r
FAMILIAR
TREES
E S.MATHEWS
I '
J
mp 1. M. Bill ffitbrarg
Narttj (Eamlttta £>tate Umueratty
2. SMITH REYNOLDS
FOUNDATION
COLLECTION IN
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
QK482
mi
N.C. STATE UNIVERSITY D.H. HILL LIBRARY
S001 92277 S
AU
-€-^--
THIS BOOK IS DUE ON THE DATE
INDICATED BELOW AND IS SUB-
JECT TO AN OVERDUE FINE AS
POSTED AT THE CIRCULATION
DESK.
'f
MAY l 5 J992
y.
OCT t 9 1894
DEC 2 1994
MAY 1 7 2000
\ m
*n
LIQUIDAMBAR.
Leiperville, Delaware Co., Penn.
-— - ■..^--^-- —
EDITION IN COLORS
Familiar Trees
and their Leaves
Described and Illustrated by
F. Schuyler Mathews
Author of Familiar Flowers, Familiar Life in Field
and Forest, and Familiar Features of the Roadside
With Illustrations in Colors and over Two Hundred
Drawings by the Author, and an Introduction by
Prof. L. H. Bailey, of Cornell University
New York
D. Appleton and Company
1908
Copyright. 1396, 1901,
By D. APPLETON AND COMPANY.
PEEFACE TO THE EDITION IN COLOES.
One of the most interesting things in connection
with the study of nature and the pursuit of art is
the study of color. It would take a massive volume
profuse with illustrations to adequately describe and
portray those phases of color which are common at
any hour of the day in the field and woodland.
Trees have their moods as well as men, and these
are expressed in color which is influenced by, and
largely dependent upon, sunlight and atmospheric
conditions. To be sure, it is not quite possible to
perfectly represent these moods in a process repro-
duction of a water - color study ; but a suggestion
of such character is far better than the complete
absence of it, and, it must be acknowledged, mod-
ern processes are wonderfully faithful to form and
the touch of the artist's brush.
With the hope of more clearly expressing by
illustration the life and moods of some of our com-
mon trees, the publishers have added to this new
edition the likenesses, in color, of the birch, maple,
red spruce, liquidambar, and other familiar charac-
iii
i v FAMILIAR TREES AXD THEIR LEAVES.
ters of tlie field and forest. My sketches in water-
color were therefore intentionally impressionistic.
I avoided all those petty details which the camera
could have given with minute fidelity, and aimed
for color and effect, for mass and character.
Whether the effort was successful or not remains
for the reader to judge. At all events the repro-
ductions deserve to be kindly received, because
color invariably involves such a stupendous amount
of labor in the process of duplication (a fact which
few appreciate or understand), and mechanical results
are so extremely uncertain even in the hands of a
skilled w r orkman. But there is one good point about
process : it does not superimpose another man's hand
between the artist and his reproduced picture. It
does not distort his drawing, nor does it ignore his
technique ; in fact, it has now proved itself a fair
means of attaining both color and form with some
degree of fidelity. A mere black-and-white photo-
graph fails to tell half the truth of nature. In June,
when the maple and the liquidambar are verdant
green, the lifeless photograph takes no account of
the fact. Nothing short of palette and brush in the
hands of an artist can tell the truth about the field
and forest on a rare day of June. The lilac shad-
ows, the purple tree trunk, the emerald foliage, the
cobalt sky, the warm pink tone of the atmosphere
on what is commonly called " an artist's day " — these
are not to be photographed. The colored fire of
PREFACE TO THE EDITION IN COLORS. v
cloud and sky, the soft emerald of the meadow
broken by the lilac-blue shadow of the stately elm
— what can the camera tell of these ?
We have some little record of these colors in the
tree pictures ; they tell how the oak differs from the
maple, and the tupelo from either. We must not
expect more ; it is a simple chromatic demonstra-
tion, beyond the boundary of photography.
Regarding the scientific nomenclature which is
adopted for this book, one word of explanation is
necessary. The names are those of Dr. Asa Gray,
and his successors connected with the University of
Harvard ; the addition of Dr. Sargent's scientific
names I considered particularly necessary in defer-
ence to his magnificent work, The Silva of North
America, to which we must all of us go for a wider
knowledge of tree life. All other systems of no-
menclature, however popular they may seem to be,
seem to me both unnecessary and unreliable, as well
as conducive of much confusion, especially to the
younger generation. We certainly are in safe hands
if we depend upon the botanists of Harvard Univer-
sity. It is not necessary to say more than that.
F. Schuyler Mathews.
May 1, 1001.
PEEFACE.
Possibly there are some of us who may not think
that a leaf is a thing of beauty. We are prone to use
the expression " Nothing but leaves," as though leaves
were the worthless, homely, and uninteresting things
of an otherwise beautiful creation. They certainly are
common, but they are far from commonplace. If we
doubt this, let us try to draw or paint a single leaf.
Only a great artist can depict all of some one of its
manifold truths ; one may draw ever so carefully and
well, yet he can not tell with the pencil or the brush
all the truth and beauty of one leaf. Its color is too
waxen and pure to be imitated by earthy pigments ;
its outline is too subtile, its teeth are too finely and
vigorously formed, and its veins are too infinitely
complex for one to copy with absolute, lifelike ac-
curacy. No, it is not possible to portray all the
beauty of a leaf with the pencil. Yet this work of
Nature's wonderful art is common : the world is
vii
viii FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
filled with untold billions of leaves, no tvjo of tvhieh
are exactly alike.
It is undoubtedly the fact that we do not fully
appreciate either the beauty or the usefulness of
trees ; but after we have become really familiar with
them, and have learned readily to distinguish the dif-
ferent species, we find ourselves in a new world of
absorbing interest, in which beauty and use have ex-
panded to proportions far beyond our previous con-
ceptions.
I have ventured to draw the trees and their leaves
just as I have found them. My two hundred and odd
sketches were all taken from Nature, and only sixty
of these from pressed specimens which were obtained
at the Harvard Botanic Garden. Yet I have found
the world of truth and beauty, as far as leaves are
concerned, so limitless, that types and rules seemed
valuable only as guide-boards are on a strange path :
a typical leaf does not reveal all the leaf truth, any
more than a guide-board notes all the turns and twists
in the path.
I have considered it neither wise nor necessarv to
t/
confine the drawings to a uniform scale ; many of
them are about one half natural size, but the re-
mainder are adjusted to the limited space which the
book allows. As often as the case requires, the di-
mensions of a leaf are recorded.
PREFACE. i x
The botanical names which are given the first
place are those which are taken from Gray's Field,
Forest, and Garden Botany ; these find a universal
acceptation in this country. Those which hold the
second place conform with a recent system of no-
menclature instituted by Prof. C. S. Sargent, through
whose kindness I am enabled to make my list
complete.
The introduction of the red spruce as a distinct
species, and not as a variety of the black spruce, and
also the expression of any views regarding the char-
acter of a species, must not be mistaken for an inten-
tion on my part of indulging in a botanical opinion.
As a student and lover of Nature, I must beg the
privilege of simply exercising a choice between dis-
puted botanical points, which is, of course, consistent
with my own profession.
I wish to acknowledge the kind assistance received
from Dr. B. L. Robinson, Prof. L. H. Bailey, and
Prof. C. S. Sargent, without whose advice I could
never have completed my work satisfactorily. I am also
greatly indebted to Prof. J. G. Jack, Mr. C. E. Faxon,
Mr. Jackson Dawson, and Mr. Newlin Williams for
their valuable suggestions and the acquisition of many
needed specimens. Indeed, without this help it
would have been impossible for me to gather all the
material necessary to make my list include over two
X FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
hundred trees. This is not so very many for one to
become acquainted with, and it is at least a service-
able introduction to the life of the woods.
The stillness of the vast forest, broken only by
the silvery, organ -pipe notes of the hermit thrush, is
something so strangely opposite to the city's whirl and
confusion, that we think of the wilderness as without
life ; but in reality it is all life : the trees and their
countless leaves live in a world about wliich we know
little — we with our lives hemmed in by walls of stone.
But when the summer comes, then the stifling air and
the hot pavements force the truth upon us — they are
dead ! and, exhausted with the city's heat, we echo the
wish of the poet Whittier :
Bring us the airs of hills and forests,
The sweet aroma of birch and pine ;
Give us a waft of the north wind laden
With sweetbrier odors and breath of kine.
F. Schuyler Mathews.
El Fureidis, Blair, Campton, N. H.,
May, 1896.
INTRODUCTION.
Tree growth is a constant source of wonder to
one who contemplates Nature. The rigid bole, the
bracing and far-searching roots, the outspreading top
with its myriad members and its infinite variety of
form and expression, all combine to make an organ-
ism in which strength, durability, gracefulness, and
tenderness are all at once the dominant characteristics.
In all the range of Nature there is no object which
so commonly inspires the tenderer and finer emotions,
and which would leave the earth so bare of loveliness
if it were to be removed. Itself devoid of person-
ality, it still lends itself to the expression of all the
feelings of the heart. It is gay or sad, warm or cold,
peaceful or restive, the reflection of the passing mood
of the observer. Every one loves the trees, though
he may not know it, and it often happens that those
love them best who know them least. I mean to say
that one who attempts to analyze the kinds and spe-
cies may wholly overlook the tree itself in his search
XI
xii FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
for details. The tree exists as an individuality wholly
aside from its name and classification and botanical
technicalities. There are, then, two ways of know-
ing a tree. One is the way of human feeling and
sympathy, through which a tree becomes a part of
one's self, as the sunshine does. It is identified with
every hallowed experience. The influence of its be-
nignant branches throws a savor into the commonest
nooks and corners of our lives. Another way to
know the tree is the botanical or analytical way.
This method sternly scrutinizes every detail. This is
essential to truth, but not to feeling. It is so likely
to restrict and dwarf the vision and the sympathies as
to make the tree but a laboratory filled with curiously
fashioned mechanisms. Some persons are slaves to
facts. There are botanists, no doubt, who know all
the kinds of trees, but who have never seen the
greenness and verdure and sublimeness of the woods.
Yet, despite the narrow vision which may come
from the analytical study of plants, there is no in-
herent reason why the person who traces the veins in
the leaf, counts the seeds in the pod, and unravels
the structure in the wood, may not also see the tree of
which all these charming details are but the various
parts. Fortunately, the greater number of persons
will always desire to know the tree as an entirety;
but they may enjoy it the more if at the same time
INTRODUCTION. xiii
they have some knowledge of its kinships and its
names. The name is the index to all that has been
written about it, — a means of learning its range, its
habits, and its uses. Such persons approach the tree
in a different spirit than the botanist does. They
want an easy and personal method of apprehending
it. They have no desire to discover or record scien-
tific facts. They are not of the analytical turn of
mind. They simply want an introduction to the
trees whom they meet. Their desire is as legiti-
mate as the botanist's, and it is more necessary that
it be satisfied. The botanist can make his own
helps, if need be. I am glad of every new book,
therefore, which invites people to see and to know
Nature. That method of treatment is best which in-
terests the greatest number of persons. If only the
statements are clear and accurate, the critic has no
right to condemn the book. If the book is made for
the people, time is the only judge of its merits. As
foliage is the most obvious feature of trees, aside
from form, it would seem that leaf -forms afford the
most useful basis of introduction to a common knowl-
edge of trees ; and if, in addition, the artist draws
and describes the objects as he sees them, the result
must be beneficent.
L. II. Bailey.
Cornell University, May, 1S9G.
A PLAN FOR LEAF IDENTIFICATION.
All leaves may be divided into five general classes, as follows:
I. Simple alternate-growing leaves.
II. Simple opposite-growing leaves.
III. Compound alternate-growing leaves.
IV. Compound opposite-growing leaves.
V. Evergreen leaves, of the Pine family.
The first four classes which comprise the deciduous leaves are sub-
divided into two classes, as follows :
1. Without teeth.
2. With teeth.
These two classes are again subdivided, as follows:
A. Edge not divided or cut into.
B. Edge divided or cut into.
Class V is subdivided as follows :
1. With long needles.
2. With short, flat, blunt needles, or with soft needles.
3. With short, sharp needles, or with scales.
Under this general classification the leaves are arranged in botanical
succession through the following chapters :
I. Simple alternate leaves :
Edge not divided.
Edge divided.
Edge not divided.
Edge divided.
1. Without teeth, j
2. With teeth.
A.
B.
Chap. II.
Chap. III.
Chaps. IV to IX.
Chaps. X to XIII.
II. Simple opposite leaves :
1. Without teeth.
2. With teeth.
Edge not divided.
Edge not divided.
Edge divided.
III. Compound alternate leaves :
A.
Ik
1. Without teeth,
2. With teeth.
( Leaflets bordering main
j leaf stem.
j Leaflets bordering main
( leaf stem.
IV. Compound opposite leaves :
1. Without and j Leaflets bordering main
with teeth. ( leaf stem.
2. With teeth. Leaflets radiating.
V. Evergreen leaves, of the Fine family :
1. With long needles.
2. With short, flat, blunt needles, or with
soft needles.
3. With short, sharp needles, or with scales.
Chap. XIV.
Chap. XV.
Chap. XVI.
Chap. XVII.
Chap. XVIII.
Chap. XIX.
Chap. XX.
Chap. XXI.
Chap. XXII.
Chap. XXIII.
xiv
COLORED PRINTS OF TREES.
LIquidambar
• •
Fran
FACING
PAGE
tispiece
Tupelo ....
• •
. 32
Sassafras
• •
. 40
Paper, Canoe, or White
Birch .
94
Chestnut
• *
, 106
White Oak .
• « 4
146
Sugar Maple
• • «
198
Black Walnut .
• • 1
226
Hickory
• s
229
Fir Balsam .
• •
278
Red Spruce .
• • 4
282
Red Cedar .
• •
298
XV
wmm
^^Sfc^*y
?* *~V
THE PAINTED BEECH.
FAMILIAR
TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
CHAPTER I.
THE LEAF AS A BUILDER.
The trees may be justly numbered among our
best friends, for the simple reason that our lives are
inseparably connected with and greatly benefited by
them. But we need to know our leafy friends
better. It is not enough to be able to distinguish
an ash from a hickory, or a fir from a spruce ; it is
more important by far that we should become ac-
quainted with the form and character of the leaves,
the fruit, and the bark and thus acquire a fuller
knowledge of the way the tree lives.
To know a tree is to become familiar with the
purpose and condition of its life. This is revealed in
no small measure by the leaves. The needle of the
pine enables the tree to withstand a hurricane on a
mountain top, yet its slender figure is perfectly
adapted to the task of gathering light and air for the
2
FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR L WAVES.
tree's life. The broad-leaved buttonwood would fall
before the gale which the pine successfully weathers.
" The rough and fuzzy leaf of the Slippery Elm."
THE LEAF AS A BUILDER.
Not less plainly does the diversity of character in
a leaf reveal the diversity of tree life itself. No
two leaves are exactly alike ; no two
trees are exactly alike. There are spe-
cific as well as generic differ-
ences which are strongly
marked. One tree leads a
rugged, wild, and struggling
life ; another an easy, luxurious
life. The rough and fuzzy leaf
of the slip-
pery elm, the
silky leaf of
the beech, the
shiny leaf of
the gray birch,
these are all
widely differ-
ent ; but there are also dis-
tinct differences between
the leaves of different kinds
of birches, elms, and maples.
Still, there are puzzling
similarities, and one is often
compelled to study minute
details in order to make sure
of a particular species. " The sUky leaf of the Beech "
FAMILIAR TREES AXD THEIR LEAVES.
Nyssa biflora;
usually two berries.
We find no more than jnst so many berries on a
stem, and this fact decides a species ; the leaves grow
just so many in a cluster,
and this decides anoth-
er species ; the bark is
marked thus and so, and
there is no further doubt
about yet another species.
It is plain, therefore,
that by comparative ex-
amination we can decide
beyond peradventure
what the tree is by its leaf, its fruit, or its bark.
But it is with the leaves that we have chiefly to do ;
in almost all cases their assistance is
sufficient for the identification of the
tree. I have consequently arranged
them in the succeeding chapters
according to a progression from
simple to complex
forms.
Fig. A is the sim-
plest form of a leaf;
it is without divisions
Nyssa uniflora ;
not more than one berry.
and has an entire and unbroken edo;e. But this is
not all which we must look at ; it is a most important
fact to know how the leaf grew. Did it spring
THE LEAF AS A BUILDER.
from the twig in alternate order with its neighbors,
or did it grow opposite a neighbor ? Fig. B shows
how leaves grow alternate-
ly ; but Fig. C also shows
how alternately - growing
leaves sometimes double up,
and, growing
thus in pairs,
appear to be
opposite. But
it is the main brcmcMet to
vg which the term " opposite '
I \xm applies, and Fig. D illustrates
the way opposite leaves seem
to spring out from either side
of the branchlet.
The next simple form of a
leaf is one which is divided or u cut into," but is
Fig. A.— Catalpa Leaf.
6
FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
Fig. B.— Yellow Birch.
THE LEAF AS A BUILDER.
Fig. C.-Black Birch.
8
FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
Fig. D.— Striped Maple.
THE LEAF AS A BUILDER.
9
Fig. E.— Sassafras Leaf.
still without a toothed
edge. The lohed leaf of
the sassafras is a good
illustration of this type
(see Fig. E).
The toothed leaf of
the yellow birch (see Fig.
B) comes next among the
simpler forms ; but even
this type is not quite as
simple as that of the
beech leaf (see the second drawing in this chapter), for
the birch as well as the slippery-elm leaf is double-
toothed, while the beech leaf is the plain-
est, shallowest-toothed affair which Nature
has designed. Perhaps Viburnum
dentatum, which will be found
in a succeeding chapter, has
a leaf almost correspond-
ingly simple, but the teeth
are cut deeper, and the
veining is not nearly so
plain.
The silver-maple leaf
comes next in order (see
Fig. F); this leaf is both
divided and toothed, but t^ [t io . F.-Silver-Maple Leaf.
10 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
THE LEAF AS A BUILDER.
11
it is an extreme type. A less pronounced variety of
this sort of leaf is Fig. G ; here there are hardly
Fio. H.— White Ash.
any teeth at all, and the few are large enough to be
called " divisions," or, better yet, subdivisions.
12
FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
Fig. I.— Pignut
THE LEAP AS A BUILDER. 13
Next in order comes a compound leaf without
teeth, and following it one with teeth. (Figs. II and
I illustrate these two types perfectly.) Lastly comes
the horse-chestnut leaf, which has a radiating form
(see Fig. J), which is the extreme type of complexity
in a leaf.
These types comprise all the leaves of trees out-
side of the pine family ; the needle leaves of the
latter are too simply formed to require explanations
beyond those given in the chapters devoted to the
evergreens. The possession of a simple method
whereby we may identify a tree by its leaf is a
stepping stone to a better knowledge of the tree
itself. It seems a strange fact that we do not fully
comprehend the great value of the billions and
billions of leaves that clothe the vast forests which,
as time progresses, are slowly disappearing before
the axe. The cubic feet of lumber which a tree
yields are not nearly as valuable to us as the leaves
which the living tree puts forth season after season.
The greatest sphere of usefulness which a tree
occupies is connected with its life. It is a great air-
purifier ; it absorbs from the atmosphere the carbonic-
acid gas which is poisonous to us ; it holds and slowly
dispenses moisture which the parched air needs ; it
gives out the ozone (or oxygen in an active electro-
negative condition) which is peculiarly conducive to
14 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
Fio. J.— Horse Chestnut Leaf.
THE LEAF AS A BUILDER. 15
our health ; and it modifies heat which would other-
wise be overpowering. Step into the thick woods
from an open space on a very hot day, and imme-
diate relief is experienced from the intense heat.
This is not wholly the result of shade furnished
by the trees ; much of it proceeds from the modifi-
cation of the air through the breathing of the tree
leaves. These leaves not only absorb heat and sun-
light, but also carbonic-acid gas, and through tiny
channels transmit them to the growing: wood fiber
of the tree.
The fact is, a tree is built up far more by the sun
and the atmosphere than it is by the soil from which
it grows. In the delicate structure of the leaf, which,
upon close examination, we will see is composed of a
complicated net work of nervelike " veins," carbonic-
acid gas is broken up into carbon, which is retained
by the tree to form its woody structure, and into
oxygen, which is liberated and passes into the atmos-
phere. Each leaf, therefore, is a builder and an air-
regulator of a nature which is beneficial to us. Its
capacity for heat and sunshine is something astonish-
ing. I have estimated that a certain sugar maple of
large proportions, which grows near my cottage, puts
forth in one season about four hundred and thirty-
two thousand leaves ; these leaves combined present
a surface to sunlight of about twentv-one thousand
16 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
six hundred square feet, or an area equal to pretty
nearly half an acre. Every inch of this expanse
breathes in life for the tree, and out health for
man, while it absorbs in the aggregate an enormous
amount of heat and sunlight. In time of rain it also
holds the moisture, and allows it to evaporate by
slow decrees when hot davs return. The forests are
vast sponges, which, through the agency of leaves,
soak up the beneficent raindrops and compel them to
pass slowly through shaded channels to the parched
lands beyond. It is indeed quite impossible to over-
estimate the value of the billions and billions of
leaves which work and build for the benefit of hu-
manity. Only forty per cent of a tree is utilized by
the woodsman ; the pity of it is that the waste is so
fearfully out of proportion to the gain. I do not say
that a w T aste of leaves is a very serious loss, but I do
say that the wanton destruction of more than half
the tree, with its thousands of leaf -workers, is inex-
cusably careless.
A tree is most likely felled at an immature age ; *
how much larger it would grow if given an extra ten
years' lease of life some of us would be astonished to
learn. In that time a sugar maple I call to mind, at
* Spruce and pine "sticks" (the trimmed logs) are floated
down the Merrimack River to the lowland mills by thousands, not
one of which measures more than nine or ten inches in diameter.
THE LEAP AS A BUILDER. 17
first but eight feet high, grew to measure fully thirty
feet, and expanded over a space three times as great
as that it originally occupied. An elm, now probably
thirty years old, in the same length of time added
fifteen feet to its stature, and spread ten feet in the
radius of a circle. This tree is before me as I write.
Another, which stood four feet high in 1870, and
twenty feet in 1885, now reaches over thirty-five feet
above the point it started from. A white pine, which
ten years ago had a stem as thick as a portiere pole,
and a height only a trifle superior to my own, I can
now walk under without stooping ; its trunk meas-
ures twenty-three inches in circumference, and its
topmost bough is twenty feet above the ground.
Four firs, which ten years ago measured twelve feet,
now stand over twenty feet high. A silver maple,
which I planted when it was but four inches high, in
ten years grew nearly twenty feet. Two sugar ma-
ples, which looked like bean poles when they were set
out in 1875, are now symmetrically egg-shaped, and
reach far above the ridgepole of the neighboring
house ; in ten years' time I estimate that these trees
expanded six feet in all directions, and their trunks
nearly doubled their diameter.
The imperceptible and irresistible force with
which a tree grows I have found curiously demon-
strated in a certain butternut, around which was built
18 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
a rustic arbor some ten years ago. The roof was un-
wisely fastened close about the trunk, to exclude the
rain ; now the rafters are forced asunder fully six
inches on either side of the tree, and an opening of
that width shows itself in the arbor roof. What is
most astonishing is the way three or four six-inch
iron spikes have retained their original position,
while the wood has been forced (regardless of the
nail-heads) entirely beyond them.
According to recent tests, it takes a pulling force
of six tons to dislodge a six-inch nail. Think, then,
of a tree growing with an irresistible pushing force
of thirty-six thousand pounds, and this merely the
trunk expansion ! It is remarkable, also, to see how
a tree apparently growing out of a bowlder holds it
with an iron grasp, as its vigorous roots (much in the
way one's fingers encircle a ball) pass over it on their
way down to the nourishing soil below. There are
several trees growing this way in the charming woods
opposite the Flume House, Franconia Mountains ;
one may see them beside the path leading to the
Pool.
The life of a tree is not only interesting, but it is
of more value to us than we can easily estimate. The
loss of large areas of air-vivifying leaves is a menace
to our health. Forests prevent sudden changes of
temperature in all seasons of the year ; they decrease
THE LEAF AS A BUILDER. i;<
the frequency of destructive frosts in early autumn,
and they maintain an equable climate in winter; they
absorb and give out heat more slowly than the open
fields, and they act as a screen to land lying to the
leeward of blasting winter winds. When we interest
ourselves in tree life we begin to realize how great a
worker and builder the leaf is. It builds the tree,
and it works for our benefit. So intimately is it con-
nected with the tree life, that from it proceeds a tiny
channel, or nerve, so to speak, down the trunk to the
very root of the tree. John Ruskin, in Modern
Painters, vol. iv, speaks thus of the leaf- worker : " It
leads a life of endurance, effort, and various success,
issuing in various beauty ; and it connects itself with
the whole previous edifice by one sustaining thread,
continuing its appointed piece of work all the way
from top to root."
CHAPTEE II.
I. Simple Alternate Leaves.
1. Without teeth. A. Edge undivided.
THE MAGNOLIAS, ETC.
The simplest possible leaf which grows on a tree
^-1 ought rather to say, which helps to build one —
we will find on the Southern magnolia. This tree,
which leads all others in botanical classification, puts
forth a leaf of the plainest design we can discover in
Nature — a leaf of an elliptical figure with pointed
ends, plain as the plainest New England farmhouse
without cornice, dormer, or column, and quite as re-
freshingly simple.
The magnolias are distinctly Southern trees, with
dark, shining, evergreen leaves, which are more or
less out of tune with a Northern environment. Just
as the sober olive has its perfect setting in the bril-
liant light and color of Italy and Syria, so the deep-
hued magnolia finds its most congenial surroundings
in the sunny South ; and no doubt Nature is aware
of this fact, for she does not allow the trees to ex-
20
THE MAGNOLIAS, ETC.
— i
pand to their normal size in the North. The mag-
nolia in New Orleans is quite a giant compared with
his fellow which has been exiled to bleak New En^-
land. Away from the Southern swamps or the pictur-
esque streets and gardens of Mobile and New Or-
leans, separated from its natural associates, the pecan,
cypress, and fig tree, the magnolia can not be seen
in the prime of its strength and beauty.
The finest of the species is the great -
Great-flowered
Magnolia, or flowered magnolia, or bull bay. In
Bull Bay. t l ie g 011 th this
Magnolia beautiful
granaijiora,
Magnolia fatida. tree
Magnolia graudiflora
reaches a height of from 60 to 80 feet; its trunk,
which is not infrequently as much as four feet in
diameter, is of a harsh brown gray color, and is cov-
ered with scales about an inch in length. The deep-
22
FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
green leaf is from five to eight inches long, thick,
shiny above, and somewhat rusty beneath. The ma-
jestic and lilylike flowers measure seven or eight
inches across ; they are cream-white, exceedingly fra-
grant, and bloom from April to June in the South,
but as late as early August in the North.
The finest growth of this tree, according to Prof.
Sargent, is in western Louisiana, where it forms a
conspicuous feature of the forest.* It grows wild in
river swamps and pine barrens as far north as the
Carolinas, and is a most familiar and beautiful
object in the streets and gardens of the
Southern cities. This great-flow-
ered magnolia, the only perfectly
ever-green species, is not hardy
in the North — a pity, for it is
certainly the most magnificent
flowering tree of our country.
The small
magnolia, or
Magnolia qlauca. , -i
sweet bay, is
a slenderer tree, frequently
reduced to the condition of
a shrub in the North, but
southward it attains
Small Magnolia-
Sweet Bay.
Magnolia glauca.
a
* Vide Silva of North America, C. S. Sargent.
THE MAGNOLIAS, ETC. 23
height of 50 feet or more, and has a trunk two or
three feet in diameter if circumstances are favorable
to a perfect development. Its bark is light brown-
gray ; the new twigs are decidedly green, and turn
a ruddy hue as they grow older. The leaves are
thick, oval-shaped, obtuse, and at most not over six
inches long; the middle rib is very prominent, the
6tem slender, and the surface below very whitish. In
the South the old leaves remain on the tree until the
new ones appear ; in the North they fall in Novem-
ber. The cream-white flowers are much the same
shape as the yellow pond lily, roundish, and bloom
from May to August ; they are also fragrant. This
tree, frequently seen in gardens, in its wild state is
never found north of Gloucester, Mass., and is mere-
ly local there ; it appears also beside the red maple
and andromeda bush in the deep swamps of New
Jersey ; from there it extends southward near the
coast, and forms with the loblolly and red bay almost
impenetrable thickets in Florida, especially in the
interior swamps and pine barrens.*
Cucumber Tree. ^he cucumber tree in the South
Magnolia grows from 50 to 90 feet high, but
acuminata. . i n ,-,
attains only a moderate size in the
North. In beauty it is not to be compared with the
* Vide Silva of North America, C. S. Sargent.
24 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
luxuriant, sweet-flowered magnolias. The somewhat
tulip-shaped flowers, which come late in spring, are
three inches wide, greenish
yellow-white, and fragrant.
Magnolia acuminata
The leaves are rather thin, dark green above, lighter
green and slightly downy below, and they measure
from seven to ten inches in length. They are widely
distributed along the branch and not clustered at the
end. The orange-red seeds of the peculiar, curved
fruit -cone ripen in autumn ; * when green, the cone
resembles a small cucumber ; it is about two or three
inches long. The wood is soft, durable, and light ;
it has been extensively used for pump logs and water
troughs. This tree grows wild from western New
York southwestward to Arkansas, and southward
to southern Alabama ; it is one of the largest of
* The seeds, on being released from the pods, hang suspended
by little white filaments, like those of the great and small mag-
nolias,
TTTE MAGNOLIAS, ETC.
25
the magnolias, and is a rapid grower, but its nar-
row-petaled flowers are rather poor-looking in com-
parison with the beautiful white ones of the two
foregoing species.
Yellow Cucumber Tlie ^ ellow cucumber tree has really
Tree. beautiful lemon-yellow flowers, which
Magnolia cordata. form ft damt co]qt coni j,j na _
Magnolia d ^
tion with its rich foliage. This tree
is a native of Georgia and South
acuminata,
var. cordata.
Carolina ; it has been cul-
tivated in gardens for
nearly a century,
and its beauty is ^
deserving of close
attention. It is
found to be quite
hardy as far north as
Boston, where it sur-
vives the cold of that
trying climate.* The
leaves are similar to
those of the foregoing
species, but they are
Magnolia cordata.
broadly oval, decidedly
woolly-white beneath, and less pointed at the ends.
* There are two specimens of this tree in the botanic garden
of Harvard University.
26
FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
Gray says they are seldom cordate * (heart-shaped at
the base). The yellow flowers are often slightly
streaked with red. The tree
grows from 20 to 50 feet high.
Great-leaved
Magnolia.
Magnolia
macrophylla.
The great-leaved
magnolia is a
Southern tree,
with huge, deep-
green leaves (sometimes not less
than thirty inches long) clus-
tered at the summit of the branches ;
they are also woolly -white beneath,
and are narrowed down to two small
scallops at the base. The bell-shaped
flowers are truly Brobdingnagian, for
they measure fully eight and even
twelve inches across. They are mildly
fragrant, and are cream-white, of a very
soft tone, with a dull pinkish spot at the
base of the petal. The tree grows from 30 to 50
feet high, and is found in its wild state from Ken-
tucky and North Carolina southward. It is culti-
vated as far north as Boston, where, in Jamaica
Plain, one of the suburbs, there are two beautiful
Magnolia
macrophylla
* The species name Magnolia cordata was given it by the
younger Michaux ; but Prof. Sargent considers this magnolia a
variety of 31. acuminata.
MAGNOLIA MACROPHYLLA.
From a photograph by Mr. A. K Wilmarth, Jamaica Plain. .Mass.
TIIE MAGNOLIAS, ETC. 27
specimens about 20 feet high, some of whose flow-
ers measure nine inches in diameter.
Umbrella Tree. ^he umbrella tree gets its name from
Magnolia Umbrella, the resemblance which the leafy ends
Maqnolia tripetala. c ,■% ■, -i i , ?1
J r oi the branches bear to an umbrella,
the leaves being arranged in a circle, with veins and
stems radiating from a common center ; the umbrella-
like appearance is readily per-
ceived by one who stands
below. It was first ^
m
Magnolia tripetala.
called parasol or umbrella tree by the early settlers
in the South. The leaves are from eighteen to
twenty inches long, deep green above and lighter
green beneath; they are downy (on the under side)
when young, but soon grow smooth. The cream-
white flowers, six to eight inches across, with rather
28
FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
narrow petals, have a strong and somewhat dis-
agreeable odor ; they bloom in May and June. The
height of the umbrella tree is from 30 to 40 feet ;
its branches are usually contorted, and after sprawl-
ing out quite a distance from the trunk they turn up
and grow nearly parallel with it. The bark is light
gray, smooth, but sometimes blistered.
The tree is found in parks and gardens ; it grows
wild from New York southward, along the Alleghany
Mountains, and attains its greatest
size in the valleys extending
from the western slopes
of the Great Smol
Mountains in Tennes-
see ; southward its limit
is central Alabama, and
westward, southwest-
ern Arkansas.
Ear-leaved The ear-
Umbrella Tree.
Magnolia
Fraseri.
leaved
umbrel-
la tree grows from
30 to 40 feet high.
The flowers, six to
nine inches in diam-
eter, are cream -
white, slightly sweet-
Magnolia Fraseri.
THE MAGNOLIAS, ETC.
29
scented, and bloom from May to June. The leaf,
scarcely a foot long, is similar to that of the umbrel-
la tree, but is conspicuously heart-shaped at the base.
This tree is
found from south-
western Virginia
southward ; west-
ward it extends to
the valley of the
Pearl Eiver, Mis-
sissippi ; and it is
seen in cultivation as far
north as New York city.
Papaw -Custard The papaw, or ens-
Apple, tard apple, lias a
leaf similar in
of Magnolia Umbrel-
la, and is another Southern tree
which does not attain its normal proportions in the
North. In rich soil and a warm climate the tree
will grow to a height of 35 feet or more. It is
sometimes cultivated, but grows wild from New
York southward, and westward to southern Mich-
igan and Texas. The best growth is found in the
valleys of streams which are tributary to the lower
Ohio River. Nearly all parts of the unfortunate
tree smell badly, including the flowers, which are
i mil La triloba.
30
FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
prettily triple -formed and have a soft, purplish-red
hue. The leaves are ei^ht to twelve inches lono-
thin, rusty-downy beneath when young, but event-
ually smooth. The straight trunk, perhaps ten inches
in diameter, has smooth, shiny, silver-gray bark ; the
branches, marked lengthwise with little grooves, are
slender and spreading, with bark of a light reddish-
brown color. The fruit of this tree is rather shape-
less and bulky, three to five inches long, yellow and
soft inside, dark brown and wrinkled outside, and has
a fragrant, sweet taste greatly prized by the Southern
negro. It is ripe in September or early October.
In the unripe condition the greenish skin is smooth,
with a bloom, and the pulp is disagreeable to the
taste. It is said that the fruit has the most deli-
cate flavor after having been frozen. In the South,
where the trees are common, the fruit is brought into
market; but, at best, those
who like it must confess
to an acquired taste.
Bed Bud— Judas ™ ne rec *
Tree. bud is a
Cercis Canadensis.
very small
tree, 40 or 50, but com-
monly not over 25 feet
high, famous for the
beauty of its dainty clusters of small pale crim-
THE MAGNOLIAS, ETC.
31
son-magenta flowers, the petals lighter, which ap-
pear from March till May before the leaves are out.
These leaves are four inches long, dark green, smooth
and glossy, and perfectly heart-shaped ; they turn
yellow in the fall. The French Canadians use the
acid flowers in their salads and pickles. The name
" Judas tree ' is handed down to us by tradition ;
in olden times it was believed that this tree was the
one on which Judas hanged himself. The red bud is
common from New York southward and westward
to Alabama and Missouri, and is most abundant in
Indian Territory and eastern Texas ; it is also fre-
quently seen in cultivation. There is a very pretty
but small specimen opposite the Public Library on
Millmont Street, Roxbury, Mass.
The tupelo or sour
Tupelo— Sour Gum.
Nyssa sylvatlca.
gum reac
its finest
proportions in the
South, but it is
more or less com-
mon from central
New York south-
ward, and westward to Michigan. In the extreme
Northeast it may occasionally be found as far as
Vermont and southern Maine ; but I have never
seen the tree in New Hampshire. It is medium
Tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica).
32 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
in size (rarely it grows 45 feet high), and has hori-
zontal branches, a rough grayish trunk, and ellipti-
cal pointed leaves about two to five inches long,
dark shiny green above but lighter below. The
leaves turn a brilliant dark red in the autumn. The
wood is exceedingly close-grained, tough, and hard
to split ; for this reason
it is employed in the
making of hubs, pul-
leys, and mauls. In
Virginia, it is much used
by the ship-builders.
The leaf of the
"Water Tupelo.
Nyssa Uflora. Water tu P el ° is
Nyssa syivatica, very nearly like
Water Tupelo. TaK Uflora.
that of the
foregoing species, but it is smaller ; we must rely,
therefore, on other means for the identification of the
tree. It grows from the pine barrens of New Jersey
southward. The blue fruit is smaller, and the stone
is decidedly flattened and strongly ridged ; tliis is not
the case in the other tupelo, which bears a larger fruit
with a rounder stone (ovoid) scarcely ridged at all.
Large Tupelo. The large tupelo bears a leaf from
Nyssa uniflora. four to ten inches long, which is
Nyssa aquatica. , . •, i .-, j j
9 sometimes angularly toothed, and
often quite downy beneath ; it is also apt to be a
1
SOUR GUM OR TUPELO.
Bucks Co., Penn.
THE MAGNOLIAS, ETC.
33
Large Tupelo.
trifle heart-shaped at the base. This tree bears soli-
tary flowers, and fruit aboul an inch long with a flat-
tened and ridged Btone. Ir is
found in water or (lecp Bwamps,
from Virginia and Illinois
southward. These three tu-
pelos may easily be dis-
tinguished apart,
by reason of their
different fruit and
flowers ; \'<>r in-
stance, one can
not find JVi/ssa biflora with more than three flowers
on one stem, and in the greatest number of cases it
has only two. The single flower or fruit also unmis-
takably indicates J\ T . aquatica.
„ . The persimmon, sometimes called
Persimmon. L
Diospyros date plum, is distinctively a Southern
Virginicma. ^ree, although it may be found as far
north as Long Island or southern Connecticut ;* but
only in the South will the tree be seen fully devel-
oped ; here it grows, when unobstructed, 4<> or 50
feet high, with widely spreading branches; in the
forests it attains a height of 100 feet or more. The
dark-green leaf is from two to five inches long, rather
* The specimen which 1 have sketched grows in Bucks County,
Pa., and is over 40 feet in height.
3± FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
thick, smooth and shining above, lighter colored and
a trifle downy below ; the ribs are greatly curved and
irregular. The bark of the trunk is dark
reddish brown, deeply divided into
rather square -looking sections.
The short-stemmed, plumlike
fruit, which is about an inch or
a little more in diameter, rip-
ens in mid-summer south-
ward, but not until No-
vember northward.
It is pale orange
of a ruddy tone
when fully
ripe, and
has a pleas-
ant, sweet
flavor after
frOSt,* Which Persimmon.
seems neces-
sary to render it edible. One rash bite of a per-
simmon before it has reached its fullest development
* This, however, is a matter of opinion. There are those who
insist that the fruit is best ripened before frost, for, although the
latter removes the disagreeable astringency, it also 'destroys the
flavor, particularly if the fruit has not reached a certain stage of
maturity. In a half-dried condition a persimmon has the shriv-
eled appearance of a raisin, and it tastes not unlike a date.
few'-? • P*" 3nr ^ cf ^§^Sir t * , '"-v' «•»•■*&)#*
PERSIMMON TREE. BUCKS CO., PA.
From a photograph by Mr, N. Williams.
THE MAGNOLIAS, ETC.
35
sets every tooth " on edge " ; this remarkable as-
tringency proceeds from the tannin it contains. The
wood of the persimmon is close-grained, hard, and
blackish in color ; it is peculiarly adapted to carv-
ing. The kafci, or Japanese persimmon (JDiospyros
kaki\ one of the principal fruit trees of Japan,
is now planted in the Southern States, where it seems
perfectly at home. It has a picturesque, con-
torted figure, large, leathery, shining leaves,
and luscious fruit, which sometimes
measures two inches in diameter.
Carolina Red Bay. Tne Carolina red
Persea Carolinensis, bay, which grOWS,
Pur sea Borbonia. n .
according to cir-
cumstances, 15 or even 70 feet
high, is another Southern tree.
It is found in the low grounds
or swamps of Delaware and
the South. Its leaves, two to
five inches long, are downy
when young, but soon grow
smooth ; they are evergreen.
The flowers, which appear in
summer, are inconspicuous, and
of a greenish-white color. The
berry, half an inch long, is dark blue with a red
stem ; it ripens in autumn.
Carolina Red Bay,
CHAPTEE III.
I. Simple Alternate Leaves.
1. Without teeth. B. Edge divided.
THE TULIP TREE AND SASSAFRAS.
T 1' Tree- ^ HE ^ U ^P * ree * s a ^ so known as white-
Whitewood. wood, but this name is commonly ap-
Liriodendron plied to the lumber. The wood,
i III t Tit T€VCL
however, is far from white; it is
rather dull greenish yellow, sparingly streaked here
and there with dark or blackish brown. This tree is
often a remarkable sight in May or June, with its
countless greenish-yellow "tulips," touched inside
with orange, which measure four or more inches
across. The whole effect of color is worth study.
It is as aesthetic and lovely as it is curious amid the
plainer green of other trees.
The tulip tree attains a gigantic size in the South
and West ; it measures not infrequently 140 feet
in height and eight feet in diameter; sometimes
specimens are found which are 160 to 190 feet in
height. The trunk often carries an almost uniform
36
THE TULIP TREE AND SASSAFRAS.
37
< ^
^y n I '* ~£
m
'
,\
t
y *
s*-^
BfWflt»V P
\
*
Tulip tree.
38 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
diameter for forty feet upward, and when near the
summit divides itself into strong, regularly disposed
branches, which, with the far-reaching ones below,
give the tree massive proportions and a truly mag-
nificent appearance. As compared with the sugar
maple, the foliage is not nearly so rich and dense,
but superiority of size entitles it to the honor of
being called a tree-giant.
The leaf is so peculiarly cut off at the end that
one recognizes it at once ; it is unique in shape, very
smooth, thin, and it generally turns a russet color in
the fall.* The seed pod expands (notice my sketch)
into a charmingly decorative figure, which greatly
adds to the beauty of the tree in autumn.
Whitewood is extensively used for interior finish,
especially for paneling and moldings ; it is so free
from knots, and the grain is so straight, that carpen-
ters prefer it to the best of white pine. It is also
used in carriage building, as no other wood is quite so
well adapted to the curved paneling which this work
requires. The best growth of the tulip tree is found
in the lower Wabash River Valley and on the west-
ern slopes of the Alleghany Mountains, but much of
the lumber used in the Northeastern States is brought
from Michigan and Wisconsin. The tree does not
* Sometimes it turns bright buff-yellow.
THE TULIP TREE AND SASSAFRAS. 39
grow thickly anywhere, and it is seldom that one
finds more than a few good-sized specimens on an
acre of forest land.
There is, or used to be, a large tulip tree growing
on the slope of Mount Mitchell, in North Carolina,
not far from the spot where Prof. Mitchell lost his
life. The trunk of this tree in 1806 measured thirty-
three feet in circumference at three feet from the
ground. There is a notable group of six beautiful
trees, each one of which is over 50 feet high, near
the Eastern Railroad station at East Saugus, Mass.
On the eastern side of the town of Englewood, X. J.,
there is a small but most symmetrical specimen, which
at the period of bloom is a domelike mass of soft,
yellow-green flowers and leaves. I have never seen a
tulip tree which equaled this one in form and color.
Sassafras Sassafras may be identified at once
Sasmfra* officinale, by its strongly aromatic taste; not
Sassafras sassafras. ^ ^ Q ^ ^^ ftnd tw j<^ but
also the leaves, have a pungent flavor, reminding one
of a certain kind of old-fashioned sugar candy. A
decoction of the root and bark also contributes largely
to the making of root beer. The tree, according to
Gray, attains an altitude of 125 feet, and Prof. Ap-
gar records its height as 100 feet.* This is a sur-
*Vide Trees of the Northern United States, Austin C. Apgar;
40 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
prise to many of us, who possibly have never seen a
specimen which exceeded 40 feet. I have freijuent-
Sassafras.
ly found sassafras in the vicinity of Lake Mahopac,
Putnam County, N. Y., 10 or 15 feet high, and oc-
casionally in New Jersey, perhaps 25 feet high ; in
the South, however, it commonly grows to a height
but in Silva of North America Prof. Sargent places the maximum
height at 90 feet.
a
' I
*V'#
1
\J» 'Z.
j. ; '
/s\
SASSAFRAS.
Windy Bush, Bucks Co., Penn.
THE TULIP TREE AND SASSAFRAS.
41
of from 50 to 60 feet. Sassafras is found throughout
the North and West, from eastern Massachusetts to
Iowa, Kansas, and Indian Territory ; southward it ex-
tends as far as central Florida, and from there to
Texas.
The leaves have three distinct forms, each of
which I have sketched ; the texture is smooth, and
rather thick. Although all parts of the tree are aro-
matic,* it will he found that
the bark of the roots is bit-
ingly strong, and from
this the oil of sassafras
is distilled ; it is most-
ly made in Pennsylva-
nia and Virginia. The
bark of a young tree is
a warm, buffish gray
streaked with green ;
the twigs are shiny yel-
lowish green. The fruit,
which is ripe in September, is small, oval, one-seeded,
bluish, and has a reddish, rather fleshy, club-shaped
stem. The flowers are inconspicuous, greenish yel-
low, and appear in early spring with the. developing
leaves. I have never found the sassafras in the
Sassafras
* The leaves furnish the flavoring used in gumbo soup.
42 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
White Mountains nor in any j>art of the country
immediately south of them. There are two beauti-
ful little trees, perhaps 12 feet high, in the Arnold
Arboretum, of quite symmetrical proportions. On
the 21st of October, 1895, I noticed that these trees
had scarcely shed a dozen leaves apiece ; but three
days later (a heavy frost had intervened) not one
leaf was left on either tree.* In Milton, Mass., there
is a tree measuring over 40 feet in height, and in
Manchester, Mass., near the center of the town, is an-
other quite as high.
* The foliage of the sassafras, more than that of any other
tree except the horse-chestnut, is conventional to a fault. One is
impressed with the similarity between the leafage in an old print
of Bewick's and that of the sassafras ; both are regular and deco-
rative.
CHAPTEE IV.
I. Simple Alternate Leaves.
2. With teeth. A. Edge not divided.
THE LINDENS, ETC.
American Linden, TnE American linden, which some-
or Basswood. times grows under favorable circum-
Tllia Americana. , -, ork ,* l i • i • i i
stances 130 ieet high, is nest known
by the name of basswood. In the northern part of
New Hampshire it never seems to attain any con-
siderable size. Most of the basswood which may
be found in the White Mountains is half hidden
among the shrubbery ; but if one comes across a
handsome, large, heart - shaped leaf with strongly
marked veins and sharply pointed, irregular teeth,
and with tiny tufts of rusty hairs on the back ex-
actly at the junction of the veins, he may be pretty
sure it belongs to this tree. If the irregularity
of the toothed edge is examined, it will be seeD
that there is often a regular alternation of line and
coarse points; it would seem as though Nature had
first edged the leaf with bold, sharp notches, and
43
44
FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
afterward, not content with her handiwork, had in-
terspersed the notches with a series of smaller and
more delicate ones. The leaf is also characteristic-
ally veined ; on either side over the two -scalloped
Basswood, American Linden.
THE LINDENS, ETC.
-15
(heart-shaped) base is a long vein, from which extend
four or live branching ones with a backward curve.
This peculiar veining will be more easily seen in my
drawing of the European linden's leaf.
So far as the appearance of the leaves is con-
cerned, there is very little difference between the
American species and its foreign relative; but be-
tween the trees the difference is at once apparent.
European Linden.
The European linden (TUia Eurqpoea) is smaller, not
often over 35 or 40 feet high;* its twigs are nu-
* The tree in Europe shows a very different record; for in-
stance, the linden of Neustadt, on the Kocher in Wurtemberg,
was large enough in 15o0 to require stone columns to support its
46 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
merous and slender, and its top nsuall y tapers to quite
a point. The American linden lias a rounder figure,
its small branches are heavier, its leaf is larger (four
to six inches long), and it frequently attains a height
of from 60 to 70 feet, with no branches below a
point some sixteen feet above the ground. But
these are superficial points of distinction ; the botani-
cal difference is found in the flowers. In the Eu-
ropean variety there are no petal-like scales attached
to the stamens. Our basswood is distinguished by a
cream-colored, sweet-scented flower which has these
scales.
Basswood is frequently used in cabinet work, and
is a great favorite for the manufacture of wooden
ware, as it is easily worked, and its grain is firm, white,
and clear of knots.
The linden is common throughout the North, and
it extends among the mountains as far south as Ala-
bama. It is also found in Indian Territory and
eastern Texas. It flowers in late spring, and in Oc-
tober its tiny fruit, like elongated brown peas, hangs
suspended from a fine stem, half of which appears to
be merged in a leaflike brown wing called a bract.
enormous branches. In 1664 this tree had a trunk over thirty-
seven feet in circumference, and was computed to be from eight
hundred to one thousand years old. — Scientific Papers, ii, 39,
Asa Gray.
THE LINDENS, ETC.
47
American Linden Seed.
Closely related to the tree just described is a small-
leaved basswood (TiUa pubescens) not over forty fed
high. In tbis species
the leaves are usually
two or three inches
long; they are thin,
rather hairy be-
neath, and the
fruit " bract "
is rounded at
the base, not pointed or tapering as in Til la Amer-
icana; the fruit is also rounder than that of other
species. This tree is common from New York south
and southwest.
There is another native species of basswood, com-
mon in the mountains of Pennsylvania and in the
South and Southwest as far as Tennessee, called white
basswood (Tilia heterophylld). Its leaves are very
large, sometimes seven inches long, smooth, oblique,
deep, shiny green
Seed of Tilia pubeseens.
above, and silvery
white and velvety
beneath, with pur-
plish veins. This
tree grows to a
height of from 50 to 60 feet. Although my draw-
ings do not show any especial lopsidedness to the
48
FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
linden leaf, it will be found that in many cases tliis
irregularity is very pronounced ; in the last-mentioned
species it is particularly so.
American Holly. We have our own American holly,
ilex opaca. which is indeed a line tree well wor-
thy of cultivation, although, through the frequent ab-
sence of the scarlet berries, it has not the brilliancy
of its English relative,
is not quite hardy a
little north of 42° lati-
tude. This holly grows
from 15 to 50 feet
high, has light brown-
gray, smooth bark,
and white flowers
which appear in
May.
The evergreen
leaf is rather thick
and flat, has a wavy
margin with scat-
tered spiny teeth,
and lacks the luster of that of the English holly.
The tree will be found in moist woodlands near the
coast from Quincy, Mass., to New Jersey, and south-
ward to Florida ; from southern Indiana it extends
southward to the Gulf. The wood is very white,
American Holly.
THE LINDENS, ETC.
41)
close-grained, and hard. The leaves are commonly
used for decoration at Christmas time.
Dahoon Holly. Tlie Gaboon Lolly is a small tree
Ilex Dahoon. (frequently it appears in .shrub form,
Ilex Cassine. -iax i • i \ ^ • ^
not over 10 feet high) which grows
in the pine barrens or swamps of Virginia,
and from there southward ; rarely it at-
tains a height of 30 feet. The ever-
green leaf is two or three inches long,
with a curling margin toothed only
at the end ; sometimes it has no
teeth at all, and what there are
can not be called spiny. The
berries are a varied red — less
scarlet, perhaps, than those of 7.
opaca. The small branches and the veins on the
under side of the leaf are somewhat downy. An-
other species of holly which often reaches the pro-
portions of a tree, particularly on tlie
slopes of the Alleghany Moun-
tains, is called Ilex mon-
ticola ; but this has light **
green deciduous leaves, and
their shape is not hollylike ;
they are large, thin, smooth, and sharply toothed.
The large red berry is borne on a short stem. J It x
monticola is common in the damp woods of the Ta-
5
Dahoon Holly.
Ilex Monticola.
50
FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
Carollniana.
conic and Catskill Mountains, and in Cattaraugus
County, N. Y. ; it also extends southward along the
Alleghany Mountains to northern Alabama.
The Carolina buckthorn, or Indian
Carolina
Buckthorn. cherry, is a thornless shrub or small
Mamnus tree which grows from 12 to 35
feet high. The somewhat elliptical
leaves are from three to five inches long,
wavy, indistinctly toothed, strongly
veined, and nearly smooth, if one ex-
cepts the woolly stem. The glob-
ular, berrylike fruit, at first
crimson, is finally black when ripe
in September. The Indian cherry
is found in wet grounds from Long
Island, N. Y., and New Jersey to
Kentucky, eastern Nebraska, and eastern
Texas ; southward it extends to Florida.
In the Southern States it attains the
height and proportions of a tree. The
common buckthorn (Bhamnus cathartica)
is a native of Europe ; but Gray says it has
run wild in a few places here, and in this
condition is apt to form a small tree. The leaves
are minutely toothed, and sometimes they grow oppo-
site-, the branchlets terminate in thorns, which fact
distinguishes it at once from its American relative.
Carolina
Buckthorn
THE LINDENS, ETC.
51
Wild or Canada The wild plum, sometimes called
Canada plum, is a rather thorny tree
in its wild state, from 12 to 30 feet
Plum.
Prunu& Americana.
Pruuas itiijra.
high. There are
improved varieties
which are also com-
mon, and from one
of these thornless
ones my
sketch of
the leaves
is taken. The
white flow-
ers appear in
spring, direct-
ly hefore or with the
leaves, and the fruit,
ripe in August or ear-
ly September, is oval,
about one inch in di-
ameter ; its color is
dull orange, or even
orange - red,* almost
free from bloom ; it
Canada Plum.
* The fruit from which my drawing was taken (from a tree in
cultivation), when fully ripe, has a peculiarly luniinnus, aesthetic,
translucent red color, which I greatly admire.
52
FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
Chickasaw Plum.
Prunus Chicasa.
Prunus
angustifolia.
has a pleasant taste, although the skin is very tough
and acid. The leaves are large, double-toothed,
coarsely veined, and smooth without a gloss. The
tree is common in woodlands and on river banks
from west New England to Minnesota.*
The Chickasaw plum
has a long, lance-
shaped, but broad
leaf, with very fine
teeth, a shining green surface, and a
red stem. The fruit is one half to two
thirds of an inch in diameter, globular,
thin-skinned, of a lustrous reddish color,
with a slight bloom, and is pleasantly fla-
vored ; it usually ripens in early summer.
The tree is small, its average height be-
ing between 15 and 20 feet; rarely it
attains 25 feet. It grows wild in Dela-
ware, and extends westward and southward to Kan-
sas, Texas, and Florida. It is widely cultivated.
«r-,, ■« «v The leaf of the wild red cherry, gen-
Wild Eed Cherry, . .
or Bird Cherry, erally called bird cherry, is similar in
Prunus shape to that of the Chickasaw plum,
Pennsylvanica. ,..,,... -.. ., • . •
but its distinct peculiarity is a certain
graceful, wavy outline, and a shining light green,
* The range of the Canada plum has been greatly extended
through cultivation.
Chickasaw
Plum.
THE LINDENS, ETC.
53
smooth surface; the margin is also finely and sharply
toothed ; sometimes it hangs from the
branchlets much in the fashion of a peach loaf. The
flowers appear in early May. The tiny cherry, not
54
FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
larger than a pea, is translucent red, and sour, but the
birds seem to relish it.
This tree is common in rocky woods, where it
often reaches the height of from 20 to 40 feet ;
but generally it will be found beside the high-
way often not much taller than the shrubbery among
which it grows. Its twigs are red, and the bark of
the trunk is dark chestnut-red, very smooth, rather
shiny, and is covered more or less with rust-colored
marks. Its tiny, white, long-stemmed flowers appear
in May, scattered loosely over the branches, and con-
tribute quite a graceful appearance to the otherwise
slim and scrawny tree. The wild red cherry is com-
mon everywhere in the
North, and extends
southward along
the mountains to
North Carolina, and
westward to Iowa.
Wild Black Cherry. One of
Prunus serotina. qitt> niOSt
picturesque trees, which in
perfect figure is more likely
Fruit of Black Cherry. f ^^ Qn ^ confines Q f gome
field or on the bank of a river, is the wild black
cherry. Here it is not hampered by the crowding
growth of the forest, and it spreads itself over the
rX^\
TIIE LINDENS, ETC. 55
i
wide expanse of blue sky in bold and charmingly
rugged outlines.
The tree is not symmetrical, and its foliage is not
luxurious — on the contrary, it is rather thin ; but in
spite of this, the wild black cherry with its unconven-
tional branches and its shining green leaves is a beau-
tiful tree such as an artist likes to draw. Where
other trees spread plumelike against the sky, a solid
mass of green, the black cherry's topmost branches
are penciled in dainty silhouette. This is one of the
means by which I can identify the tree at a great dis-
tance. It is always in contrast with its surroundings.
We are so often attracted by contrast in natural
landscape, that I am constrained to call attention to it
as an indispensable accessory of beauty; in a word,
without the thin foliage and unobstructed boughs of
some of our less luxuriant trees, a landscape, espe-
cially if wooded, is heavy and monotonous. But we
might look far before we would find the wild black
cherry listed as a beautiful tree in the nurserymen's
catalogues. Why ? Well, I may explain at once
that there are those whose sense of the beautiful is
narrowed down to the confines of a single fact ; for
instance, a regularly proportioned tree with an or-
derly habit is considered beautiful ; that is as fur as
some people allow imagination to go. That rugged-
ness, picturesqueness, contrastiveness, and boldness are
56
FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
also elements of beauty, never occurs to the many
who see the beauty of an American elm (who could
not ?), but who can not see the
beauty of a wild
black cherry.
But the tree is
not only attractive
in figure ; both its
leaf and fruit de-
serve a share of our
attention. Notice
in my sketch the
vigorous way the
leaves seem to have
grown on the branch
of the younger tree ;
there is a bluntness to
their figure notwith-
standing the sharp tip,
and there is a certain
firmness of purpose in
the way each one spreads
itself out from the side
of the branchlet to catch
Black cherry (young). the sun and rain ; the
very teeth are finely and
firmly cut, and they are set close, as if to make a
TflE LINDENS, ETC.
57
bold stand against the elements. These leaves are
in sharp contrast with those of the older cherry,
and their whole aspect is indicative of youthful vigor.
It is a curious fact, however, that the broad, blunt
leaf (which is an exception to the general rule)
of this younger black cherry is almost identi-
cal in shape with that of the choke chern
Prunus Virginiana / this species is
properly considered a shrub, although
in a mild climate it sometimes attains
the proportions of a good-sized tree.
But this particular tree I describe
which, with several others like it,
grows in the valley of the Pemige-
wasset River, N. H., is unquestion-
ably Prunus serotina, as a taste of
the bitter almond - flavored bark
proves its identity beyond a doubt.*
The long type of leaf, such as I have drawn just
above, is most common in the wild black cherry.
The flowers, unlike those of the red cherry, grow
in clusters around a long, upright or pendulous
stem, and appear in May or June. The fruit is
Typical leaf of the
Black Cherry.
* T do not hesitate to introduce to the reader any leaf which
I may come across, whether it be typical or not. One of the
most interesting phases of the study of Nature is her essential
u neon ven tionality.
58 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
larger than a good-sized pea, and frequently has (if
I may be allowed the expression) a " broad-shoul-
dered " look ; the skin is pur pie -black, and the pulp
within is sweet, with a bitter, aromatic taste, ac-
counted for by the presence of hydrocyanic acid * in
the tree. One may notice the same taste in bitter
almonds and peach stones. The bark is also bitter
and aromatic, and is largely used as a tonic. " Cherry
brandy ,: is made from the fruit. The tree grows
from 50 to 100 feet high; its bark is a reddish
brown, f marked with horizontal lines and rough ex-
crescences. On old trees the bark is blackish brown,
and on very young ones it is purplish or even green-
ish brown. The fruit is ripe in September (in New
Hampshire), and the birds congregate on the boughs
in great numbers to enjoy the boundless feast.
The wood of this cherry tree is very valuable in
cabinet work ; it is of a brownish pink tint, which is
easily stained to the depth of color common in new
mahogany (not Santo Domingo mahogany), and it is
frequently used to imitate that wood. The wild
black cherry is distributed from Maine southward to
Florida, and westward to Minnesota, eastern Ne-
braska, and eastern Texas.
* More commonly called prussic acid.
f But southward, in Florida or the Gulf States, the color is
light gray, vide $ilva of North America.— C, S, Sargent,
TIIE LINDENS, ETC. 59
American Crab The American crab apple is a tree
Apple. which I think is not fully appre-
ryrus coronaria. ciated _! mQaUj Rg ft beautiful tree it
is not planted enough in our parks and private
grounds, and as a fruit tree it is too often displaced
by some large-fruited apple. In one respect it ought
not to be considered with the common apple at all.
Its fruit makes a delicious preserve or jelly not to be
mentioned in the same breath with plebeian " apple-
sauce," as it possesses a pronounced and delicate flavor
of its own.
The beautiful yellow-and-red fruit* in a good
season burdens the crab apple beyond the strength of
its supple boughs, and these must be braced up with
stanch poles if the owner would not see his tree
rent in sunder and its branches lying a mass of ruin
on the lawn. I call to mind a beautiful tree with
long, graceful branches extending clear to the ground,
which in May is a magnificent, gigantic bouquet of
large, fragrant pink blossoms, whose delicious per-
fume sometimes ladens the air fully three hundred
feet away. "What a sight for a Japanese artist, and
what a treat for a Parisian perfumer ! But they
* In the wild state the crab-apple fruit is greenish yellow.
Some trees I know of in cultivation bear fruit more or less cov-
ered with a bloom, so the yellow-and-red color beneath is not
brilliant until the plum-colored surface is rubbed off,
60
FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
would not be alone in the appreciation of this crab
apple. One morning I approached and stood beside
it, drawn by an unaccountable musical hum which I
had heard no less than seventy feet away. Wonder
of wonders ! I saw ten thousand golden bees busily
engaged gathering honey from the countless blossoms,
and yet another ten thousand bewilderingly circling
over those at work, till the music of
their hum was like
the sub-
dued di-
apason
notes of
\fft
Crab Apple.
a grand organ. The bees at least do not overesti-
mate the value of this tree. The crab apple's leaves
are larger than those of most apple trees, and are
not infrequently heart-shaped at the base. My
drawing was taken from a tree in cultivation, but
THE LINDENS, ETC.
61
the leaves in no wise differ from a type common to
the wild tree, although the latter often shows :i leaf
with three notches on either side.* The fruit is
about an inch and a quarter in diameter; the pulp is
yellow, hard, and fit only for preserving. The tree
grows from 15 to 30 feet high, and in its wild state
extends from western New York westward to south-
ern Minnesota, Kansas, and Texas,
and along the mountains southward
to Alabama.
Shadbush, or
Juneberry.
AmelancMer
Canadensis.
The beautiful shad-
bush, which most
Crab Apples.
often is found in
shrub form, frequent-
ly attains the proportions of a hand-
some tree 30 feet high. It is some-
times called Juneberry or service berry. The white
flowers, with petals twice as long at least as they
are wide, appear in advance of the leaves, and hang
in loose, graceful clusters. The fruit looks some-
thing like a large huckleberry, with the same star-
like indentation at the top, and a similar black-pur-
ple color.
The beauty of the berry lies in its diverse color-
ing. Sometimes we may find on one tree dull pink,
* For a somewhat similar leaf, see my drawing of the scarlet-
fruited thorn.
62
FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
crimson, magenta, and plum-purple as well as black-
purple berries, which are in various stages of ripe-
ness ; but I may add that their appearance is as a
promise unfulfilled, for,
ripe or unripe, they are all
equally satisfactory — or
rather unsatisfactory; they
are quite
tasteless.
The leaf
Shadbush or Juneberry
is interesting if not exceedingly beautiful ; it fre-
quently varies from the pointed oval figure, which
THE LINDENS, ETC. 63
was characteristic of the specimen which I have
drawn, to an ohlongish or square-shouldered shape.
Its texture is hard and smooth, reminding one of
leather ; the teeth are extremely regular, sharp, line,
and the veins are delicate and regularly arranged ;
there are few leaves, in fact, that can compare with
the perfection of form and structure which is ap-
parent at a glance in the shadbush leaf. Did I say
perfection ? That was hardly the right word ; no
leaf is really perfect. To demonstrate this fact to
our own satisfaction, we may begin what will prove
a fruitless search for a specimen whose outline we
may trace with a pencil, and then, reversing the leaf,
find the drawing still in conformity with it. No,
Nature does not trouble herself about that kind of
perfection which may be measured with a foot rule.
The fruit of the shadbush is ripe in June and
July ; its flower is in bloom about the time the shad
" run." The bark of the tree is smooth, and laven-
der-brown ; less ruddy than that of black birch. I
call to mind a certain tree at least 20 feet high
growing wild on a river intervale among the AVhite
Mountains, which would be an ornament of striking
beauty at its time of bloom in park or garden ; but it
remains a w T ild tree, which, like Thomas Gray's wild
flower, was " born to blush unseen."
It would be well worth our while to search for
64 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
the shadbush in springtime and learn to love its
beauty for its own sake ; it is common in all the
seaboard States, and extends westward to Minne-
sota and eastern Nebraska, and soutbwestward to
Louisiana.
CHAPTER Y.
I. Simple Alternate Leaves.
2. With teeth. A. Edge not divided.
THE WITCH-HAZEL, SORREL TREE, ELMS,
ETC.
Witch-Hazel. The weird -looking witch-hazel, whose
Hamamelis twigs are decorated in autumn with
tiny tangled yellow blossoms, is a
shrub rather than a tree, reaching a height, how-
ever, of fully 30 feet if it happens to grow under
advantageous circumstances. In the woods of the
White Mountains it rarely grows more than 12
feet high, but in the township of Campton I know of
three handsome trees over 16 feet in height, each
of which possesses only two or three stems ; their
appearance, in fact, is quite treelike.
The leaf of the witch-hazel, on an average two
and a half inches long and nearly as broad, is rather
roughly modeled ; one side is larger than the other,
their irregular teeth are coarse and wavy pointed, the
6 G5
CO FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
Witch-Hazel.
THE WITCH-HAZEL, SORREL TREE, ETC. 07
veins are straight and depressed, so thai the leaf ap-
pears somewhat corrugated, and the surface is more or
less covered (when young) with down. The flowers
appear just as the leaves are turning from a dark green
to a golden yellow spotted with In-own and olive. 1 £
a single blossom is disentangled from the tousled but
pretty little cluster of yellow flowers on the brown
twigs, the figure with a little straightening out will
look like my sketch at A. On these twigs also appear
the twin seed-pods left from last year's flowers ; these
have a fashion of suddenly bursting when the seeds
(polished little flattened brown pellets) are ripe, and
ejecting their contents many yards away.* Thirty
feet is no exaggerated estimate of the distance, al-
though in my own experience I do not remember
having seen a seed fly more than twelve feet. But
Mr. William Hamilton Gibson has put the matter to
a thorough test, so I cpiote what he says : " My experi-
ments with the pods upon a long piazza and else-
where proved that the momentum of the seed Avould
commonly carry it to a distance of twenty feet, often
over thirty feet, and in one or two instances the
diminutive double-barreled howitzers succeeded in
*"The seed is discharged by a contraction of the edges of
the valves of bony endocarp " (inner lining of the seed-pod),
"which in opening suddenly frees it by pressure and causes it to
fly upward." — Silva of North America, C. S. Sargent.
68
FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
propelling tlieir missiles to the distance of forty-five
feet by actual measurement."
The witch hazel is distributed from New England
southward to Florida and Louisiana, and westward to
eastern Minnesota.*
Sorrel Tree. The sorrel tree is found from Penn-
Oxydendrum sylvania to Indiana and central Ten-
nessee, and southward to Florida,
mostly along the Alleghany Mountains, and
to Louisiana. It grows from 20 to GO
feet high, and may
Sorrel Tree, seed vessels, and flower at A.
easily be identified by its sour-tasting leaf, which in
* From the witch hazel an extract is manufactured possessing
peculiar healing powers; it is generally known as "Pond's Ex-
tract." The discovery of the medicinal quality of the witch hazel
THE WITCH HAZEL, SORREL TREE, ETC. f,0
outline resembles tliat of a peach tree. Its white
flowers appear in June or July; they arc small, urn-
shaped,* and are borne in loose, long, one-sided clus-
ters. The leaves (five to seven inches long) are finely
toothed, shining, smooth, and have very slender stems ;
they turn to a variety of brilliant reds in the fall. The
sorrel tree is not a very distant relative of the kalmia
and rhododendron ; they all belong to the Heath family.
Slippery, or Red Elm. The leaf of the slippery elm is
himusjuiva. about as coarse and rough as it
could possibly be. This character does not show
itself as distinctly in my drawing as I could wish,
but the roughness is felt rather than seen; indeed,
I think I could identify a branch of the tree quite
easily with my eyes shut. Even the branchlets
are rough, and in spring the soft and downy buds
under a magnifying glass appear covered with in-
numerable rust-colored hairs. The upper side of the
leaf under the glass also appears hairy, and the under
side is a mass of soft down ; the teeth are very coarse,
and double, and the ribs beneath are prominent, stilf,
and hairy at the angles. The leaf is much larger
than that of the common elm ; it measures from five
to seven inches in length.
is attributed to an Oneida Indian. — Vide Shrubs of Northeastern
America, Charles S. Newhall.
* They somewhat resemble the wintergreen blossom.
70 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
Slippery Elm.
The tree grows from 30 to 60 feet high, and
has an inner mucilaginous bark (whence it gets
THE WITCH HAZEL, SORREL TREE, ETC. VI
the name " slippery elm "), which is possessed of
demulcent and medicinal qualities. One may easily
identify the tree by the gummy, aromatic taste of
the bark on the branchlets. The wood is reddish,
tough, and very durable; it is used by the farmers
for fence posts, as it lasts a long time half burie 1
in the ground. It is common from New England
to the Dakotas and eastern Nebraska, and south-
ward to Florida and Texas, but in the country im
mediately south of the White Mountains I notice
that it rarely develops beyond the proportions of
a small tree, with a trunk of about eight inches diam-
eter.
The Scotch elm( TJlmus montana), sometimes called
Wych elm, has similar but smaller and less rough
leaves than the slippery elm ; the buds are not downy,
and the branches droop at their extremities. This
tree is extensively cultivated, and will be found in
many of our parks.
American, or The American elm is justly famous
White Elm. as one f the most beautiful of all
Ulmus Americana. t, c j.i r n,-\
trees. It frequently grows from <»<•
to 80, and occasionally 120 feet high. One of our
cities (New Haven), by reason of its beautiful elms,
has been called the "Elm City," and many New
England towns and villages — Greenfield, Deerheld,
Andover. Concord, and a host of others — boast of
72 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
their elm-embowered streets, which are indeed beau-
tiful, and typical of a New England town.
The most characteristic mark of beauty in the elm
is the fringed appearance of its drooping branchlets,
which hang suspended from the heavy boughs and
trunk like so much lacework. The poet "Whittier
noticed this beauty, and alluded to it in his verses
addressed to the Merrimac Hiver :
Laugh in thy plunges from fall to fall ;
Play with thy fringes of elms, and darken
Under the shade of the mountain wall.
The arching character of the boughs which leave
the trunk with an almost imperceptible curve out-
ward, distinguishes this elm from all others, and gives
it that singularly graceful figure which is best seen in
isolation on the meadow, or in succession beside the
road.
The leaf of the elm is rather harsh to the touch,
and distinguished by its veiny, lopsided character,
entirely different hi every respect from a beech leaf ; *
the edge is most frequently, but not invariably, dou-
ble-toothed.
The meadow land of the Connecticut River Yal-
* I make a comparison of these two opposite types of leaves
to draw particular attention to the difference in the character of
foliage between the beech and the elm ; no two trees could pos-
sibly be more differently graceful.
TnE WITCH HAZEL, SORREL TREE, ETC. 73
ley is famous for its grand elms ; so is that adjoining
Plymouth, X. II., and in this beautiful mountain
hamlet is a magnificent specimen,
near the Pemigewasset House,
American "White Elm.
whose trunk four persons can scarcely encircle with
outstretched arms and clasped hands. There are
several " Washington " elms in various parts of the
land, the most notable one of which is that at Cam-
bridge, Mass.* The old elm which formerly stood on
* Under this tree, which to-day has a rather dilapidated ap-
pearance, Washington took command of the American army,
July 3, 1775.
74
FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
Boston Common was cut down several years ago on
account of its decayed condition. The wood of the
elm is white, exceedingly tough and durable, and
is used to make wheel-hubs, yokes, and saddle-trees ;
it is even beautiful when used in cabinet work, and
has a rich, light yellow-brown color far superior
to that of the birch. The tree is common
in all parts of the country. The English
elm ( Ulmus carrvpestirii) has a leaf which
is smaller and darker than
that of our own elm, and it
is not infrequently rough ;
g^jf its shape is also more ab-
ruptly sharp -pointed. The
limbs of the English elm
grow out from the trunk at a
wide angle, and they are apt to give the
tree an irregular outline with a larger
upper and a smaller lower mass of
foliage. There are numbers of fine
old English elms on the Common
in Boston ; but few of them
reach a height of over 50 feet.
Corky White Elm. The corky white
Ulmus racemosa. e ] m (gQ to 10 Q
feet high) resembles the white elm, with this very
pronounced difference : its branches are marked
Corky White Elm.
THE WITCH BAZEL, SORREL TREE, ETC. ;;,
with large, corky ridges, and the twigs are some-
what downy. The leaves also have simpler and
straighter veins. The tree is
generally found on river
banks, and is distributed
through northwestern Kew
Hampshire, southern Ver-
mont, and northern New
York to southeastern
Missouri, and the
southwest as far
as central Ten-
nessee. Anoth-
er elm Closely Wahoo or Winged Elm.
resembling the last
is a small tree (40 to 50 feet high) called Wahoo,
or winged elm ( Ulmiis (data). This variety is dis-
tinguished by corky ridges on either side of the
branchlets, which are smooth, not downy. The leaf
is very small (perhaps not over two inches long),
downy beneath, thickish, and almost stemless. This
species extends from southern Virginia southward
to western Florida, and southwestward to Indian
Territory and Texas.
Planer Tree or The water elm, or Planer tree, named
Water Elm. f or J # J. Planer, a German botanist,
Planera aquatica. m ^ ^ be confllsed wit]l fcne greater
76 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
plane tree, frequently called buttonwood. This small
tree, confined to wet banks beside ponds and rivers,
is found in the valley of the
Cape Fear Kiver, N. C,
in Kentucky, and in the
South ; westward it extends
to southern Missouri. It rare-
ly grows over 30 or 40 feet
high, and has a small, dark-
green leaf resembling that of
the white elm, smooth above, and
of a pale grayish-green color be-
neath; the teeth are sometimes
double. The fruit is a rough, leath-
ery-skinned nut about a quarter of an
inch in diameter, altogether different
Planer Tree. from the elm's fruit, which is always
winged ; it is ripe in September. The bark of the
tree is apt to scale off like that of the buttonwood.
Hackbeny, or The hackberry, or sugarberry, usually
Sugarberry. j s a sma ll tree with the general ap-
Celtis occidentalis. p i -r, r x *i.
pearance oi an elm. It bears irmt
about as large as bird -cherries, sweet to the taste, first
yellowish and finally purplish red in color.* Its
* In midwinter the berries are dark mahogany-red. A hand-
some but small hackberry growing on a street in Cambridge,
THE WITCH HAZEL, SORREL TREE, ETC. 77
deep-green leaves are variable in figure and texture ;
some of them are sparingly toothed, others are ex-
tremely oblique or lopsided, and a few-
are heart-shaped (scalloped) at the
base ; tliey are all conspicuously
taper - pointed, and the teeth,
extending over two thirds of
the edge from the tip down,
are sharp. The leaves are rare-
ly over three inches long, and
are generally rough to the
touch.
This tree is widely dis-
tributed ; it is common from
New England southward, and
westward to Minnesota and even
to Washington, on river banks and in the woods;
it rarely reaches a height of over 20 feet, but in
the South, and especially in the lower Ohio basin,
it attains the proportions of a large tree, sometimes
130 feet high.
Red Mulberry. The red mulberry grows variously
Alarm rubra. f rom }5 to 70 feet high, and bears
dark red, or, when finally ripe, black-purple ber-
Hackberry.
Mass., not far from the Harvard Botanical Gardens, is crowded
with thousands of berries as late as the end of January.
