Leaves - simple; alternate; edge evenly and sharply (or sometime bluntly) toothed. Outline - very narrow oval (or sometimes wide). Apex - taper-pointed. Base - pointed or blunt. Leaf/Stem - three fourths to one inch long. Leaf - usually about five to seven inches long, by one and one half to two inches wide, but sometimes so wide as to resemble Q. prinus), from which, however, it is distinguished by its think bark. Of all the "chestnut-oak: leaves it most closely resembles the chestnut leaf. It is smooth above, whitish and minutely downy beneath. Bark - of trunk, light, flaky, and thin. Acorn - nearly stemless. Cup - about five twelfths to seven twelfths of an inch across; rounded; thin, with very small, closely pressed scales. Nut - seven twelfths to nine twelfths of an inch long; egg-shape or narrow oval, light brown, about one third covered by cup; sweet. October. Found - from Massachusetts to Delaware, along the mountains to Northern Alabama and westward. Very common west of the Alleghany Mountains. General Information - A tree forty to sixty feet high, with strong and durable wood. Quercus, possible from a Celtic word meaning to inquire, because it was among the oaks that the Druids oftenest practised their rites.

Genus Quercus, L. (Oak)

Leaves - simple; alternate; edge evenly and sharply (or sometime bluntly) toothed. Outline - very narrow…

Leaves - simple; alternate; edge slightly lobed at the upper part (edge of the lobes entire). Outline - abruptly widening above. Apex - of lobes, rounded or sometimes slightly pointed, and bristle-tipped, at least until old. Base - heart-shape or rounded. Leaf - three to four inches long (on vigorous shoots much longer); dark green, smooth, and shining above; below rusty and roughish, thick and tough; ribs distinct above. Lobes - three (sometimes five), very short, and above the middle of the leaf. Bark - of tree, rough and blackish. Acorn - nearly or quite stemless. Cup - top-shaped, coarsely scaly. Nut - one half to two thirds of an inch long; rounded egg-shape; darkish brown when ripe; nearly one half covered by the cup. October. Found - on Long Island, southward and westward. Very common through the Southern States. General Information - A small tree, eight to twenty-five feet high; of slight value except for fuel. Quercus, possible from a Celtic word meaning to inquire, because it was among the oaks that the Druids oftenest practised their rites.

Genus Quercus, L. (Oak)

Leaves - simple; alternate; edge slightly lobed at the upper part (edge of the lobes entire). Outline…

Leaves - simple; alternate; edge lobed (the edges of the lobes mostly entire, but often with one to three teeth toward the ends). Outline - abruptly spreading above the middle. Base - rounded, sometimes slightly unequal. Ends of the lobes and of the few teeth, when present, sharp and bristle-tipped. Leaf - about three to six inches long; dark, dull green, and rough above; below, grayish and downy. Lobes, usually three, sometimes four or five, mostly long and narrow, especially the end one. Bark - of trunk, blackish and deeply grooved. Acorns - nearly stemless. Cup - shallow, somewhat top-shaped. Nut, about one third to one half inch long, rounded, sometimes slightly hollowed at the apex, bitter. October. Found - in sandy soils and barrens, from Long Island southward; in the Northern States, only near the coat and rare. General Information - A tree about twenty to thirty feet high in New Jersey; in the South, seventy to eighty feet; with wood of slight value except for fuel. Quercus, possible from a Celtic word meaning to inquire, because it was among the oaks that the Druids oftenest practised their rites.

Genus Quercus, L. (Oak)

Leaves - simple; alternate; edge lobed (the edges of the lobes mostly entire, but often with one to…

Leaves - simple; alternate; edge deeply lobed (edges of lobes mostly entire, but notched and toothed towards the ends). Outline - broadly oval or broadly reverse egg-shape. Base - very short wedge-shape or squared. Ends of the lobes and of the teeth pointed and bristle-tipped. Leaf - four to eight inches long, bright green above, slightly lighter below; both surfaces smooth and shining. Lobes - five to nine, usually seven with the hollows rounded and very broad, and reaching about two thirds of the way to the middle rib. Most of the lobes widen and are deeply notched toward their end. Bark - of trunk, thick and rough, usually not quite as dark or as straight-furrowed as that of the Black Oak. The inner bark reddish. Acorns - variable. Cup - very thick, top-shaped, with large somewhat triangular egg-shaped, scales. Nut - one half to three fourths of an inch long; rounded or rounded egg-shape, about one third covered by the cup; kernel bitter and whitish. October. Found - from Southern Maine southward and westward; most common in the Middle and Southern States. General Information - A tree fifth to ninety feet high, with wood of less value than some of the other oaks. In the fall the leaves turn to a bright scarlet, or orange0scarlet, or crimson and red. They often cling throughout the winter. Quercus, possible from a Celtic word meaning to inquire, because it was among the oaks that the Druids oftenest practised their rites.

