Trees of the Northern United States Part 22

Tall shrubs, rarely tree-like, with alternate, straight-veined, 2-ranked, oval, wavy-margined leaves. Flowers conspicuous, yellow, 4-parted; blooming in the autumn while the leaves are dropping, and continuing in bloom through part of the winter. Fruit rounded capsules which do not ripen till the next summer.

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

=Hamamelis Virginiana=, L. (WITCH-HAZEL.) The only species; 10 to 30 ft.

high; rarely grows with a single trunk, but usually forms a slender, crooked-branched shrub. Flowers sessile, in small cl.u.s.ters of 3 to 4, in an involucre in the axils of the leaves.

GENUS =41. LIQUIDaMBAR.=

Trees with alternate, simple, palmately cleft leaves. Flowers inconspicuous; in spring. Fruit a large (1 in.), globular, long-stalked, dry, open, rough catkin, hanging on the tree through the winter.

[Ill.u.s.tration: L. Styraciflua.]

=Liquidambar Styraciflua=, L. (SWEET GUM. BILSTED.) Leaves rounded, deeply 5- to 7-cleft, star-shaped, dark green, smooth and s.h.i.+ning, glandular-serrate. Twigs often covered with corky ridges. A large, beautiful tree, 30 to 70 ft. high, with deeply furrowed bark.

Connecticut, west and south; abundant south of 40 N. Lat. Well worthy of more extensive cultivation than it has yet received.

ORDER =XX. LYTHRaCEae.=

(LOOSESTRIFE FAMILY.)

A small order of shrubs, herbs, or trees; mainly tropical.

GENUS =42. PuNICA.=

Leaves simple, usually opposite, deciduous; flowers scarlet, with 5 petals and numerous stamens; fruit a many-seeded berry.

[Ill.u.s.tration: P. granatum.]

=Punica granatum=, L. (POMEGRANATE-TREE.) Leaves opposite, lanceolate, smooth, entire; flowers large, both calyx and corolla scarlet and very ornamental; the fruit as large as an orange, fine-flavored. A tree-shaped plant, growing to the height of 20 ft. in the Southern States. If given some protection, it can be grown as far north as Was.h.i.+ngton. It has been cultivated from the earliest times, and is probably a native of western Asia.

GENUS =43. LAGERSTROEMIA.=

Flowers with 6 long-clawed petals inserted on the broadly spreading calyx; fruit 3- to 6-celled pods with many winged seeds.

[Ill.u.s.tration: L. indica.]

=Lagerstroemia indica=, L. (c.r.a.pE-MYRTLE.) Leaves roundish-ovate, thick, smooth, short-petiolate; branches winged; flowers in terminal cl.u.s.ters with large, delicately crisped, long-stemmed petals of pink, purple, and other colors. A beautiful small tree, or usually a shrub, from India; often cultivated in the North in conservatories; hardy as far north as Was.h.i.+ngton.

ORDER =XXI. ARALIaCEae.= (GINSENG FAMILY.)

A small order of herbs, shrubs, and trees, here represented by the following genus:

GENUS =44. ARaLIA.=

Herbs, shrubs, or trees, with pinnately or palmately compound leaves; here including Acanthopanax with palmately cleft leaves. Flowers whitish or greenish, in umbels, often forming large panicles. Fruit small, berry-like, several-celled, several-seeded.

* Leaves 2 to 3 times odd-pinnate (Aralia proper) 1, 2.

* Leaves simple, palmately cleft (Acanthopanax) 3.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A. spinsa.]

1. =Aralia spinsa=, L. (ANGELICA-TREE. HERCULES'-CLUB.) Leaves large, crowded at the summit of the stem, twice or sometimes thrice odd-pinnate, usually p.r.i.c.kly, with sessile, ovate, ac.u.minate, deeply serrate leaflets, glaucous beneath. Large panicles of small whitish flowers in umbels, with involucres of few leaves. Berry small, in., 5-ribbed, crowned with the remains of the calyx. A tree-like plant, 8 to 12 ft. high, or in the Gulf States 30 ft. high, with the stem covered with numerous p.r.i.c.kles. Usually dies to the ground after flowering. Wild in damp woods, Pennsylvania and south, and cultivated in the North.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A. Chinensis.]

2. =Aralia Chinensis.= Leaves more or less fully twice-pinnate; leaflets ovate-oblong, oblique at base, ac.u.minate, sharply serrate, hairy.

Flowers and fruit in large, branching, hairy panicles; thorns few, straight. A small tree, 10 to 15 ft. high; occasionally cultivated; from China.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A. Maximowiczii.]

3. =Aralia (Acanthopanax) Maximowiczii.= Leaves long-petioled, simple, thick, palmately cleft, with 7 serrate lobes; old leaves smooth, the young with woolly bases. Panicles of flowers and fruit terminal; the berries striated. Tree-trunk usually quite p.r.i.c.kly. This species is said to grow 50 ft. high in j.a.pan. It has been recently introduced, and proves perfectly hardy in Ma.s.sachusetts.

ORDER =XXII. CORNaCEae.= (DOGWOOD FAMILY.)

A small order of shrubs and trees (rarely herbs) of temperate regions.

GENUS =45. CoRNUS.=

Small trees or shrubs (one species an herb) with simple, entire, curved-veined, and (except in one species) opposite leaves. The curved parallel ribs of the leaves in all the species are quite peculiar and readily recognized. Flowers small, of 4 petals, in some species rendered very conspicuous by large bracts. Fruit small, usually bright-colored drupes in cl.u.s.ters; ripe from August to October. There are but 3 species that grow at all tree-like.

* Leaves opposite. (=A.=)

=A.= Fruit in close head-like cl.u.s.ters, red when ripe 1.

=A.= Fruit in open cl.u.s.ters. (=B.=)

=B.= Branches bright red; fruit white 2.

=B.= Branches brownish; fruit bright red 3.

* Leaves alternate; fruit blue 4.

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

1. =Cornus florida=, L. (FLOWERING DOGWOOD.) Leaves ovate, pointed, acutish at base. Flowers in a head surrounded by 4 white bracts, making the whole cl.u.s.ter look like a single large flower 3 in. broad. Abundant in May and June. Fruit a small, bright red drupe with a single 2-seeded nut. Ripe in August. A large shrub or low tree 15 to 40 ft. high, with broad, roundish head. Common on high ground throughout, and one of the finest small trees in cultivation. A variety with the bracts quite red is also cultivated.

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

2. =Cornus alba=, L. (SIBERIAN RED-STEMMED CORNEL.) Leaves broadly ovate, acute, densely p.u.b.escent beneath; drupes white; branches recurved, bright red, rendering the plant a conspicuous object in the winter. A shrub rather than a tree, cultivated from Siberia; hardy throughout.

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