78 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
Red Mulberry
ries, resembling in
shape and size long
wild blackberries.
The leaves, as one
may see from my
drawings, are ex-
tremely variable in
figure ; perhaps it
may occasion some
surprise when I say
that these leaves which
I have drawn all came
off the same tree. This
particular tree grows in
the Pemigewasset Val-
ley (White Mountains),
just in front of an
ideal farmhouse, and
is not over 15 feet
high ; but it is extraor-
dinarily beautiful both
in roundness of figure
and in brilliancy of fo-
liage.
Nothing is more
charming in color than
the leaves of a young
THE WITCH HAZEL, SORREL TREK, ETC. 79
mulberry tree in early summer ; they are usually of
a soft, warm, yellow-green hue, in agreeable con-
trast with the surrounding darker-leaved trees, and
they seem to hold the afterglow in some mysteri-
jv ous manner peculiar to themselves. This
IkiVv rarG aild S lowiQ g yellow-green color is
identical with that which we have ad-
mired perhaps in the garments of the
Madonna in a picture called
The Virgin Enthroned, by
the American artist, Abbott
H. Thayer. The red mul-
berry is common east of
the Mississippi River, and
Cut-ieaf of Red Mulberry, in that locality reaches a
height of TO feet or more. It
extends throughout the country.
There is also a white mulberry (Mbrus alba) with
leaves similar to those of the red mulberry, except that
they are smooth and shiny. This tree was intro-
duced from China about 1830, and cultivated for the
sake of its leaves, upon which silkworms delight to
feed. The oval fruit is whitish, and at times pur-
plish ; it is edible, but has a rather sickening sweet
taste. The tree is common throughout the North ;
southward it extends to Florida and Texas. I recol-
lect a tall and handsome specimen at Palenville, X. Y.,
80
FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
near the Catskill Mountains. The wood of the mul-
berry is yellowish, and durable in contact with the
ground. The trees all have milky juice.
The black mulberry {Moras nigra), another native
of Asia, has large, dull, dark -green leaves tapering
into a sharp point, rather rough above, usually not
lobed (divided), fine-toothed, and evenly balanced on
either side of the stem. The fruit is large and sweet,
purple-black in color, and double the size of the red
mulberry; it is much esteemed in Europe. The
tree, however, is rarely cultivated in this country,
and it is barely hardy above
42° north latitude. It
grows to a height of
from 20 to 30 feet.
The pa-
PftDfiT
Mulberry. P er mul "
Broussonetia berry is
„ „ lh ., ^W'^™- cultivated
Paper Mulberry.
from Xew York
southward as a shade tree ; its leaves are very hairy
above, downy beneath, round-toothed, and in young
trees divided, but in old trees somewhat heart-shaped
and rarely divided. The club-shaped fruit, ripe in
August, is dark red, sweet, and insipid. The tree
grows 25 feet or so high, with branches which hang
low. It comes from Japan.
CHAPTER VI.
I. Simple Alternate Leaves.
2. With teeth. A. Edge not divided.
THE BIRCHES.
Black Sweet or The black, sweet, or cherry birch has
Cherry Birch, slender, dark reddish - brown twio-s
Betuia hnta. ^^ ft delig]ltf ul aromatic taste, which
is a sufficient means for the unmistakable identifica-
tion of the tree ; the bark of no other birch possesses
exactly this aromatic flavor, although there is a cer-
tain sweetness to the yellow birch's twigs. It is from
the twiffs of the black birch that the flavoring: for
birch beer is obtained.
This tree has an evenly balanced, oval-pointed leaf,
with a regular double-toothed edge, which is an easy
means of distinguishing it from its neighbors. Com-
pare for an instant my leaf drawings of the black
birch and the American elm : it will be seen at once
that the leaves are somewhat similar in general out-
line, in double-toothed edge, and in prominent, almost
7 81
82 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
Black Birch.
THE BIRCHES. 83
conventional veining. But here the resemblance ends :
the birch leaf is shiny, the elm leaf is not — on the
contrary, it is rough; it also has a much more lop-
sided figure. Furthermore, my drawing of the birch
shows that the leaves grow in pairs alternately along
the stem ; the elm leaves grow singly ; then, the little
elongated dots on the tiny twigs of the birch, and the
downy, short leaf stem, both of which bespeak the
Betula tribe, are characteristics wholly unelmlike.
There is also another distinguishing mark of the black-
birch leaf : its base is unmistakably scalloped. * Now,
compare this shape with that of the hop-hornbean
leaf, and it will be seen that the scallop in the latter
is extremely slight. These are minor differences,
which, however, should not escape our notice.
I find the black birch in a shrublike condition in
Campton, N. H., much more frequently than in tree
form ; but when it does reach the proportions of a
tree it grows from 20 to TO feet high, and carries a
fairly straight trunk covered with a gray-brown bark
somewhat resembling the cultivated cherry, but with
those unmistakable horizontal marks which charac-
terize the birches.
With the sunshine distributed over its brilliant
* The botanical expression for this scalloped base Is "cordate "
or "heart-shaped"; but I refrain from using a term which might
mislead one to believe the entire leaf was shaped like a heart.
84 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
green leaves this tree makes a fine show in an open
space where there is no interference with its vigorous
growth. Its wood is reddish brown, line grained, and
is well adapted to cabinet work. As a matter of fact,
it is often stained to imitate mahogany, and so treated
one is completely deceived as to the true nature of
the wood. Its bark does not separate into thin layers,
like that of the paper birch.
Yellow Birch. The yellow birch gets its name from
Betuia lutea. fts yellowish trunk ; there is really
little yellow in it, but enough, perhaps, to justify the
name ; more exactly, I should describe the color as
silvery yellow-gray. Again, those horizontal marks
which characterize the Betuia family are sprinkled
over the delicate, silvery bark ; notice, also, the way
this thin bark is curled and frizzled away from the
trunk ; it ornaments the latter with a thousand shin-
ing, edges, which catch and hold the scattered, flicker-
ing sunlight of the woods so that the tree is dis-
tinctly separated from its stalwart, dull-hued, rough-
seamed neighbors. Indeed, the yellow birch possesses
a certain unmistakable femininity of character which
is suggestive of some tattered and disheveled woodland
nymph. A young sapling about three quarters of an
inch in diameter, whose silvery-yellow bark is in per-
fect condition, makes a beautiful cane Avhen tastefully
mounted. There are few trees which, like the yellow
THE BIRCHES.
B5
Yellow Birch.
8G FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
birch, ma j boast of bark with a texture like satin
and a sheen like silver.
This yellow birch is so closely allied to the black
lurch that I must point out the differences which we
may observe in their leaves. The yellow-birch leaf
is rather coarser in texture and toothed edge ; it is
not so conventional in figure as that of the black
birch; it is often quite contracted at the scalloped
base, which is not so decidedly formed ; its leaf stem
is exceedingly downy, also the back of the leaf, espe-
cially over the veins ; and, lastly, it does not possess
the shiny, bright-green color which characterizes the
black birch. Besides these leaf differences there are
others : the catkin is less long and more egg-shaped,
and its scales are larger and thinner; but the fact
that the yellow birch has unmistakably yellow bark
prevents the possibility of confusion with any other
of the species. The tree attains a height of 80 or 90
feet if it is placed in advantageous circumstances ; I
know of a specimen over 75 feet high near Livermore
Falls, Plymouth, E". H. The wood is white, and not
very useful except as fuel.
White or The common white birch, sometimes
Gray Birch. called gray birch, is an American tree
1 r oi which we may well be proud. I
think it possesses a feminine grace and charm which
are as yet unappreciated by those who seek after
THE BIRCHES. 87
ornamental trees with which to decorate parks and
private grounds. Its long, thin branches as they ex-
tend outward from the white trunk droop in many a
subtile curve ; the ends are divided into an infinite
number of dark -brown, wiry branchlets from which
depend the beautifully formed leaves. These are
somewhat triangular in shape, taper to a sharp point,
and are bright, shiny green ; in fact, no other tree
possesses so brilliant a leaf. In spring the tree is
bright yellow-green, and furnishes a striking contrast
with any evergreen w T hich may happen to be in its
vicinity.
The extreme lightness and airiness which charac-
terize this birch are the qualifications which assist one
most in its identification. If, for instance, I see in
the distance a small tree with white trunk, thin, light
yellow-green foliage, and dark, wiry branches dis-
posed to droop (the topmost ones are decidedly
vertical), I know pretty well by experience that
no other native tree except the gray birch answers
to that description; in a park it might possibly be
confused with its foreign relations, but in the for-
est it is unique. Unfortunately, the beauty of the
gray birch never shows itself to advantage in its na-
tive environment ; in the struggle for existence among
its crowded neighbors, much of its femininity and
daintiness is completely lost; its symmetry is im-
88 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
White or Gray Birch,
THE BIRCHES. SO
paired, its outlines are scrawny, and its strength is
lost in tlie effort to elbow its way above encroaching
companions of a more vigorous growth. But place
the tree where it has a chance to do its best, and it
will develop into astonishingly graceful proportions.
This birch, is distinguished from its near relatives,
by several marked characteristics. Notice the bough
where it joins the white trunk ; this triangular brown
patch below the branch is always present in any tree
of any age. The leaf stem is slender, rather long,
and not downy ; the leaf (often growing, as in my
sketch, in pairs) is very smooth and shiny on both
sides; also, the stem being slender the leaf shakes
with the slightest breeze, and its varnished surface,
reflecting the sunlight, breaks it into shifting, spark-
ling green fire. This is no exaggeration of the truth.
Watch some tree on the edge of a dark wood on a
clear day in early June, when Zephyr is at play
among its branches, and the flashes of green light
which come and go will fairly dazzle the eyes.
The white bark is not easily separable into layers,
and it lacks that freedom from knotty imperfections
which makes the canoe or paper lurch so dazzlingly
white in broad sunlight. Often in very young trees
the bark runs through dark brown to tan color, and
only the thickest part of the trunk is sparingly white :
but through all the branches and over the trunk are
90 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
the same lines and dots which always mark the Betula
tribe. The tree is small, rarely reaching a height of
more than 30 feet. Its wood is white, soft, and is used
mostly for fuel ; rarely it is made into spools such
as are common in the weaving mills of New England.
European F° r the sake of comparison, I in-
White Birch, troduce here a sketch of the Euro-
pean white birch. This foreign rela-
tive of our Betula po/mlifolia, which is indeed
closely allied to our tree, is certainly very beautiful,
and is becoming quite common in cultivation. The
specimen which I have sketched was taken from a
tree which was planted in front of a private residence
in Plymouth, K. H.* It is a cut-leaved variety of
the European birch, specifically named Betula alba,
var. laciniata. But when I admit its beauty (pos-
sibly some landscape gardener may lift his eyebrows
at the word admit), I must remind those who have
studiously observed our own gray birch that its Euro-
pean relative does not possess the power of flashing
that jewel-like green light to which I have drawn
attention. In a word, the foreign tree possesses a
beautifully shaped leaf, without the splendid lively
color of its American relative. These ornamentally
* This beautiful tree, some 30 feet in height, stands near the
gateway entering the grounds of Dr. Robert Burns. On these
grounds are also several rare trees of various foreign species.
THE BIRCHES.
91
European White Birch, cut-leaved.
slashed leaves (John Kuskin would call them rent)
are rather a dark green, and they are not very
92 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
shiny — in fact, they are not constituted as sunlight
flashers.
This makes a vast difference with the appearance
of a tree, supposing, of course, we take into consid-
eration its effect under conditions of light and shade.
I could identify our gray birch at a great distance
in the focus of strong sunlight gathered from a
cloud-rent; such a thing would hardly be possible
with any other tree. The European birch under
similar conditions would appear at best commonplace,
if, indeed, it was recognizable at all. Then, also, in
early October, when our own birch is transformed
into pale, shining gold, there is hardly a suggestion
of gold in its European relative. I have seen both
trees together under the same climatic conditions, and
the change of color in the foreign tree was not com-
parable with that of its American relative. My draw-
ing is sufficient for the identification of this particular
European birch.
The different kinds of European birch (Betala
alba) are ; var. pubesce?is, leaf covered with white
hairs ; var. pendula, weeping ; var. laciniata, cut-
leaved ; var. fastigiata, pyramidal ; and var. atro-
jmrjmrea, purple-leaved. These are all to be met
with in parks and private grounds, but as yet I
think none of them have escaped from cultiva-
tion.
THE BIRCH ES.
93
Paper, Canoe, or The splendid
White Birch, white -trunked
Btiula papyri/era. paper or ( . ;mne
birch, which universally goes
by the less specific name of
white birch, is so well known
through its useful and beau-
tiful paperlike bark that the
identification of the tree is de-
pendent on no
other means. But
lest it should be
confused with its
near relative, the
gray or white birch
(B. jpajndifoUa), I
draw attention to
certain differences.
Unlike the gray
birch, the extreme-
ly white bark is
scarcely marked with
a distinct triangular
brown patch, from the
top of which grows the
branch ; indeed, there is
hardly any brown at all
Paper or Canoe Birch.
94 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
below the branch ; in the gray birch it is never ab-
sent. The bark on a large tree will hold broad
spaces unfurrowed by knotty imperfections. The
paperlike layers of the bark are easily separated into
numerous thin sheets, varying from a buffish cream
color to a light tan, the lightest color belonging to
the outermost layers. The leaf is altogether unlike
that of the gray birch ; its stem is short and often
very downy (notice in my drawing that the stems are
short, thick, and not sharp or clean looking) ; its out-
line is oval, with a moderate point, and the teeth are
coarsely irregular ; in color it is dull green, smooth
above and hairy below, especially on the ribs and at
their angles ; at the base it is of tenest rounded, but
now and then it is remotely heart-shaped.
The branches have no tendency to droop, as do
those of the gray birch, and the whole color effect of
the tree is darker. It is also a tall variety of the
Birch family, sometimes reaching a height of 75 feet.
The beauty of the white-trunked tree in the North-
ern forests can scarcely be overestimated ; it is one of
those woodland characters which does not seem to
lose anything by the overcrowding process. I have
seen great, handsome specimens in the dense woods
of the White Mountains, undespoiled of their virgin
white bark by the hands of tourists, growing straight
up in the air and sending out widespreading branches
WHITE OR PAPER BIRCH
Campton, Grafton Co., N. H
THE 151 UC I IKS.
«G
as if there were no
forest in the way
and room was not
scarce, for tlieir
topmost bouglis
quite overspread in
radius two otlier
comrades of lesser stature but
denser growth. Want of sun-
light and the perpetual gloom
of the primitive forest do not
seriously retard the growth
of the paper birch, other-
wise we could not see its
vigorous stem stand like a
white giant in the dim
distance of the dark
woods as we look from
one mountain toward an-
other.
The wood of this
birch is huffish white
and close-grained ; it
makes a splendid hard floor,
and for interior finish has no equal among the
plainer kinds of ornamental wood. It makes an ex-
cellent fuel, although it is quickly consumed. In
Young sprout of Paper Birch.
96 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
the woods it is subject to rapid decay, and frequent-
ly one may meet with an old fallen specimen, appar-
ently sound if one judges by the look of the bark,
but really rotten to the core. The bark is water-
proof, and is used by the Indians and the North-
western hunters for the construction of canoes, the
seams of which are neatly sewed together and made
water-tight by the use of pitch.
There are often great variations from the typical
forms of tree leaves. I have drawn one of these
variations, which may commonly be noticed in the
seedling paper birch. The specimen shows a strongly
double-toothed leaf, whose whole character — stem and
surface — was downy. The back of the leaf was par-
ticularly hairy, as well as the twig, which was some-
thing of an old gold color, characterized by the usual
dots of the Betula family. The leaf was soft to the
touch, and on the under side the veins were white,
with rather rusty-looking hairs. My drawing was
taken from a young shoot.
Red or River Birch. The red birch, sometimes called river
Betula nigra. birch, is rather a Southern variety,
seen at its best south of Baltimore. The leaf at
the edge is very unevenly double-toothed, and its
aspect is alderlike. The outline is angularly egg-
shaped, and the stem is short (about half an inch
long) and downy. The whole leaf has a whitish-
THE BIRCHES.
97
green look on the under side, caused by the soft,
downy growth over its surface; the upper side i
medium green, not so bright as that of the gray
birch. The branches are dark brown, the smaller
ones often ochre or cinnamon color, and always downy
when young. The bark of the trunk is dark red-
brown, and often hangs in shreds of a lighter browu
Red Birch.
hue ; but the trunk never has quite the disheveled
appearance common to the yellow birch, although the
thin bark often hangs and curls about the body of
the tree in the same charming, disorderly fashion.
Perhaps the best way to identify this birch is by the
peculiarly irregular leaf; its rude outline resembles
the alder, but at once the lines and dots on the trunk
and branches show the birch character. The red
birch is common in New Jersey and in Bucks County,
Pa. One need not look for the tree north of Massa-
8
98
FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
chusetts, as it belongs in its wild state southward, and
westward as far as Minnesota. It grows beside the
banks of streams, and attains a height of 30 to 50
feet. It is the only birch which can be found in a
warm climate. Unfortunately, the botanical name in-
dicates that it is black ; really it should be called B.
rubra, and there is one authority for this name.*
I can not leave the birches without calling atten-
tion to an extreme species, a shrub rather than a tree,
which shows how far Nature sometimes
deviates from her commonest types. B.
glandulosa is a dwarf variety of the
birch, with miniature leaves and stunted
stems, which is found among
the high mountains of New
England. My sketch is taken
from a specimen found on the
Presidential Range of the White
Dwarf Birch. Mountains, between Mounts
Adams and Jefferson ; it grew
close to the ground, hugging the rocky foundations,
and the smooth, brown branches were conspicuously
dotted with resinous, wartlike glands, to use Gray's
own words. The bush grows from 1 to 4 feet high.
The leaf is scarcely over three quarters of an inch long.
* Michaux.
CHAPTER VII.
I. Simple Alternate Leaves.
2. With teeth. A. Edge not divided.
THE ALDER, ETC.
Speckled or The speckled or hoary alder, prop-
Hoary Alder. er ] v speaking, is a shrub ; yet it often
Alnusincana. giwg ^ feet ^ ^ gometimes
has one substantial trunk. There is scarcely a brook
or streamlet passing through the White Mountain
region which is not shaded by the very dark olive-
green foliage of the speckled alder, and I call to
mind mile after mile of valley road edged by this
beautiful bushy tree ; indeed, it might justly be
called the "roadside genius" of sylvan New Hamp-
shire. I think the "speckled beauty" of the woods,
although he does not seem to know it, owes this
alder an enormous debt of gratitude for hiding his
cool and pebbly retreat and entangling the angler's
"fly." Whoever has fished in a mountain stream lias
<J9
100 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
unwillingly formed more than a " scraping acquaint-
ance " with this tree — the brook trout's best friend.
Its leaves
are extremely
coarse, irregu-
larly toothed,
prominently
brown - veined,
very downy be-
neath (especially
when young), and dull,
dark olive above. The
bark of the twigs is also olive-
green, and that of the
trunk is shiny, ruddy
green. The purple and
£Sfta= ,v »\r\ yellow catkin which
h= l--I^A?\ appears in sjDring is
extremely graceful,
and scatters clouds of
pollen dust if disturbed.
In the fall we will find the catkin buds and the
fi cones" on the same bush, like my sketch. The
cones resemble red-pine cones in miniature.
The European alder (Alnus glutinosa), often
planted in our parks, is a handsome tree from 25 to
60 feet in height, with a leaf closelv resembling that
THE ALDER, ETC. 1<U
of the speckled alder, abruptly pointed, and wavy at
the fine-toothed edge; there is a tuft of down at the
angles of the veins beneath. The younger branches
and the steins of the leaves are usually glutinous.
Several forms of the tree are cut-leaved.
„ _ . The hop hornbeam, sometimes called
Hop Hornbeam. x
Ironwood. ironwood, is a slender tree with ex-
Ostrya Virginica. ceedingly hard wood, which is used
Ostrya Virginiana. ,
in making cogs tor mill-wheels, teeth
for wooden rakes, mallets, axe handles, cart pins, and
other farming implements which must possess extra
strength. Its leaf is beautifully formed, exquisitely
sharp-toothed, and has a somewhat dull, light-green
color ; a stem scarcely a quarter of an inch long joins
it wdth the slender twig, from which it grows out
horizontally. A comparison of this leaf with that
of the black birch reveals a certain similarity ; the
great difference, how r ever, lies in the texture: the
hornbeam's leaf has a rough finish, and the birch
leaf shines; furthermore, it has a stem fully three
quarters of an inch long.
The bark of the trunk is finely furrowed in per-
pendicular lengths of four inches^ rarely more. The
young shoots are olive-green of a ruddy tone dotted
with dark brown. The fruit, as one may sec by my
drawing, greatly resembles the hop; it appears in
August or September. The tree rarely grows over
102 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
Hop Hornbeam.
THE ALDER, ETC.
103
35 feet high, and has light, slender branches ; these,
when covered with thick foliage and the hoplike fruit,
are extremely graceful.
The hornbeam, which is also called
Hornbeam, or
Water Beech, blue or water beech, is common on
Carpinvs the banks of streams from New Eng-
Caroliniana. , , -. r .
land to Minnesota and southward.
It may be distinguished from the hop hornbeam by
its little three-pointed leaflet or bract, which is placed
in pairs base to base with the small nuts ;
these leaflets form an elongated cluster,
which remains hanging on the tree until
late in the autumn. The leaf stem
is about half an inch long, and the
leaf itself, fuzzy when young but
soon nearly smooth, resembles
that of the hop hornbeam, except
that it is rather unevenly toothed.
The bark of this tree is gray,
^ smooth, and not unlike that of
the beech, although it has in addi-
tion occasional ridges which mark
the trunk perpendicularly. The wood is very hard,
and whitish. The water beech is a 6low grower,
and rarely attains a height of over 20 feet, except
in the South among the Alleghanies. In the moun-
tains of New Hampshire it is quite absent.
Hornbeam.
104 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
Chestnut.
Castaiiea sativa.
Castanea detitata.
The chestnut is so familiar to every
one who lives in or near one of our
great cities, in whose vicinity it is
pretty sure to be planted, that a description of the
tree seems wholly unnecessary for its identification.
Yet there are a few interesting facts about the
luxuriant chestnut which we would do well to re-
member.
It is certainly a most extraordinary, rapid-growing
tree, which in giving is only rivaled by the sugar
maple. At five years of age it will actually bear
fruit ; in fifteen years' time it is valuable as timber,
and if cut down then its shoots, which grow even
more rapidly than seedlings, de-
velop into fine trees within an-
other ten years. An orchard of
chestnuts will bring its owner
larger returns than many an ap-
ple orchard of the same size.
The fruit is brought into our
cities in autumn by thousands of
bushels, and sold at retail in the
stores and on the corners of busy streets at the rate
of about six dollars per bushel. Indeed, the Italian
who sells his tiny measure of roasted chestnuts for
five cents brings the average nearer eight dollars
per bushel. In Iowa certain orchards planted eight-
Chestnut Fruit.
THE ALDER, ETC.
105
Chestnut.
106 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
een years ago are bringing in their owners better
returns than the same acreage in farm products.
The chestnut has a very
dark green leaf of a decid-
edly rugged character ; its
teeth are like those of a
circular saw, and its ribs
give it a somewhat corru-
gated surface, which I have
tried to portray in my sketch.
The tree grows from 50 to 80
feet high, has very coarse
grayish bark, and its luxuriant
deep -green foliage, crowned with
le light rusty tinge of innumera-
3le developing burs in the month
of August, forms a color effect so
soft and beautiful that it com-
mands the admiration of the most
casual observer. In North Caro-
lina there are many specimens
whose trunks measure sixteen feet in cir-
cumference, so it is not always a fine leaf
which makes a beautiful tree. The wood
is useful and durable, rather soft, yellow-
ish, and has a coarse but handsome grain, which is at
once apparent in the gilding of many a picture frame.
Chinquapin.
■W.*;»v
■
wm
>>\i
- ■
4
■
V\
'\
^V.
CHESTNUT.
Upper Solburg, Bucks Co., Penn.
TOE ALDER, ETC. 107
Chinquapin. The chinquapin is a small variety of
Castanea pumiia. the chestnut, common in the South,
which grows from 7 to 35 feet high. The bur, about
an inch wide, hears a single small nut rounder than a
chestnut. The leaf is like that of the chestnut, hut
has a downy or woolly appearance beneath, is usually
less distinctly toothed, and is seldom over five inches
long. The tree grows wild in southern New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, Ohio, and southward. Its foliage is
whitish olive-green.
Beech ^he beech tree is common in all our
Fagus ferruginea. woods North and South ; it extends
Fagus Americana. westwa rd to Missouri and south-
ward to Florida and Texas, and attains its finest
growth in the southern Mississippi River \ r alley.
In the middle of winter, when the forest is bare of
leaves, we ought to be able to recognize the beech
at a glance : no other tree has the same smooth, light
gray, spotty bark ; no other the same smooth, round-
ish curves on long, low branches which extend hori-
zontally a good distance from the trunk. The bark
of trees may easily be grouped under three classes:
first, perpendicularly ridged; second, horizontally
striped; and, third, round spotted. To the first class
belong a great number of trees, including the elms;
to the second belongs the birch; and to the third
belongs the beech, almost alone. I think, then, there
108 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
is no reason why one should not know a
beech even in midwinter.
The leaves of this tree are
most wonderfully delicate and
charmingly simple ; indeed, I
know of nothing in the leaf
world quite so silky and thin,
yet firm. On the under side
of a beech
leaf the del-
icate, whit-
ish, wiry
veins run
straight from
the center rib to
the small sharp tooth at
the edge ; between, the
surface is smooth and
green, not the slightest
indication of texture
showing itself unless
one uses a glass. The
slender twigs which bear
Beech and Fruit.
the leaves spread out hori-
zontally, not droopingly like elm leaves, are also a
marvel of delicacy. The tiny three-cornered nut in-
cased in the miniature bur is familiar to every Amer-
THE ALDER, ETC. 109
ican boy, and needs no praise here. The tree often
grows to a height of 1<><> feet in the South; north-
ward it is commonly 50 feet high, [n the early au-
tumn it is particularly beautiful; all its leaves turn
an even, clear, pale golden yellow, which Beems on a
sunny day to diffuse a strange radiance in its imme-
diate vicinity. With my eyes closed I have been sen-
sible of the peculiar light reflected from the tree in
its yellow dress. There is no prettier combination of
color than that of the golden leaves and white-spotted
gray and greenish trunk. The wood is very hard,
close-grained, and is used for making chairs, loom
spools, shoe lasts, and milking stools. The tree is so
strikingly beautiful in its winter aspect that it has
become a favorite subject with several well-known
artists ; Mr. W. L. Palmer, in particular, delights to
portray its picturesque and stolid gray trunk casting
blue shadows over the sunlit snow. It has been well
named " the painted beech," for no other tree has a
trunk so attractively painted by Nature.
The European beech (Fagus syhatica), occasion-
ally planted in our parks, is the tree, I believe, which
is indirectly responsible for the downfall of Mac-
beth. It was not the Birnam beeches- which cost
* The old forest, Birnam Wood, has long sine.' disappeared,
and in its place is a meager young growth scarce!} deserving the
name.
HO FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
Mm his life, but something very nearly related to
them — spears ! The leaf of this tree resembles that
of its American relative, but it is broader, shorter,
and in many varieties it is wavy, without teeth ;
in others it is deeply cut at the margin. The pur-
ple or copper beech (var. atrqparpurea)* is a va-
riety with a rounded figure, very dark copper-colored
foliage, and somewhat curved leaves sparsely toothed.
There are several handsome specimens in the Public
Garden, Boston. The tree is very slow in unfolding
its leaves, and it is extremely loath to part with them ;
for that matter, the beeches often hold their faded,
ghostly, brown-white leaves throughout the winter.
* The latest name for the copper beech is Fagus sylvatica
fuliis atrorubentibus.
CHAPTER VIII.
I. Simple Alternate Leaves.
2. With teeth. A. Edge not divided.
THE WILLOWS.
Goat Willow. Many of the willows, more especially
SaUx Caprea. those under cultivation, have become
so greatly mixed that it is not easy to discriminate
between them.* One of the most troublesome ones in
this respect — the goat willow — comes from Europe, but
it is very frequently seen in cultivation in this coun-
try. It furnishes the stock or the foundation, so to
speak, for that beautiful umbrella-shaped tree which is
known in our parks and gardens as the Kilmarnock
willow, of a "weeping" form. But this willow may
at once be distinguished by its roundish leaf; it is
oval or long-oval in shape, thick, deep green above
* It is a singular fact that many willows must be grafted on
other species quite a distance above the root, otherwise they never
attain any considerable height — that is, if planted in the shape uf
cuttings.
Ill
112 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
and rather soft-downy below. The catkins, which are
bright yellow, appear
in early spring long
before the leaves.
The goat willow
has brown or red-
dish-brown branches,
and grows not over
30 feet high. It is adapted
to dry situations.
Heart-leaved Willow. The heart-leaved wil-
SaHx cordata. J QW may a ] so \y Q eag [.
ly distinguished by its leaf, which is
usually inclined to a scalloped form at
the base. But Gray says this is a most
widely distributed and
variable species with an
inappropriate name, as
its leaves are seldom
heart-shaped at the base. However,
my drawing was made from a speci-
men obtained at the side of a road in
the valley of the Pemigewasset Riv-
er, New Hampshire, and having
compared it with another specimen
which grew in southern New York, I found the
differences wholly insignificant. A distinguishing
Heart-leaved Willow.
THE WILLOWS.
113
characteristic of the leaf of this tree is the conspic-
uous little leafy formation (called a stipule) at the
junction of the leaf stem with the branclilet ; this is
always present. The leaf is green on either side,
scarcely paler but downy beneath, and finely tool I
The heart-leaved willow grows from 8 to 20 feet
high, and is very common in low and wet places.
Long-leaved Willow. The l°ng-leaved
SaHx longifolia. willow is easily
ISalix fluviatilis. • i i
J recognized by
its extremely narrow, long leaf,
which tapers at each end and is
rather coarsely toothed. It is
often a shrub, but occasionally,
when favored by circumstances,
it attains a height of 20 feet.
This species is common west-
ward, but rare along the Atlantic
coast from Maine to the Potomac
River, Virginia.
Crack Willow. One of our larg-
Salixfragilis. est w iH ws — the
crack willow — came to us from Europe, and was
planted at an early date in the vicinity of Boston, in
some of the older cities and towns of New Hampshire,
and elsewhere in the North. It has since become ex-
tensively naturalized. Its twigs are largely used in
9
Long leaved Willow.
1U FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
Crack Willow
THE WILLOWS. 1 1 ;,
■
the manufacture of baskets.* This willow crows 5< >
to 75 feet, and under favorable conditions 90 feet
high. I know of a very old and handsome
specimen in central New Hampshire, with
a spread of over fifty feet, and a remarkably
picturesque contour ; it is planted opposite an
old and interesting farmhouse, in combina-
tion with which it forms a very beautiful pic-
ture. The crack willow is not sufficiently ap-
preciated as an ornamental tree ; it has been |V
too often displaced by the weeping willow,
r J x ° ' Magnified
whose conventional and sober aspect is a teeth of
Crack
poor substitute for the cheerfulness and willow.
vivacity of the other tree with its scintillant foliage.f
The crack willow may be identified by its shining leaf,
which has two tiny excrescences at the base just at
the junction with the leaf stem, and rather thick,
fine teeth ; these, when magnified, look like my
sketch at A. The under side of the leaf is whitish
and smooth. The twigs are yellow-green, polished,
and very brittle at the base ; hence the name of the
tree.
* It was imported in the especial interest of basket manufac-
ture before the Revolutionary War.
f The sparkling color of the crack willow's foliage is caused by
the swaying of the firm leaves in the wind. The weeping willow
never shows this effect, but its drooping leaves have a listless
motion.
116 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
White Willow. The white willow, also imported from
Saiix alba. Europe, is similar in many respects to
the foregoing species ; in fact, it has become so much
mixed with it that a recognition of either species by
means of the leaves is far from easy.
There are also several va-
rieties of the white wil-
low. In its typical form
the twigs are olive, and the
leaves are somewhat silky on
sides. In var. mtellina the twigs are ^P
yellow ; in var. ccerulea they are olive, and
the leaves, smooth above, are a trine bluish
green. In var. argentea the foliage is very wmow.
whitish — silvery gray ; but in each instance the leaves
in outline taper both ways, and have sharp, thick
teeth. The wood of the white willow is used in the
manufacture of charcoal for gunpowder. The tree
is very common throughout the country.
Weeping Willow. It is scarcely necessary to say that the
Saiix Babyionica. we eping willow is also a species intro-
duced from Europe ; but it is extensively cultivated
here, and is usually planted beside the water. Gray
says in many places it has spread along river banks
and lake shores through the drifting of detached
branches. The large, graceful tree with its long
pendulous branchlets is too familiar an object to
THE WILLOWS. 117
need description. There is a variety called annularis
(hoop willow), with leaves almost curved into rings.
Black willow. The black willow has rather rough,
Salix nigra. blackish bark, and a woolly-stemmed,
variable leaf which is most often attenuated lance-
shaped.* There is, besides,
a little stipule (leafy termi-
nal) at the junction of the
leaf stem with the branchlet,
though this may not always be
present. The branches are very
brittle at the base. The leaf is
commonly small, not much over two
inches in length, and when mature is
smooth, except beneath, on the midrib, which
is woolly. This willow is common on the
banks of streams and lakes. In salix nigra Black
var. falcata the leaves are extremely long,
narrow, and frequently scythe-shaped ; they are fur-
nished with stipules (leafy terminals to the leaf
stem) which do not fall off when the leaves are
young ; the edges are very finely and sharply
toothed. The black willow grows from 15 to 35
feet high.
* I mean, for instance, wider nearest the base of the leaf, then
gradually narrowing to the tip; but one must not rely too much
on this form. The Leaves are very variable.
H8 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
Western Black
The Western black willow is
Willow, found from central New York
Salix amygdaloides. wegtward to Missouri. The
leaves are rather oval-lance-shaped, pale or
often hairy beneath, and have long, slen-
der stems ; the little stipules (encircling
the stems like leaflets) fall oil when the
leaves are yet young. This tree grows
from 15 to 40 feet high, and is common
on the banks of streams from Ohio to
Missouri.
Shining Willow. The shining willow may
Salix ivtida. "pg recognized at once by
its bright leaf, which is shiny on both
sides, deep green above and lighter be-
low; the shape is elliptical, with an extremely
elongated, sharp point. The branchlets are
also shiny and olive-green. The shining
willow is rather a shrub than a tree, and
grows only 15 feet high at most. It
is extremely beautiful in bright sun-
shine by reason of its glossy leaf,
and it commonly grows on the
banks of streams from Maine to
Pennsylvania, westward and
northward. It is sometimes called
American bay willow.
Western
Black Willow
Shining Willow.
THE WILLOWS.
119
Long-beaked Willow.
Long-beaked Willow. r Y} iC long-beaked willow is a very
Saiix rostrata. n gpecies wliieli rarely
Halix Hi bb tana, ^ 1
120 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
grows to the dignity of a tree ; it is seldom over 15
feet high. The leaf is so pronounced in character
that I think few of us can fail to recognize it at a
glance; it is thin, leathery, large, deep olive-green
above, and whitish, blue-green below; when young
it is velvety on the under side, but this velvet tex-
ture is nearly lost as the leaf becomes older ; on the
upper side there is also an inclination toward downi-
ness. My drawing shows the edge of the leaf
scalloped rather than toothed, and the surface some-
what broken in lights and shadows. This willow is
common on roadsides and in moist or dry grounds
from Maine to Pennsylvania, westward and north-
ward. It may be found beside the streams which
wind through the valleys, and at an elevation of over
two thousand feet among the mountains of New
Hampshire.
CIIAPTEE IX.
I* Simple Alternate Leaves.
2. With teeth. A. Edge not divided.
THE POPLARS.
White Poplar.
Although
P. Alba.
Abele Tree, the white
ulus alba. i
poplar, or,
as it is frequently
called, abele tree,
is not American,
it lias become so
familiar through
wide cultivation
in this countrv
i
that I must give
it especial notice.
It may be iden-
titled easily by
the extremely white,
cotton v look of the
121
122 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
P. Alba, var. Nivea
under side of its leaf,
which is variously
shaped according to
the varieties which
I have drawn. The
branches of this tree
are also downy and
white when young, and
its roots are apt to produce
numerous suckers. Its typical
form is less grown here than
the varieties.
The variety of the white
lar which, according to Prof.
Bailey, is commonest in this
country, is called P.
alba, var. nivea.* Its
leaves have three or five
maplelike divisions, and
they are very cottony be-
neath. Another variety intro-
duced into Europe in 1875, from
Turkistan, is called P. alba, var.
Bolleana. This tree has a compact-
p.Aiba,var.Boiieana. growing habit, something like the
* Vide The Cultivated Poplars, Bulletin 68, L. H. Bailey.
THE POPLARS.
123
Lombardy poplar ; its leaves are rather more deeply
divided than those of the var. nimea. The white
poplars are rapid growers, and frequently attain a
height of from 50 to 80 feet.
American Aspen.
American Aspen. TllC American aspen is not com-
Poplar. nionly known by this name ; it is
Fopuiustremuloides. mogt frequently called by the coun-
try people "pojmle," a corruption of poplar. It
124 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
seems to me that a more significant and proper name
would be trembling aspen, for its leaves flutter
with the slightest zephyr. The tree may be easily
identified by the trembling of its leaves and the
whitish-green color of its trunk. It is never very
large, and although in northern Kentucky it may
attain a height of 45 feet, in other parts of the coun-
try it does not often exceed 25 feet. The flat, white-
veined, heart-shaped leaf, of a leathery texture and
dull, pale-green color, spreads out on a plane at right
angles with a singularly flattened long stem, so limber
that it allows the leaf to wiggle with the slightest stir
of air. If a small spray or branch of the tree is held
in the hand before the mouth and one blows gently
on the leaves, it will be seen at once how and why
they tremble in every passing breeze ; the swaying
motion is exactly like that of a bit of writing paper
allowed to fall through the air. The Lombardy
poplar leaf also has a long, flat stem, and it sways in
the same way.
The aspen is sometimes mistaken for the gray or
white birch, because both trees have a whitish trunk,
spare horizontal lower and oblique upper limbs, and
both are similar in figure ; but the leaves of these two
trees are entirely different : the birch has an exceed-
ingly brilliant light-green foliage, which reflects the
sunlight and quite often dazzles the eye, while the
Tin: Poplars. 125
aspen has a whitish foliage without a suspicioD of
shininess. Along the banks of the Pemierewasset
Kiver, and in tlie adjacent woodlands, this tree, with
its ever-trembling leaves, is a very familiar object.