Genus Quercus, L. (Oak)

Leaves - simple; alternate; edge deeply lobed (edges of lobes mostly entire, but notched and toothed…

Leaves - simple; alternate; edge lobed (edge of the lobes mostly entire, but oftenest with a few teeth toward the end). Outline - reverse egg-shape or oval. Base - usually rounded. Ends of the lobes and of the few teeth, sharp and bristle-pointed, especially when young. Leaf - five to eight inches long; three to five inches wide; very variable. The two types, a and b, are often found on the same tree; b is a variation toward the leaf of the Scarlet Oak. The upper surface is roughish, becoming smoother when mature; the undersurface, rusty-downy until mid-summer, when the down mostly disappears, except from the angles of the ribs. Bark - of trunk, blackish and deeply and roughly furrowed, with an inner bark that is very thick and yellow and bitter. Acorns - variable; usually small; on short stems. Cups - thick; somewhat top-shaped; scales distinct and rather large. . Nut - one half to two thirds of an inch long; rounded; nearly one third covered by the cup. Kernel, bright yellow or orange and bitter. October. Found - from Southern Maine southward and westward. Very common, especially in the Atlantic forests. General Information - A tree fifty to a hundred feet high, with wood that is inferior to that of the White Oak. The yellow inner bark (quercitron of the shops) is a valuable dye, and is rich in tannin. Late in the autumn the leaves turn to a rich yellowish-brown or russet.   It is very probable that the "Black Oak" and the "Scarlet Oak" ought to be considered as one, and described, not as species and variety, but as slightly different forms of the single species Q. coccinea. Though the most distinctive leaves of the "Black Oak" are easily recognized, often others are so nearly like those of the "Scarlet Oak" that it is not easy to distinguish between then; and the same is true of the fruit and the bark. Michaux f. says: "The only constant difference between the acorns of the Scarlet Oak and the Black Oak is in the kernel, which is white in the Scarlet Oak and yellow in the Black Oak."  The Gray Oak (Q. c., ambigua, Gray) is a variety sometimes found along the northeastern boundary of the States (as far as Lake Champlain) and northward. It combines the foliage of the Red Oak with the acorn of the Scarlet Oak. Quercus, possible from a Celtic word meaning to inquire, because it was among the oaks that the Druids oftenest practised their rites.

Genus Quercus, L. (Oak)

Leaves - simple; alternate; edge lobed (edge of the lobes mostly entire, but oftenest with a few teeth…

Leaves simple; alternate; edge lobed (edges of the lobes mostly entire, but slightly toothed toward the ends). Outline - about oval.  Base - short wedge-shape, or rounded. Ends of the lobes and of their one to three slight teeth, pointed and bristle-tipped. Leaf - six to nine inches long, three to five inches wide; both surfaces smooth. Lobes, nine to thirteen, usually very tapering from the base, with the hollows between them rounded and narrow and extending about half way to the middle rib. Bark - of trunk, dark, greenish-gray, and continuing smooth longer than on any other oak, never becoming as rough, for example, as that of the black oak. Acorns - large and stemless, or nearly so. Cup - flat saucer-shape, bulging, very shallow, nearly smooth, with small scales. Nut - about one inch long, somewhat egg-shape; bitter. October. Found - from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick westward and southward. Very common, especially at the North, and extending farther north than any other Atlantic oak. General Information - A tree fifty to eight feet high, with wood that at the East is porous and not durable (though often of better quality westward). It is used for clapboards and in cooperage. The leaves change in the fall to dark red. Quercus, possible from a Celtic word meaning to inquire, because it was among the oaks that the Druids oftenest practised their rites.

