Trees of the Northern United States Part 24

Trees with deciduous, alternate, oblong-lanceolate, pointed, serrate, sour-tasting leaves. Flowers small, in large panicles at the ends of the branches. In summer. Fruit small, dry capsules, with 5 cells and many seeds.

[Ill.u.s.tration: O. arbreum.]

=Oxydendrum arbreum=, DC. (SORREL-TREE. SOURWOOD.) Leaves in size and shape much like those of Peach trees. Flowers small, urn-shaped.

Small-sized tree, 15 to 50 ft. high; wild in rich woods, Pennsylvania and southward, mainly in the mountains. Rare in cultivation, but very beautiful, especially in autumn, when its leaves are brilliantly colored, and the panicles of fruit still remain on the trees. It is perfectly hardy both at the Arnold Arboretum, Boston, and the Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis.

GENUS =51. KaLMIA.=

Evergreen shrubs with alternate, entire, thick, smooth leaves. Flowers large, beautiful, cup-shaped, in showy cl.u.s.ters. Fruit a small, 5-celled, many-seeded capsule.

[Ill.u.s.tration: K. latiflia.]

=Kalmia latiflia=, L. (MOUNTAIN-LAUREL. CALICO-BUSH.) The only species which grows at all tree-like has ovate-lanceolate or elliptical, smooth, petioled leaves, tapering at both ends and green on both sides. Flowers in terminal corymbs, clammy-p.u.b.escent, white to pink. June. Pod depressed, glandular. Shrub or small tree, 4 to 25 ft. high, with reddish twigs; wild in rocky hills and damp soils through out; occasionally planted. Wood very hard and close-grained.

GENUS =52. RHODODeNDRON.=

Shrubs or low trees with usually alternate, entire leaves and showy flowers in umbel-like cl.u.s.ters from large, scaly-bracted, terminal buds.

Fruit a dry 5-celled pod with many seeds.

[Ill.u.s.tration: R. maximum.]

=Rhododendron maximum=, L. (GREAT LAUREL.) Leaves thick, 4 to 10 in.

long, elliptical-oblong or lance-oblong, acute, narrowed toward the base, very smooth, with somewhat revolute margins. Flowers large (1 in.), with an irregular bell-shaped corolla and sticky stems, in large cl.u.s.ters, white or slightly pinkish with yellowish dots. July. Evergreen shrub or tree, 6 to 20 ft. high, throughout the region, especially in damp swamps in the Alleghany Mountains; occasionally cultivated.

GENUS =53. CLeTHRA.=

Shrubs or trees with alternate, simple, deciduous, exstipulate, serrate leaves. Flowers (July and August) conspicuous, white, in elongated terminal racemes which are covered with a whitish powder. Fruit 3-celled pods with many seeds, covered by the calyx.

* Leaves thin, large, 3 to 7 in. long, pale beneath 1.

* Leaves thickish, smaller, green both sides 2.

[Ill.u.s.tration: C. ac.u.minata.]

1. =Clethra ac.u.minata=, Michx. (Ac.u.mINATE-LEAVED CLETHRA. SWEET PEPPER-BUSH.) Leaves 3 to 7 in. long, oval to oblong, pointed, thin, abruptly acute at base, finely serrate, on slender petioles, smooth above and glaucous below. Racemes drooping, of sweet-scented flowers, with the bracts longer than the flowers. Filaments and pod hairy. A small tree or shrub, 10 to 20 ft. high, in the Alleghanies, Virginia, and south. Not often in cultivation, but well worthy of it.

[Ill.u.s.tration: C. alniflia.]

2. =Clethra alniflia=, L. (COMMON SWEET PEPPER-BUSH.) Leaves wedge-obovate, sharply serrate near the apex, entire near the base, straight-veined, smooth, green on both sides. Racemes erect, often compound, with bracts shorter than the flowers and with smooth filaments. This is a shrub rather than a tree; abundant in wet places east of the Alleghanies. Occasionally cultivated for its sweet-scented flowers.