Its smooth, greenish trunk is cut by the lumbernu
into short, round logs, which are sent to neighbor-
ing mills and ground by powerful machinery, with
the aid of water, into a soft pulp ; this is pressed
into paste-boardlike layers, in which preparatory
condition it is sent to various factories for the man-
ufacture not only of paper but of an infinite variety
of useful objects, such as pails, stove-mats, wash-
tubs, boxes, trays, etc.
_ ._ _ The large-toothed aspen has a larger
Large-toothed ° l
Aspen, and coarser leaf than that of the
Popiihi* variety just described, and its outline
grandidentata. . ,
is roundish and irregularly wavy.
There are, perhaps, only seventeen coarse teeth to
each leaf, and these are very dull-pointed. The leaf
stems are also flat and long ; in fact, the large-toothed
aspen has leaves of nearly the same character as those
of its more beautiful relative, but lacking the pretty
heart-shape. The leaf is large, however, from three
to five inches long, smooth on both sides when old, but
covered with down when quite young. The twv is
common in the North, but rare southward, except in
the Alleghanies. It grows from b> to s <> feet high,
126 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
Large-toothed Aspen.
lias greenish-gray, smooth hark, and soft, white wood,
which is also ground into pulp and used extensively
in the manufacture of paper, etc.
THE POPLARS.
L2'
Downy Poplar. T ne downy poplar is distinguished
Popuius by its leaves, which, downy when
1 J young and becoming smooth on both
sides when older, still retain the down on the veins
l>< neatli. The leaf
is also quite
blunt at the end,
never tapering to a
point, and the teeth
are obtuse, with an in-
ward curve. The tree
grows from 40 to 80 feet
high, and is rather rare. It
will be found on the borders of swamps
from Connecticut to southern Illinois
and southward.
The cottonwood, or Carolina poplar,
is a very large tree of rapid growth,
Downy Poplar.
Cottonwood.
Carolina Poplar.
Popuius monilifera
Popuius deitoidea. varying from 60 to 150 feet in height.
In the Mississippi Yalley and immediately west it
borders every stream. It can also be found, but not in
great plenty, from western New England to Florida.
The leaf is similar in character to those of the poplars
already described, except that it is quite smooth, glossy,
nearly as wide as it is long, and sometimes has in-
curved, slightly hairy teeth; this last is hardly a very
common characteristic, but it is observable in many
128 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
instances. The rapidly growing young twigs bear
leaves which sometimes measure eight inches in
length. However, it
must not be forgotten
that the seedlings and
young shoots of all
trees frequently pro-
duce leaves of an
abnormal size, if we
take the leaf of an old
tree as a standard.
Balsam Poplar. The leaf of the balsam
acama ac. p pi arj or tacamahac, is a
Populus
bahamifera, great remove from its
Populus suaveohns. trembling relative. It
hardly resembles it in any particular, if
I except the white back. Above, the
color is a somewhat yellowish green ; be-
low, it is whitish, like that of all other poplar leaves.
The outline is distinctly egg-shaped, but pointed,
and is finely but obtusely toothed. Prof. Bailey
speaks of this tree as the most variable of all the
poplars cultivated in this country. He says it is rep-
resented by three marked varieties, " differing from
the species and from each other in the habit of growth,
shape and color of leaves, and character of twigs." The
tree grows from 40 to 70 feet high, has a pyramidal
Cottonwood.
THE POPLARS.
L29
figure, and is found in the woods and beside the
streams in the Northern States. Its leaf is thick, linn,
and borne erect on the twigs; and the large, brown-
yellow leaf buds are covered in spring with
a fragrant resinous coating. I
drawn for comparison the lea^
the three varieties which •<?*,
are — var. intermedia, var.
mminalis {P. la/wr (folia,
Sarg.), and var. latifolia.
Balm of
Balm of Gilead.
Populus
balsamifera,
var. candicans
Gilead may
at once be reco<
nized by its fra-
grant resinous leaf buds ; these
are especially odorous in spring-
time. It is purely a matter of " Populus balsamifera.
taste if one considers the buds fragrant; but de
gustibus no?i est dixjn/tcntd/im. In my own opinion,
the smell is unpleasantly suggestive of the "great
unclean," or rather the mildly unclean, who use per-
fumery, resulting in a mixture which can not de-
ceive! Guessing at an analysis of the perfume in a
leaf bud, I should define it thus : equal parts of sandal -
wood, patchouli, and barber shop to one part of i
sence of boiled onions. The bit of balm of Gilead I
had in my hands last September smelled just that way.
10
130 FAMILIAR TREES AND TIIEIR LEAVES.
The leaves are large and beautiful, perfectly heart-
shaped, green, of a light-olive tone above and whitish
(sometimes rusty) beneath; their stems are an inch
P. Balsamifera, var.
Intermedia.
P. Balsamifera, var.
Viminalis.
P. Balsamifera,
var. latifolia.
and a quarter long, a trifle hairy, and a little bit
flattened ; sometimes they are touched with red.
The bark of the twigs is raw-umber brown in color ;
that of the trunk is about the same, with darker
patches. The tree is exceedingly rare in a wild state,
but is very common in cultivation. It was planted on
the borders of the lagoon at the World's Fair, where
its rich, broad foliage showed in handsome, irregularly
rounded masses. The tree in this respect is quite dif-
ferent from the other poplars, which exhibit rather
pyramidal figures.
Perhaps the most beautiful of these taller and
TIIK POPLARS.
131
slenderer trees is the Lombardy poplar (Populus
nigra, var. Italica ; also Populus dUatata), which
Balm of Gilead.
ascends like a church spire some 100 feet or more to
the sky. It has a pretty, triangularly shaped leaf,
with a flattish stem, often red, and a smooth, thin,
leathery texture ; the teeth are not sharp ; the color
132 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
Lombardy Poplar.
TITE POPLARS. [33
above is a deep, clear green ; that beneath is a little
lighter. The trunk of this tree is almost completely
covered from the ground upward with suckerlike
straight branches; these have a lightish gray-green
bark. The Lombardy poplar, one of the most pic-
turesque of objects in a hilly landscape, is unfortu-
nately ill adapted to the severity of our Northern
climate. In the Pemigewasset Yalley I know of
three line specimens which are gradually losing their
tall figures through the bitter cold of the New Hamp-
shire winters ; the tops are slowly taking on the ap-
pearance of so much perpendicular brushwood bare
of every leaf.
CHAPTER X.
I. Simple Alternate Leaves.
2. With teeth. B. Edge divided
THE HAWTHORNS.
The hawthorns, or white thorns, as they are some-
times called, are commonest in the South ; but many
varieties may be found in the North, where they
can always be distinguished from other trees, at all
seasons of the year, by their thorns.
Washington Thorn. The Wash-
Cratiigui cordata. m gt n thorn
is a tree which
grows not over
30 feet in
height, greatly
esteemed for its
Washington Thorn.
beautiful flowers and
bright-red berries. The
leaf is a deep, lustrous green in summer, and turns
late in the fall a rich orange-red. The flowers ap-
pear about the last of May ; they are white, and
134
THE HAWTHORNS. 135
clustered like cherry blossoms, but in miniature.
The berries are not much larger than peas ; they
are bright red, and ripen in Sep-
tember; many of them cling to the
boughs throughout the winter, but
eventually become brown and sere.
The Washington thorn is hardly
common, but is found generally scat-
tered through the South from the
,. - ,, -p, -r,. English Hawthorn.
valley of the 1 otomac luver to
northern Georgia and Alabama, and from Tennessee
and Kentucky to the valley of the lower Wabash
River in Illinois.* It is hardy northward to south-
ern Xew England, where it flowers later than any
of the other thorns. It is a favorite among gar-
deners for hedges, and it has long since found its
way into European gardens. It does not quite equal
the English hawthorn (Cratcegus oxyaca?it7ia\-f. how -
ever, for this species has a most charming pink (some-
times white) flower, which has been sung by all the
English poets.
There is a narrow-leaved thorn (Cratcvgus spathu-
lata\ closely related to the Washington thorn, which
* It has also found its way into Bucks County, Pa.
f There are several large, handsome English hawthorns in the
Public Garden, Boston, some of which are double-flowered. This
species is occasionally found in Bucks County, Pa., running wild.
136 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
has a similar fruit, and a singularly long, dark-green
leaf, thick, and almost evergreen. This tree or shrub
grows sometimes 20 feet high, and is found (it is not
very common) from Virginia southward.
It flowers in May.
Tall Hawthorn. The tall hawthorn is a
Crataegus viridis. Southern tree, 20 to 35
feet high, whose leaf is most frequently
undivided, and rather pointed at each
end. Its bright-red fruit is ovoid, and
not over a quarter of an inch broad.
The branches bear a few large thorns or
none at all. This variety is rare in the
extreme Southeastern States, but is com-
mon west of the Mississippi River, from
St. Louis southward to the Colorado River, Texas.
It grows beside streams or in low, rich soil.
Parsley-leaved The parsley -leaved thorn has a beau-
Thorn, tiful, deeply cut leaf,
Crataegus apiifoUa. gomewliat gimilar to
that of the English hawthorn ; the
divisions are irregularly toothed and
crowded together. The flowers ap-
pear in late May ; they are white,
about half an inch in diameter, and
there are many in a cluster. The fruit is rather
long ovoid in shape and less than half an inch in
Tall Hawthorn.
Parsley -leaved
Thorn.
THE HAWTHORNS.
137
length ; it is coral -red, and ripens in September. The
tree grows from 10 to 20 feet high, and lias ]<>iiL r
spreading branches. It may be found in moist woods
or in rich ground from southern Virginia southward
to Florida, and westward to Arkansas and Texa6.
The white
White or
Scarlet-fruited
Thorn ' times called
thorn, some-
Cratcegus
coccinea.
scarlet-fruit-
ed thorn, is
a small tree
White Thorn.
(often a shrub), scarcely over 25 feet high, which may
be found in woods or on the borders of fields through-
out the North; it is rather rare southward, although
138 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
it extends to Florida. The fruit is dull orange-red,
and resembles a very diminutive crab apple ; it is
ripe in September. The flowers grow in clusters
similar to those of the English hawthorn, and meas-
ure about two thirds of an inch across ; they are
white, and very often pink-tinged. The leaf is ex-
tremely ornamental — conventionally regular in char-
acter as well as appearance with its deep - green,
smooth, and shiny surface. The branchlets are more
or less covered with thorns about an inch long. The
white thorn is well worthy of cultivation, as early
and late, in flower or fruit, it is both beautiful and
decorative.
Scarlet Haw. The scarlet haw, which formerly was
Cratcegm mollis, confused with the preceding variety,
is marked with pronounced differences. The fruit is
much larger (an inch to an inch and a quarter in diam-
eter) ; it is sweet and edible, and falls in September.
The leaf divisions are less sharply pointed, and the
leaf itself is lighter green and much larger. This
thorn also flowers early — when the leaves are half
grown, in the middle or end of May. The mature
leaf measures from three to five inches in length, and
is often densely cottony below.
The scarlet haw grows on the margins of swamps
and along streams, in rich soil, from Massachusetts
Bay to Michigan and Missouri, and from the middle
THE HAWTHORNS.
139
of Tennessee to Texas. In New England it looks
more treelike, and attains a larger size than the other
American thorns.*
Blackthorn. The blackthorn has smaller fruit
Crataegus tomentosa. (] ia ]f an inch long), OVoid ill shape
and dull-red in color. The leaves have a very doubt-
fully divided outline — that is, some of
them are so slightly incised that the
can hardly be called divided. They
are light olive-green, and turn dull
orange-red in the autumn. The
flowers are very ill-scented, and
appear two or three weeks later
than those of the foregoing va-
riety. This thorn grows from 10
to 20 feet high, and is distributed from eastern New
York westward to Michigan and Missouri, and south-
westward to Georgia, Tennessee, and eastern Texas.
It is not very common.
Dotted-fruited The dotted-fruited thorn has a small
Thorn. ] ea f (perhaps an inch and three quar-
Cratiet/ us punctata. i \ i • i • t • i i i
r ters long) which is not divided, but
is irregularly toothed ; it is pale, dull green. The
fruit is an inch in diameter, round, more or less white
dotted, and generally red, but often deep yellow. This
Blackthorn.
Vide Silva of North America, C. S. Sargent.
140 FAMILIAR TREES AND TIIEIR LEAVES.
Dotted-fruite
Thorn.
tree grows less than 30 feet high, and is common
throughout the North ; it extends southward to
Georgia. Its branches are always hori-
zontal.
Cockspur Thorn. Tlie cockspur
Crataegus thorn is a
Crus-qalli.
variety most
frequently favored by culti-
vation ; it is very common-
ly used for hedges. The
thorns measure two or three inches in length. The
leaves are not divided, and are toothed only above
the middle ; they are dark green and shiny above, but
pale below ; in autumn they turn a dull
orange-red. The flowers, which bloom
as late as the middle of June, are
white, and somewhat fragrant. The
fruit is similar to that of the scarlet-
fruited thorn, but rather more pear-
shaped (very slightly so) ; it also
ripens about the same time, and
remains on the tree all winter.
The cockspur thorn is found on the
margins of swamps, or in rich soil, throughout the
North ; it extends southward to Florida and west-
ward to Missouri and Texas ; it is most abundant and
reaches its largest size in Arkansas and Louisiana.
Cockspur
Thorn.
II IK HAWTHORNS.
141
Yellow or Summer The Yellow or summer haw is B
Haw. Southern variety of the thmn which
Crataegus flwua. ^^ not oyer 2Q f( , r( ^^ and fc
esteemed for its fruit, which is edible and
pleasant flavored ; it is yellow, tinged with
red, generally pear-shaped, but frequently
round. The leaf is somewhat wedge-
shaped, but variable. This thorn extends
through the South from Virginia to Mis-
souri.
Southern Summer The Southern summer Yellow or Sum-
Haw.
haw is a Southern thorn
mer Haw.
which
grows not higher than 30
Summer Southern Haw. Summer Southern Haw, with larger fruit.
feet, and bears fragrant, edible fruit, bright red,
somewhat dotted, and about two thirds of an inch in
142 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
diameter. This is gathered in quantities where the
tree is common, and sold in the markets of the towns
in southwestern Louisiana. It is made into preserves
and jelly. The leaf is somewhat wedge-shaped, leath-
ery, and toothed above the middle. The summer
haw grows from the valley of the Savannah River,
South Carolina, to northern Florida ; it extends
westward to Texas. This tree bears the largest
flowers and the best-flavored fruit of all the thorns.
CHAPTER XL
I. Simple Alternate Leaves.
2. With teeth (some without). B. Edge divided.
THE OAKS WITH ACORNS WHICH RIPEN
IN ONE YEAR.
There are so many oaks, and there is sucli an in-
finite variety to the shape of their leaves, that it is
best for us to learn the exact location * of each spe-
cies, and carefully note the differences which exist
between their acorns, bark, wood, etc. I have there-
fore placed the oaks in regular botanical order. First
come the white oaks, chestnut oaks, and the ever-
green-leaved live oak, all of which bear acorns which
ripen within the year; next the black and red oaks,
whose acorns take two years in which to mature ; and
finally, the leather-leaved oaks, some of which are
almost or quite evergreen in the South; these also
take two years in which to ripen their acorns. It
* I am indebted to Prof. C. S. Sargent in many instances for
the precise localities of certain species.
143
144 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
will certainly be quite an easy task to identify a tree
by its leaf, acorn, and bark, as they are described or
drawn here, without the aid of a method of arrange-
ment different from that which will be found in
Gray's Field, Forest, and Garden Botany. Of course,
the acorn is a " telltale " of the oak ; but in case it
should not be conveniently present, or we should fail
in recognizing it, there are other equally reliable
means which I have pointed out of identifying a tree.
But we must bear in mind that the certain recogni-
tion of a particular species by means of its leaf is
rendered somewhat difficult at times by variations.
Little seedlings are especially troublesome in this re-
spect, so one's attention should be turned to the larger
trees.
White Oak. The white oak grows from TO to 100
Quercus alba. f ee t ? and in the forest 150 feet high,
if it is crowded away from the sunlight ; but in the
open, where it reaches its fullest development, it sends
out great, wide-spreading branches, and attains a very
moderate height, with rather a domelike figure. The
leaves are round-lobed, narrow at the base, smooth,
deep bright green above and pale green below ; when
very young they are woolly and red ; in the fall they
turn a rich dark red, and many of them remain on
the branches through the whiter. The rough-cu-p-ped
(not scaly-cupped) acorn is generally borne in pairs,
THK OAKS WITH ACORNS.
145
White Oak.
sometimes on a short but usually on a long stem. The
brown nut is sweet and edible.
The bark of the trunk is usually gray, tinged with
11
14G FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
brown ; it is not very rough, and in old trees it is apt
to become detached in laro;e, thin scales.
The white oak is equally beautiful in spring, sum-
mer, and autumn ; it begins and ends with rich red
foliage, and in midsummer it is clothed in luxuriant
green. Its hard, tough wood is largely exported to
Euroj^e, and it is used in the manufacture of carriages,
a variety of useful articles, and for the interior finish
of buildings. The tree grows from Maine to Minne-
sota and southward ; it reaches its highest develop-
ment on the west slopes of the Alleghany Mountains,
in Tennessee and the Carolinas, and in the bottom
lands of the lower Ohio basin. It is rarely found in
northern New England, but farther south it is quite
plentiful. At Middle-
ton, Mass., there is a
fine tree over 80 feet
high, and a certain
aged specimen in the
village of South See-
konk, Mass., is be-
lieved to be six hun-
dred years old.
Post or Iron Oak. Tne P ost or
Post Oak. Quercus stellata. iron Oak
Quercus minor. £
grows irom
50 to 60 feet and rarely 100 feet high in the for-
■
•^» — •
A*
WHITE OAK.
Waverly, A^iddlesex Co., Mass.
TIIE OAKS WITH A CORNS. 147
ests. The bark of the trunk resembles that of the
white oak; it is a trifle darker. The dark-green
leaves are roughened above and below with little
hairs; their "under side is a trifle grayish; in autumn
they turn a dull yellow or light brown. The lobes
of the leaves are rounded and sprawling, their haM--
frequently wedge-shaped. The acorn is small, and
has a short stem, on which it usually grows in pairs
(sometimes in threes) ; the cup-shaped cup incases at
least one third of the nut.
The post oak is found from the eastern extremity
of Cape Cod, along the southern coast of Massachu-
setts, Rhode Island, and Long Island, N. Y., to
northern Florida; it is also common in the dry soil
of Martha's Vineyard, where its growth is shrublike,
with crooked stems. It extends south westward to
Texas, and has its best growth in the dry uplands of
the Mississippi basin. Its hard, durable wood is used
in making carriages, and other useful articles which
require strength of construction. In the distance it
is easy to recognize the post oak because of its ex-
tremely dark -green foliage.
The burr or over-cup oak has an ex
Burr or Over-cup L
Oak. tremely long, deeply lobed (near the
Querent middle) leaf, smooth above and pale
green and downy below. 1 bis is one
of the largest of the oaks on the eastern side of the
148 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
Mississippi River. It grows under favorable circum-
stances from 150 to 170 feet high ; its average height,
however, is not much over 75 feet.
In the open it develops a
broad, round head and
wide - spreading branches.
The bark of the trunk is
deeply furrowed, and fre-
quently broken into plate-
like, light-brown scales ; that
of the young branches is
dark brown, marked with
corky ridges or wings. The
new leaves are a tender
yellow green, and the
thicker mature ones deep
green and shiny ; beneath, the color is lighter ; in
autumn they turn dull yellow or yellow brown. A
mature leaf will measure from six to twelve inches
in length. The acorn of this oak is distinguished by
the heavy fringing around the nut at the edge of
the cup ; the cup itself is extremely rough. The
acorns usually grow solitary, and vary in size and
shape.
The burr oak is found in the Penobscot River
Valley, Me., along the shore of Lake Champlain, Vt.,
and in the valley of the Ware River, Mass. ; it is also
Over
TIIE OAKS WITH ACORNS. \\\i
in Bucks and Lancaster Counties, Pa., and extends west-
ward to Montana and Indian Territory. The exten-
sive "oak openings" in the prairies arc mostly formed
of the burr oak; and Dr. P. R. Hoy, of the Phila-
delphia Academy of Natural Sciences, speaks of it as
a Western oak, which can not be excelled in graceful
beauty when it is not crowded in growth, but left free
to follow the law of its development. The changing
colors of the loriff leaf as it is agitated
by the wind give the tree a sin-
gularly beautiful appearance
in summer ; in winter it
may readily be identified by
its curiously winged
branchlets. The tree
is most abundant and
reaches its finest develop
ment in the Mississippi basin
and Indiana and Illinois. Its wood
is superior in strength to that of the
other oaks.
Southern Over-cup Oak. The Southern over-
Quercus lyrata. cup oak is a large
tree growing 70 to 80 and sometimes
100 feet high, which inhabits the river Southern Over-cup
* ! Oak.
swamps of North Carolina and south-
ern Indiana, and extends along the coast from south-
150 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
ern Maryland to western Florida, through the Giilf
States to Texas, and westward to Missouri and Ar-
kansas. According to Prof. Sargent, it is rare in all
the States, but reaches its commonest and largest
growth in the Red Eiver Yalley, La., and the adja-
cent country of Arkansas and Texas. The leaves
are of a reddish-copper color when young, and deep
green when mature, with a silvery downiness be-
neath ; they are crowded at the ends of the branch-
lets ; few of them are over seven inches in length ;
they turn dull orange-red in the fall. The leaf lobes
are somewhat acute. The acorn has a roundish cup
with very rough scales, which nearly covers the glob-
ular nut. The four species just described complete
the list of common white oaks.
, w .. r. , The swamp white oak belongs to the
Swamp White Oak. x &
Quercus bkoior. group of chestnut oaks,* the other
Quercus xdatanoides. three members of which immediately
follow. Its leaf has a wavy edge which is not deep-
ly cut ; it is shiny green above, and silvery- white,
downy below. In autumn it finally turns a yellow
brownish-buff color. The acorn usually grows on a
long stem (frequently in pairs), and has a rough,
rounded cup, with a bristling if not a fringed edge.
The nut is sweet and edible.
* The leaves closely resemble those of the chestnut.
THE OAKS WITII ACORXS.
151
This oak is commonly found on the borders of
streams and swamps ; it rarely attains a height of over
Swamp White Oak.
70 feet. In western New York and northern Ohio it
reaches its finest development. It is distributed over
152 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
the country from southern Maine to Iowa and Mis-
souri, and along the Alleghany Mountains to Georgia.
The young, flaky bark, and small, crooked branchlets
which are apt to hang from the heavy limbs of the
swamp white oak, make the identification of the tree
easy at all seasons.
There is a small but symmetrical swamp white
oak near one of the little £)onds in the Arnold Ar-
boretum, which is somewhat isolated and pictur-
esquely defined in the landscape over against the
north. One of the largest specimens of which a
record has been preserved grew on the Wadsworth
estate, one mile from the village of Geneseo, in the
western part of New York. The " Wadsworth oak,"
as this tree was called, met with destruction several
years ago by the washing away of the bank of the
Genesee Kiver. In 1851 the short trunk had an
average circumference of twenty-seven feet.* There
is also a very beautiful tree, 65 feet high, on the edge
of the water south of a kame, in Waverly, Mass.
Basket or Cow Oak. The basket or cow oak, another of
q mr ens Michauxii. -Q ie chestnut oaks, gets its name from
the fact that its wood, which is easily sj^lit into thin
strips, is largely used for making baskets. It is a tree
which not infrequently attains a height of 100 feet.
* Some Large Trees in Western New York, Buckley, American
Journal of Science, vol. xiii, p. 397.
THE OAKS WITH ACORNS.
153
The leaf is similar in shape and character to that
of the foregoing species, but it is extremely woolly
beneath. It is also blunt (iwt wedge-shaped)
at the base. In autumn it turns a rich
dark-red color. The acorn grows
solitary or in pairs, and has a
very rough, shallow cup, and
a sweet, edible nut.
This tree is one of the
most valuable and beautiful
of the chestnut oaks. It is
easily identified by its flaky,
silvery -gray bark, and its
tall, massive trunk. It
grows hi swamps and beside
streams, from Wilmington,
Del., southward to north-
ern Florida, and
extends from In-
diana and Missouri
southward to Texas
and the Gulf.
The chestnut oak grows from 60 to
70 and occasionally Ion feet high,
and has leaves which somewhat resemble those of the
chestnut tree. They are orange-green when young,
and decidedly yellow-green when mature. In tin-
Basket Oak
Chestnut Oak.
Qui reus Prinus,
154 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
autumn they turn a lovely warm buff-yellow, with
occasional touches of pale scarlet. They are mi-
nutely downy beneath, but very smooth above.
Chestnut Oak.
The chestnut oak is generally found on hillsides
and on high banks of streams. It is very common
along the lower banks of the Hudson River and in
the vicinity of New York city. It extends generally
from the southern coast of Maine to Delaware and
THE OAKS WITH ACORNS. 155
the District of Columbia, and follows the Alleghany
Mountains as far south as Alabama. It attains its
finest development in the mountains of North Caro-
lina and Tennessee. In the North it may also he
found on the west shore of Lake Champlain, in tin'
valley of the Genesee River, N. Y., and on the
shores of Lake Erie ; from here it extends south-
ward to Tennessee.
I do not find the chestnut oak at all common in
New Hampshire. In the valley of the Pemigewasset
River it is entirely absent ; but in the village of Bed-
ford, in the southern part of the State, there is a large
specimen near the house of Mr. S. Manning which is
remarkably beautiful.
A large and famous tree is now standing at
Presqu'ile, near Fishkill-on-the-IIudson, under which,
it is said, Washington in 1783 used to mount his horse
when he went from his headcpiarters on the west bank
of the river to the army encampment at Fishkill. The
diameter of its trunk is fully seven feet, and a hun-
dred years ago it was famous for its age.*
The bark of the chestnut oak is particularly rich
in tannin, and is much used in the tanning of leather.
The tree is one of the most beautiful of all the oaks.
Its rich, warm, green foliage marks the landscape
* Garden and Forest, vol. i, p. 511.
156 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
with agreeable luminous color, especially in the mid-
dle distance.
Yellow Chestnut Oak. Tne yellow chestnut oak has a pe-
Quercm Muhlenberg a. culiarly narrow leaf scarcely two
Quercus acuminata. -, . . , , , . ,
inches in width, which more near-
ly resembles the chestnut leaf than that of any other
chestnut oak. The
tree grows from 80 to
100, and sometimes 160
feet high, but it rarely
exceeds an altitude of
50 feet when growing
in the open. The bark
of the trunk is dull, sil-
very gray, with a more
or less scaly surface. The
leaves, which are a beautiful
dw green above and silvery
gray below, are crowded at the
ends of the branches, and hang so that
the under surfaces show with every
passing breeze. This imparts a novel
and delightful nickering color to the
tree which reminds one of the trem-
bling aspen ; but the oak's shift of
light is slower, and its coloring is far richer. In
autumn the leaves turn an orange-bronze hue.
Yellow Chestnut
Oak.
TIIE OAKS WITH ACORNS.
o i
The yellow chestnut oak grows on rich lands over
the same extent of country (but in lower regions) as
the chestnut oak. It extends no farther northeasl
than Massachusetts, but in the West it is found as far
as Nebraska and eastern Kansas. It also extends
through the South to Texas. It attains its fullest
proportions in the valley of the lower Wabash Iiiver
and its vicinity.
The acorn has a rounded, thin
cup with close scales, which most fre-
quently covers one third of the nut.
These four species conclude the
list of chestnut oaks.
The live oak has an
Live Oak.
Quercus virens. essentially different
* leaf irom those
which I have already described. It
is evergreen, thick and leathery, lias
no lobes or divisions, and is rarely,
if ever, toothed. It measures from
two to five inches in length, and is
smooth, dark green above, but hoary
beneath. The acorns are rich dark
brown in color, and have a rather
pointed nut with a sweet kernel.
The leaves remain green well on into the winter,
and then turn yellowish brown, falling onlj when
Live Oak.
158 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
the new leaves appear in the spring. The wood has
a yellowish color and is extremely heavy, a cubic
foot weighing a trifle over fifty -nine pounds. It has
a beautiful grain and is susceptible of a fine polish,
but it is extremely hard to work, and takes the edge
off every tool. Years ago it was highly esteemed
for shipbuilding, and in 1799 the Government spent
two hundred thousand dollars in the purchase of
Southern lands on which live-oak timber was grow-
ing suitable for the navy. The use of iron in mod-
ern shipbuilding, however, having greatly diminished
the need of oak timber, the Government, by the con-
summation of an act finally approved by Congress in
February, 1895, opened for entry and occupation by
the public large tracts of wooded land which it had
held for many years in the interest of the navy.*
Live oak grows from Virginia southward near the
coast to Florida, where it abounds. It extends along
the Gulf States to Texas, where it reaches its limit in
the valley of the Red River and the extreme western
borders of the State. It varies in size from a mere
shrub to a tree 40 or 50 feet high.
* Vide Silva of North America, C. S. Sargent.
CHAPTEE XII.
I. Simple Alternate Leaves.
2. With teeth (some without). B. Edge divided (some undivided).
THE OAKS WITH ACORNS WHICH RIPEN
IN TWO YEARS.
Red Oak. The red oak grows from TO to 80
Querms rubra. f eet high, and is the most northern
species of the country. I find it very common in the
White Mountain region of New Hampshire. A hand-
some though not large specimen growing on the slope
of Sunset Hill, Campton, measures 45 feet in height,
and has a trunk with a circumference of over nine
feet. The red oak extends from Maine to Tennessee,
and follows the Alleghany Mountains to northern
Georgia; westward it extends to Minnesota and cen-
tral Kansas. In the summer its hristle-tipped leaf is
bright green, and in the autumn it turns a rich, deep
red or a dull orange. The acorn requires two years
in which to mature ; its cup is saucer-shaped, and the
nut is large. The tree attains its greatest size in the
151)
160 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
States north of the Ohio River, but at its southern
limit it is very small.
The red oak, near the northern borders of the
Red Oak.
United States, often bears leaves with fewer divisions,
and smaller acorns ; but such forms are so intermixed
and inconstant that they can not be considered varie-
THE OAKS WITH ACORNS.
L61
ties.* My larger drawing was taken from a young
tree in Canipton, 1ST. II., and that of the single 1
was taken from a tree in New Jersey.
The bark of the trunk is dark gray-brown,
with a surface of scaly plates. The
tree grows rapidly and is
peculiarly adapted for the
ornamentation of
parks and road-
sides in the most
northern States,
although it is
by no means as
beautiful as the
following spe-
cies.
Scarlet Oak. The
Quercus coccinea. gear-
let oak deserves its
name, as the leaves
turn a most bril-
liant red, all hut I Red0ak -
scarlet.f This statement may seem a trifle anoma-
* Vide Silva of North America, C. S. Sargent.
f Scarlet is a red thoroughly saturated with yellow : vermilion
is typical of such a color, and it is commonly seen in the Madame
Crozy canna.
12
162 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
lous, but the name is not inapplicable, for " scarlet "
is a word commonly accepted as synonymous with
bright red, and the foliage of this species turns a more
Scarlet Oak.
brilliant color than that of any of the other oaks. The
leaf is bright red when it is born, lustrous green when
it reaches maturity, and burning red when it dies. It
THE OAKS WITH ACORNS. [63
is also, as Ruskin would say, "deeply rent," for the
lobes are cut very deeply, and impart a very ragged
appearance to the foliage.
The acorn has a thick, top-shaped cup, which
covers the third of the nut. The kernel is hitter and
whitish. The bark of the trunk is thick, brownish,
and roughly seamed. The tree grows from T<> to vl1
feet high, and is one of our most charmingly orna-
mental sylvan characters, particularly suited to the
landscape garden because of its beautiful autumn
coloring, and its vivacious leafage which fairly
sparkles in the sunlight.
The scarlet oak stows beside the Androscoggin
River in Maine, and extends thinly through south-
ern New Hampshire to Vermont and central New
York. It also extends from Massachusetts Bay to
the District of Columbia and along the Alleghany
Mountains to North Carolina ; westward it is found
from Michigan and Illinois to Nebraska and Min-
nesota.
Black Oak. The leaves of the black oak arc do!
Quercus coccmea, g0 (] ee p]y incised as those of the scar-
var. tinctoria. 1 J
Quercus velutina. let oak, and its trunk is much darker
in color; in fact, its branches often appear blackish.
The tree grows 70 to 80 and rarely 150 feel high. It
has a wide range, which extends from New Fork to
the Gulf States. Its limit eastward is in southern New
IQ± FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
England, and westward in Kansas and Texas. The
finest growth is in the valley of the lower Ohio River.
Black Oak.
The leaf is somewhat thin, dark green when mature,
with a yellower under surface, and in autumn it turns
a dull, rich, leather-red color. It falls during the
winter. The acorn is small, and has a deep cup with
rather a jagged rim and rough surface. I have no-
THE OAKS WITH ACORNS.
10;
.>
ticed that many of the smooth nuts are striped, but a
much more reliable
characteristic is
connected with
the kernel ; this
is very yell > w
and bitter. The
inner bark of
this oak is
orange in col-
or and sat-
urated with
tannin, which
makes it valua-
ble to the tanner
and dyer. It is
commercially known
as quercitron.
Pin or Swamp Tlie ] ©af of
Spanish Oak. the pin oak
Quercus palustrls. i i j
v l has broad
rounded, deep incisions and
sharp, bristle - tipped divis-
ions ; it is bright green above
and a trifle paler below in summer, and in autumn
it changes to a rich bronze red. The acorn has a
saucer-shaped cup with thin scales, and a round-
Pin Oak.
166 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
ish nut barely half an inch in length. This oak is
common on the borders of swamps and in low lands
from Connecticut westward to Missouri, and south-
ward to the Potomac River, Virginia ; it also extends
from central Kentucky to the eastern parts of Indian
Territory. It is rare and small in New England, and
reaches its finest development in the valley of the
lower Ohio River. It grows 70 or 80 and in thick
forests occasionally 120 feet high. The bark is light
gray-brown, smoothish, and has small scales. The
wood is reddish and coarse-grained. The pin oak gets
its name from the pinlike appearance of the tiny
branchlets which are set in the limbs and trunk. I
know of no beautiful specimens of this tree in New
England, excepting two comparatively youthful ones
in the Arnold Arboretum, near the residence of Mr.
Jackson Dawson ; but in Flushing, L. I., in Fair-
mount Park, Philadelphia,* and in Prospect Park,
Brooklyn,-)- there are quite a number of handsome
and symmetrical large trees, which can not fail to
attract attention.
* In this park there is an avenue of beautiful pin oaks which,
although they were planted as late as 1881, have already attained
symmetrical proportions and an average height of 30 feet. The
trunks are about a foot in diameter now, but when the trees were
planted they measured about an inch and a half.
f Prospect Park is particularly fortunate in the possession of
many splendid large trees. In this respect it excels Central Park,
New York.
THE OAKS WITH ACORNS.
107
Spanish Oak. The Spanish oak is distinguished by
Querent falcata. ., , , -i i ,i n i. .
Querem digitata. lts broad-ended, three- to five-dm-
sioned leaf, which is always downy underneath and
of a somewhat dull - green color above.
The acorn has a saucer-shaped cup with
a top-shaped base, and a round-
ish nut with a bitter kernel ;
it is nearly stemless. The tree
grows from 40 to 70 feet high,
and is found in dry or sandy
soil from Long Island through
New Jersey to Florida ; * west-
ward it extends from southern
Indiana and Illinois to Mis-
souri and Texas. The bark is
blackish brown and is deeply furrowed. It contains
a large amount of tannin, and is therefore valued by
the tanner.
The Spanish oak and the four species preceding it
complete the list of black and red oaks which are
common. Their acorns require two years in which
to ripen.
Water Oak The water oak, as its name implies, is
Querent aquation. found ill Wet situations. It gTOWfl
Querent nigra. f rom 3Q to 40 and occasionally V| >
Spanish Oak
It is also reported from Bucks County, Pa.
168 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
Water Oak.
feet high. In summer the leaf is a glossy, rich bottle-
green, and in autumn it changes to a duller green,
and remains that color well on into the
winter. It is, in fact, partially ever-
green. The acorn has a saucer-
shaped cup, and a globular, downy
nut with a very bitter kernel.
The water oak is distributed
from southern Delaware to
Tampa Bay, Florida, and
thence through the Gulf
States to Texas. It also ex-
tends from the centers of
Kentucky and Tennessee
to Missouri and Arkansas. The bark is comparative-
ly smooth, and light brown,
with close scales.
The leaves are
variable, but I have
drawn the common-
est types.
Black Jack or Tli e ^ ]ack
Barren Oak. J ac k or bar-
Quercus nigra. ^ ^ ^
Quercus
Marilandica. a singularly
wedge-shaped, broad-ended leaf,
piack jack oak. thick, dark shining green above, and
tiie oaks wrrn acorns.
L69
yellowish and rusty colored below. In autumn it
turns brown or brown-yellow. The acorn has a
coarse-scaled, top-shaped cup which half covers the
nut. It is nearly but not quite stemless.
The black Jack oak is common in sandy barrens,
and extends from Long Island southward to Tampa
Bay, Florida, and westward to southeastern Nebraska
and Texas, including portions of the intermediate
country. It is a small tree, 20 to
30 or rarely 50 feet high.
Laurel or Shingle Oak. The laurel or
(Juercus imbricaria. shingle Oak
grows from 30 to 60, and in low,
rich grounds occasionally 100 feet
high. Its leaf is similar to that
of the laurel ; thick, stiff, dark
green, smooth, and lustrous above,
and pale green and downy below.
In autumn it turns a rich, leather-
red color. The acorn has a globu-
lar nut and a thin cup with close-
pressed scales. The kernel is bitter.
The bark is light brown, and has
close, ruddy scales. The wood from an early date
has been used in the making of shingles — hence the
name " shingle oak." This species is commonly
found in rich woodlands from Lehigh County, Pa.,
Laurel Oak.
170 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
to Wisconsin, Missouri, and northeastern Kansas. It
extends southward along the Alleghany Mountains
to Georgia and Alabama, and also from Tennessee
to northern Arkansas. Its largest growth is
in the valley of the lower Ohio
River.
