alburnum

[al-bur-nuh m] /ælˈbɜr nəm/
noun, Botany
1.
Origin
1655-65; < Latin, equivalent to alb(us) white + -urnum neuter noun suffix
Related forms
alburnous, adjective
British Dictionary definitions for alburnum

alburnum

/ælˈbɜːnəm/
noun
1.
a former name for sapwood
Word Origin
C17: from Latin: sapwood, from albus white
Encyclopedia Article for alburnum

sapwood

outer, living layers of the secondary wood of trees, which engage in transport of water and minerals to the crown of the tree. The cells therefore contain more water and lack the deposits of darkly staining chemical substances commonly found in heartwood. Sapwood is thus paler and softer than heartwood and can usually be distinguished in cross sections, as in tree stumps, although the proportions and distinctness of the two types are variable in different species

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