Genus Quercus, L. (Oak)

Leaves simple; alternate; edge lobed (edges of the lobes mostly entire, but slightly toothed toward…

Leaves - simple; alternate; edge lobed (edges of the lobes mostly entire, but notched and toothed towards the ends). Outline - narrow oval or broad oval. Base - from long wedge-shape to squared. Ends of lobes and of the teeth pointed and bristle-tipped. Leaf - three to five inches long; both sides bright green, smooth, and shining; downy in the angles of the ribs below. Lobes - seven to nine, usually seven, with the hollows between them broad and round and usually reaching about three fourths of the way or more to the middle rib. The wide type of leaf closely resembles the leaves of the scarlet oak, but it is smaller and usually the hollows reach nearer to the middle rib. Bark - smoothish (comparatively), inner bark reddish. Acorns - numerous, small, on short stems. Cup - top-shaped, shallow, and nearly smooth. Nut - rounded, one half inch long or less, sometimes broader than long, light brown. October. Found - from the valley of the Connecticut to Central New York, southward to Delaware and the District of Columbia; in Southern Wisconsin and southward; usually along streams and on low, wet land. Most common and reaching its finest growth west of the Alleghany Mountains. General Information - A handsome tree forty to sixty feet high, usually with a pointed top and with light and delicate foliage. The wood is rather coarse and not durable. It takes its name of Pin Oak from the peg-like look of the dead twigs and short branches with which the lower parts of the tree are usually set. Quercus, possible from a Celtic word meaning to inquire, because it was among the oaks that the Druids oftenest practised their rites.

Genus Quercus, L. (Oak)

Leaves - simple; alternate; edge lobed (edges of the lobes mostly entire, but notched and toothed towards…

Leaves - simple; alternate; edge entire. Outline - long and narrow. Apex - pointed and bristle-tipped. Base - pointed. Leaf - three to four inches long (sometimes five); one half to seven eighths of an inch wide; rather thick and stiff; smooth and shining above; somewhat dull beneath; very young leaves, light green above and soft, white-downy beneath. Bark - thick and smoothish. Acorns - small. nearly stemless. Cup - rather shallow, saucer-shaped, or somewhat rounded top-shape. Nut - about three eighths of an inch long, rounded, brown; Kernel, bitter and bright orange. October. Found - from Staten Island and New Jersey southward along the coast to Northeastern Florida and the Gulf States, and from Kentucky southwestward. Usually on the borders of swamps and in sandy woods. General Information - a tree thirty to fifty feet high, with poor wood. Quercus, possible from a Celtic word meaning to inquire, because it was among the oaks that the Druids oftenest practised their rites.

Genus Quercus, L. (Oak)

Leaves - simple; alternate; edge entire. Outline - long and narrow. Apex - pointed and bristle-tipped.…

Leaves - simple; alternate; edge entire. Outline - long and narrow. Apex - pointed and bristle-tipped. Base - pointed. Leaf - three to six inches long; one to two inches wide; smooth and shining above; somewhat downy beneath; thick and stiff. Bark - smooth and unbroken. Acorns - small, nearly stemless. Cup - shallow. Nuts - rounded; about one half inch in diameter; bitter. October. Found - in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania (Porter), westward to Southeastern Iowa, and southward. Most common west of the Alleghany Mountains.  General Information - A tree thirty to fifty feet high, with poor wood, that is used at the West for shingles and clapboards.  Note: Of the nine hybrids that have been recognized, most are outside of our limits or entirely local. Mention need be made only of tow: Q. heterophylla, Michaux ("Bartram's Oak"). Staten Island and New Jersey to Delaware and North Carolina; Q. Rudkini, Britt., New Jersey. Quercus, possible from a Celtic word meaning to inquire, because it was among the oaks that the Druids oftenest practised their rites.   The Oak "Live thy Life, Young and old, Like yon oak, Bright in spring, Living gold; Summer-rich, Then; and then Autumn-changed, Sober-hued Gold again. All his leaves fall'n at length, Look, he stands, Trunk and bough, Naked strength.: Alfred (Lord) Tennyson, 1889.

Genus Quercus, L. (Oak)

Leaves - simple; alternate; edge entire. Outline - long and narrow. Apex - pointed and bristle-tipped.…

Leaves - simple; alternate; edge deeply lobed (lobes finely and sharply toothed throughout). Outline - rounded. The lobes are five to seven, radiating from the base. Apex - of the lobes, pointed. Base - of the leaf heart-shape. Leaf - three to seven inches in diameter, smooth and shining with a pleasant odor when bruised. Ribs tufted at their angles. Bark - gray; usually strongly winged with corky ridges along the branchlets. In the South, a spicy gum, from which the tree takes its name, oozes from the bark. Fruit - small woody pods are collected into a round ball. These usually contain a few good seeds and a large number of others that resemble saw-dust. September. Found - from Connecticut to Illinois, and southward. It reaches its finest growth and is very common in the bottom lands of the Mississippi basin. General Information - A fine tree sixty to seventy feel high, or southward one hundred feet and more. The wood is valuable, and would be better appreciated except for the difficulty of seasoning it. It is sometimes used as a substitute for Black Walnut, Its gum is used medicinally.