Willow Oak. The willow oak
Quercus Phellos. (QQ to 80 feet
high), so named because its leaves
resemble those of the willow, is a
beautiful tree which frequently
shades the streets of Southern
towns. The leaf is a brilliant light
green above, and dull, pale green
below. The tiny acorn has a sau-
cer-shaped cup and a small globular nut. The ker-
nel is orange-yellow and bitter. The stem is exceed-
ingly short.
This oak is found on the borders of swamps or in
sandy, low woods, from Tottenville, Staten Island,
~N. Y., to northeastern Florida. It is also distributed
along the Gulf States to Texas, and extends from
southern Kentucky through Tennessee to Arkansas
and southeastern Missouri.
The bark is reddish brown, and has close scales ; it
K comparatively smooth. The willow oak is a beauti-
ful shade tree, whose remarkable foliage lights up
Willow Oak.
TTTE OAKS WITII ACORNS. 171
prettily in the sunny South. Its small, leathery Leaf
remains green long after those of other trees are
brown and sere. The tree has also the advantage of
being a rapid grower. One of its most distinguished
relatives, the English oak (Quercm Robwr)^ is hardly
more interesting or beautiful. Certainly the contrast
between these two trees of the same family could
not be greater. There is hardly a point of resem-
blance between -them. The great aged oaks of Eng-
land* are nursed and guarded with something like
reverential awe. Their historical associations are
cherished records. But the American willow oak is a
tree without a history. Nevertheless, it is certainly a
modern sylvan beauty, refreshingly novel, and decid-
edly unconventional.
The willow oak and the three species which pre-
cede it complete the list of common leather-leaved
oaks, some of which are nearly or quite evergreen in
the South.
* Some of these English oaks were planted about the time of
the Norman conquest, 10G6. Cowthrop oak, Cowthrop, Yorkshire,
is seventy-eight feet in circuit at the ground, and is at Least eight-
een hundred years old. The Cowthrop oak is on the estate "f
Lord Petre ; it has a girth of sixty feet, and previous to t ho de-
struction of its largest branch by a storm in 1718, it spread over
half an acre. There is one in Dorsetshire said to be its equal in
age, and one near Fountain Abbey, Ripon, in Yorkshire, is cer-
tainly over twelve hundred years old.
CHAPTER XIII.
I. Simple Alternate Leaves.
2. With teeth. B. Edge divided.
BUTTONWOOD AND LIQUID AMBER.
The buttonwood, which is also com-
Buttonwood or
Sycamore, monly but quite improperly called
Piatanus svcamore, is a tall, ruggedly hand-
occidentaUs. .
some tree, which sometimes attains a
height of 150 feet. Gray calls it our largest tree,
and Whittier has made it celebrated in his poem
entitled The Sycamores. The Occidental plane trees
— Hugh Tallant's sycamores, sung by the poet —
were planted by the Irish pioneer in 1738, over a
century and a half ago, beside the Merrimac River,
where now stands the city of Haverhill, Mass.* Be-
neath their shade, tradition says, Washington passed
in his triumphal journey through the North in 1789,
* Only two or three of these trees now remain standing ; they
measure about six feet in trunk circumference. Formerly a long
row of them adorned what is known as the Saltonstall estate.
172
BUTTON Wool) AND LIQDIDAMBER. 173
the year of his election to the presidency of the new
nation ; and to this day,
Still green and tall and stately,
On the river's winding shores,
surrounded by city sights and sounds, stand the old
buttonwood trees.*
Kentucky is the favorite home of the buttonwood,
and in its rich soil the tree thrives far better than it
does in the less fertile regions of the North. Beside
the grave of Daniel Boone, in the cemetery at Frank-
fort, stand several handsome trees which, although
they are not very tall, possess ample and graceful
proportions.
I found in the village of Plymouth, N. H., two
grand old specimens, which I have sketched ; these
must be quite one hundred years old. Among the
leaves which had fallen from the trees in October
last were several handsome russet-colored specimens
which measured ten inches in width. The leaves are
boldly if not beautifully modeled, and have a tine
leathery texture; the few teeth which they possess
are so large that the leaf really appears to have an
undisturbed, entire edge. I remember, as a child,
* It is said that under these trees, which form a green archway
over the river road. Whittier conceived the plan of his poem,
Skipper Ireson's Ride.
174 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
BUTTOXVVOOD AND LIQUIDAMBER. 17;,
several large sycamores od Washington Square in
New York, the hollow trunk of one of which was
the haunt of a gray squirrel, the pet of the police-
man in charge of the park and of the children in
the neighborhood ; but that particular tree has long
since disappeared, and within a few feet of the
spot where it stood is now the beautiful white
marble Washington Arch. The bark of the button-
wood has a peculiar way of peeling off each year in
broad, thin, brittle scales ; this gives the trunk a re-
markable patched effect in light buff and brown-gray
color, quite sufficient for the complete identification
of the tree. The fruit is a pretty little, round, but-
tonlike ball, which hangs by its long, wiry stem
swinging in the wind through the greater part of
the winter.
The buttonwood attains its greatest proportions
in the valleys of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers,
where it is commonly seen over 80 feet high. Its
wood is brownish, coarse-grained, and apt to crack ; it
also decays rapidly if exposed to the weather; never-
theless, the grain of the wood is exceedingly beauti-
ful, and shows itself to great advantage in the in-
terior trimminffs of a house. It is also used in the
o
manufacture of cigar boxes.
The Oriental plane tree (Ptatcmus orientalis),
sometimes planted in our parks, is very similar to
176 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
the American variety, but its leaf is not as large
and is more deeply cut ; its shape is very nearly
like that of the sugar maple. This tree is not as
hardy as the native variety.
Liquidambar, The liquidambar, sometimes called
Sweet Gum, or swee t gum, is one of the most mag-
T . ., ' nificent of our American trees. In
Liquidambar
styraciflua. the South it not infrequently reaches
a height of 100 or even 140 feet. Its name is derived
from liquidus (fluid) and the Arabic ambar (amber),
in description of the yellow juice which exudes from
the tree ; this has a fragrant, balsamic odor, which
evidently accounts for the name sweet gum. The
gum is used for medicinal purposes.
The leaf of this tree is very regular and beautiful
in shape as well as coloring ; in the fall of the year
it assumes a golden-yellow tint, clouded over irregu-
larly with a rich red ; in summer its green is deep,
smooth, and shining ; it does not vary much from
these hues. I might liken its shape to that of a star-
fish, but with broad points and a one-sided radiation.
The teeth are very fine and even, and the divisions
vary from three to seven ; five is the commonest
number. The base of the leaf is, of course, heart-
shaped, but sometimes it is flatter in effect than my
sketch indicates. There is a little woolly tuft on the
back of the leaf just where the ribs meet.
BUTTONWOOD AND LIQUIDAMBAR
i *• -
1 t «
13
178 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
The bark is brown -gray, and is seamed vertically ;
the branches push out at almost right angles below
(not so very far from the ground), and if these are
examined it will be found that they are covered with
strange, corky -looking ridges, reminding one of a fun-
gous growth. In a warm climate the sweet-smelling
gum is frequently noticeable on the bark,
and by bruising the leaf the same spicy
odor may be obtained. One is enabled
to recognize the tree without difficul-
ty by means of the leaf and the aro-
matic sap. But this is not enough ;
the liquidambar is deserving of our
closest attention. From the con-
Liquiriamber ^* ventional and decorative seed-
seed vessel. bftllj fille( j with a 1()t of abortiye seed
(there are few good ones) fine as sawdust, to the wide
expanse of the charmingly proportioned tree itself, it
is beautiful in every way ; as a shade tree it has
few rivals, and as an ornament for a park or private
grounds it has no equal, unless it be the sugar maple.
Both trees frequently assume a perfect egg-shaped
outline, but in its leafy details I consider the liquid-
ambar decoratively superior to the maple. The tree
reaches its finest growth in the Mississippi Valley;
it can rarely be found north of Connecticut, and it is
commonest south of Baltimore and St. Louis. Curi-
BUTTON WOOD AND LIQUIDAMBER. !;<♦
ously enough, although the liquidambar beare qo re
semblance to the witch-hazel (Hama/melis Vi/rgi/ni-
(t/K() y it belongs, with only two other members, to the
Witch-Hazel family.
CHAPTEE XIV.
II. Simple Opposite Leaves.
1. Without teeth. A. Edge not divided.
FLOWERING DOGWOOD, ETC.
Flowering Dogwood. The flowering dogwood is distin-
Cornus florida. guished by apparent, large, dull-
white flowers with four notched petals ; but these
are really bracts (leaflets) set around
the cluster of true flowers in the
center, which are greenish yel-
low.* The leaves are from
three to five inches
long, and have in-
dented whitish ribs
nearly following the
general curve of the
Flowering Dogwood.
edges ; they turn a rich
red in autumn. The bunches of ovoid, bright-
* They bloom in Massachusetts in late May, and in Texas in
March.
180
FLOWERING DOGWOOD, ETC. l$i
red berries are ripe in early autumn, when with the
changing foliage they produce a very decorative
effect on the tree. The flowering dogwood grows
from 15 to 40 feet high, and is common in dry
woods from southern New England to Florida,
Texas, and southern Missouri. There are several
beautiful though not large specimens in the Arnold
Arboretum, where, with many other foreign species,
they combine in making the roadsides gorgeous in
October.
Alternate-leaved Tlie vei T name of thc alternate-
Dogwood, leaved dogwood seems to imply that
Cornus altemifolia. {% ig Qut of p]flce here {r my ^
classification. But this particular species is an ex-
ception to the rule, and ought not to be separated
from its relatives, as its general appearance also
rather inclines one to think it opposite-leaved — look
at my sketch! The leaves really seem opposite, but
they are not ; one stem grows independently just
below the other, and not conjointly with it.* For
the reverse of this arrangement look at the red maple,
which very likely will be found growing beside the
dogwood, convenient for comparison. The alternate-
leaved dogwood has very beautiful, slender, coral-like
* It occasionally happens, though, that the leaves do grow
opposite.
182 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
red stems bearing pretty, dark, gray-blue berries,
which are ripe in early October. The tree is com-
Alternate-leaved Dogwood.
/non beside the roads and on the banks of streams in
the mountain regions of New Hampshire ; in fact, it
is a familiar object in all the Northern States ; it also
extends southward through the Alleghany Mountains
as far as northern Georgia and Alabama. It is often-
est found in shrub form, but frequently it grows to a
height of 25 or even 30 feet.
FLOWERING DOGWOOD, ETC.
183
For the sake of comparison with the alternate-
leaved variety, 1 draw a spray of red osier (Gorrvua
Red Osier Dogwood.
stolonifera\ which is opposite-leaved. This charm-
ing species is frequently a prominent object on the
border of a snow-clad meadow in midwinter, when
its bright-red twigs may be distinguished a mile
away. It is merely a shrub, which grows only 6
184 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
feet high. Its foreign relative, the Siberian red-
stemmed cornel (Comus alba), is another shrub or
tree handsomely colored ; this variety is often found
in parks and gardens ; it has a white berry.
Tartarian The Tartarian honeysuckle, although
Honeysuckle, it does not belong to our country, has
Lomcera Tartar ica. become pretty firmly rooted in our
parks and gardens. It often grows to the height of
nearly 20 feet, and is occasional-
ly trimmed into a treelike figure.
There is just such a well-trained
tree in the Public Garden, Bos-
ton, which is very beautiful in its
spring dress. The leaves are
smooth and somewhat heart-
shaped. The flowers grow in
pairs, and are of a soft, magenta-
pink color ; they bloom in May in great profusion.
This honeysuckle comes from Asia.
Fringe Tree. Tne fringe tree has a smooth, thick
Chionanthns leaf, three to six inches long, which
irgi resembles that of the magnolia. It
gets its name from x^v, snow, and dvOos, flower, in
allusion to the snow-white flower clusters ; these hang
in beautiful, loose, drooping tassels, which in early
June give the tree a very ornamental appearance.
The petals of the flower are narrow, and about an
Tartarian
Honeysuckle.
FLOWERING POGWool), ETC.
1S5
inch in length. The oval fruit is half an inch Long,
and purple covered with a bloom. The fringe tree
arrows from 8 to 30 feet
high, and is commonly
cultivated ; it is found
wild along the river
banks of New Jersey,
south Pennsylvania, and
the Southern States.
_ <L , The ca-
Catalpa.
Indian Bean. talpa, or h
Catalpa bignonoides. dian bean
Catatpa Catalpa.
has a large,
light - green, heart - shaped
leaf, smooth above and downy
below, especially on the ribs ; the stems are also
woolly. The tree grows from 20 to 40 feet high,
and has wide-spreading, coarse, stiff branches, with
bark of a light buff-gray color. The trunk has
dull, silver-gray bark slightly seamed up and down.
The delicate, sweet-scented flowers are white, plen-
tifully spotted with yellow and purple; they appear
in thick clusters in earlv summer.*
The catalpa is common from New York city
southward, and is cultivated as far north as Albany
Fringe Tree.
* It is said that honey collected from these flowers has poison-
ous properties.
186 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
and Boston ; in fact, I know of several flourishing,
good -sized specimens beside a hotel in the White
Mountain region of New
Hampshire. The first tree
of this species planted in
New England stands on
Washington
Street, Hart-
ford ; it is over
ninety years
old.* The ca-
Catalpa Leaf.
talpa bean, I remember, long
r ears ago was surreptitiously
smoked by small boys ; wheth-
er it is to-day or not I do not
know, but the somewhat aro-
matic smell of a smoldering
* Vide Trees and Tree Planting, by General J. S. Brisbin.
FLOWERING DOGWOOD, ETC. 1ST
pod haunts one's memory, and it was vividly recalled
to mine, bringing with it a long chain of old ascoci-
ations, by a recent visit to an Italian cathedral in
which incense had been burned. The pod ifi ten
inches long, of a dull, light-brown color; its seeds
are winged and fringed (see the drawing at A). The
tree is a rapid grower.
Western Cataipa. The Western catalpa is a much larger
Catalpa yeciosa. species ; it frequently attains a height
of from 40 to TO feet. Its leaf is similar to that of
the other catalpa, but the two-inch-long nearly white
flowers are pale-spotted, and the pod is coarse and
thick. This tree is found growing wild in rich wood-
lands in southern Indiana and immediately south and
west. Gray says the catalpa is sometimes called
Cigar Tree, from the alleged use of the ripe pods
as cigars. The wood is grayish-white and suscep-
tible of a high polish, but it is not in common use
by cabinetmakers.
CHAPTER XV.
II. Simple Opposite Leaves.
2. With teeth. A. Edge not divided.
BURNING BUSH, ETC.
Burning Bush.
"Wahoo.
Evonymus*
atropurpurevs,
The burning bush, sometimes called
wahoo and spindle tree, is most fre-
quently found in the form of a tall
shrub ; but it is very often cultivated
and trimmed so as to appear treelike. It sometimes
attains an altitude of nearly 25 feet when
circumstances are advantageous. The mi-
nutely toothed leaves are about the
color of those of the holly, but have
a waxy finish ; they are from two to
five inches long ; in autumn they turn
pale yellow. The flowers, which ap-
pear in June, have a four-parted ap-
Bu \vaho(?' lsh pearance ; the rounded petals are deep
* Also spelled Euonymus: from eu, good, and ovo^a, name,
cause it has the bad reputation of poisoning cattle. — Gray.
188
BURNING BUSH, ETC. 169
purple. The fruit, which ripens in October, ia also
four-parted, and hangs on long, slender stems ; it is
half an inch broad, light magenta-purple in color,
and imparts to the tree a very ornamental appear-
ance in autumn. The burning bush grows wild
from western New York to Wisconsin, Nebraska,
Indian Territory, and southward to northern Florida.
There is also a European burning bush (Econijums
Europaius), which is commonly seen in parks and
gardens ; the fruit is similarly four-divided, but these
divisions are somewhat flattened and angular ; its
color is a soft, unvarnished crimson, with a singular
touch of ruddy orange — certainly a very odd com-
bination of color. This shrub also expands to large
proportions under favorable conditions. There is a
very pretty specimen, perhaps 15 feet high, in the
Public Garden, Boston. The burning bush is easily
identified by its singular four-sided crimson or ma-
genta berries scarcely half an inch in diameter. It
is rare, too, that one finds a red berry of a crimson
hue and without a glossy surface. In this respect,
therefore, the fruit of the burning bush is quite
unique. I know of two beautiful but small speci-
mens which £row beside an arbor in front of a hotel
in the White Mountains, New Hampshire, where
they are exposed to rigorous winter weather with
the mercury frequently falling to 25° below zero.
190 FAMILIAR TREES AXD THEIR LEAVES.
Sweet Viburnum.
Tlie sweet viburnum has a smooth.
Sheepberry. bright -green leaf about three or
Fibumum Lentago. four i nc h es long, closely and sharp-
ly toothed and sharp tipped ; the rather long stem
has a crinkly edge either side. Its ovate
berry, blue -black in color with a bloom,
ripens in autumn and is sweet and edi-
ble ; it is about half an inch long, and
is borne in red - stemmed clusters.
The fine white flowers bloom in flat,
broad clusters in May or June. The
sweet viburnum is a small tree (it
grows from 15 to 30 feet high), common
in swamps, along streams, and in the
woods, through a wide north-
ern range extending all the way from
Hudson Bay to northern Georgia and
from the Atlantic States to south-
western Missouri and eastern Nebras-
ka.
Black Haw. The black naw is a
Viiumum species of viburnum,
prunifolium. ^^ obtuge _ pointed?
dark - green leaves from one to two Black Haw *
inches long ; the stems are not crinkly on the edges.
The flowers and fruit are similar to those of the
foregoing variety. The fruit is also edible. The
Sweet
Viburnum.
BURNING BUSH, KTC.
191
black haw is a \evy small tree, from 1T> to 30 feet
high; in the North it is oftenest a thickly branched
shrub. It is common in
dry soil or beside streams,
and extends from south-
western Connecticut
westward to Missouri
and Indian Territory,
and southward to Florida
and Texas.
Arrow-wood. The arrow-
Viburnum dentatum. Wuu( ] crets
to
its name from the fact that Arrow wood,
its stems were used by the Indians to make arrows.
The leaves are altogether different from those of
the two preceding varieties ; they are broadly ovate,
sometimes slightly heart shaped, light green, strongly
straight-veined, and the very prominent, sharp teeth
resemble those of a small circular saw. Its fruit, a
quarter of an inch long, is rich purple-blue in color.
The arrow-wood is a small tree, or oftenest a shrub,
which grows from 5 to 15 feet high; it is common
in wet places from Maine to Minnesota, and extends
as far south as northern Georgia.
CHAPTER XVI.
II. Simple Opposite Leaves.
2. With teeth. B. Edge divided.
THE MAPLES.
The maples are without doubt our handsomest
trees in the largest sense of the word ; no others
can compare with them in the splendid coloring of
their autumnal dress. What surprises our English
cousins, on beholding for the first time a New Eng-
land landscape in autumn, is the brilliancy of the
foliage. More credit is due to the sugar and silver
maples for this brilliant color than to all the rest
of the trees put together. Scarlet in its purest
tones, yellow in its clearest tints, golden orange with
hardly a touch of rust — these are hues which the
maples almost exclusively possess, and colors which
are rarely seen in Old England.
Exclusive of its noble proportions, symmetry,
abundant foliage, and broad shadows, the autumnal
coloring of the sugar maple entitles it to the first
192
THE MAPLES.
VJ'o
U
Mountain Maple.
194 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
place in our estimation as a st/rikmgh/ handsome
American tree. But some of its near relatives are
almost as beautiful ; not the least among these is the
Mountain Maple, mountain maple, which oftener takes
Acer spicatum. the form of a tall shrub than it does
that of a small tree. Its leaves are downy beneath ;
they are divided into three parts (rarely five), and
the teeth are rather coarse ; in autumn they turn a
bright, deep, ruddy orange or red. Its spikelike
clusters of greenish-yellow flowers appear in June.
The seeds, with narrow wings diverging at an obtuse
angle, are often a lovely tone of pale terra-cotta pink ;
finally they turn red. The mountain maple is com-
mon in the rich woods of the North, and anions the
mountains as far south as northern Georgia. It is
most frequently found by shady roadsides or the
banks of streamlets ; its brown branches rarely rise
over fifteen feet high, and as they have a common
habit of growing in clumps, this maple is properly
classed as a shrub ; sometimes, however, it reaches
a height of from 25 to 30 feet.
The mountain maple may be distinguished from
a young red maple by the erect flower clusters, and
the undeveloped condition of the leaves, if the time is
June ; later, by the three or five-divisioned leaves
of soft texture and reflex curves, and also by the ab-
sence of the red color which characterizes the twigs
THE MAPLES.
195
Striped Maple.
Acer Pewnsylvanicum
of the red maple, and in the fall by the seeds whose
brownish wings diverge at fully a right angle.
The striped maple can be distin-
guished at once (especially in win-
ter) by its vertically striped bark,
and large, three-pointed, goose-foot-shaped leaves,
which measure five or six inches in length.
The bark is smooth, greenish, and is striped
with a sort of rust color sometimes quite
dark. The leaves are very finely and
sharply double-toothed. Its flow-
ers are greenish, and appear in
May or June. The seeds have
large, divergent, pale-green wings,
and depend in long, graceful clus-
ters.
The tree is small and slender, nev-
er reaching a height of over 35 or
40 feet ; it is common throughout the
North, but is merely a shrub 15 feet high, beside
the shaded roads which pass through the White
Mountain district of New Hampshire ; it reaches
its greatest height in the Big Smoky Mountains in
Tennessee, and extends no farther south than north-
ern Georgia. I might call attention to this maple
as having a leaf distinctly unlike those of its rela-
tives; it is so large, thin, and delicately if not softly
Mountain Rlapld.
196 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
tup: maplks.
107
modeled, that one is impressed by its sharp contrast
with the rugged leaf of the sugar maple, when
the two are placed side by side. A comparison of
Sugar Maple.
my drawings will show how widely the leaves differ
in character.
198 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
o -d i ur i The sugar or rock maple is the
Sugar or Eock Maple. & *
Acer saccharinum. grandest member of the family. It
Acer barbatum. sometimes reaches a height of from
100 to 120 feet. Its leaf is bold, and lacking in fine
modeling, but that in no wise detracts
from the symmetrical beauty of the
dignified tree. The leaves generally
have five divisions, the notches be-
tween which are very rounded ; the teeth
— if they can be called such, so very
few and coarse are they — have blunt
points. Compared with its " striped "
relative, the sugar maple is a tree
with foliage of a decidedly rugged
character.
The greenish-yellow flowers of this maple droop
from very slender, hairy stems ; they come in April
or May, while the leaves are expanding. The wings
of the seeds are about an inch long, and diverge
something less than at a right angle; they are usu-
ally of a beautiful, pale yellow-green ; the seed is
ripe in September. The trunk is most frequently
divided eight or ten feet from the ground into three
or four stout, perpendicular branches. The leaf is
smooth, dark green, and has an eggshell gloss ; in
the autumn it regularly turns a clear straw yellow
on some trees, and a variety of toned light reds on
Sugar-Maple Seed.
- 4
# /
SUGAR MAPLE.
Campton, Grafton Co., N. H.
THE MAPLES. 100
others; not infrequently it assumes a golden or an
orange tint.* The bark of a young tree La smooth
and gray, but on very old specimens it becomes deep-
ly furrowed, scaly, and assumes a dark, gray-brown
hue. The wood is yellowish white, and is exten-
sively used in cabinet work ; it is very hard.f
There is no more interesting tree in the woods
in March than our much-prized sugar maple. At
this season the farmer taps the tree (with a three-
quarter-inch auger) for the sweet sap which the
warm sunshine draws upward from its roots ; and
while the snow is yet lying on the ground, the evi-
dences of a spring awakening are shown by the tree
in the ceaseless drip of its watery blood into a tin
pail suspended at its side. When the sap runs well,
usually when the sun has warmed the tree in the
middle of the day, about seventy drops fall in the
pail every minute ; it is a slow proceeding, but it
continues relentlessly, until after three weeks or so
the tree has yielded up its life blood to the extent
* The turning of maple leaves to unvarying hues cadi autumn
is quite remarkable. For years, two trees I know of hare re-
sumed exactly the same colors: one, russet orange above and
dull scarlet below, and the other yellowish rust color; even
an individual branch will resume its own particular hue cadi
fall.
f The so-called bird's-eye maple and curled maple arc ran-
conditions of the wood, caused by undulations or ddkrtions oj
its fiber.
200 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
of twenty -five gallons.* A large orchard in Ver-
mont or New Hampshire will yield, in a good season,
one thousand pounds of sugar, besides one hundred
gallons of sirup, without injury to the trees, f In a
small maple grove, which is near my summer home
in the White Mountains, it has been my privilege to
watch the effect of " tapping " on scores of trees
for a period of twenty-five years — in fact, ever since
childhood — and I can not say to-day that they seem
to have lost any of their vigor ; yet many a farmer
has told me that the process eventually kills the
tree. This, I find by experience, is entirely depend-
ent upon the treatment it receives. There is a
sensitive if not a human quality in a maple which
responds to kindness, and rewards the care-taker
with an abundance of sugar without injury to its
own life. There are, however, careless and igno-
rant farmers who bore their trees in several places
at once, or out of season, and as a consequence the
exhausted trees die sooner or later, according to the
measure of the abuse. To tap a tree in threatening
* One gallon of sap yields about three ounces of sugar. Few
trees yield more than thirty gallons of sap, if the tapping is properly
done, so the average production of sugar from a single tree is about
five and a half pounds: but in many instances the average, \
find, does not rise over four and a quarter pounds.
f On a large estate near Stamford, N. Y., the output of sugaL
in a season is five thousand pounds.
THE MAPLES. 201
or stormy weather, or before the temperate genial
warmth which is usually brought by the south wind,
is considered by some sugar-makers an ill-advised pro-
ceeding: the weather must be neither too hot nor too
cold to obtain the best flow of sap.
The methods employed to-day in the making of
sugar are quite scientific compared with those in
practice twenty years ago. A patent evaporator,
with an infinite length of trough through which the
sap flows,* now takes the place of the long pan over
the bricked-in log fire. Also, in place of the wooden
tap or spout for the tree, a new galvanized iron one
(which does not clog up the pores) is in common use.
The sap is evaporated to a certain point in the pro-
duction of sirup, and it passes through a process of
still greater evaporation in the making of sugar.f
In my own judgment, the sugar made by the old-
fashioned, boiling-down method possesses the high-
* The passage of sap through the trough to the necessary point
of evaporation is about two hours. There is also a partitioned
pan now in use, the principle of which is similar to that of the
evaporator.
f One hundred eight-quart bucketfuls of sap are boiled about
sixteen hours in the production of sirup, and about twenty hours
in the production of sugar. The test is made by stirring and cool-
ing some of the boiled sap in a saucer: if it granulates and adheres
to the spoon and saucer the process is completed ; also, some of
the sap is dropped on snow or ice, and if tins becomes " like glass,"
the proper point is reached.
202 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
est and best flavor ; but in the market the super-
refined, lighter-colored sugar made by the patent
evaporators is of course considered much finer, and
brings a higher price. The best sugar brings the
New Hampshire farmer rarely more than eight cents
per pound, and the sirup about sixty cents per gal-
lon. The retail prices even in country towns is
frequently over fifty per cent in advance of these
figures.
Black Sugar Maple. The ^lack su g ar maple is a variety
Acer saccharinum, of the common sugar maple, with
var. niarum. ■,. ,. . -, . -■.«.
Acerbarbatum, n0 g reat distinguishing differences
var. nigrum, excepting that the leaf is often fine-
ly covered with down un-
derneath ; it usually has
three lobes (leaf divi-
sions) which are wider,
shorter, and freer of
teeth, and the
sides of the
clefts at
the base
of the leaf often
Black sugar Maple. ~ overlap. The bark
of the tree has also a blackish color, and the seed
wings, set wide apart, only slightly diverge.
TIIK MAPLES.
203
Silver or White Maple. The silver or white maple
Acer dasycarpum. an extremely ornamental
Acer mccharvnum. *>
prettily divided y*
and toothed,
which could not
possibly be con-
fused with the
leaves of the
maples already de-
scribed. It is distinct-
ly silver - white be-
neath and downv when
young; its live divisions
are separated by deeply
cut, sharp notches, and its
teeth are very variable in
size. This tree should not
be confused with the red
maple ; the latter
has a leaf which
is characteris-
tically three -
lobed — that is,
it impresses one
with its triple
aspect, even
though We often Silver Maple.
has
leaf,
204: FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
find a specimen with five lobes. Compare my draw-
ings, and this difference of type will at once become
apparent. The flowers, which precede the leaves, are
lio-ht yellowish-lavender ; the seeds follow some time
in July ; their wings are large, and set at right an-
gles.
This maple I consider remarkable for its beau-
tiful details ; its branches are long, spread-
ing, and frequently droop enough to
serve the term " weeping " — in fact,
certain cut-leaved and weeping
varieties are sold by the nurs-
erymen. The silver maple
is most common along river
banks, and is found from
Maine to western Florida ;
westward it extends to the
Dakotas and Indian Territo-
ry. Its seeds, taking root in
sandy river margins, quickly
, , „ ,, "*•" Cut-Leaf Silver Maple.
sprout, and before the sum-
mer is done the budding leaves contribute a deli-
cate ruddy tint to the monotonous buff of the sand.
It is a curious fact that dying leaves are often stained
with the same ruddy hues in which they appeared at
birth.
The silver maple grows to a height of from 90 to
m
niK maples.
205
12<> feet, but commonly it does not exceed 50 feet.
Its wood is soft, white, and of little value.
Red or Swamp Maple. The red Or swamp maple, a tree
Acerrubrum. common in swamps and wet woods,
rarely attains a height of over 50
feet in the North, but sometimes
measures 80 to 120 feet in the
South. It may be distinguished
by its reddisli brandies ; the twigs
of very young trees are bright,
dark red.* The leaf, as I have al-
ready said, is characterized by three
divisions, although one may fre-
quently find specimens with the five
points distinctly defined. The com-
monest type of leaf will be seen in the drawing
marked Type A.
I conclude also to give another common type
which may frequently be seen in very young trees ;
this attenuated outline is confusingly near that of the
mountain maple's leaf ; but in presenting this type I
do so to call attention to the fact that Nature does
not follow cast-iron rules, however we mistake the
botanist's descriptions as such. What we choose to
Type
* The branehlets of the maples are apt to change color ut dif-
ferent seasons : the red maple is brightest red during the winter;
in summer the twigs become brown red.
206 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
call Nature's rules are really general principles char-
acterized by a remarkable quality of elasticity. I
have not yet found a botanist, to whom I had occa-
sion to defer some difficult specimen, who did not
preface his opinion with some reference to this elas-
ticity. Now, in distinguishing the red from the
mountain maple I should never rely wholly on
a particular leaf. The flowers of
the red maple much precede
the leaves in early spring ;
the twigs are red, not
brown, as in the
mountain maple ;
the wings of the
seeds only slightly
Attenuated Leaf of Red Maple. diverge, and the
leaf is whitish underneath, free from the down which
characterizes the other maple (except, perhaps, at the
junction of the veins), and it turns bright, deep red
or orange in autumn.
The drawing of the long, narrow leaf was taken
from a young tree which grows in the White Moun-
tains ; that of the typical leaf was taken from an
older tree in the Arnold Arboretum ; and that of
the three-lobed leaf represents a specimen belong-
ing to a large tree at Plymouth, N. H.
The red maple is common throughout the North,
Til K MAPLES.
207
and extends southward t<> Florida and westward to the
Dakotas and Texas; it is one of the very earliesi
trees to blossom in the spring, when
it assumes a ruddy hue by reas
of the red flowers ; in autumn
its rich red foliage again dem-
onstrates tlie right of
tlie tree to its name ;
even the hard wood lias
a reddish tinge at times,
and with a " curled " grain
it is considered peculiarly
handsome in cabinet work.
I have drawn a leaf of
the beautiful Norway maple {Acer
platanoides) so that we may com-
pare it with that of our own su-
gar maple ; the shapes are very
similar. Notice the extremely
divergent seed wings which are
characteristic of this tree. It is Red Maple,
a handsome maple, very round Three lobed leaf '
in outline, and is easily distinguished by the milky
juice which is best seen at the base of the young-
leaf. It is becoming very common in our Eastern
cities. My drawing was taken from a tree which
grows in Koxbury, Mass. Acer palmatum is a beau-
208 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
tiful dwarf variety of the maple which comes from
Japan ; it is not infrequently seen in our city parks.
The leaves of some of these Japanese maples are so
slashed and rent that they
like a fringe from
e twigs. Acer ma-
rophyllum is a Cali-
f ornian species, with
a huge leaf
eight to twelve
inches broad,
and yellow, fra-
grant flowers
which bloom after the
have expanded,
ee is very large,
sometimes reaching a
height of 100 feet. It
is not hardy
north of 40°
north latitude.
Norway Maple.
For ash-
leaved maple (Acer negundo) see Chapter XIX.
CHAPTEE XYII.
III. Compound Alternate Leaves.
1. Without teeth. Leaflets bordering main leaf stem.
THE AILANTUS AND LOCUSTS.
Ailantus. The ailantus,* familiar to us all
Ailanthus gianduiosus. through its greenish flower clus-
Ailanthus glandulosa. . .
ters, which have such an offensive
odor in the balmy days of June, comes from China,
and is called there " The Tree of Heaven " ! For-
tunately, not all the trees are disagreeable, as some
do not bear the ill-smelling, sterile (staminate) flowers.
The ailantus was first brought into the United
States by Mr. William Hamilton in 1784, and a
sucker from the original tree, planted in 1809, de-
veloped to large proportions, now stands in the Bar-
tram Botanic Garden. In 1820 Mr. William Prince,
of Flushing, L. I., imported the ailantus from
Europe, and from this stock most of the tr
*'• Commonly, but improperly, spelled aila/nthw" — Webster,
But I do not interfere with the spelling of the established botan-
ical names.
15 209
Ailantus.
THE AILANTUS AND LOCUSTS. 2U
around Xew York have originated. In Washine-
ton Square and its vicinity during the "sixti<
there were innumerable trees, winch eventually
became so offensive because of their odor and lia-
bility to be attacked by the abominable brown
" inch - worm ' * that most of them were cut
down.
But the tree in appearance is very graceful; its
compound leaves have stems frequently measuring
three feet in length; the base of the stem where it
joins the branch is swollen so that it resembles in
shape a miniature horse's hoof. The leaflet is sharp-
pointed, and has two or more singular dull teeth at
the base. The w T inged seed clusters, which somewhat
remind one of seaweed, are often beautifully pink-
tinged, but generally pale green. The tree is in-
clined to spread from seed, and in rubbish heaps
and the cracks and crannies of areas around old
city houses we may frequently see its youthful,
fuzzy, light-brown stem and a cluster of graceful
leaflets. The tree is distinguished in the absence
of its leafage by its coarse, blunt twigs ; these do
not possess the delicacy which characterizes those of
most other trees.
* I believe the advent into this country of the English Bparrow
put an end to the " inch-worm " years ago.
912 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
Yellowwood. The yellowwood is rather a rare tree,
ciadrastis tinctoHa. reaching a height of about 40 feet,
Cladrastis lutea. •.-!_ n • i i ,, , ,
with yellowish wood, smootli bark
resembling that of the beech, long, beautiful, light-
green leaflets, and
delicately fragrant,
cream-white flowers
which bloom in
June ; these hang in
graceful clusters a
foot or more in length.
The pods, which are
two inches long,
are ripe in the
latter part of Au-
gust. The tree
is found wild in Kentucky
and Tennessee, but is a
much more familiar object
in parks and gardens. Its re-
semblance to the locust bespeaks
a close relationship with the lat-
ter tree. There is a beautiful specimen of this tree
at Dosoris, L. I., and another in the Phoenix Nurs-
ery, Bloomington, 111.*
One of the most beautiful and symmetrical yellow-
wood trees I have ever seen is on the grounds of the
Yellowwood.
THE AILANTUS AND LOCUSTS.
213
late Andrew S. Fuller, at Ridgewood, N. J. ; it was
his favorite tree, and is 45 feet high.
Locust. The common locust lias a pretty leaf
BobiniaPseudacada. spray of from nine to twenty-three
roundish lonur leaflets which are devoid of teeth, [ts
twigs are not sticky — that is the most impor-
tant thing to remember about it. Its fra-
grant wdiite flowers, shaped like pea-blos-
soms, hang in loose clusters from the
sides of the branchlets in late spring
or early summer. The flat pods,
about two or three inches long,
are smooth, of a purplish-brown
color, and are ripe in September.
The tree is slender in figure, and
reaches a height of from 35 to 80
feet, according to its situation and
circumstances. Its exceedingly hard and durable
wood has a yellowish color and smooth grain ; it is
used for posts and exterior construction intended to
withstand dampness. The tree is common through-
out the eastern United States.
Clammy Locust. The clammy locust difl'ers from the
Eobinia viscosa. common locust in the following par-
ticulars: the tree is never over 4<> feet high, it- dark-
brown twigs are very sticky, and its rather upright
flower cluster is a trifle pinkish, and nearly if not
Locust.
Robinia Pseudacacia.
214 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
Clammy Locust.
quite without perfume. The tree is found in the
mountains from Virginia to Georgia, and in the
North, where it is common in cultivation, it has
THE AILANTUS AND LOCUSTS.
2 1 5
frequently escaped to roadsides and the borders of
fields. I find it quite common in Campton, N. II.,
on either side of a road which passes a large ceme-
tery, where there are several handsome trees over 35
feet in height.
Kentucky Coffee Tree. The Kentucky coffee tree is tall,
Gymnocladua an( i ] ias coarse "bart extending over
Canadensis.
Gymnodadusdioicus. the limbs, stout brauchlcts like the
ailantus, and leaves which are unequally twice-com-
pound ; the leaflets are
rather broad and
sharp-pointed. This
doubling up of the
compound character
of the leaves is the
sure means by which
we may recognize
the tree. My sketch,
somewhat convention-
al in arrangement,
reveals the leaf sys-
tem at a glance. The
whole spray is from
two to three feet long ; the leaflets arc without teeth,
and are dull, dark green. The brown, curved pods
are two inches broad, and from six to ten inches long ;
they contain hard, gray seeds half an inch in diainc-
Kentucky CoflV* Tic-
Portion of double compound leaf.
218 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
tor, which are ripe in October. The tree grows from
-15 to 80 and occasionally 110 feet high, and h..s few
branches. In the South its seeds were at one time
nsed as a substitute for coffee. In the Public Garden,
Boston, not far from the path leading to Newbury
Street, there is a very handsomely proportioned but
rather small specimen perhaps 40 feet tall. The
Kentucky coffee tree is a native of rich woods, and
is common from western New York to Minnesota
a id Arkansas.
