RESEARCH ARTICLE

Journal of Oil Palm Research Vol. 25 (1) April 2013, p. 138- 148

AN ANATOMICAL COMPARISON BETWEEN BUNCH AND FRUIT OF OIL PALM WITH PINEAPPLE LEAF AND THREE WOODS FROM PLANTATIONS IN COSTA RICA

MOYA, Roger * ; MUNOZ, Freddy * ; JULIO MATA, S ** ; ROY SOTO, F ‡

ABSTRACT

Elaeis guineensis, Ananas comusus and forest plantations are planted widely in Costa Rica; however their residues (8000 t) are not utilised. The main objective of this work was to undertake an anatomical description of the structure of the oil palm’s empty fruit and the leaves from the crown and plant of the pineapple. Fibre dimensions of these agricultural crops were also compared with three main timber spe-cies planted. The anatomy of the fruit and the bunch of the oil palm are different from wood anatomy or pineapple leaves. The fibre dimensions and the anatomical distribution of the vascular strands are different for the pineapple leaf, the oil palm fruit and bunch . Large quantities of vascular strands are found in the oil palm bunch, and their frequency is similar in the oil palm fruit. A large proportion of parenchyma is observed in the pineapple leaf compared with the oil palm bunch and fruit. Oil palm fibre is different from the fibre dimension of the pineapple leaves and of wood. Wood and oil palm fruit and bunch present similar fibre dimensions. The pineapple leaf fibres are shorter fibres with wider diameter and thicker wall than oil palm and wood species.

KEYWORDS:


* Escuela de Ingeniería Forestal, Instituto Tecnológico de
Costa Rica, CIIBI, Apartado 159-7050, Cartago, Costa Rica.
E-mail: rmoya@itcr.ac.cr

** Laboratorio de Química Biorgánica ,Escuela de Química,
Facultad de Ciencias,
Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica.

‡ Laboratorio de Productos Naturales y Ensayos Biologicos,
Escuela de Química, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y
Naturales, Universidad Nacional, Apartado 86-3000,
Heredia, Costa Rica.