Trees of the Northern United States Part 13

[Ill.u.s.tration: G. Lasianthus.]

1. =Gordnia Lasianthus=, L. (LOBLOLLY BAY.) Leaves thick, evergreen, lanceolate-oblong, minutely serrate, nearly sessile, smooth and s.h.i.+ning on both sides. The large, solitary, sweet-scented, axillary flowers on peduncles half as long as the leaves. A large tree (30 to 70 ft. high) in the south (wild in southern Virginia), and cultivated as far north as central Pennsylvania, without protection; at St. Louis and Boston it needs protection. Wood of a reddish color, light and brittle.

[Ill.u.s.tration: G. p.u.b.escens.]

2. =Gordnia p.u.b.escens=, L'Her. Leaves thin, deciduous, obovate-oblong, sharply serrate, white beneath. Flowers nearly sessile. A small tree or shrub of the south (30 ft. high in Georgia), hardy, and rarely cultivated as far north as Philadelphia, or still farther north if slightly sheltered.

ORDER =VI. MALVaCEae.= (MALLOW FAMILY.)

A large family, mainly of herbs, found in tropical and temperate regions. One cultivated species, almost a tree, is included in this work.

GENUS =9. HIBiSCUS.=

Herbs or shrubs; one sometimes tree-like, with simple, deciduous, alternate, stipulate, usually lobed leaves. Flowers large, showy, 5-parted (Hollyhock-shaped), in late summer. Fruit a 5-celled, many-seeded pod, ripe in autumn.

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

=Hibiscus Syracus=, L. (TREE HIBISCUS.) The only woody and sometimes tree-like species; has ovate, wedge-shaped, 3-lobed, toothed leaves, and large (3 in.) white, purple, red, or variegated flowers. Usually a shrub, 6 to 15 ft. high, often cultivated throughout; introduced from Syria.

ORDER =VII. STERCULIaCEae.=

Trees or shrubs (a few are herbs), with alternate leaves, and the stamens united into a tube. A large order of tropical plants.

GENUS =10. STERCuLIA.=

Leaves alternate, simple, usually lobed, ovaries more or less divided into 5 carpels, each 2- to many-lobed; fruit when ripe forming a star of 5 distinct pods.

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

=Sterculia plataniflia=, L. (CHINESE PARASOL.) Leaves large, deciduous, alternate, palmately 3- to 5-lobed, deeply heart-shaped at base, the margin entire, the lobes acute; smooth or slightly hairy; leafstalk about as long as the blade. Flowers green, in axillary panicles; fruit star-shaped. A small, beautiful tree from China; probably not hardy north of Was.h.i.+ngton.

ORDER =VIII. TILIaCEae.= (LINDEN FAMILY.)

An order, mainly of trees, abundant in the tropics; here represented by a single genus:

GENUS 11. =TiLIA.=

Trees with alternate, deciduous, obliquely heart-shaped, serrate leaves, about as broad as long. Leaves two-ranked on the stem. Flowers small, cream-colored, fragrant, in cl.u.s.ters on a peculiar, oblong, leaf-like bract. Fruit small (1/8 in.), globular, woody, in cl.u.s.ters from the same bract. Wood white and soft; inner bark very fibrous and tough.

* Flowers with petal-like scales among the stamens; American species. (=A.=)

=A.= Leaves very large, 6 to 8 in. 3.

=A.= Leaves medium, 4 to 6 in. 1.

=A.= Leaves small, 2 to 3 in. 2.

* Flowers with no petal-like scales among the stamens. 4.

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

1. =Tilia Americana=, L. (Ba.s.sWOOD. WHITEWOOD. LINDEN.) Leaves large, 4 to 6 in. long, green and smooth, or very nearly so, thickish. Fruit ovoid, somewhat ribbed, in. broad, greenish when ripe in October, on a bract which is usually tapering to the base. Tall tree, 60 to 80 ft.

high, wild in rich woods and often cultivated.

[Ill.u.s.tration: T. p.u.b.escens.]

2. =Tilia p.u.b.escens=, Ait. (SMALL-LEAVED Ba.s.sWOOD.) Leaves smaller, 2 to 3 in. long, thinner and rather p.u.b.escent beneath. Fruit globose, 1/5 in. broad, on a bract usually quite rounded at base.

This is usually considered as a variety of the last-named species. It is found from New York south and west.

[Ill.u.s.tration: T. heterophlla.]

3. =Tilia heterophlla=, Vent. (WHITE Ba.s.sWOOD.) Leaves large, often 8 in. broad, smooth and bright green above, silvery white and downy beneath, with darker, purplish veins. A large tree; wild in Pennsylvania, west and south, and often cultivated.

[Ill.u.s.tration: T. Europaea.]

4. =Tilia Europaea=, Mill. (EUROPEAN LINDEN.) Leaves twice as long as the petioles, and smooth except a woolly tuft in the axils of the veins beneath. Small and large leaved varieties are in cultivation. The flowers have no petal-like scales among the stamens, while the American species have. An ornamental tree with dense foliage; often cultivated from Europe. The twigs are more numerous and more slender than those of the American species. Nearly a score of named varieties are in cultivation. Var. _laciniata_ has deeply cut and twisted leaves.

ORDER =IX. RUTaCEae.= (RUE FAMILY.)

Shrubs and trees, rarely herbs, in most cases with transparent-dotted, heavy-scented foliage. A rather large order in warm climates.

GENUS =12. XANTHoXYLUM.=

Shrubs or trees with mostly odd-pinnate, alternate leaves. The stem and often the leaflets p.r.i.c.kly; flowers small, greenish or whitish; fruit dry, thick pods, with 1 to 2 seeds.

[Ill.u.s.tration: X. Americanum.]

1. =Xanthoxylum Americanum=, Mill. (NORTHERN p.r.i.c.kLY-ASH.

TOOTHACHE-TREE.) Leaves and flowers in sessile, axillary, umbellate cl.u.s.ters; leaflets 5 to 9, ovate-oblong, downy when young. Flowers appear before the leaves. Shrub, scarcely at all tree-like, with bark, leaves, and pods very pungent and aromatic. Common north, and sometimes cultivated.

[Ill.u.s.tration: X. Clava Hercules.]

2. =Xanthoxylum Clava Hercules=, L. (SOUTHERN p.r.i.c.kLY-ASH.) Leaflets 7 to 17, ovate to ovate-oblong, oblique at base, s.h.i.+ning above. Flowers appear after the leaves. A small tree with very sharp p.r.i.c.kles. Sandy coast of Virginia and southward; occasionally cultivated in the north.

GENUS =13. PTeLEA.=

Shrub with compound leaves of three leaflets, greenish-white flowers in terminal cymes, and 2-seeded fruit with a broad-winged margin, somewhat like the Elm, only larger.