Honey Locust. The none J locust is a tree which
GieditscHa boys do not care to climb, for an
tmacanthos. ] )V i 0US reason . its murderous-look-
ing thorns, which grow on the trunk in formidable
bunches, are altogether too threatening for the average
juvenile climber. The leaves are sometimes twice
compound, but not very often ; they suggest a sort
of toothed edge, but so indistinctly that the fact
would escape notice unless the leaflet was subjected
to close scrutiny. The inconspicuous and greenish-
colored flowers appear in short spikes in early sum-
mer ; the long, red-brown, straplike, twisted pods
ripen in late autumn, and contain most remarkably
hard, shiny brown, flattened seeds ; the pod is filled
between the seeds with a greenish-yellow, sweet pulp
much relished by the " small boy," who respects the
tree's defenses, and waits for the fruit to drop.
THE AILANTUS AND LOCUSTS.
217
Honey Locust.
218 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
The tree is very large, and with its graceful, fine
foliage presents a handsome appearance in midsum-
mer. Along the river banks of Illinois it frequently
attains an altitude of from 80 to 90 feet.* It is a
quite rapid grower, and a seedling will reach a height
of 18 or more feet in ten years. In the North the
leaves unfold about the middle of May.
The honey locust grows wild from Pennsylvania
southward to northern Alabama and Texas and west-
ward to eastern Nebraska. There are two varieties
frequently found in parks and gardens : var. inermis,
without thorns, and var. Bujotii pendula, with ex-
ceedingly graceful, drooping foliage.
Water Locust. The water locust is a much smaller
Gleditschia aquatka. tree than the honey locust, but its
general character is the same ; it usually attains a
height of 30 feet, and rarely 50 or 60 feet. Com-
pared with the other locusts its leaflets are smaller,
its thorns are less branched and more slender, and
the pod is very short (two inches long), rounded, and
contains rarely more than one seed, and no sweet
pulp. It is found in the swamps of southern Illinois
and Indiana and southward, but is frequently planted
in the North for ornament.
* Prof. Sargent records its maximum height at 140 feet.
CIIAPTEK XYIII.
III. Compound Alternate Leaves.
2. With teeth. Leaflets bordering main leaf stem.
THE SUMACH, WALNUTS, HICKORIES, ETC.
stag-horn Sumach. The stag-horn sumach is a rugged-
Rhus typhina. looking shrub or tree from 10 to 30
and occasionally 40 feet high, with milky juice and
remarkably ruddy, velvety twigs and branches, by
means of which it may readily be identified. Kotice
how the beautiful compound leaves (composed of
from eleven to thirty-one leaflets, very pale beneath)
are gracefully set around the smaller branches so that
each is out of its neighbor's way and does not ob-
struct sunlight ; they change from a lively light green
in August to a most beautiful scarlet red in Septem-
ber. The pyramidal fruit cluster reveals a curious,
red-haired character under the magnifying glass, and
its effective red-maroon patch of color gives the tree
a most picturesque appearance in later summer. The
graceful, drooping effect of the leaflets, and the bold,
219
220 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
tortuous ramifications of the upper branches place the
tree in sharp contrast with its surroundings ; it grows
beside almost every road in the
Northern States, and extends south-
ward along the Alle-
ghany Mountains to Al-
abama. In autumn I
know of no other tree
which clothes itself
in a color so near-
ly approaching
pure scarlet, and
there is no wood
of anv other tree
which seems to
me quite so
green - yellow.
Gray calls it or-
ange-colored, but
it is rather that
peculiar citron hue
which may be pro-
duced by mixing or-
ange and green ; a
daub of this color from
my paint brush exactly
stag-horn sumach, matches the wood, but anoth-
THE SUMACH, WALNUTS, HICKORIES, ETC. 221
er of orange cadmium is in strong contrast with it.
In the Catskill Mountains sumach woo. I is used hv
the turners in making walking sticks, boxes, and a
variety of ornamental knickknacks. It is a pity the
tree does not grow sufficiently large to furnish wood
available for cabinet work.
The stag-horn sumach, common throughout the
North (its southern limit is northern Georgia), is t<>o
familiar an object on our byways and hillsides to
need any leaf description here, and I would rather
call attention to it as one of our most beautiful,
picturesque, but unappreciated roadside characters,
whose brilliant coloring in autumn is unexcelled
even by the maple. We must not confuse it with
the vicious poison sumach {Rhus venenata)? whose
leaflet is loithout teeth, and whose fruit is a greenish-
white berry about the size of a pea.
The smoke tree {Rhus cotinoidei)\ is a small tree
from 25 to 40 feet high, which is a near relative of
the sumach, but which is quite out of place here in
this division of my leaf classification, for it has a
simple, plain-edged leaf, oval, thin, and smooth, or
nearly so; it measures from three to six inches in
length. Usually most of the flowers are abortive,
* Also called Jthus vernix—C. S. Sargent.
f Also called Cotinvs Americana. — C. & Sargt nt.
222 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES
Mountain Ash.
THE SUMACH, WALNUTS, HICKORIES, ETC. 223
while their stems lengthen, branch, ami bear Long,
plumy hairs, making large, light, and feathery or
cloudlike bunches, either greenish gray or ruddy
tinned. * The smoke tree grows wild from Missouri
and Tennessee southward. It is rarely cultivated.
Mountain Ash. The beautiful mountain ashf — which
Pyrus Americana, is, of COUrse, no ash at all, hilt a
charming relative of the apple and pear — has a con-
ventional, compound leaf, which would lead one to
suppose (if superficial appearances counted for any-
thing) that it was related to the sumach. This is not
the case, however, and a comparison of the charac-
ters of the two plants shows wide differences. The
sharply toothed leaflets, thirteen to seventeen on a
stem, are nearly if not perfectly smooth, as well as
the stem itself and the branchlets. The berries are
bright red, about the size of peas, and they appear
in their richest coloring, great flat clusters of them,
in the latter part of September. They remain on
the branches into the winter. The grooved leaf stem
in the early autumn often assumes a bright-red hue,
and the trunk bark is a dull, raw umber brown ;
when it is cut or bruised it smells like that of
the wild black cherry — not so surprising, in view
* Vide Field, Forest, and Garden Botany, Gray,
f Sometimes called the rowan tree.
224 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
of the fact that the latter tree is a family rela-
tion.
This slender and graceful tree, which grows from
15 to 30 feet high, is common in swamps and cold
mountain woods throughout the Northern States from
Maine to Minnesota ; southward it follows the Alle-
ghany Mountains to North Carolina. It is very
frequently seen in the vicinity of Lake George, and
on .the higher peaks of the White Mountains, and
I found it at every step beside the steep path
which ascends Mount Cannon, in the Franconia
Notch. In the struggle for existence at an alti-
tude of three thousand five hundred feet it did
not attain a height of over 4 feet. The elder-
leaved mountain ash (Pyrus sambucifolia), found
also in the higher mountains of the northern part
of New England and westward to Lake Superior,
has more obtuse and abruptly sharp^ointed leaves,
usually double-toothed. The berries are larger but the
clusters are smaller than those of the other variety.
Butternut. The butternut, sometimes called oil
Juyians cinerea. nut, is very common in New Eng-
land and the extreme Northern States ; it extends
westward to the eastern Dakotas, eastern Nebraska, and
northeastern Arkansas, and southward to Delaware
and through the Alleghany Mountains to Georgia.
I can hardly call it a beautiful tree, as its foliage is
THE SUMACH, WALNUTS, BICKORIES, ETC. 225
sparse, its rough, gray limbs are scraggy, and its
figure lacks symmetry. It grows from 30 to 50 and
occasionally 100 feet high. In
the pasture lands among the
hills of New Hampshire it fre-
quently attains a tall, broad,
and imposing figure, which is
often unfortunately
marred by gaunt, dead
branches.
The compound
leaves are composed of from
nine to seventeen leaflets,
which are rather un-
evenly toothed and
fuzzy - stemmed ; the
base of the stem is
conspicuously horse-
hoof -shaped. In the early
part of the season the
branchlets are very fuzzy
and sticky. The fruit,
two to three inches
long, is at first
Butternut.
downy, green, and
stickv ; on bein<?
bruised it stains the fingers a deep yellow. The nut
16
226 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
is ripe in October, when the husk is black brown ; it
is sharply rough, and the kernel, greatly relished by
the squirrels, is sweet but very oily.
The butternut is one of the first trees to lose its
leaves in the fall. After a heavy night frost in early
October, on the following
morning one will see the
leaves, stem and all, silently
we*^ drop one after another, until
Butternut in husk. m the courge f ^ flay t he
branches are almost completely stripped of their fo-
liage. The leaves turn a bright yellow not long be-
fore they fall. In summer the general effect of the
tree is yellowish green, and in spring the late-arriv-
ing, green -yellow, budding leaves combine with the
gray bark of the branches in forming a most pe-
culiar but beautiful combination of color.* The
hard, strong-grained, beautiful, light yellow-brown
wood makes a handsome interior finish, and is highly
esteemed by the cabinetmaker.
Black Walnut. The black walnut is esteemed so
jugians nigra. highly f or its rich, dark-brown wood,
that in recent years woodcutters have made it very
scarce. It is claimed that one hundred years are re-
* In March the tree is often tapped with the sugar maple, but
I know nothing of the quality of the sugar which is made. I am
told that it has some medicinal properties.
£\
BLACK WALNUT.
The Hedges, Bucks Co , Penn.
THE SUMACH, WALNUTS, BICKORIES, ETC. 227
quired for this tree (in the forest) to attain a suffi-
cient size to make it valuable for timber ; yet in
twenty-five years' time its destruction has steadily
proceeded until it has been almost exterminated in
the Mississippi basin, and vast tracts of forest land
have been bereft of
nearly every speci-
men considered val-
uable for its tim-
ber. I am told by
a gentleman who is
connected with the
lumber interest of
this country that in-
dividual valuable trees
are bought " on the
stump" by the lum-
ber companies in all
accessible forest re-
gions.
The black walnut
is found from western Massachusetts to central Ne-
braska and eastern Kansas, and it extends southward
to western Florida and Texas. It was mice very
plentiful in the forest regions west of the Alleghany
Mountains, where it attained its largest growth.
There are a few large specimens in Massachusetts.
Black Walnut, portion of leaves.
228 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
i
one of which, at West Medford, has a trunk cir-
cumference of about fourteen feet at five feet above
the ground ; another, at Saugus (Centre Village),
measures 60 feet in height.
The compound leaf is composed of from fifteen to
twenty-three sharp-toothed leaflets on a stem (with-
out the horse-hoof base) which measures one to two
feet in length. The leaf* is thin, bright yellow
green above and somewhat downy beneath ; it turns
yellow in autumn. The splendid, large fruit is
rough, dull green, and generally round ; it has a
pleasant, aromatic odor. The nut, after the ripened
blackish husk is removed, reveals a dark-brown,
sharply cut, rough, hard shell ; the kernel has a
delicate but decided flavor.
The English walnut (Juglans regia) is sparingly
cultivated in this country, but it is barely hardy in
the North. It has from five to nine ovate, pointed,
unevenly toothed leaflets which crowd the stem, and
a thin -shelled nut which the husk, becoming brittle
and open, soon sheds. The nut is the common Ma-
deira nut of commerce. The tree grows from 35 to
60 feet high.
* I am told that in Bucks County, Pa., the leaves are often
stripped from the tree by caterpillars ; in the White Mountains
the trees are remarkably free from them ; probably a winter
temperature of 30° below zero is a trifle too strong for some
worms.
cat .?>**%
■
HICKORY OR SHAGBARK.
Near Boston, Mass.
A
THE SUMACH, WALNUTS, BICKORIES, ETC. 229
Hickory or Shagbark. Tlie hickory, sometimes called
Caryaalba. shagbark or shellbark, is ;i tall,
spreading tree <<> to 90 and occa-
sionally, in the forest, 120 feet high. It usually has a
straight trunk with gray bark loosely attached, which
hangs in strips nearly a foot long and six inches wide ;
the ends of these strips frequently curve away from
the trunk, and give it the rugged appearance which
accounts for the name " shagbark." The younger
brandies are smooth and light gray. As a rule,
there are but five sharp-toothed leaflets on a stem
(sometimes there are seven), and these are from four
to eight inches long; they are rather thin, and dark
yellowish green ; the leaf stem is rough, and some-
what enlarged at the base. The fruit, which is ripe
in October, has a thick, hard husk, which splits into
four separate sections ; the whitish nut, slightly flat-
tened at the sides, has a thin wall, and a large, bwi
kernel which I consider superior in flavor to any
other American nut.
This hickory is the commonest of the species in
the North; it extends from Maine to central Minne-
sota and southeastern Nebraska; southward it fol-
lows along the Alleghany Mountains (on their west-
ern slopes, and in the Ohio basin it attains its largest
size), and reaches its limit in western Florida and
Texas.
230 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
Shagbark Hickory.
THE SUMACH, WALNUTS, BICKORIES, ETl
The brownish-white wood is exceedingly tough
and hard, and is much used in the manufacture of
carriages, agricultural implements, axe handles, and
farm wagons. The handsome, clear green foliage
and the symmetrical proportions of the Bhagbark
hickory make it an impressive tree of exceptional
beauty. There is a most stately and picturesque
tree, over 50 feet high, on the land of Mr. Augustus
Fowler, at Danvers, Mass.
Big Shellbark. The big shellbark differs from the
Carya sulcata. foregoing species in the fol-
Hicoria laciniosa. ] owm g particulars *
There are usually seven leaflets
(sometimes there are nine) which
are more downy and of a bronze -
green hue beneath ; above, they
seem to me to be a deeper green.
The young branchlets are somewhat
orange-colored. The nut is much
larger (from an inch and a quarter
to nearly two inches long), and it
is usually pointed at both ends.
The strips of bark are narrower.
This hickory is rather rare and lo-
cal, and extends from Bucks Coun-
ty, Pa., and central Now York
westward to Missouri and Indian Territory.
BiK Shellbark, ■ leaflet;
nut show Ing sharp
point at the base,
232 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
Mockernut. ^ ne mockernut is a tall, slender tree
Carya tomentosa. from 70 to 100 feet high, with light
gray, close bark which does not scale
off. There are from seven to nine blunt-toothed
leaflets on a stem, which are deep yellow green
above and somewhat paler and rough
downy below ; they are very fragrant
when bruised. The large, thick-
shelled, brownish nut has a thick
husk which splits nearly to the base
when it is ripe ; the kernel is small
and indifferently flavored. Probably
the tree gets its name from the out-
ward promise of the nut, which the
small kernel fails to fulfill.
The mockernut is found on ridges
and hillsides from New England south-
Mockernutin husk ward to F ] orida and Texas; westward
and a leaflet.
it extends to eastern Kansas and In-
dian Territory ; it is common in the South, but
rather local and rare in the North.
Pignut ^ ne pi& nu *> sometimes called broom
Carya porcina. hickory,* is a gracefully proportioned
Hicoria glabra. tree from 6Q tQ qq and occas i ona Hy
* It is said that the early settlers used the wood split into thin,
narrow strips for brooms.
THE SUMACH, WALNUTS, BICKORIES, ETC. 233
Pignut
234 FAMILIAR TREES AND TIIEIR LEAVES.
120 feet high. Its sharp-toothed leaflets grow from
five to nine on a stem (usually seven, and rarely
nine) ; they are smooth above and below, but some-
times tufts of pale hairs will be discovered at the
angles of the ribs ; the leaf color is a rich, deej:>, yel-
low green. The fruit has a very thin husk, and is
somewhat pear-shaped or else oval ; the husk often
splits open only at the apex, and falls with the nut to
the ground. The kernel is at first sweet, then after-
ward bitter. The fruit from which my drawing was
made measured scarcely one inch in length ; not in-
frequently, however, larger specimens are found.*
The pignut is distributed from Maine to south-
eastern Nebraska, southward to Florida, and along
the Gulf States to Kansas and Texas. It is very
common on hillsides and dry ridges in all the North-
ern States.
Small-fruit Hickory. The small-fruit hickory bears a small
Carya microcarpa. lmt ^{fo a ft^ \ ms ], wn ich splits
Hicoria glabra,
var. odorata. open nearly to the base ; the smooth-
shelled nut is roundish and free from angles ; in
some instances it is hardly more than half an inch
deep. The kernel is very sweet.
There are usually five (often seven) leaflets on a
* In the Silva of North America, Prof. Sargent says Hicoria
glabra varies more in the size and shape of its fruit than any other
of the hickories.
TflE SUMACH, WALNUTS, BICKORIBS, ETC. 235
stem; they are fine-toothed, and very smooth above
and below, except that the angles of the ribs are
apt to be a triiic fuzzy. This hickory (considered
by Prof. Sargent a variety of the foregoing species)
grows from 60 to 90 feet high, and is found from
eastern Massachusetts to Delaware, and from New
York westward to central Michigan, southern Illi-
nois, and Missouri. The bark is somewhat shag
but separates in narrow, thin plates.
The bitternut, or swamp hickory, is
Bitternut, or . .
Swamp Hickory, a large tree with spreading limbs,
Caryaamara. which is f 01111(1 ill low, wet Woods
Hkoria minima. -
and swamps; it grows irom .><> to
75 and occasionally 100 feet
high. There are from seven
to eleven narrow leaflets on
a slender stem ; these are
smooth on both sides, or very
slightly downy beneath, es-
pecially when young. The
fruit is roundish, and the rath-
er soft, thin husk separates
down to about the middle ; the
thin-shelled, whitish nut is de-
pressed at the top, and has an
extremely bitter kernel, which was at first sweet
The husk and nutshell are thinner than those of the
Bitternut, ]><>rti"n <>f leaf.
236 FAMILIAR TREES AND TIIEIR LEAVES.
other species, and they may be broken with a very
slight blow.
The swamp hickory is distributed from Maine to
Minnesota and southeastern Nebraska ; southward it
extends to Florida and eastern Texas. The bark of
the trunk is rather smooth and close.
Pecan Nut. ^ ne P ecan nu * * s a Southern species
Carya olivceformis. of hickory, which grows from 80 to
Hicoria pecan. 1Q() ^ occagionaUy tf feet WgL
There are from nine to fifteen leaflets on a stem;
these are finely toothed and slender-pointed,
and of a warm, deep yellow-green color.
The fruit, about an inch and a half long,
has a thin, yellow-haired husk which
splits in four sections nearly to the base,
and, discharging the nut, not infre-
quently remains on the branch through
the winter. The smooth, thin-shelled
nut has a very sweet kernel, and is
considered by many the best flavored
Pecan Leaflet, of all nuts, native or foreign.
The tree is a rapid grower, and it
will produce a small amount of fruit at the end of
its eighth or tenth year. It is the largest of the
hickory trees, and grows in rich soil in the neigh-
borhood of streams from Iowa, southern Illinois and
Indiana to Louisiana and Texas ; it also extends into
THE SUMACH, WALNUTS, HICKORIES, ETC. 237
central Mississippi and Alabama. Mo I
of the nuts in the market come from
Texas, but of late years orchards of se-
lected varieties of the pecan nut have
been planted in many of the Southern
States.* It is one of the most impos-
i • can mil in
ing and beautiful trees of the South. husk.
* Vide Silva of North America, C. S. Sargent.
J
CHAPTEE XIX.
Compound Opposite Leaves.
With or without teeth. Leaflets bordering main leaf stem.
THE ASH-LEAVED MAPLE AND THE ASHES.
There are odd trees as well as odd people in the
world, whose characters are problems somewhat dif-
ficult of solution. A man can tell who he is, but a
tree only reveals its individuality by certain little dif-
ferences which distinguish it from others of its kind.
When these differences assume a contradictory aspect
we are put to some confusion. " From your speech,"
said one traveler to another, guessing at the latter's
nationality, " I judge you are an Englishman ; from
your carriage and quickness of perception, I imagine
you are an American ; but your physiognomy be-
speaks a German nationality." " Not right," said
the other ; " for my mother was Dutch, I was born
in Paris, reared and educated in Boston, and the last
three years of my life have been spent in London."
One of the maples is quite as problematic in its out-
side appearance.
238
THE ASH-LEAVED MAPLE AND THE ASHES. 239
Where or how the ash-leaved maple
Ash-leaved Maple l
or Box Elder. spent the first years of it- existence
Key undo act n> id, s. nobody knows. The tree call not
Acer ney undo.
account for itself, but that it has
puzzled more than one botanist its various name-
assuredly testify. Some one lias thought it looked
sufficiently like the elder to name it box elder.*
Another has seen the strong resemblance of its foli-
age to that of the ash, and named it ash-leaved maple :
and, finally, Prof. Sargent (following Michaux'e initia-
tive) has sifted the qualifying aceroldes down to plain
Acer f — a common-sensible conclusion, it seems to
me, if one will look at the perfectly plain family
signature, the double-winged seed4 " By their fruits
ye shall know them." This really ought to be the
text of one who is in search of the real character of a
tree ; we can tell a great deal about that by the
leaves, but when there is a shadow of doubt we must
turn to the fruit. The leaf of the ash-leaved maple
has three or five slightly rough, strong-ribbed leaflets,
the outer edges of which are irregularly and coarsely
* Michaux says this name was commonly used in the I 'arolinas,
so he adopted it also, although it was without any particular .sig-
nificance.
f Which is the name given by the younger Michaux,
\ My expressed opinion is, perhaps, presumptuous ; it i*- sim-
ply a case of ipse dixit ! Many of the botanists believe that
Negundo aceroidesis essentially different from the genua Acer,
240 FAMILtAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
toothed. The fruit ripens in early summer, and hangs
in graceful yellowish -green clusters from six to eight
inches long. The newer twigs are
a beautiful pea
green.
This tree is
found from
the Winooski
River, Yt.,
and the Ver-
mont shore of
Lake Champlain to
Cayuga Lake, N. Y.
Southward it extends
through eastern Penn-
sylvania to Florida,
and westward to the
Rocky Mountains in
Montana, the Wah-
satch Mountains in
Utah, and western Texas.
The ash-leaved maple is a handsome, rapidly grow-
ing tree with wide-spreading branches, which some-
times reaches a height of 70 feet ; usually it is
from 30 to 50 feet high. The foliage is deep green
and very ornamental. It is said to be not long-
lived, as it arrives at maturity in fifteen or twenty
Ash-leaved Maple.
THE ASH-LEAVED MAPLE AND THE ASHES. 241
years.* There arc specimens of this tree on the
Schuylkill River and in the vicinity of Philadelphia
which measure 50 feet in height, and have a trunk
circumference of four feet.
White Ash. The white ash is one of the QO-
Fraxinus Americana, ^\ est Q f our forest trees, and One
which is second only to • the oak in value for its
timber. This stately tree measures 60 <>r 7<> and
sometimes 100 or 120 feet in height. In the forest
its rather slim upright branches usually reach far
above those of its neighbors. Its compound leaf
(eight to twelve inches long) is composed of from
five to nine (usually seven) leaflets; these are deep
green, smooth above, and pale, silvery green below,
with a trifle of down on the ribs ; the teeth are
very indistinct, or else the leaf edge is quite unbro-
ken. The leaf stem is smooth and grooved, and
the leaflet steins are quite a quarter of an inch
long. The tall, heavy trunk on large specimens is
gray, with deep intersecting furrows which cut the
bark into short ridges.
The ash is one of the latest trees to unfold its
leaves in the spring, and in autumn, after the first
severe frost, they blacken and fall to the ground;
* Vide Trees and Tree-Planting, .1. S. Brisbin. Bui I am in-
clined to doubt this. A box elder I know ol owr twentj \
old, still shows signs of development.
17
242 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
tliis, however, is after they have turned a soft yellow
somewhat modified by spots of persistent green.
White Ash.
The winged seeds are dainty, narrow, wedge-shaped
little things about an inch and a half long. They
THE ASH-LEAVED MAPLE AND THE ASHES. 243
hang in loose clusters, and frequently remain od the
bare branches until the middle of winter.
The ash is a rapid-growing tree, which in thirty
years from the time of planting will attain a height
of 40 feet and a trunk diameter of sixteen inches.
It is distinctively an inhabitant of the forest, and it
likes rich, moist, cool soil. It is found from New
England to northern Minnesota; southward it ex-
tends to northern Florida, and from there westward
to Indian Territory, Kansas, and centra]
Texas. The hard, tough wood has a
handsome grain, and it is extensively
used for the interior finish of houses,
for furniture, carriages, agricultural
implements, and oars.
Bed Ash. The red asl1 is a
Fraxinus smaller species, which
Pennsulvartica. r A n
J grows irom 40
to 60 feet high, and is dis-
tinguished by the velvety
hairiness of its leaf
stems and branehlets.
From seven to nine
leaflets orow on the
slightly grooved stem; they are indistinctly toothed,
light green above and pale green below, covered with
downy hairs. The seed is rather blunt-tipped.
Red Ash.
244 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
Probably the red ash owes its name to the ruddy
color on the inner surface of the rough outer bark on
the branches ; but I have also noticed that the very
young shoots have a decidedly ruddy or rusty colored
downy surface.
The red ash is found in low, rich, moist soil from
Maine to eastern Kebraska and the Black Hills of the
Dakotas ; southward it extends to northern Florida
and central Alabama. West of the Alleghany Moun-
tains the tree is less common and smaller
than it is in the East.
Green Ash. The green ash is consid-
Fmxinus viridis. ered by Prof. C. S. Sar-
Fraxiaus . „ n
Permsyivaniea, gent a variety ot the
var. lanceoiata. foregoing species. The
branchlets, leaves, and stems are quite
smooth, without any downiness except a
very slight amount sometimes found in the
angles of the ribs on the under side of the
leaflets ; there are five to nine of these,
seed of the anc [ they are distinctly toothed and some-
GreenAsh. J *
what narrowed at the base ; the color is
bright green above and a very slightly paler green
below.
The green ash is distributed from the eastern
shore of Lake Champlain through the Appalachian
region to northern Florida, and throughout the
THE ASH-LEAVEP MAPLE AND THE ASHES. 245
\Yest.* It rarely attains a height of more than 30
35 feet. Its beautiful deep-green leaves, nearly the
same color on either side, make it a handsome and
ornamental tree deserving more extensive cultivation,
partic-
ularly
as it is a
id grower
the Western cit-
ies it is common
streets and
Blue
Fra/xinvA
quadra
rather square branchlets, at
least on young and vigorous
shoots, so says Gray ; but I
do not find that the average
blue ash tree has this marked
characteristic; of course, this is due to the fact that
the older branchlets have become round. The bine
ash is a large Western species which grows from 60
to 70 feet, and sometimes 100 or even 1l'<> feet high.
* East of the Mississippi River the red and green ashes grow
side by side, and retain their individual character; but in the
West they are connected by intermediate forms which can !"• re-
ferred to one as well as the other. — Silva of North Arm I . S
Sargent.
Blue Ash, with Beed twi
one quarter uf the way
around.
2^6 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
The bark of the trunk is light gray, and it cracks in
thin scales.
The leaves (eight to twelve inches long) are com-
posed of from five to nine (usually seven) yellow-
green leaflets, which are slightly paler below, and
tipped along the rib with downy hairs ; the edges
are sharply toothed, and the leaflet stem is barely an
eighth of an inch long. In autumn the foliage turns
a pale, dull yellow. The seeds are rather blunt and
somewhat notched at the end of the wing.
The blue ash is not a very common tree, and it is
found mostly in moist woods or on rich limestone
hills in the West, from southern Michigan to central
Minnesota ; southward it extends to northern Alabama
and northeastern Arkansas. The wood is hard and
close-grained. In color it is brownish yellow, and it
is used extensively for the interior finish of houses.
A blue dye is extracted from the inner bark by
steeping it in water, and to this fact it undoubtedly
owes its name.
Water Ash. The water ash is a tree from 25 to
Fraxinus piatycarpa. 40 feet high, which inhabits the
Fraxi/ius Caroliniana. -, ., , .,
almost inaccessible river swamps of
the South, where it is found in the shade of the
bald cypress. Its leaves (seven to twelve inches
long) have from five to seven ovate leaflets, which are
deep green above and pale green below, with per-
THE ASH-LEAVED MAPLE AND THE ASIIES. 247
Fraxinus
samhucifolia
Fraxinus nigra. tall, slender
haps a slight downiness along the ribs. This tree
may be easily distinguished from the other ashes by
its broad, roundish, slightly toothed leaflets,
and the elliptical (not wedge-shaped) seeds.
The water ash extends from southern
Virginia to central Florida ; westward
it reaches its limit in the valley of
the Sabine River, Tex., and in south -
Black Ash. eastern Arkansas.
The black ash is a
tree
which grows from 40 to 70 feet, and
occasionally, in the forest, 90 feet
high ; it lias a dark-gray trunk. Its
leaves (twelve to sixteen inches long) are
composed of from seven to eleven leaflets,
which are joined to the main stem without
a sign of a stemlet ; they are distinctly wafc*Ask.
but irregularly toothed, and the stem is grooved ;
in color they are a deeper green than those of the
white ash, and pale below, with rusty hairs scattered
over the whitish ribs. In the White Mountain re-
gion they do not appear until the latter part of May,
and they turn brownish and drop after the first heavy
frost in early October. In fact, I have noticed that
the black ash sheds its leaves almost if not quite as
soon as the butternut The winged seed is blunt at
218 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
Black Ash.
both ends, and the wing forms a margin all around
the seed.
The black ash is f onnd in swamps and moist wood-
THE ASII-LKAVKD MAPLE AND THE ASHES. 249
lands, and is distributed from Maine to northern
Minnesota; southward it extend.- to the mountains of
Virginia, and southwestward to central Missouri and
northwestern Arkansas. The light, brownish wood is
soft and has a handsome grain. It is used for the
interior finish of houses, and for cabinet-work and
barrel hoops. The pliable and tough wood of young
saplings I have found very useful for ribs in the con-
struction of a river canoe. Soaked in hot water, it is
quite surprising to see how much bending and twist-
ing a strip of young black ash will bear before it
breaks.
The European ash (Frax'utus excehior), which is
sometimes found in parks and gardens, has from
eleven to thirteen leaflets (a lesser number in some
varieties), which are deep green, broad, lance-shaped,
and toothed. The seed, like that of the black ash, is
also winged all around. The weeping ash (vdv.ju//-
dida) is one of the most beautiful forms of this
species.
CHAPTER XX.
IV. Compound Opposite Leaves.
2. With teeth. Leaflets radiating.
THE HORSE-CHESTNUTS OR BUCKEYES.
The beautiful native buckeyes and the foreign
horse-chestnuts, with broad, rounded figures and
haud-shaped, radiating leaves, are conventional char-
acters which concede little in the direction of the
picturesque. Even the symmetrical sugar maple is
not without a certain freedom in detail as well as out-
line ; but the horse-chestnuts are the embodiment of
rule and order, both in figure and foliage. A full-
leaved branch is so conventional in its leaf arrange-
ment that a careful drawing appears like a decorative
design — I mean if the branch is copied, looking at it
square in the face. The most beautiful of these radi-
Horse-Chestnut. ating-leaved trees is the common
yEscnius horse-chestnut,* which comes from
Hippocastanum. -r-i T , . -■• 1 t
rtr Europe, it is a medium-sized, round-
* " It was introduced into this country about the middle of
250
THE HORSE-CHESTNUTS OR BUCKEYES. 251
figured tree, on the average not more than 40 ;■
high. The leaf* is composed of about seven leafli
(sometimes there arc hut five), which are abruptly
pointed, strongly veined, and toothed on a somewhat
scalloped edge. The large, pyramidal clusters of
cream-white flowers, spotted with dull yellow and
ruddy purple, bloom in May or June, and impart a
very ornamental appearance to the tree. The fruit
has a thickish husk with strong prickles and a large
chestnut-colored nut, of a peculiar, strong, but aro-
matic odor. It is not edible ; some say that it is
poisonous.
The red horse-chestnut {^-Esculus rubicwnda) is
thought to be a hybrid between the common horse-
chestnut and JEsculas pavia, one of the buckeyes.
It is a great favorite, and is frequently found in parks
and gardens. Its flowers are of a warm, pinkish-red
color, and its leaf is composed of from live to seven
rather rough leaflets, sometimes dotted here and there
with red. The combined pink and green .colors of
this tree when it is in bloom are most charming and
soft. The tone is pitched in a low key, and merits
the last century; the first tree is said to be still standing on the
estate of Mr. Lemuel Wells, of Yonkers, N. V." Prof. Sargent,
in Silva of North America, says it is indigenous in the mountains
of northern Greece.
* The leaves are rarely or never eaten by the larva' of insects.
252 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
Horse-Chestnut.
THE HORSE-CHESTNl TS oK HITKEYES. 253
the attention of those who delight in "aesthetic'
color.
Ohio or Fetid The Ohio or fetid buckeye i> a small
Buckeye. tree from 20 to 35 (rarely it is T<»)
^sculus glabra. f j. , ^ j^.j. ^ . R ^
agreeable, rank odor. Its leaf is composed of five,
sometimes seven, long, ovate leaflets
►which are not broad and abruptly
pointed like those of the horse-chest-
nut. Their edges are rather un-
equally fine-toothed. The flowers
are small, not showy, and light yel-
low green. The fruit, which is
about an inch and a quarter or
two inches in diameter, has
prickles on the husk (which in-
closes two nuts) when it is
young ; otherwise it has a warty
appearance. The nut is smooth,
and an inch or more broad.
The Ohio buckeye * grows on
river banks and low ground from
western Pennsylvania to southern
Iowa, central Kansas, and Indian Ter- Ohio Buckeye;
. .. one leaflet,
ntory ; southward it extends west 01 flowers and nut
* The extensive growth of this species in Ohio, the " Buckeye
State," occasioned that name.
254 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR" LEAVES.
the Alleghany Mountains to northern Alabama. The
wood is light and tough.
The yellow or sweet buckeye is a
Yellow or Sweet J
Buckeye. large tree from 30 to 90 feet high
sEscvius octandra. (southwestward it is only a shrub 6
^Eseulus octandra. . .
ieet high), which grows m rich woods
from Allegheny County, Pa., southward along the
Alleghany Mountains to the vicinity of Augusta,
Ga., and northern Alabama
to southern Iowa and Texas
its name to the
tree does not possess
disagreeable odor
common to
other mem-
bers of the
family.
The leaves
are composed
from five tO Seven Sweet Buckeye ; one leaflet, flowers and nut.
elliptical leaflets
from four to six inches long. They are sharply and
rather evenly toothed, and often a trifle downy along
the ribs beneath. They are sometimes shed quite
early in September. The flowers are dull yellow.*
* I have drawn the flower because it is distinctly different
from that of the Ohio buckeye ; the calyx is elongated and
THE HORSE-CHESTNUTS OR BUCKEYE& %K
Tlie fruit, about two inches or more in diameter, has
an uneven but not a prickly surface. The nut, one
or two in a husk, is about an inch or more broad.
The wood is light and strong, and is sometimes used
for making kitchen utensils.
The purple sweet buckeye, JEscuh/.s <f<jmdra y \ ar.
hyhrida (also called JEscuImb fla/oa^ var. / pwrjywra%-
cens) has ruddy-colored or dull-purplish flowers, and
leaflets which are very downy beneath. Its bark is
lighter colored.
The red buckeye (jEscuZus Paciii) is little more
than a shrub, but it occasionally grows to a height of
25 feet.* It has large clusters of bright-red floweis
(which bloom in May), and generally smooth leav< s.
This tree grows wild in the fertile valleys of Virginia
and southward. It extends westward to Missouri. +
the lateral petals are long, narrow, and roundish at the
ends. •
* The largest tree of this species in this country is in the gar-
den of Mr. Landreth, of Philadelphia; it is 25 feet high, and has
a trunk circumference of three feet and three quarters. — Trees
and Tree-Plantin<i, J. S. Brisbin.
f In the Carolinas its saponiferous roots arc used as a substi-
tute for soap, and its bruised branches and bark are used to
stupefy fish in small ponds.— Trees and Tree-Planiiny, J. >.
Brisbin.
CHAPTER XXL
V. Evergreen Leaves.
1. With long needles.
THE PINE.
The evergreens are pre-eminently trees of winter.
At no other season of the year is the greenness of
foliage quite so restful and grateful to the eyes. But
this demulcent effect on one's eyesight, at the time
of dazzling snows, is nothing in comparison with the
marvelous ameliorating influence which these winter
trees exert on our rigorous Northern cold. They rob
the winter winds of their severity, and produce for
the invalid an equable and temperate climate possess-
ing remarkable health-giving qualities. There is no
exaggeration of truth in saying that the temperature
in a pine belt differs radically from that in the open
country fifteen miles away, although it would be dif-
ficult to demonstrate the fact by means of the ther-
mometer. The mercury might record but a slight
variation in the temperature of the two places, but
256
TIIK PINE.
one's feelings would be sure to Indicate an immeasur
able change.
The fact remains, however, that the winter climate
of the "pines" in New Jersey is very similar to that
of Florida. One is not so much surprised at this
after a walk through the pine forest, for all below is
mild and quiet, while above, the sighing. Bulging
winds relentlessly toss the rugged branches to and
fro. In the White Mountains I have also noticed
that, however bitterly cold it was on the open road,
the sheltered depths of the forest permitted me to
use my pencil with unprotected lingers for quite a
length of time. One must experience the tonic of
the winter air laden with balsamic odors in order t<>
properly appreciate it. There is as much scientific
truth as there is poetry in what Whittier had writ-
ten long before the Northern winter sanitarium
became popular :
There's iron in our Northern winds ;
Our pines are trees of healing'.
But there are few of us who see much of the
pines in winter, and in summer their beauty is
eclipsed by the prodigal luxuriance of the deciduous
trees. However, the pine grove is not unappreciated
even in August, and if we will bend our step- thither
We will enter a region far more accessible and intcr-
18
25 S FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
esting than the overcrowded one where grow the oak
and maple.
White Pine. The fine-needled white pine is the
Pinus strobus. m0 st valuable timber tree of our
country. It grows with a straight trunk from
White Pine, leaf at A.
70 to 180 feet high, and has yellowish -white, soft
wood with a straight grain nearly free from resin.
--I*
'ine
THE PINE. 259
But, alas for the white pine! it has heen .-•• » xtensive-
ly used for building purposes, and many regions that
were supposed to contain inex-
haustible supplies have been so -jMfc
completely stripped of all vain- «d
able timber, that the day is ap- •■^/.'/V
proaching when the pine forest -^nr^
will be no more. The beautiful
grove known as the Cathedral
Woods, in North Conway, N. II., is rap-
idly falling a victim to the axe. The life Whit(J Pi
of a tree is considered of less value than
its timber; and our State Legislatures seem unable
to exert their power of eminent domain in behalf of
the tree, although no end of it has been expended in
obtaining highways for the locomotive.