Genus Liquidamber, L. (Sweet Bum)

Leaves - simple; alternate; edge deeply lobed (lobes finely and sharply toothed throughout). Outline…

Leaves - simple; opposite; edge entire. Outline - egg-shape, or often broad oval, or reverse egg-shape. Apex - pointed, often taper-pointed. Base - pointed and usually slightly unequal. Leaf/Stem - short (about one half inch). Leaf - three to five inches long; smooth above; pale and nearly smooth beneath; with the whitish ribs very distinct and curved. Bark - of trunk, blackish and rough, with short, broken ridges. The bark, especially of the roots, is very bitter and is used as a tonic. Flowers - The real flowers are greenish-yellow, in a small rounded bunch; but this bunch is surrounded by four large, petal-like leaves, white and often tinged with pink, more than an inch in length, reverse egg-shaped, and ending in a hard, abruptly turned point. The appearance is of a single large flower. The tree blossoms in May before the leaves are fully set. Fruit - The "Flower" is succeeded by a bunch of oval berries that turn bright red as they ripen, making the tree in the autumn, with its richly changing foliage, nearly as attractive as in the spring. Found - in rich woods, from New England to Minnesota, and southward to Florida and Texas. It is very common, especially at the South. General Information - A finely shaped, rather flat-branching tree, usually twelve to thirty feet high, but dwindling, northward, to the dimensions of a shrub; one of the most ornamental of all our native flowering trees. Its character throughout the extent of its range would seem to warrant the recognition of its blossom as the "national flower." Cornus, from a Greek word meaning horn, because of the hardness of the wood.

Flowering Dogwood

Leaves - simple; opposite; edge entire. Outline - egg-shape, or often broad oval, or reverse egg-shape.…

Leaves - simple, alternate (often crowded at the ends of the branches); edge entire. Outline - broadly oval or egg-shape or reverse egg-shape. Apex - pointed. Base - slightly pointed. Leaf/Stem - one inch long or more. Leaf - about three to four inches long, sometimes yellowish-green; smooth above; whitish beneath, and slightly rough between the prominent curved ribs, seldom entirely flat, usually in clusters at the ends of the branches. Bark - of the branches, smooth, yellowish-green, with whitish streaks. Flowers - yellowish in loose flat clusters. June. Fruit - very dark blue when ripe, on reddish stems. August. Found - in low rich woods and along streams, from New Brunswick through the Northern States, and southward along the Alleghany Mountains to Northern Georgia and Alabama. General Information - A small tree or shrub, ten to twenty feet high, with wide-spreading branches and flattish top. A "Shaker Medicine" is made from its bitter bark. Cornus, from a Greek word meaning horn, because of the hardness of the wood.

Dogwood Leaves

Leaves - simple, alternate (often crowded at the ends of the branches); edge entire. Outline - broadly…

Leaves - simple; opposite; edge entire. Outline - oval, long oval, or reverse egg-shape. Apex - pointed (or sometimes rounded). Base - pointed. Leaf - smooth. Flowers - with narrow petals nearly an inch in length, snow-white, in long, loose, and drooping clusters. June. Fruit - one half to two thirds of an inch long, oval, purplish, with one stony seed. Found - along the banks of streams from New Jersey and Southern Pennsylvania southward. Common and very ornamental in cultivation. General Information - A small tree eight to twenty-five feet high, or often a shrub. Chionanthus, from two Greek words meaning "snow" and "flowers."

Genus Chionanthus, L. (Fringe Tree)

Leaves - simple; opposite; edge entire. Outline - oval, long oval, or reverse egg-shape. Apex - pointed…

Leaves - simple; opposite; edge entire. Outline - broad egg-shape or heart-shape. Apex - pointed. Base - heart-shape. Leaf - five to eight inches wide; smooth above, downy below, especially on the ribs. Bark - of trunk, a silver-gray, only slightly furrowed. Flowers - very showy and fragrant, in large, upright pyramid-shaped clusters; white or violet-tinged, spotted inside with yellow and purple. July. Fruit - in long, rounded pods (six to twelve inches long, about half an inch in diameter), with the seeds winged and fringed. They often remain throughout the winter. October. Found - new very widely naturalized throughout the Middle and Southern Atlantic States, though formerly a rare and local Southern tree. General Information - A low, very ornamental tree, usually twenty to thirty feet high. Its seeds and bark are considered medicinal. Another species, C. speciosa, Ward, larger and of more value, is sometimes met with in Southern Illinois and the adjoining States. Catalpa is probably a corruption of the Indian word Catawba, which was the name of an important tribe that occupied a large part of Georgia and the Carolinas.

