Fossil root- and stemwood of Chionanthus retusus has been found from the Late Pleistocene stratum at Akashi, Hyogo Prefecture, central Japan. The woods of fossil and extant C. retusus are described and compared. The fossil rootwood closely resembles that of the extant individuals in being ring-porous with large pores arranged in one layer in the earlywood, and small pores that gradually decrease in diameter from the earlywood, and are arranged in a flame-like pattern in the latewood. It differs from the wood of the extant species in the larger diameter of wide pores, the quite gradual decrease in vessel diameter from the earlywood to the latewood, and the narrower and lower rays. The fossil stemwood is quite similar to the stemwood of extant C. retusus in being ring-porous with large pores arranged in one or two layers in the earlywood, and small pores .that abruptly decrease in diameter from the earlywood, and are arranged in a flame-like pattern. It differs from the wood of the extant species in the larger diameter of wide pores, and the lower rays. Based on their similarity, these fossil woods are identified as the rootand stemwood of C. retusus.
Morphological Characteristics of Hummocks Originating from the 24ka Sector Collapse Event of Asama Volcano, Central Japan