The white pine has the softest and most delicate
needle of all the species. It grows in a little bunch
of five, and varies in length from three to four
inches. Its color is a clear, lightish green, with
a trifle of whitish bloom. The cone, from four to
six inches long, is narrow and slightly curved ; it
has no prickle at the tip of the rather thin
scales.
This pine is common from Maine westward to
Minnesota and eastern Iowa; southward it extends
along the Alleghany Mountains to Georgia. On
200 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
older specimens the gray-brown trunk is rough, but
on the younger ones it is quite smooth.
Southern Yellow The Southern yellow pine has very
Pine. resinous yellow wood, and extreme-
Plnnspalustrls. Jy ^.^ ^^ ^^ ^ ^ fif _
teen inches in length,
bright olive-green,
and grouped in
bunches of three;
they grow in thick
clusters at the
ends of the branch-
es. The beautiful
cylindrical cones are
*om six to ten inches
light brown, and have
thick scales with tiny
at the tips. The
needles and cones are very
ornamental, and they can be
used most effectively in deco-
ration. Indeed, for this pur-
pose I like the branches of
a Southern yellow pine better
than I do palm leaves.
This pine furnishes the
most valuable and ornamental wood of all the ever-
Southei 11 Yellow Pine
(Georgia Pine).
One scale of cone at A.
THE PINE.
-;;
green trees; it is generally called Georgia pine, and
its color is a rich, transparent ruddy, gold-ocher; it
is also extremely hard and durable, and i> largely
used for the decks of ships. The tree grows about
70 or 80 feet high, lias rather thin-scaled bark, and
is found in sandy soil from southern Virginia to
Florida and Texas.
Loblolly or The loblolly or old -field pine
Old-field Pine. i s a large-sized
Pin us Ttcda.
tree, growing
from 50 to 150 feet high (only
in the forests does it attain
the greater height), which also
has long needles, measuring at
most perhaps ten inches ; they
are rather rigid in character, deep
olive-green, slender, and grow
three (rarely two) in a bunch.
The cones are not pendant,
but are placed laterally on
the branchlets. They are
three or four inches long,
conical, and the scales have
short, straight, or some-
times slightly incurved prickles.
The loblolly pine is found from Delaware to
Florida, near the coast, and thence it extends to
Loblolly Tine.
262 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
Texas and Arkansas. Its wood has no especial
value.
The Northern pitch pine is a medi-
um-sized, rugged-looking tree which
grows from 30 to 80 feet high, with
curved needles about three or four inches long, grow-
Northern Pitch
Pine.
Pinus rigida.
Northern Pitch Pine.
ing in bunches of three ; they are coarse, rigid, and
somewhat flattened. The cones are from one and a
half to three and a half inches long, ovate, and the
scales are furnished with a short recurved prickle.
Sometimes the cones grow in clusters.
The tree has a very rough appearance, with
THE PINE.
263
B
Northern Pitch Pine. Needles at A,
cone and prickled scale at B, mag-
nified needle at C.
scragged branches and coarse-scaled, dark, brown-
gray bark. Its wood is hard, pitchy, and of no value
except for fuel. My
drawing of the magnified
needle will show some-
thing of the rough char-
acter which marks every
detail of the tree. The
edge of the needle is
toothed like a saw, but
the surface is daintily
marked by rows of fine
white dots. Sometimes Nature's roughness under
the microscope resolves itself into extreme delicacy.
The Northern pitch pine grows from Maine to
northern Georgia, western New York, and eastern
Kentucky. It is common in sandy barrens, and is
sometimes found in swamps.
Scotch Pine. The Scotch pine, also called (but
Finns sylvestri*. wron gly) Scotch fir, is the common
pine of northern Europe. It has been introduced
into this country so extensively that few parks or
private grounds are without at least one specimen.
The color of this pine is a study for an artist. In
many specimens it is a most beautiful light sage-
green, and in others it is bluish sage-green. Consid-
ering the interest attached to tree colors, and the con-
2CA FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
elusions I have arrived at regarding them, it is some-
what disturbing to find, in the half dozen botanical
books before me, the leaf color given,
but no further hint of the general
color effect of the trees.* So,
when I say that the foliage of
the Scotch pine is " sage-
green," I find myself with-
out support from the bot-
anists. However, botan-
ical writers rarely assist
us in the recognition of
those broad effects of
color and form in Nature
which are sometimes pro-
foundly impressive, f and
their indifference to truths,
which are not categorically bo-
tanical is therefore excusable ;
but for me it would be inexcusa-
bly negligent not to say that the
Scotch fir possesses a most pe-
Scotch Pine.
* The color of the leaf by no means decides the color of the
tree. The latter is generally complex, through a variety of causes
chief among which is atmospheric influence.
f I must not omit to say, however, that Prof. Sargent, in his
Silva of North America, has given most graphic and truthful
THE PINK.
265
euliarly aesthetic light green entirely unlike the color
of any other pine tree.
The grayish, blue-green needle is from two to two
and a half inches long, curved, twisted, and grows in
pairs. The very odd-looking cones are from two t<>
three inches long, tapering, angular-scaled, and they
require two years in which to ripen; the scale- are
tipped with a recurved prickle. The trunk of the
Scotch pine is a warm, ruddy buff color. The little
twigs are yellowish, and the needles grow thickly at
the ends of the branchlets. This
tree furnishes the wood called deal,
so commonly used in Europe.
Table Mountain The Table
Pine. Mountain or
Pinus punqens. • i 1
1 * prickly pme
is an inhabitant of the
Alleghany Mountains,
and is found from
Pennsylvania to South
Carolina. Its stout
needles are about two
inches long, flat, and
dark, bluish green; they grow in bunches of two and
sometimes three. The cone is about three inches or
Table Mountain Pine.
descriptions of the autumnal coloring of many trees ami their
leaves.
266 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
more long, ovate, and its scales are armed with a
strong, hooked prickle about a quarter of an inch
long. The general appearance of the Table Moun-
tain pine is similar, excepting its color, to that of the
Scotch pine ; but its height is only from 20 to 60
feet. The wood is not useful for timber.
Jersey Scrub Pine. 0ne might think, from its low, strag-
Pinus inojps. g nn g character, that the Jersey scrub
Funis Virqiiiiana. • -,t i • i
v pine was without beauty or interest.
I am not of that opinion, however, for the bold foli-
age and long branches are uncommonly picturesque
when seen in relief against the sky, and certainly no
artist could wish for a wilderness more beautiful than
that called the " Pines " in New Jersey, where the
tree may be seen in its prime, clothed in a soft, warm
green in striking relief with the marvelously white,
sandy floor beneath. There is a certain rugged beauty
to the tree, notwithstanding an unconventional ap-
pearance. Its long, outstretched limbs with irregular
dotted outlines, its bristling warm green needles, and
its strongly accented, blackish trunk — these are at-
tractive qualities which not all the other pines possess
even in part.
The needles, one and a half to barely three inches
long, grow two in a bunch ; they are flat, a trifle
twisted and curved, one sixteenth of an inch wide,
and of a lively, deep yellow green. The outer surfaces
THE PINK.
26'
are a little deeper in color. The bark of the trunk La
grayish brown, and the thin seal*-, perpendicularly
arranged, are often sharply and hori-
zontally cracked across. The
Jersey Scrub Tine.
young twigs have a purplish-brown hue, with a plum-
like bloom.
The Jersey scrub pine grows from 15 to 40 feet
high, and is found on barren and sandy ground, from
Long Island, N. Y., to South Carolina near the coast,
and westward through Kentucky to southern Indiana.
The cone is about two inches long, and is furnished
with thornlike prickles on the tips of the scales.
Yellow Pine. Tlie yellow pine is a Btraight, sym
Pinusmitix. metrical, often cone-shaped tree, 50
Pinus echinata. ■* /\r\ _e 1 • 1 i • 1 i 1 1
to 100 teet nigh, which i- valuable
for its lumber. Indeed, yellow pine is next in value
to Georgia pine, and is largely used as an ornamental
wood for interior trimmings, flooring, ceiling, .-hip-
268 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
building, etc. The grain of the wood is very beauti-
ful, and shows long streaks of deep, gold-ocher color,
Yellow Pine.
rather more delicate and less ruddy than that of
Georgia pine. The tree has a handsome figure, with
regular branches, and soft, slender needles which
grow thickly at the ends of the branchlets. It is
one of the most ornamental members of the pine
family.
The needles, two and a half to five inches long,
grow two and occasionally three in a bunch; they
are roundish, slender, and dark green. The trunk
bark is gray brown, and the cones (the smallest ones
of the American pines), barely two inches long, have
rather small, weak prickles at the tips of the scales.
The yellow pine is common in dry or sandy soil
from Staten Island, N. Y., southward to Florida, and
southwestward from southern Indiana to southeastern
Kansas and Texas.
TIIK PINE.
269
Gray or Northern The gray pine, sometimes called
scrub Pine. Northern scrub pine, is the Least
Pinus I la nks! ana. • ,. ,. . ,
interesting 01 the species. Its needle
is so short that in general effect the tree reminds one
of some scraggy coarse spruce. It is often a mere
shrub, and very rarely attains a height of 30 feet.
Gray or Northern Scrub Pine.
The needles are the shortest in the pine family ;
they are scarcely over an inch long, flat, and about a
sixteenth of an inch wide. They usually grow in
pairs, and have an even bright yellow-green color,
which varies but a trifle in different specimens.
JSTotice also that the two needles do not hold closely
together, as in the case of the white pine, but diverge
at a wide angle. The newer whitish buff cones, about
two inches long (sometimes less), are often curved at
the end, and point in the same direction as the branch.
The old, dark-brown cones have reflex scales with no
prickles. The young twigs are reddish. This pine is
270 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
found in the barren or sandy soils of southern Maine,
northern Vermont, and westward to Minnesota. I
have never found it in the sandy valleys of the White
Mountain district.
Bed or Norway The red pine, which is usually called
Norway pine in New Hampshire, is
one of the handsomest members of its
family, especially when young. My
drawings of the branches, taken
from a young and an
old
g
Pine.
Plnus resinosa.
Young Red or Norway Pine.
differ. The needles of a young specimen are thick-
ly clustered along the stout and extremely ornamen-
tal branch which is terminated by a still thicker
cluster of long, dark-green needles. These branches
THE IMN T E.
271
I have found very useful for decorative purpoft
Their bold, vigorous outlines can scarcely be excelled
by the palm leaf.
The needles, five to seven inches long, grow in
pairs. They are roundish, straight, and dark green.
The cones are two or two and a half inches
lornr, and their scales are not furnished with
prickles. They usually grow in clusters.
The bark of the trunk is very ruddy, and
even the branchlets are smooth and red. So
the tree may easily be identified without
the aid of the needles.
The Norway pine grows to
a height of from 50 to 90 feet ;
it is very common, particular-
ly on the worn-out pasture
lands, in the southern districts
of the White Mountains, and
it is found from Massachu-
setts westward to Minnesota,
durable, not very resinous, and is well adapted to
construction requiring unusual strength. It makes B
tine flooring, although it has not the beautiful grain
of the yellow pine. As an ornamental tree the young
red pine has few equals ; but I must Dot say too much
about this, lest, by provoking comparisons, some in-
justice will be done another equally beautifu 1 pine.
Norway Pine cone and needle.
The wood is hard,
272 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
We must not forget that the beauty of Nature
confines itself to no rule of limitation : even as " one
star differeth from another star in glory," so beauty is
made perfect by differences in type — and in Nature
Old Norway Pine.
these are manifold. The pity of it is that so few of
us are willing to believe in more than one or two
types. I will not say, then, that Pinus resinosa is
more ornamental than Pinus /Strohus, but that the
beauty of the former can never be appreciated until
the beauty of the latter emphasizes it by contrast.
CHAPTER XXII.
V. Evergreen Leaves.
2. With short, flat, blunt needles, or with sofl need!
THE HEMLOCK, FIR, AXD LARCH.
Hemlock. There is no more graceful and orna-
Tsuga Canadensis. men tal evergreen tree than the hem-
lock when it grows in the
open, where it receives
the full benefit of unob-
structed sunlight. The
boughs of this tree are
plumelike, drooping, and
spread out laterally with
an appearance of feathery
lightness. Its blunt, flat
needles, about
half an inch
long, are the
most lustrous " Al
dark green imag-
inable, with a delicate whitish tint beneath ; iu late
in OTQ
Hemlock.
274 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
Hemlock Cones.
spring the newer ones are light yellow green. There
is no phase of tree life more beautiful than that pre-
sented by the hem-
lock clothed in its
springtime garb ;
the tips of the
dark - green sprays
are painted in yel-
low - green, with a
fairylike daintiness, the effect of which could only
be conveyed to the mind by a careful study in color.
But a young, full-foliaged hemlock on the edge
of the pasture is a very different character from the
dark and gloomy tree in the forest shades ; here, its
straight stem, with few or no lower branches, rises to
a height of from 50 to 80 feet.
The tiny cones are oval, thin-scaled, and, when
young, tan-color. They are scarcely over half an
inch long, and depend from the lower side of the
branchlet ; the tiny winged seed will be seen en-
larged in my drawing at A. This tree abounds in
the rocky woods of the North ; it extends from
Maine to Delaware, and follows the Alleghany
Mountains southward to Alabama ; westward it finds
its limit in Minnesota.
The bark of the hemlock is largely used for tan-
ning leather, and I am sorry to say that in the White
THE HEMLOCK, FIR, AND LARCH. 275
Mountains many of the trees are destroyed solely for
their bark, although the timber is very valuable for
house-framing and for rough hoarding; much of it,
though, is subject to a Haw called "wind shake," a
perpendicular splitting of the wood caused by winter
storms which bend and "shake' the stems. The
wood is rather white, and faintly tinged with buff
or pink; its grain is coarse, twisted, and unfit for
interior finish.
The mountain hemlock (Txuga Ca/rolvrda/ruC\ is
a species so similar to the foregoing that it is not
an easy matter to discriminate between them, h
is rather rare, anyway, growing wild only in the
higher Alleghany Mountains. A small specimen in
the Arnold Arboretum, the only one I have seen,
differs from the common hemlock in its larger needle
more thickly distributed over the branchlet, and its
larger cone with more spreading scale-. This tree
rarely grows over 30 feet high.
Balsam Fir. The balsam fir is the much-esteemed
Abies balsamea. " Christmas tree," whose anmiatie
perfume is a sufficient means for its identification.
This is the tree, in fact, which furnishes the needles
for "pine pillows." It can not he reasonably con-
fused with the spruce for several reasons. It- needle
is about three quarters of an inch long (rarely it
measures a full inch), dark blue-green above and
276 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
silvery blue-white below ; it is very flat, straight,
not curved, and has a very Hunt end. There is a
Balsam Fir.
groove in the center of the needle above, and a cor-
responding raised rib below. The branchlets are
flat, and the needles do not project from them in all
directions as they do on the sj^ruce ; the little branch-
lets are also conventionally arranged at an angle of
45° with the larger ones.
!H *
THE HEMLOCK, FIR, AND LARCH, 277
The bark of the fir is gray, and what Little mark-
ing there is on the trunk is horizontal or haa a blifiter-
like appearance; it is from the^e tiny exc LCOfl
that the well-known Canada balsam is obtained, which
is remarkable for its healing properties
The cone of the fir is from two
to four inches long, one inch broad,
and has a peculiar purplish color when
young ; it holds a somewhat erect
position on the edge of the branchlet,
and the scales are deciduous, flat,
rounded, thin, and accompanied by a
leaflet (bract) Avhich is tipped by an
abrupt slender point. Balsam Fir r,,ne -
The balsam fir is found in damp woods and
mountain swamps from Maine to Minnesota, and
* The atmosphere which is laden with the odors of the balsam
fir is also remarkable for certain qualities which are beneficial to
invalids. Asheville, N. C, is situated on a high plateau sur-
rounded by the Balsam Range of the Alleghany Mountains. In
this town the pure, dry air sifted through the balsam firs has a
wonderful power of healing for many lung diseases. There is a
sanitarium there which is a popular and famous resort for con-
sumptives.
The late Dr. A. L. Loomis. of New York, in a paper read some
years ago before the State Medical Society, testified to the fact that
the pines and firs which abounded in the Adirondack region ladened
the atmosphere heavily with ozone, and that the resinou
of the evergreens were the most beneficial of all tonics for the
patient suffering with pulmonary phthisis.
278 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
southward from Pennsylvania along the Alleghany
Mountains to North Carolina. I call to mind a
most beautiful group of these spirelike trees which
flanks what is known as the " Bog Road ' : in Camp-
ton, N. EL I can conceive of nothing more solemn
and impressive than the fir tree in moonlight ; al-
though it never attains an altitude of more than 45
feet (so far as my knowledge extends), it certainly
reveals, in the light of the moon, a figure of vague
and stately proportions. My sketch
was taken from a specimen 42
feet high, which grows in a
maple orchard at Blair, N. H.
Fraser's Balsam Fir. Fraser's bal-
AbusFraseri. gam fir ig ft
rare, small tree which does
not exceed 40 feet in height, and
which grows in the higher Alle-
ghany Mountains from North Caro-
lina southward. The very blunt nee-
dle is from one half to three quar-
ters of an inch long, and bluish white
on the back, with a distinct line of
green down the middle ; the little
branchlets are thickly beset with
needles on the upper side, and on the
lower side the color is extremely whitish. While the
Fraser's Fir.
BALSAM FIR.
Bog Road, Campton, Grafton Co., N. H.
A B
A, Spruce; B, Fraser's Balsam Fir ; C, Balsam Fir.
THE HEMLOCK, FIR, AND LARCH. 279
foreshortened branchlets of the common fir generally
appear flattened, Fraser's fir shows a considerable
thickness of
needles on
the upper
side ; and, on
the contrary,
the spruces show the greater thickness on the under
side. My little diagrams will make niv meaning
plain.
The cone is oblong, and from one to two inches
long, the leaflets (bracts) having a short-pointed
upper termination conspicuously projecting and re-
flexed. The general color of a young Eraser's fir
is deep olive-green with dashes of bluish sage-white.
Larch or The larch, sometimes called hackma-
Hackmatack. tack Qr temarackj is a teU tree 50 to
Lnrix Americana.
Larix laricina. 100 feet high, with extremely thin,
delicate pale-green foliage. The leaves arc decidu-
ous, soft, and they grow in bunches along the 1 (ranch-
lets like thick threads about an inch or less long.
The cone is from one half to three quarters of an
inch long, reddish brown, and has very few scales.
The dainty, cool green coloring of the larch in
spring, and its extraordinary thin, tall figure, which is
delicately penciled against the blue sky on a clear day,
make it an exceedingly ornamental tree. The larch
280 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
inhabits cold swamps and shady hillsides throughout
the North ; its southern limits are Pennsylvania,
northern Indiana and Illinois, and central Minnesota.
The European larch (Larix Ev/ropc&a) is a fast-
growing tree considered even more ornamental than
its American relative, with leaves about an inch long
(a trifle longer on the average than those of the other
species), and of a deeper light green. The branch-
lets of this tree are somewhat pendulous. The cones
are sometimes more than an inch long, and they have
numerous scales. There is also a weeping form of
the European larch.
CHAPTER XXI1L
V. Evergreen Leaves.
3. With short, sharp needles, or with scales.
THE SPRUCE, ETC.
The distinguishing difference between the fir and
the spruce needle is the sharp tip of the latter, and
the blunt, almost squarish tip of the former. A
comparison of my drawings of branchlete taken
from these two trees will also show a great differ-
ence in details which I need not mention here.
The little twigs of the spruce are always sur-
rounded by a body guard of needles; the fir tree
is content to guard the upper side of the stem, and
allow the under side to meet the winter winds un-
protected; hence both stem and back of leaf con-
tribute a pleasing variety of color to the tree.
But the spruce (at least the Eastern spruce) ha
uniform dark, somber green,* which only varies with
* The slight bloom which is occasionally present on iIh* under
side of the needle does not seem to affect th«' general green of the
tree.
281
282 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
the species. There are three species common in the
northeastern section of the country — the red, black,
and white. The most interesting one of these is the
red spruce.* This tree is familiar
to those who may have climbed the
granite hills of Xew Hampshire ; nowhere else has
the spruce seemed to me quite so impressive, for in
Red Sprues.
Plcea rubra.
Picea rubens.
Red Spruce.
* Botanists differ in opinion about the red spruce; some con-
sider it a variety of the black spruce. In the Manual, Gray fol-
lows Englemann's name, Picea nigra, var. rubra.
RED SPRUCE.
Slope of Mi. Washington, Coos Co.. N. H.
THE SPRUCE, ETC. 2~
this section of the country it holds almost exclusive
possession of the wildernesses and the great summits
which rise from 4,000 to 4,500 feel above sea Level.
In traveling through the valleys of the Gale, Am-
monoosuc, Pemigewasset, Ellis, and Saco Rivers, one
may trace on the mountain walls the line where the
maples and birches stop and the dark spruces be-
gin; their somber black-green color clothes the
greater hills with something like majestic solemnity
— an aspect which the poet Whittier must have had
in mind, (although he does not allude to the spruce
tree) when he wrote this :
By maple orchards, belts of pine,
And larches climbing darkly
The mountain slopes, and, over all,
The great peaks rising- starkly.
These lines, however, perfectly express the impres-
sion which the spruce-clad mountain wall produ
on the mind of one who passes through the valleys
of the White Mountains.
In the Sandwich country, the scene of WliittirrV
Among the Hills, the somber coloring covers the
northern hills from Sandwich Dome to Mount Cho-
corua, a distance of fifteen miles.
The red spruce in mountain fastnesses is the n.
picturesque tree imaginable; it rivals the cypr
the Southern swamps. In the dense forests which
284 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
flank the Presidential Range it rises far above its
neighbors from a bed of damp moss and pale-tinted
ferns, with tall, sheer trunk, and scragged limbs
draped with hoary moss, the acknowledged king of
the wilderness. It bears all the marks of a hard
fight for life amid opposing elements, but winter's
storms and biting arctic winds avail nothing, for,
in spite of them, the tree climbs to the very borders
of the Alpine region.
As Gray hardly does more than mention the red
spruce in the Manual, and in the Field, Forest, and
Garden Botany he does not allude to it at all, it will
be best for me to point out those differences which
have been explained to me by several botanists, and
add the results of my own observations.
The general appearance of the red species in
the White Mountains, and the black species in the
Arnold Arboretum, do not correspond at all ; the
trees are entirely different in color. The red spruce
is a dark, yellow-olive green ; the black spruce is in-
clined to a purplish black olive or an intense olive-
green. Of course, the color of the red species re-
solves itself to an intensely dark, black green, as it is
seen amonj* the deciduous trees in summertime on
the flanks of the great mountains ; it is not possible,
therefore, to judge of a tree color when it is a mile
or so away ; but as seen together, the two species a
THE SPRUCE, ETC. 285
hundred feet from the observer have no resem-
blance to each other in point of color. I might de-
scribe the black spruce as having a blacker tone with
a misty effect.
The cone of the red spruce is comparatively red-
der than that of the black spruce, and it is usually a
trifle larger ; as a rule, the edges of the scales are not
so jagged as those of the black spruce cone, and if
my drawings are compared it will be seen that the
last-mentioned cone has a decidedly square-pointed
scale.* Gray describes the black spruce cone as hav-
ing a thin denticulate edge. This is a marvelous!} 7
good point of distinction, for, if one will snap the
edge of a red spruce cone scale with the finger nail,
it will respond with a somewhat musical note ; on the
contrary, a black spruce specimen is either so thin
that it will not snap at all, or else it will produce a
note pitched so high that there is hardly any music
left in it. The same experiment with the papery
cone of the white spruce elicits a very low note with
hardly any musical quality. Of course, only old or
very well dried cones will serve for this test.
Another point of distinction between the red and
black spruces is observable in the tiny bare twigs : in
the red these are tan-red, in the black they are con-
* This is not invariably the rule; sometimes the scales are
rounder, but still jagged-edged.
286 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
siderably browner and duller — in a word, they lack
color. It is easier to make this test after the branch-
lets have been kept long enough for the needles to
drop off. By comparing the three species it will
then be seen that the tiny twigs of the white spruce
are very light and perfectly smooth, while the black
and red spruce twigs are covered with tiny hairs
(see my drawings marked A, of magnified , black
and white spruce twigs), and are much darker in
color.
The bark of the trunk is brown and scaly, not
smooth and gray like that of the fir. In March,
spruce gum is gathered from the seams in the trunk.
The red spruce is distributed over the country
from Maine to Pennsylvania and Minnesota; it ex-
tends southward along the Alleghany Mountains to
Georgia. There are immense tracts of it in the
mountain regions of New Hampshire and Maine,
and I know of one forest region comprising no less
than one hundred square miles which is almost ex-
clusively occupied by red spruce of the largest pro-
portions. This land lies in the heart of the White
Mountains, with Mounts Guyot and Bond on the
north, Willey, Nancy, and Tremont on the east, Kan-
kamagus, Osceola, Tecumseh, and Scar Ridge on the
south, and the Lafayette range on the west. But
already the woodsman's axe has penetrated deeply
THE SPRUCE, ETC.
287
into the forest, and a work of destruction has be-
gun which before many years will occasion ever-
lasting regret among those whose interests are closely
connected with this part of the country.
Black Spruce. xi ie young black spruce is often
Fieea nigra.
Picea Mariana. whitish purple - green or uniform
deep olive - green (not bluish), with no eifect of
bloom. The needle is sharp, four-sided, slenderer
than that of the red spruce, straight or curved, as
Black Spruce.
the case may be, and often grows close to the tan-
colored stem ; the older stems, half an inch or so in
diameter, are light brown gray. The cone, about an
inch and a quarter long, is a beautiful light tan color
when young, although in the beginning it is madder
purple. The old cone is apt to cling tenaciously to
the branchletj and assumes a dull gray-brown hue;
288 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
the scales are very thin at the tip, somewhat square-
pointed, and often eroded at the edge. The lower
branches of tall trees which grow in the open droop
very gracefully.
The black spruce is found in cold and damp
woods from New England to Pennsylvania, central
Michigan, and Minnesota; southward it follows the
Alleghany Mountains to North Carolina. The wood
is yellowish white, tough, and clear of all but small
and rather ornamental-looking knots ; it is largely
used in construction and interior finish.
White Spruce. The white spruce differs from the
Picea alba. black in the following particulars :
The needle is slenderer and is sometimes
longer, the little twigs are lighter col-
ored (decidedly buff), and the cone is
slender, longer, light green when very
young, and light tan color when older.
The cones of this spruce are often two
inches long, and papery -soft under pres-
sure of the fingers ; they drop off at the
end of the year. My drawing shows the
cone in three stages of its development :
notice that the edges of the scales are
clean cut, not jagged. The needles are
usually a trifle curved, and on being
bruised emit a rather disagreeable, pun-
White Spruce.
THE SPRUCE, ETC.
289
gent odor,* which is a sufficient and certain means
for the identification of the tree.
The general color of the white spruce is light
olive-green (that is, in young trees) with a sugges-
tion of surface bloom. 'he tree
is exceedingly ornamen-
tal, and assumes
a perfect cone
shape when its
growth is unim-
peded. It attains a
height of from 20
to 100 feet, and is
common in the ex-
treme Northern States
from Maine to Minnesota. The wood is beautifully
clear and white, and is extensively used for interior
finish. The best and clearest quality of white spruce
I can only compare with satinwood.
Colorado Blue Spruce. The Colorado spruce, sometimes
Picea pungens. called silver spruce, is a Hoc
Mountain species frequently cultivated in our East-
ern parks and gardens; there are several beautiful
but small specimens in the Arnold Arboretum ne r
±>oston. There is also a charming larger spe amen
White Spruce Cones.
* It is unpleasantly suggestive of the feline tribe.
20
290 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
on the lawn of Messrs. Ellwanger and Barry's nurs-
eries at Rochester, IN". Y. This tree may be iden-
tified at once by its long, sharp needle, which is gen
erally sage-green in color, but which imparts to the
tree a peculiar, light bluish tint. Kot all specimens
are alike in this respect, as some are greener than
others, and a few have a somewhat rusty tinge.
The needle is three quarters of an
inch or an inch in length, curved, ex-
tremely sharp pointed, and it emits
a disagreeable, pungent odor when
bruised.* The little twigs bristle
all around with needles, and when
young they are a beautiful tan-
color. The general effect of some
of the handsomest Colorado
spruces is light sage-green of a
very bluish tone ; the tree is one of
the lightest colored of the ever
greens, and has a perfectly conical
figure which is strikingly ornamental,
especially when it is crowned by clus-
ters of long, red, tan-colored cones;
these are usually four inches or less in
Co, l^ce Blue length.
* The Colorado blue spruce has the same strong odor as the
white spruce.
THE SPRUCE, ETC.
291
Norway Spruce. The Norway spruce is another hand-
Picea exceim. some species, which is generally con-
fined to parks and private grounds. This tree grows
from 50 to 120 feet high, according to circumstances ;
in the forests of Norway its long, drooping
branches and tall figure form a conspicu-
ous feature of the landscape. A num-
ber of varieties assume extraordinary
if not grotesque shapes ; a
certain weeping form, which
may be seen in the Ar-
nold Arboretum, is a
most peculiar, bare-
branched, snaky-look-
ing character, which
can not fail to attract
notice.
The needle of the Norway spruce is slightly
curved, about seven eighths of an inch long, and
olive-orreen. The cone is four and a half or five
inches long, and is pendant; its color is light red-
dish brown, and the rigid scales are square-pointed.
The bald cypress is a funereal -look -
Southern Cypress, ing tree of the Southern swamps,
Taxodium distich um. w ] )0se picturesque, spirelikc contour
and grim stateliness are qualities not without a cer-
tain charm. It is found in swampy lands from Mary-
Norway Spruce.
292 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
land westward to Missouri and throughout the
South.* The tree is often completely surrounded by
water, from which it rises
straight as an arrow.. In the
water and growing up from
the roots are frequently seen
strange, lumpy, conical growths
which are called " knees " ; in a
cypress swamp these conspic-
uous formations invariably at-
tract attention, f
The leaves of the cypress are
deciduous, flat, light olive -green,
and from seven sixteenths to three
quarters of an inch long ; they are
sometimes (on the smaller and flow-
ering branchlets) awl -shaped and overlapping. The
general color of the tree is a dull, deep green. The
roundish cones are an inch or so long, with closed,
thickish, irregular scales.
Bald Cypress.
* At Chapultepec, Mexico, there is an American cypress which,
when the Spaniards entered the country in 1520, was called " The
Cypress of Montezuma," being then of immense size, over forty
feet in girth and 120 feet in height.
f At every " knee " a downward, strong root deeply penetrates
the ground ; these " knee " roots are the anchors by which the bald
cypress is held firmly in its soft and boggy bed.
There is a fine specimen of the bald cypress, 40 feet high, and
with a symmetrical figure, at Dosoris, Long Island.
THE SPRUCE, ETC. 293
The bald cypress grows from GO to 125 feet
high, and furnishes valuable, clear lumber for in-
terior trimmings. Its grain is exceedingly beauti-
ful, and in the vicinity of the roots its darker rich
brown color and striking convolutions are not equaled
by many of the handsomest hard woods. For panel-
ing and doors not the best of French walnut seems to
me quite as effective as cypress.
Two trees which I must mention in passing, be-
cause they are representatively American, are the
great trees of California — Sequoia gigantea, and the
redwood, Sequoia semper vir ens. The former is the
largest tree known.*
Some of these great trees measure 3o0 feet in
height, and through the tunneled stem of one par-
ticular specimen a coach and four horses has been
driven, with room enough and to spare. The needles
* Dr. Bigelow gives the following description of one, which I
copy from General James S. Brisbin's Trees and Tree Planting:
" Eighteen feet from the stump it was fourteen and a half feet in
diameter. As the diminution of the annual growth from the heart
or center to the outer circumference orsapwood appeared in regu-
lar succession, I placed my hand midway, measuring six inches,
and carefully counting the rings on that space, which were one
hundred and thirty, making the age of the tree, by this computa-
tion, one thousand eight hundred and eighty-five years. ... It
required thirty-one paces, three feet each, to measure its circum-
ference, making ninety-three feet: and to fell it. it took live men
twenty-two days, and the mere cutting down cost over five hun-
dred dollars."
294 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
are awl-shaped, or flat and sharp pointed, and they
are scattered around the branchlets ; in color they are
light olive-green. Occasionally the tree is planted in
the East, but with little success, as it lives but a few
years.* The other Sequoia, called redwood, is not so
large, but the average diameter of the older trees is
not far from eight feet. The needles are from half
an inch to a full inch in length, smooth, sharp
pointed, and deep, shiny olive-green above, bat
covered with a whitish bloom below. The cones
are roundish and scarcely an inch in diameter. The
ruddy-colored wood is not unlike that of the red
cedar, and it is extensively used for interior finish.
Unfortunately, it is rather soft. The redwood is not
hardy in the Eastern States.
Arbor vitse. The arbor vitse is a familiar hedge
Thuja occidentaiis. evergreen, which needs no description
for its identification. But we should know how to
distinguish it from the common white cedar (Chamce-
cyparis sphceroidea). Arbor vitge has a bright-green
leaf spray with overlapping scales which are closely
pressed together on the extremely flat branchlets ;
these have a very aromatic odor when bruised. The
* There is a remarkably beautiful, conical, but small specimen
at Dosoris, Long Island, which still thrives. Prof. Meehan says
that the Sequoia is destroyed by a parasitic fungus which was
discovered by Mr. J. B. Ellis, of Newfield, N. J.
THE SPRUCE, ETC.
295
tiny cone, less than half an inch long, has from six
to ten pointless scales, grows in an inverted position
on the branchlet, is of a light yellow-brown color, and
opens to the very base when ripe. The bark of the
tree is fibrous, dull gray-brown, and on some speci-
:%&>'
Arbor Vitffl.
mens it grows in a somewhat spiral fashion about the
trunk.
Arbor vitae is found in swamps and cool, moist
woods, from New York southward along the Alle-
ghany Mountains to North Carolina ; westward it ex-
tends to Minnesota. It grows from 20 to 50 feet
296 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
high, and has light, soft, but very durable wood
especially adapted to withstand extremes of heat
and moisture when in contact with the ground.
White Cedar. The white cedar is similar in some
Chamcecyparis respects to the foregoing species, but
spticeroid ea. x ° ° r
Cupressus tiujoides. certain differences are well marked,
and they are sufficient to prevent a confusion of the
* two trees. The white cedar grows in a
symmetrical conelike figure, with a gen-
eral color effect of warm, light brown-
ish green ; arbor vitse is usually much
greener. The leaf spray of this tree
is less broad and flat than that of
the foregoing species ; perhaps I
might also call it less heavy and
coarse. The tiny cone is scarcely
one third of an inch in diameter,
and has about six scales, which do
not open to the base of the cone
but at a wide angle with its axis ;
the scales are thick and pointed or bossed in the
middle.
The white cedar is found from southern Maine
through the Atlantic States to Florida, also along
the Gulf to Mississippi, and generally inhabits cold
swamps. It grows from 30 to 90 feet high ; its
durable though soft white wood is used in boat-
White Cedar.
TIIK SPRUCBj ETC.
207
building, and for shingles, railroad ties, the founda-
tions of buildings, and fence posts. It is capable of
withstanding the disintegrating effect of alternating
lieat and moisture. The bark is very fibrous.
Common Juniper. The common juniper must be con-
Juniperus communis, sidered more as a shrub than a tree,
as it rarely grows tall enough to look treelike. In
habit, however, it is sometimes
erect ; but more frequently it
has low - spreading branches,
which grow so close to the
ground that they are apt to
be trodden upon. Its sharp-
pointed needle, green below
and a trifle whitish above, is
very prickly, grows in threes
around the slender stem, and
does not often exceed half an
inch in length. The pretty cadet- Common Juniper "
blue berries, about the size of a pea, are black purple
beneath the bloom ; they have an agreeable, aromatic
odor when bruised, and are largely used in the
flavoring of gin. Juniper is common throughout
the North on dry and sterile ground, and grows
hardly more than one or two feet high. I have
found it plentiful on the eastern shores of Lake
George, but never in the White Mountains.
298 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
Red Cedar. Tied cedar is a dark-hued tree of
junipems Virginia™. com p ac t habit, popularly consid-
ered less beautiful than useful. It is certainly pic-
turesque in some of its rugged and varied forms,
but as it advances in age a certain raggedness of
figure unfits it for the ornamentation of a neat and
prim park, the orderly gardener of which prides him-
self on his success in excluding what I might call the
wild and picturesque romanticism of Mature. But
in Bucks County, Pa., I am told that many hill-
sides are ornamented with its Gothic figure (indeed,
its contour is strikingly suggestive of the
pointed arch), and that the landscape is
greatly enriched by its somber
and refreshing dull green. To
my mind, there are few trees
whose sober coloring is invested
with so great a charm. I call
to remembrance certain speci-
mens firowinff in Virginia
whose green is beautifully
tinged with rusty red, and
others elsewhere with a green pervaded by warm
orange. In Roxbury, Mass., there are also many rusty
colored trees. Kot the least interesting effect of the
coloring in the red cedar is the cadet blue-gray of
the berries which plentifully besprinkle the branchlets
Red Cedar.
RED CEDAR.
Near Chatham, Morris Co., N. J.
THE SPRUCE, ETC. 209
of the fertile trees* in the autumn. The leaves are
very tiny, and scalelike on the older brandies, but
awl-shaped or needlelike, sharp, and spreading on
the newer ones ; under close scrutiny the foreshort-
ened little branehlet is square, and the color, where
it is not rusty, is shiny olive-green. The berries,
black-purple beneath the bloom, are about as large
as small peas.f The bark is brown and fibrous, and
sometimes comes off in long shreds, leaving the bare
trunk smooth. The wood has an exceedingly spi<-v
odor, and a wonderfully fine, straight grain which is
peculiarly adapted to the needs of a lead pencil ; its
color is pale brownish-lake red. The red cedar is
sparingly distributed, excepting in a few localities
throughout the United States. It commonly grows
to a height of 20 or 30 feet in the Korth, but south-
ward it attains a height of from 50 to 90 feet. It
is not to be found in the White Mountains.