Genus Catalpa, Scop., Walt. (Catalpa)

Leaves - simple; opposite; edge entire. Outline - broad egg-shape or heart-shape. Apex - pointed. Base…

Leaves - simple, opposite; finely and sharply toothed. Outline - broadly oval, or broadly reverse egg-shape. Apex - rounded, sometimes pointed. Base - rounded, sometimes slightly pointed. Quite variable. Leaf/Stem - short and smooth, the edges slightly winged, the wings straight. Leaf - about one and a half to two inches long; smooth; shining above. Flowers - white, in rather large and flat, stemless bunches, at the ends of branches. May. Berries - oval, blackish, sweet and edible. Found - in Connecticut and Southern New York to Michigan and southward. General Information - A small tree fifteen to twenty feet high, or oftenest at the North a low, much-branching shrub. Usually with some of its branches stunted and bare. The tonic bark is sometimes used medicinally.

Genus Viburnum, L. (Haw and Viburnum)

Leaves - simple, opposite; finely and sharply toothed. Outline - broadly oval, or broadly reverse egg-shape.…

Leaves - simple; opposite; edge closely and sharply toothed. Outline - egg-shape. Apex - pointed. Base - round. Quite variable. Leaf/Stem - winged on both sides with a wavy border; when young, sprinkled with brownish glands. Leaf - about three to four inches long, and half as wide or more; smooth. Flowers - white, in flat, stemless clusters. May, June. Fruit - one half inch long; oval; sweetish; red, becoming almost black when ripe; edible. Found - from Hudson's Bay through the Northern States, southward to Georgia. Common in swamps and rich, moist soil. General Information - A tree fifteen to twenty feet high, with hard, ill-smelling wood.

Genus Viburnum, L. (Haw and Viburnum)

Leaves - simple; opposite; edge closely and sharply toothed. Outline - egg-shape. Apex - pointed. Base…

Leaves - simple, opposite; edge lobed, with the lobes very finely sharply toothed. Outline - rounded in the lower half, three-lobed above with the hollows between the lobes sharp. Apex - of the lobes, slim and pointed. Base - more or less heart-shape. Bark - smooth, green, and peculiarly marked lengthwise with dark stripes. Flowers - large, yellowish-green. May, June. Fruit - with spreading pale-green wings, in long clusters. Found - in Canada, through the Northern Atlantic States, westward to Northeastern Minnesota, and along the Alleghany Mountains to Georgia. General Information - A small and slender tree or shrub, usually ten to twenty-five feet high. Acer, from a Latin word meaning sharp, because of the ancient use of the wood for spearheads and other weapons.

Genus Acer, L. (Maple)

Leaves - simple, opposite; edge lobed, with the lobes very finely sharply toothed. Outline - rounded…

Leaves - simple; opposite; edge lobed, with the lobes very sparingly and coarsely sharp-toothed or the lower pair entire. Outline - rounded, with three to five lobes, usually five, with the hollows between the lobes and between the coarse teeth rounded. Apex - of the lobes, pointed. Base - heart-shaped or nearly squared. Leaf - dark green above; slightly lighter beneath; smooth or somewhat downy on the ribs; closely resembling that of the introduced "Norway Maple" by lacking the latter's milky-juiced leaf-stem. Bark - light gray, usually smoothish when young, becoming rough and scaly. Flowers - yellow-green and very abundant. April, May.  Fruit - greenish-yellow, smooth, drooping, on thread-like and hairy stems one to two inches long, with wings about one inch long, broad and slightly spreading. September. Found - from Southern Canada through the Northern States, southward along the Alleghany Mountains, and westward to Minnesota, Eastern Nebraska, and Eastern Texas. Its finest development is in the region of the Great Lakes. It grows in rich woods; often it forms "groves," sometimes extensive forests.

