of 48 Italian timber species based on a recently proposed list of macroscopic features for wood identification. For each species the atlas provides a complete macroscopic description plus information on natural durability, end-use class, physico-mechanical properties, conservation status, maximum diameter of the bole and most frequent uses. For each genus covered by the atlas, information about species number, CITES-listed species, main commercial timbers, similarly-named timbers from other genera, geographical distribution and notes on species or species group recognition at macroscopic and microscopic level are provided. SIR-Legno is an educational product, a handy identification key and a tool to search woods by their natural durability, end-use class and physico-mechanical properties. Both the atlas and the software can be freely downloaded from the web. Thanks to the adoption of a codified list of characters and a transferable design, SIR-Legno can be easily replicated or expanded to other databases in order to include new species. SIR-Legno is freeware and works on any version of Windows.

With the adoption of a number of anti-illegal logging laws, treaties, memoranda, and international agreements around the world, there is broad and renewed interest in wood identification, especially in the field at the macroscopic level. In response to this interest, and to begin to fill an obvious gap in the corpus of wood anatomical reference material, we review several prominent English-language publications on macroscopic wood identification in order to form a list of characters. We compile characters and organize them in the spirit of the IAWA lists for hardwood and softwood microscopic identification, present the state of the art as it exists, attempt to reconcile the different sets of definitions, characters, and character states, then present our proposed working-list. It is our intent with this publication to open an international discussion regarding the standardization of macroscopic wood identification features, and it is our hope that such a discussion can include critical works from the non-English literature. We also call for an illustrated glossary to accompany the proposed list. A standard lexicon to describe wood at the macroscopic level will simplify the preparation of identification documents and permit the ready translation of keys and other references for easy use and deployment around the world.