A near relative of our red cedar, a tree which also
possesses picturesque qualities, is the European yew
* The trees bearing staminate (unfertile) flowers, I nin told.
are the ones which are most generally tinged with a brown-red
or tawny color.
f I am told that in Bucks County these berries furnish the
birds with a plentiful amount of food in midwinter, and that on
hot July days the oil is distilled in the hot sun so that the whole
region about the trees is filled with the aromatic perfume. Many
of the trees are of such dense growth that little or no sunlight
penetrates to the ground beneath.
300 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
{Taxus baccata). This tree is planted in our coun-
try, but with indifferent success ; it rarely amounts
to anything north of Philadelphia. The evergreen
leaves are sharp pointed, curved, flat, and they grow
in ranks of two. In general effect the tree has dark-
green, somber, but beautiful foliage. A remarkably
symmetrical conelike variety of this species is called
the Irish yew {Taxus baccata, var. fastigiata). There
is a charmingly compact and beautifully formed tree
of this variety at Dosoris, the home of Mr. Richard
Starr Dana, on Long Island ; but Mr. William Fal-
coner says that the Irish yew does not thrive in this
country — a pity, I think, because there are few trees
which offer so great an inducement and promise to
the gardener in search of a conventionally modeled
tree.
The only yew native to this country is a mere
shrub with straggling branches which spread widely
over the ground ; it is called Taxus Canadensis
{Taxus Minor, Sarg.), and improperly ground hem-
lock. So superficial a resemblance to the true hem-
lock should not mislead one ; the distinguishing char-
acteristic of the ground hemlock a sharp observer
would not fail to detect, Look at my drawing
marked A; the needle at the end abruptly finishes
in a sharp point This is not the case with the needle
of the true hemlock. I must also draw attention to
rill'! SPRUCE, ETC.
301
a charming quality of color in the ground hemlock
needle which is rarely the possession of any leaf :
Yew.
the reverse side is precisely the softest, warmest, and
most beautiful, rich yellow-green which we can find
in Nature. I have already alluded to this particular
green in a description of the mulberry leaf. If
there are those of us who think the color nothing
extraordinary, let them attempt the almost impossi-
ble task of matching it exactly. The beautiful trans-
lucent red berry of the ground hemlock, with the
black spot in the center of the depression, is hardly
less interesting than the warm, green foliage ; its deli-
cacy is only comparable to that of the pearly berry of
the mistletoe.
The ground hemlock is common on shady hills
and banks throughout the Northern States from
302 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
Maine to Minnesota ; its southern limit is New
Jersey. It is the last but not the least woodland
character which I have thought sufficiently interest-
ing and beautiful to include in my group of ever-
green trees. Its lustrous, dark-green needle is as
rich in color as that of the young and vigorous fir,
and on the underneath concave surface is hidden that
unique green which is its exclusive possession among
the evergreens. What the ground hemlock lacks in
stature it more than compensates for in color.
It will not do always to walk with head uplifted
and eyes only for the tops of trees ; if we do, some-
thing of beauty at our feet will be lost. Often the
daintiest bit of tree life is heedlessly crushed by some
ruthless foot. I was strongly impressed with this fact
one time when, scrambling through the shrubbery on
a hillside in an effort to reach a mountain ash, I trod
upon some dainty waxen berries of the ground hem-
lock. The fruit of the mountain ash is heavy and
coarse when compared with that of the ground hem-
lock. Place some of each together, and allow them
to give their own testimony.
It is a blessed privilege to know the trees, the
flowers, and the leaves by direct contact and close
sympathy with them. It is not enough to behold a
tree with our eyes and never touch it with our hands.
Some of us are imperfectly aware of the personality
TIIE SPRUCE, ETC. 303
in a tree or flower, and we think Nature reveals her-
self to a select few. What a foolish error of judg-
ment! It is ourselves who accomplish the revelation,
whatever that maybe; it is our own fault if we do
not succeed. We do not admit Nature to an inti-
macy which it is the privilege of some cherished
friend to enjoy, and we charge her with .being un-
fathomably mysterious and enigmatical.
Thank Clod, one sweet-spirited man could testify
to the contrary ! Many of us who are city bred
would be glad to possess at least some small portion
of his understanding of her. I believe we may pos-
sess not only a share but a fullness of this understand-
ing, if we will only spend less time in the drawing
room and more in the woods ; then, perhaps, in the
presence of the everlasting, forest-clad hills, we can
confidently say, with Whittier:
Transfused through you, mountain friends 1
With mine your solemn spirit blends,
And life no more hath separate ends.
I read each misty mountain sign,
I know the voice of wave and pine,
And I am yours, and ye are mine.
Life's burdens fall, its discords cease,
I lapse into the glad release
Of Nature's own exceeding peace.
A SYSTEMATICAL INDEX
OF THE NAMES OF TREES OF TIIE EASTERN
UNITED STATES,
INCLUDING TIIE BOTANICAL NAMES ACCORDING TO
PROF. ASA GRAY AND PROF. C. S. SARGENT.
The letter on the right of each botanical name is the initial
of the common name. The botanical name according to Prof.
C. S. Sargent is referred to that according to Prof. Asa Gray.
21
30G FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
SPECIES AND VARIETIES.
Botanical nam*.
Family.
Abele Tree (see Poplar,
White).
Abies balsamea, F
Abies Fraseri, F
Acer barbatum (see A. sac-
charinum).
Acer barbatum, var. nigrum
(see A. saccharinum, var
nigrum).
Acer dasycarpum, M
Acer macrophyllum, M
Acer negundo (see Negundo
aceroides).
Acer palmatum, M
Acer Pennsylvanic urn, M .
Acer platanoides, M
Acer rubrum, M
Acer saccharinum, M
Acer saccharinum, var. ni-
grum.
Acer saccharinum, Sarg. (see
A. dasycarpum).
Acer spicatum, M
JEsculus octandra, B
JEsculus flava, var. purpu-
rascens, B.
JEsculus glabra, B
JEsculus Hippocastanum, H.
JEsculus octandra (see JE.
octandra).
JEsculus octandra, var. hy-
brida (see JE. flava, var.
purpurascens).
JEsculus Pavia, B
JEsculus rubicunda, H
Ailanthus glandulosa (see
A. glandidosus).
Ailanthus glandidosus. A. . .
Ailanthus (see Ailantus).
Ailantus
Alder, European
Alder, Hoary (see Alder,
Speckled).
Alder, Speckled
Alnus glutinosa, A
Alnus incana, A
A'tielanchier Canadensis.
S. J.
Apple, American Crab
Arbor Vitae
Arrow- wood
Ailanthus glandulosus.
Abuts glutinosa
Alnus incana.
Ash, Black
Ash, Blue. .
Ash, European
Ash, Green
Ash, Red
Ash, Water.
Pyrus corona ria
Thuja occidentalis. . . .
Viburnum dentatum.
Quassia.
Oak.
Oak.
Fraxinus nigra
Fraxinus quadrangu-
lata.
Fraxinus excelsior
Fraxinus viridis
Fraxinus Pennsylva
nica.
Fraxinus platycarpa . .
Rose.
Pine.
Honey-
suckle.
Oak.
Oak.
Oak.
Oak.
Oak.
Oak.
Paget.
275
278
203
208
207
195
207
205
198
202
194
254
255
253
250
251, 255
251
209
209
100
97,99
100
99
61
59
294
191
247
245
249
244
243
246
A SYSTEMATICAL INDEX.
307
SPECIES AND VARIETIES.
Butanical name.
Ash, Weeping
Ash, White
Asimina triloba, P. C.
Aspen, American
Aspen, Large-toothed.
Balm of Oilead
Basswood (see Linden, Amer-
ican).
Basswood, Small-leaved
Basswood, White
Bay, Bull
Bay, Carolina Red
Bay, Sweet (see Magnolia,
Small).
Beech, American
Beech, Copper
Beech, European
Betula alba, B
Betula alba, var. atropur-
purea.
Betula alba, var. fastigiata.
Betula alba, var. laciniata..
Betula alba, var. pendula. . .
Betula alba, var. pubescens.
Betula glandulosa, B
Betula lenta, B
Betula lutea, B
Betula nigra, B
Betula papyrifera, B
Betula populifolia, B
Bilsted (see Liquidamber).
Birch, Black
Fraxinus Americana.
Family.
Populus tremuloides.
Populusy rand idea lata
Pop ulus ba ha m if era ,
var. candicaus.
Tilia pubescens
Tilia heterophylla
Magnolia grandi flora.
I'ersea Carolineusis . . .
Fagus ferruginea
Fagus sylvatica, var.
atropurpurea.
Fagus sylvatica
Birch, Canoe (see Birch,
Paper).
Birch, Cherry (6ee Birch,
Black).
Birch, Cut-leaved
Birch, Dwarf
Birch, European White
Birch, Gray
Birch, Hairy-leaved
Birch, Paper
Birch, Purple-leaved
Birch, Pyramidal
Birch, Red
Birch, River (see Birch, Red).
Birch, Sweet (see Birch,
Black).
Birch, Weeping
Birch, White (see Birch,
Canoe).
Betula leuta.
Betula glandulosa.
Betula alba
Betula populifolia.
Betula papyrifera .
Betula nigra.
Oak.
Willow.
Willow.
Willow.
Linden.
Linden.
Magnolia.
Laurel.
Oak.
Oak.
Oak.
Oak.
Oak.
Oak.
Oak.
Uak.
Oak.
Paget.
J I 1 . 1
X* 1 1
29
123
125
129
47
47
21
35
3, 9, 107
110
109
90
92
92
90. 92
92
92
98
81
84
96
93
86,93
81,86,
1U1
90, 92
9K
90
.;. 86,92,
93. 97,
124
92
84, 89,
93
92
92
90
92
308 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
SPECIES AND VARIETIES.
Birch, White
Gray).
Birch, Yellow. .
(see Birch,
Bitternut
Blackthorn
Box Elder (see Maple, Ash
leaved).
Broussonetia papyrifera, M.
Buckeye, Fetid (see Buck-
eye, Ohio).
Buckeye, Ohio
Buckeye, Purple Sweet
Buckeye, Red
Buckeye, Sweet
Buckeye, Yellow (see Buck-
eye, Sweet).
Buckthorn, Carolina
Buckthorn, Common
Burning Bush
Burning Bush, European.
Butternut
Buttonwood
Carpinus Caroliniana, H. . .
Carya alba, H. S
Carya amara, B
Carya microcarpa, H
Carya olivozformis, P
Carya porcina, P
Carya sulcata. S
Carya tomentosa, M
Castanea dentata (see C.
sativa).
Castanea pumila, C
Castanea sativa, C
Catalpa
Catalpa bignonoides, C
Catalpa Catalpa (see Catal-
pa bignonoides).
Catalpa speciosa, C
Catalpa, Western
Cedar, Red
Cedar, White
Celtis occidentalis. H
Cercis Canadensis, R. J. . .
Chamozcyparis sphanoidea,
C.
Cherry, Bird (see Cherry,
Wild Red).
Cherry, Choke
Cherry, Wild Black
Cherry, Wild Red
Chestnut
Chinquapin
Botanical nime.
Betula lutea.
Carya amara
Crataegus tomentosa .
JEscxdus glabra
JEsculus flava, var.
purpurascens.
JEsculus Pavia
JEsculus octandra
Rhamnus Caroliniana.
Rhamnus cathartica . .
Evonymus atropurpu-
reus.
Evonymus Europaius..
Juglans cinerea
Platanus occidentalis .
Catalpa bignonoides
Catalpa speciosa
Jun iperus Yirg in iana.
Chamo?cyparis sphai-
roidea.
Prunus Virginiana. .
Prunus serotina ....
Prunus Pennsylvania
Castanea sativa
Castanea pumila
Family.
Oak.
Walnut.
Rose.
Soapberry.
Soapberry.
Soapberry.
Soapberry.
Buckthorn.
Buckthorn.
Holly.
Holly.
Walnut.
Plane Tree.
Bignonia.
Bignonia.
Pine.
Pine.
Rose.
Rose.
Rose.
Oak.
Oak.
Pagea.
9, 81,
84. 97
139
80
253
255
255
254
50
50
188
189
17, 224
2, 172
103
229
235
234
236
232
231
232
107
104
185
185
187
187
298
294-296
76
30
296
57
54
52
104
107
A SYSTEMATICAL IXDIOX.
300
SPECIES AND VARIETIES.
Chionanthus Virginica, F ..
Cladrastis lutea t,see C. tine-
toria).
Cladrastis tinctoria, Y
Cornel, Red-stemmed
Cornus alba, C
Cornus alternifolia, D
Cornus florida, D
Cornus stolonifera, O
Cotinua Americana (see
Rhus cotinoides).
Cottonwood
Crataegus asstivalis, II
Crataegus apiifolia, T
Crataegus coccinea, T
Crataegus cordata, T
Crataegus Crus-galli, T
Crataegus flava, H
Crataegus mollis, H
Crataegus oxycantha, H
Crataegus punctata, T
Crataegus spathulata
Crataegus tomentosa, B
Crataegus viridis, H
Cucumber Tree
Cucumber Tree. Yellow
Custard, Apple (see Papaw).
Cypress, Bald
Cypress, Southern (see Cy-
press, Bald).
Date Plum ('see Persimmon).
Diospyros Kaki. P
Diospj/ros Virginiana, P. D.
Dogwood, Alternate-leaved..
Dogwood, Flowering
Elm, American.
Botanical uauie.
Cornus alba
Populus monilifera.
Family.
Dogwood.
Willow.
Magnolia acuminata. .
Magnolia cordata
Tuxodium distichum.
Cornus alternifolia..
Cornus florida
Ulmus Americana.
Elm, Corky White
Elm, English
Elm. Red (see Elm, Slippery).
Elm, Scotch
Elm, Slippery
Elm, Wanoo
Elm, Water i see PlanerTree).
Elm. White (see Elm, Ameri
cam.
Elm, Winged (see Elm, Wa-
hool.
Elm, Wych (see Elm, Scotch).
Euonymus (see Evonymus).
Evonymus atropurpureuSy'B,
Evonymus Europajus, B
Ulmus racemosa. .
Ulmus campestris
Fagus Americana
ferruginea).
(see F.
Ulmus man tana
Ulmus f u Ira .<. . .
Ulmus alata. . . .
Magnolia.
Magnolia.
Pine.
Dogwood.
Dogwood.
Nettle.
Nettle.
Nettle.
Nettle.
Nettle.
Nettle.
Pagei.
184
212
184
184
181
180
183
127
141
136
137
134
140
141
138
l.r.
130
136
130
136
23
25
21,201
35
33
181
180
17, 56,
81
74
74
71
8
75
188
310 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
SPECIES AND VARIETIES.
Botanical name.
Family.
Fagus ferruginea, B
Fagus sylvatica, B
Fagus sylvatica foliis atro-
rubentibus (see F. sylvati-
ca, var. atropurpureu).
Fagus sylvatica, var. atro-
purpurea, B.
Fir, Balsam
Fir, Fraser's balsam
Fir Scotch (see Pine, Scotch).
Fraxinus Americana, A
Fraxinus Caroliniana (see
Fraxinus platycarpa).
Fraxinus excelsior, A
Fraxinus excelsior, var. pen-
clula.
Fraxinus sambucifolia, A...
Fraxinus quadrangulata, A
Fraxinus Pennsylvania, A.
Fraxinus Pennsyl va n ica .
var. lanceolata (see F.
viridis).
Fraxinus platycarpa, A
Fraxinus viridis
Fringe Tree
Abies balsamea .
Abies Fraseri. . .
Pine.
Pine.
Gleditschia aquatica, L
Gleditschia triacanthos, L . .
Gleditschia triacanthos, var.
Bujotii pendida.
Gleditschia triacanthos, var.
inermis.
Great Tree of California
Ground Hemlock (see Yew.
American).
Gymnocladus Canadensis, K
Gymnocladus dioicus (see G.
Canadensis).
Hackberry
Hackmatack (see Larch).
Hamamelis Virginiana, W.
Haw, Black
Haw, Scarlet
Haw. Southern Summer
Haw, Summer (see Haw, Yel-
low).
Haw, Yellow
Hawthorn, Fnglish
Hawthorn, Tall
Hemlock
Hemlock, Mountain
Hickory
Hickory, Small-fruit
Hickory, Swamp (see Bitter-
nut).
Chionanthus Virginica ] Olive.
Sequoia gigantea..
Pine.
Celtis occidentalis .
Nettle.
Viburnum prunifolium
Crataegus mollis
Crataegus aestivalis
Crataegus flava ,
Crataegus oxycantha
Crataegus viridis
Tsuga Canadensis. . .
Tsuga Caroliniana. .
Carya alba
Carya microcarpa
Honey-
suckle.
Rose.
Rose.
Rose.
Rose.
Rosp.
Pine.
Pine.
Walnut.
Walnut.
Paget.
107
109
110
17,275
278
241
240
249
247
245
243
246
244
184
218
216
218
218
293
215
76
65
190
138
141
141
135, 138
136
273
275
2.'9
234
A SYSTEMATICAL INDEX.
311
SPECIES AND VARIETIES.
Hicoria alba (see Carya to-
mentosa >.
Hicoria glabra (see Carya
porcina ).
Hicoria glabra, var. odorata
(see Carya microcarpa).
Hicoria laciniosa (see Carya
sulcata).
Hicoria minima (see Carya
amara).
Hicoria ovata (see Carya
alba).
Hicoria pecan (see Carya
olivozformis).
Holly, American
Holly, Dahoon
Holly, English
Honeysuckle, Tartarian
Hop Hornbeam.
Hornbeam
Horse-chestnut.
Horse-chestnut,
ing.
Red-flower
Ilex Cassine (see /. Dahoon).
Ilex Dahoon, H
Ilex monticola (no common
name).
Ilex opaca, H
Indian Bean (see Catalpa).
Indian Cherry (see Buck-
thorn, Carolina).
Ironwood (see Hop Horn-
beam).
Judas Tree (see Red Bud).
Juglans cinerea, B
Juglans n igra, W
Juglans regia, W
Juneberry (see Shadbush).
Juniper
Juniperus communis, J. .
Juniperus Virgiuiana, C.
Kentucky Coffee-Tree
Larix Americana, L.
Larix Buroposa, L. . .
Larch, American
Larch, European
Linden, American. . . .
Linden, European
Liquidambar
Botanies] name.
Family.
Hex opaca . .
Ilex Dahoon
Lonicera Tartarica
Ostrya Virginica
Carpin us Carol in iana
jEscidus Hippocasia
num.
^sculus rubicunda . . .
Holly.
Holly.
Juniperus commit n is
(ri/mnorladus Cana
densis.
Larix Americana
Larix Europoui
Tilia Americana
Tilia Europ<ra
Liquidambar atyraci-
fiua,
Honey-
suckle.
Oak.
Oak.
Soapberry.
Soapberry.
Holly.
Pine.
Tulse.
Pine,
Pine.
Linden,
Linden.
Witch-
Hazel.
¥**-.
48
49
48
184
as, 101
103
13, 250
251
49
49
48
224
226
2-~>S
2! >7
897
298
215
279
28) i
279
280
48
4:.
176
312 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
SPECIES AND VARIETIES.
Liquidambar styraciflua, L.
S. B.
Liriodendron tulipifera, T.
W.
Locust
Locust, Clammy
Locust, Honey
Locust, Water
Lonicera Tartarica, H
Botanical name.
Family.
Madeira Nut (see Walnut,
English).
Magnolia acuminata, C
Magnolia acuminata, var.
cordata (see M. cordata).
Magnolia cordata, C
Magnolia foztida (see M.
grandiflora).
Magnolia Fraseri, U
Magnolia glauca, M
Magnolia grandiflora, M
Magnolia, Great-flowered . . .
Magnolia, Great-leaved
Magnolia macrophylla, M. . .
Magnolia, Small
Magnolia tripetala (see M.
umbrella).
Magnolia umbrella, U
Maple, Ash-leaved
Maple, Black Sugar
Maple, California
Maple, Cut-leaved Silver. . .
Maple. Goose-foot (see Maple,
Striped).
Maple, Japan
Maple, Mountain
Maple, Norway
Maple, Red
Maple, Rock (see Maple,
Sugar).
Maple, Silver
Robinia Pseudacacia. .
Kobinia viscosa
Gleditschia triacanthos
Gleditschia aquatica . .
Magnolia grandiflora.
Magnolia macrophylla
Magnolia glauca
Pulse.
Pulse.
Pulse.
Pulse.
Magnolia.
Magnolia.
Magnolia.
Negundo aceroides
Acer saccharinum, var.
nigrum.
Acer macrophyllum . . .
Maple. Striped.
Maple, Sugar .
(see Maple,
Maple,
Maple, Swamp
Red).
Maple, White (see
Silver).
Mockernut.
Morus alba, M
Morus nigra, M
Morus rubra, M
Mountain Ash, American. . . .
Mountain Ash, Elder-leaved.
Mulberry, Black
Mulberry, Paper
Acer palmatum. .
Acer spicatum. . .
Acer platanoides
Acer rubrum
Acer dasycarpum
Acer Pennsylvanicum
Acer saccharinum
Carya tomentosa.
Pi/rus Americana
Pyrus so mbnci folia . . .
Morus nigra
Brovssonetia papyri
/era.
Soapberry.
Soapberry.
Soapberry.
Soapberry.
Soapberry.
Soapberry.
Soapberry.
Soapberry.
Soapberry.
Soapberry.
Walnut.
Rose.
Rose.
Nettle.
Nettle.
Pagei.
176
36
213
213
216
218
184
23
25
28
22
21
21
26
26
22
27. 29
239
202
208
204
208
194. 206
207
205
9, 17,
192. 203
195
15,17,38,
104, 178,
192, 198
2.32
79
80
223.' 302
224
80
80
A SYSTEMATICAL INDKX.
313
SPECIES AND VARIETIES.
.Mulberry Red
Mulberry, White.
Negundo aceroides, B. M. . . .
Nyssa aquatica (.see N. uni-
flora).
JS'yssa biflora, T
Xyssa sylvatica, T. S
Nyssa aylvatica, var. bi flora
(see iV T . bi flora).
Xyssa uniflora , T
Oak. Barren (see Oak, Black-
jack).
Oak, Basket
Oak, Black
Oak, Black-Jack
Oak, Burr
Oak, Chestnut
Oak, Cow (see Oak, Basket).
Oak, English
Oak, Iron (see Oak, Post).
Oak, Laurel
Oak, Live
Oak, Over-cup (see Oak,
Burr).
Oak. Pin
Oak, Post
Oak, Red
Oak, Scarlet
Oak, Shingle (see Oak,
Laurel).
Oak. Southern Over-cup
Oak. Spanish
Oak, Swamp Spanish (see
Oak. Pin).
Oak, Swamp White
Oak, Water
Oak, White
oak, Willow
Oak. Yellow Chestnut
Oil Nut (see Butternut).
Osier, Red
Ostrya Virginiana (see O.
Virqinica).
Ostrya Virginica, H, I
Oxydendrum arboreum, S...
B"tanical name.
Family.
Mortis rubra.
Morus alba . .
Papaw.
Pecan Nut
Persea Horbonia (see P. Ca
rolinensis. |
Persea < 'arolinensis, B
PiTsimmon
Persimmon, Japanese
Qiiercus Michauxii
Quercus cocciiiea, var
tinctoria.
Quercus nigra
Quercus macrocarpa . .
Quercus Prinus
Quercus Eobur.
Nettle.
Nettle.
Quercus imbricaria.
Quercus virens
Quercus palustris.
Quercus stellata. .
Quercus rubra . . . .
Quercus coccinea.
Quercus lyrata .
Quercus falcata
Quercus bicolor
Quercus aquatica
Quercus alba
Quercus Phellos
Quercus Muhlenberqii
Corn us stolonifera . . .
Asimina triloba...
Carya olivceformis
Diospyros Virginiana
Diospyros Kaki
Dogwood.
Custard
Apple.
Walnut.
F.hnny.
Ebony.
Paget.
77
79
239
32
31
32
Oak.
Oak.
153
163
Oak.
Oak.
Oak.
168
147
153
Oak.
171
Oak.
Oak.
169
157
Oak.
Oak.
Oak.
Oak.
165
146
159
161
Oak.
Oak.
149
169
Oak.
Oak.
Oak.
Oak.
Oak.
150
167
144
170
156
183
101
68
29
21, 236
85
88
■do
314: FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
SPECIES AND VARIETIES.
(.see
Picea alba, S
Picea excelsa, S
Ptcea nigra, S
Picea pungens, S
Picea rubra, S
Pignut
Pine, Georgia
Pine, (iray
Pine, Jersey Scrub
Pine, Loblolly ,
Pine, Northern Pitch..
Pine, Northern Scrub
Pine, Gray).
Pine, Norway (see Pine, Red ).
Pine. Old-field (see Pine, Lob-
lolly).
Pine, Red
Pine, Scotch
Pine, Southern Yellow
Pine. Table Mountain
Pine, White
Pine, Yellow
Pinus Banksiana, P
Pinus echinata (see Pinus
m itis).
Pinus inops, P
Pinus mitts, P
Pinus palustris, P. . .
Pinus pungens, P . . .
Pinus resin osa, P . . .
Pinus rigid a, P
Pinus Sfrobus, P
Pinus sylvestris, P..
Pinus tceda, P
Pinus Virginiana (see Pinus
inops).
Planera aquatica, P. E
Plane Tree, Oriental
Planer Tree
Platanus occidental is. B. S. .
Plat anus orientalis, S. P. . . .
Plum, Canada
Plum, Chickasaw
Plum, Wild (see Plum, Can-
ada).
Poplar (see American As-
pen i.
Poplar, Balsam
Poplar, Carolina (see Cotton-
wood).
Poplar, Downy
Poplar, Lombardy
Poplar, White
Populus alba. P
Populus alba . var. Bolleana
Populus alba, var. nivea . . .
Populus balsam if era. P
Populus balsamijera, var.
candiccms.
Botanical name.
Cart/a porcina.
Family.
Walnut.
Pinus Banksiana.
Pinus inops
Piu us tceda
Pinus rigida
Pin us resinosa. .
Pinus sylvestris.
Pinus palustris.
Pinus pungens. .
Pin us titrobus . .
Pinus mitis.
Platanus orientalis.
Planera aquatica . .
Primus Americana.
Prunus Chicasa
Populus balsamifera ,
Populus heterophylla . .
Populus dilatata
Populus alba
Pine.
Pine.
Pine.
Pine.
Pine.
Pine.
Pine.
Pine.
Pine.
Pine.
Plane Tree.
Nettle.
Rose.
Rose.
Willow.
Willow.
Willow.
Willow.
Pagei.
288
291
287
289
282
232
261, 268
269
266
261
262
270
263
260
265
17. 38,
258
267
269
266
267
260
265
270, 272
262
258, 272
263
261
75
175
75
172
175
51
52
128
127
123. 131
121
121
122
122
128
129
A SYSTEMATICAL INDEX.
315
SPECIES AND VARIETIES.
Populus balsamifera, var.
intermedia.
Populus balsamifera, var.
latifolia.
Populus balsamifera, var.
viminalis.
Populus dilatata, P
Populus grandidentata, A..
Populus heterophylla, P
Populus laurifolia (see P.
balsamifera, var. vimiua-
lis).
Populus monilifera, C
Populus nigra, var. Italica .
Populus suaveoleyis (see P.
balsamifera).
Populus suaveolens, var. in-
termedia (see P. balsami-
fera, var. intermedia).
Populus suar>eolens,va,r. lati-
folia (see P. balsamifera,
var. latifolia).
Populus tremuloides, A
Prunus Americana, P
Prunus angustifolia (see P.
Chicasa).
Primus Chicasa, P
Prunus nigra (see P. Ameri-
cana).
Prunus Pennsylvanica, C. . .
Prunus serotina, C ...
Prunus Virginiana, C
Pi/rus Americana, M
Pi/rus coronaria, A
Pyrus sambuci folia, M
Quercitron (see Oak, Black).
Quercus acuminata (see Q.
Muhlenbergii).
Quercus alba, O
Quercus aquatica, O
Querents bicolor, O
Quercus coccinea, O
ijucrrus coccinea, var. fi'iic-
toria, O.
Quercus falcata, o
Qwrcus imbricaria, O
Quercus lyrata, O
(Jurrcux macrocarpa, O
V»c)ru.s Marilaurlira isee^.
','"< reiu Michauxii, O
Quercus minor (see Q. ateZ-
/afr/).
Quercus Muhlenbergii, O. ...
\)i/ercits ?i fpm ,
Quercus nigra, Surg, (see y.
or/i/nf/'ra).
QtM reus 2 xl ^ us ^ r ^ 8 i O
Botanical name.
Family.
Pa«M.
129
129
129
181
125
127
127
131
123
51
52
52
54
57
223
59
224
144
167
150
161
163
167
169
149
147
152
156
168
165
316 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
SPECIES AND VARIETIES.
Quercus Phellos, O
Quercus platauoides (see Q.
bicolor).
Quercus Prinus, O
Quercus Kobur, O
Quercus rubra, O
Quercus stellata, O
Quercus velutina (see Q. coc-
cinea, var. tinctoria).
Quercus virens, O
Quercus Virginiana (see Q.
virens).
Red Bud
Redwood
Rhamnus Caroliniana, B...
Rhamnus cathartica, B
Rhus cotinoides, S
Rhus typhina, S
Rhus venenata, S
Rhus Vernix (see R. vene-
nata).
Robinia Pseudacacia, L
Robinia viscosa, L
Salix alba, W
Salix alba, var. argentea . . .
Salix alba, var. ccerulea
Salix alba. var. vitellina
Salix amygdaloides
Salix Babylonica, W
Salix Babylonica, var. annu-
laris.
Salix Bebbiana (see S. ros-
trata).
Salix Caprea, W
Salix cordata. W
Salix fluviatilis (see S. longi-
folia).
Salix fragilis. W
Salix longifolia, W
Salix lucida. W -
Salix nigra, W
Salix nigra, var. falcata, W.
Salix rostrata, W
Sassafras
Sassafras officinale, S
Sassafras sassafras (see <S.
o^fctnaZe).
Sequoia gigantea. G
Sequoia sempervirens, R. . . .
Service Berry (see Shadbush).
Shadbush
Shagbark (see Hickory).
Shellbark (see Hickory).
Shellbark, Big
Smoke Tree, American
Botanical name.
Cercis Canadensis
Sequoia sempervirens
Sassafras officinale. . .
Amelanchier Canaden-
sis.
Cart/a sulcata . .
Rhus cotinoides.
Family.
Pulse.
Pine.
Laurel.
Rose.
Walnut.
Cashew.
Paget.
170
153
171
159
146
157
30
293
50
50
221
219
221
213
213
116
116
116
116
118
116
117
111
112
113
113
118
117
117
119
9,39
39
293
293
61
231
221
A SYSTEMATICAL INDEX.
81
SPECIES AM) \ A ill El II S
|i ;mh. mI nam*.
Oxydt nd* urn arbor* um
Rhus venenata
Rhus typhina. .
Sorrel Tree
Sour Gum (see Tupelo).
Spruce, Black Picea nigra
Spruce, Colorado Blue Picea pungent
Spruce, Norway Pie* a < xc* lea .
Spruce, Bed Picea rubra...
Spruce, White Pie* a alba .
Sugarberry (see Blackberry).
Sumach, Poison
Sumach, Stag horn
Sweet (Juin (see Liquidam-
ber).
Sycamore (see Buttonwood).
Sycamore, European (see
"Plaue. Tree, Oriental).
Tacamahac (see Poplar, Bal-
sam).
Tamarack (see Larch).
Taxodium distich utn, C
Taxus baccata, Y
Taxus baccata, var. fastigi-
ato, Y.
Taxus Canadensis, Y
Taxus Minor (see Taxus
Canadensis).
Thorn, Cockspur
Thorn, Dotted-f raited
Thorn, Parsley-leaved
Thorn, Scarlet-fruited (see
Thorn, White).
Thorn, Washington
Thorn, White
Thuja occidentalism A
Tilia Americana, B. L
Tilia Eurojura, L
Tilia heterophylla, B
Tilia jiultescens. B
Tsuga Canadensis, H
Tsuga Caroliniana, H
Tulip Tree
Tupelo
Tupelo. Large .
Tupelo. Water.
UlmUS (data, E ,
L 'tin its Americana, E
( 'im us campestris, E
I 'hn us fnlra. E
/ Im us Montana, E
/ 'halts rarriiuisa, E ,
Umbrella Tree
Umbrella Tree. Ear-leaved
Viburnum dentat urn. A.
Viburnum Lentago, V .
Crataegus Crua-gaUi.
( ratcegus punctata . .
< ratatjits apiifulia . .
Crataegus cordata ,
< 'rata <ju# coccinea
Liriodendron
/era.
ffyssa sylvatica
Xt/ssa uni flora. .
Xijssa In ft a it t . . .
tulipi
Magnolia I r mbrt lla.
Magnolia FYaet 1 1
Kamil \.
Heath.
l'ine.
Pine.
Pine
Pine.
Pine.
< lashew.
( lashew .
Rose.
Rose.
Hub.-.
Rose
Hose.
Magnolia.
I>ojr\VOOd.
Dogwood.
Dogwood.
Magnolia.
Qolia.
287
889
291
886,
221
210
291
300
300
300
140
188
130
134
187
294
43
46
47
47
1*73
27. r >
30
31
32
3U
71
74
71
74
.»-
I I
88
'.». 191
luo
318 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
SPECIES AND VARIETIES.
Viburnum prunifolium, H.
Viburnum, Sweet
Wahoo (see Burning Bush).
Walnut, Black
Walnut, English
Water Beech (.see Horn
beam).
Whitewood (see Tulip Tree).
Willow, Black
Willow, Crack
Willow, Goat
Willow, Heart-leaved
Willow, Hoop
Botanical name.
Viburnum Lentayo.
Juglans nigra
Juglans reyia. ,
Willow, Kilmarnock. . .
Willow, Long-beaked.
Willow, Long-leaved . .
Willow, Scythe leaved.
Willow, Shining
Willow, Weeping
Willow, Western Black.
Willow, White
Witch-Hazel
Yellowwood
Yew, American.
Yew, European.
Yew, Irish
Salix nigra
Salix fray His
Salix Caprea
Salix cor data
Salix Babylouica, var,
annularis.
Salix rostrata
Salix lonyi folia
Salix nigra, var. fal-
cata.
Salix lucida
Salix Babylouica
Salix amygdaloides . . .
Salix alba
Hamamelis Virgini-
ana.
Cladrastis tinctoria . . .
Taxus Canadensis
Taxus baccata
Taxus baccata, var.
fastigiata.
Family.
Honey-
suckle.
Walnut.
Walnut.
Willow.
Willow.
Willow.
Willow.
Willow.
Willow.
Willow.
Willow.
Willow.
Willow.
Willow.
Willow.
Witch-
Hazel.
Pulse.
Pine.
Pine.
Pine.
190
190
226
228
117
113
111
112
117
111
119
113
117
118
116
118
116
65, 179
212
300
300
300
INDEX.
Albany, N. Y., 185.
Alleghany Mountains, 28, 49, 50, G8,
146, 15^, 155, 159, 170, 182. 220. 224,
244, 254, 259, 266, 274, 275, 278, 286,
288, 295.
Ammonoosuc River, 283.
Andover, Mass., 71.
Androscoggin River, Me., 103.
Arnold Arboretum, 42, 152, 100, 181,
200, 275, 284, 289, 291.
Baltimore. Md., 96, 178.
Bartram Botanic Garden, 209.
Bedford, N. H., 155.
Big Smoky Mountains, Tenn., 195.
Blair N. II., 278.
Boston, Mass.. 25, 26.
Boston Common, 74.
Cambridge. Mass.. 73.
Campton, N. H., 65, 83, 159, 161, 215,
278.
Cape Cod, Mass.. 147.
Cape Fear River. N. C. 76.
Catskill Mountains, 50. 221.
Cayuga Lake, N. Y., 240.
Concord, Mass., 71.
Danvers, Mass., 231.
Deerfleld, Mass.. 71.
I>istrict of Columbia. 166, 103.
Dosoris. Long Island, N. Y., 212, 300.
Ellis River, 283.
Euglewood, N. J.. 39.
Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pa.,
166.
Fishkill-on-the-Hudson, 155.
Flume House, Frauconia Mountains
N. H., 18.
Flushing. L. I., 100,209.
Frankfort, Ky., 173.
Gale River, 2&3.
Geueseo, N. Y., 152.
Gloucester, Mass., 23.
Great Smoky Mountains, 28.
Greeulield, Mass., ?i.
Hartford, 186.
Saverhill, Mass., 172.
Hudson River, 154.
Jamaica Plain, 26.
Lake Champlain, 148. 155, 240, 244.
Lake George, 224, 297.
Lake Mahopac, NY.. W.
Uvermore Falls, N. B., 86.
Manchester, Mass . 42.
Martha's Vineyard, 147.
Medford, West, Mass.. 228.
Merrimac River. 72, 172.
Bffiddleton, Mass., i W
Milton, Mass.. 42.
Mobile, Ala.. 21.
Mount Cannon, Pranoonla Notch,
N II.. 224
Mount Mitchell. N. C, 39.
319
320 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES.
New Haven, Conn., 71.
New Orleans, 21.
New York, N. Y., 154, 185.
North Conway, 259.
Palenville, N. Y., 79.
Pemigewasset River Valley, N. H.,
78, 112, 125, 133, 155,283.
Penobscot River Valley, 148.
Phoenix Nursery, Bloomington, 111.,
212.
Plymouth, N. H., 73, 90, 173, 206.
Potomac River, Va., 166.
Presidential Range, White Moun-
tains, 284.
Prospect Park, Brooklyn, 166.
Public Garden, Boston, 110, 184, 189,
216.
Quincy, Mass., 48.
Red River Valley, La., 150.
Ridgewood, N. J., 213.
Rochester, N. Y., 290.
Rocky Mountains, 289.
Roxbury, Mass., 31, 207, 298.
Sabine River, Tex., 247.
Saco River, 283.
Sandwich, N. H., 283.
Saugus, Centre Village, Mass., 228.
Saugus, East, Mass., 39.
Schuylkill River, 241.
South Seekonk, Mass., 146.
Staten Island, N. Y., 268.
St. Louis, Mo., 178.
Tottenville, Staten Island, N. Y., 170.
Ware River, Mass., 148.
Washington Square, New York, 175,
211.
Waverly, Mass., 152.
White Mountains, 42, 43, 63, 65, 71,
94, 99, 186, 189, 195, 200, 206, 224,
247, 257, 271, 274, 283, 286.
Wilmington, Del., 153.
Winooski River, Vt., 240.
World's Fair, Chicago, 111., 130.
(10)
THE END.
SSiS
HP
tJKffl
-■.' ■''■'• ;