ORDER =XXVI. SAPOTaCEae.=

(SAPODILLA FAMILY.)

A small order, mainly of tropical plants, here including one genus found only in the southern part of our range.

GENUS =54. b.u.meLIA.=

Leaves simple, alternate, entire, sub-evergreen, exstipulate; branches often spiny. Flowers small, whitish, usually crowded in fascicles. Fruit a black cherry-like drupe with a 2- to 3-celled nut. Shrubs and trees of the Southern States. Two species (although hardly trees) are found far enough north to be included in this work.

* Leaves rusty-woolly beneath 1.

* Leaves smooth or slightly silky beneath 2.

[Ill.u.s.tration: B. lanuginsa.]

1. =b.u.melia lanuginsa=, Pers. (WOOLLY-LEAVED BUCKTHORN.) Leaves oblong-obovate, obtuse, entire, smooth above and rusty-woolly beneath, but not silky; spiny, with downy branchlets. Cl.u.s.ters 6- to 12-flowered, p.u.b.escent; flowers greenish-yellow. Fruit globular and quite large ( in.), black, edible. A small tree, 10 to 40 ft. high, of the woods of southern Illinois and southward. With slight protection it can be cultivated in Ma.s.sachusetts.

[Ill.u.s.tration: B. lyciodes.]

2. =b.u.melia lyciodes=, Pers. (SOUTHERN BUCKTHORN.) Leaves 2 to 4 in.

long, oval-lanceolate, usually bluntish with a tapering base and entire margin, deciduous, a little silky beneath when young. Cl.u.s.ters densely many-flowered (20 to 30); flowers small (1/6 in.), smooth, greenish-white. May, June. A spiny shrub or tree, 10 to 25 ft. high, in moist ground, Virginia, west and south. About as hardy as the preceding species.

ORDER =XXVII. EBENaCEae.= (EBONY FAMILY.)

A small order of mostly tropical trees and shrubs.

GENUS =55. DIOSPYROS.=

Trees or shrubs with alternate, simple, entire, feather-veined leaves.

Flowers small, inconspicuous, mostly dioecious. Fruit a globose berry with the 5-lobed thick calyx at the base, and with 8 to 12, occasionally 1 to 5, rather large seeds; ripe after frost.

[Ill.u.s.tration: D. Virginiana.]

=Diospyros Virginiana=, L. (COMMON PERSIMMON.) Leaves 4 to 6 in.

long, ovate-oblong, ac.u.minate, rather thick, smooth, dark, s.h.i.+ning above, a little pale beneath. Bark dark-colored and deeply furrowed in a netted manner with rather small meshes. Flowers yellowish, rather small, somewhat dioecious; the staminate ones urn-shaped with mouth nearly closed; the pistillate ones more open. June. Fruit large, 1 in.; very astringent when young, yellow and pleasant-tasting after frost. A handsome, ornamental tree, 20 to 60 ft. high, with very hard, dark-colored wood and bright foliage. Southern New England to Illinois and south; also cultivated. =Diospyros Ltus= (DATE-PLUM), with leaves very dark green above, much paler and downy beneath, and fruit much smaller (2/3 in.), and =Diospyros Kaki= (j.a.pAN PERSIMMON), with large, leathery, s.h.i.+ning leaves and very large fruit (2 in.), are successfully cultivated from Was.h.i.+ngton, D. C., southward. The under leaf represents D. Lotus, the upper one a small specimen of D. Kaki.

[Ill.u.s.tration: D. Ltus and D. Kaki.]

ORDER =XXVIII. STYRACaCEae.=

(STORAX FAMILY.)

A small order of shrubs and trees, mostly of warm countries.

GENUS =56. STYRAX.=

Shrubs or small trees with commonly deciduous leaves, and axillary, or racemed, white, showy flowers on drooping stems. p.u.b.escence scurfy or stellate; fruit a globular dry drupe, its base covered with the persistent calyx, forming a 1- to 3-seeded nut.

[Ill.u.s.tration: S. Americana.]