Genus Acer, L. (Maple)

Leaves - simple; opposite; edge lobed, with the lobes very sparingly and coarsely sharp-toothed or the…

Leaves - simple; opposite; edge lobed, with the lobes very sparingly and coarsely sharp-toothed or the lower pair entire. Outline - rounded, with three to five lobes, usually five, with the hollows between the lobes and between the coarse teeth rounded. Apex - of the lobes, pointed. Base - heart-shaped or nearly squared. Leaf - dark green above; slightly lighter beneath; smooth or somewhat downy on the ribs; when heart-shaped, sometimes with overlapping lobes. Seed-wings - set wide apart, but only slightly diverging.  Bark - blackish. Flowers - yellow-green and very abundant. April, May.  Fruit - greenish-yellow, smooth, drooping, on thread-like and hairy stems one to two inches long, with wings about one inch long, broad and slightly spreading. September. Found - chiefly along streams and in river bottoms, from Western Vermont to Missouri and Northern Alabama. General Information - A tree fifty to eight feet high or more; of very great value in many directions, - as a shade tree, for fuel, for interior finish and the making of furniture, for its ashes, which give large quantities of potash; especially for its sap, which yields the "maple sugar" of commerce. The yield of sugar by an average tree in one season from five to ten pounds.

Genus Acer, L. (Maple)

Leaves - simple; opposite; edge lobed, with the lobes very sparingly and coarsely sharp-toothed or the…

Leaves - simple; opposite; edge deeply lobed, with the lobes unequally notched and toothed. Outline - rounded, with five lobes (the lowest pair much the smallest), and with the hollows between the lobes pointed and usually extending half way to the base of the leaf. Apex - of lobes, pointed. Base - heart-shaped or nearly squared. Leaf - silvery white beneath; downy when young, becoming smooth. Flowers - yellowish-green; woolly when young, becoming nearly smooth; on stems about one inch long, with very large, wide-spreading wings (two to three inches long), one of which is often undeveloped. July, August. Found - widely distributed, but most common west of the Alleghany Mountains and southward. General Information - A tree thirty to fifty feet high, with soft, white wood of comparatively slight value.

Genus Acer, L. (Maple)

Leaves - simple; opposite; edge deeply lobed, with the lobes unequally notched and toothed. Outline…

Leaves - simple; opposite; edge lobed, with the lobes irregularly sharp-toothed and notched. Outline - roundish, with three to five lobes (the lowest pair, if present, the smallest); and with the hollows between the lobes pointed and usually extending less than half-way to the base of the leaf. Apex - of the lobes, pointed. Base - heart-shaped (or sometimes rounded.) Leaf/Stem - long and round. Leaf - (very variable in size and in the toothing and shape of its lobes); whitish beneath. Bark - smoothish; gray, becoming dark and rough with age. Flowers - rich crimson, on short stems in drooping clusters. March, April. Fruit - bright red, smooth, with stems two to three inches long. The wings are about one inch long. At first they approach each other, but afterward are somewhat spreading. September.Found - widely distributed in swamps and along streams especially in all wet forests eastward from the Mississippi to the Atlantic, and from Southern Canada to Florida and Texas. General Information - A tree thirty to sixty feet high, with wood of considerable value, especially when it shows a "curly grain." It is one of the very earliest trees to blossom in the spring, and to show its autumn coloring in the fall.

Genus Acer, L. (Maple)

Leaves - simple; opposite; edge lobed, with the lobes irregularly sharp-toothed and notched. Outline…

Leaves - simple; indeterminate in position because of their closeness, but arranged along the branches in two-leaved, sheathed bunches. Leaf - needle-shape, about one inch long, pointed, stiff, curved, rounded on the back, grooved above. Cones - nearly two inches long, gray, usually in pairs, and curved like small horns, with a peculiar habit of always pointing in the same direction as the branches. Scales - blunt, smooth, not armed with points or knobs. Found - along the northern frontier of the United States and far northward. Its best growth is north of Lake Superior. General Information - A small evergreen tree, or often a shrub, five to thirty feet high, with long, spreading branches, and light, soft wood that is of but slight value.

Genus Pinus, L. (Pine)

Leaves - simple; indeterminate in position because of their closeness, but arranged along the branches…

Leaves - simple; indeterminate in position because of their closeness, but arrange along the branches in two-leaved sheathed bunches. Leaf - needle-shape, one and three fourths to two and three fourths inches long, stiff, bluntish; on the outer side smooth and rounded; on the inner side flat, and rough downwards. Cones - one and three fourths to three inches long, usually single and pointing downward. Scales - tipped with a stiff, straight prickle. Bark - of the trunk, rough and blackish. Young branches smooth (in other pines scaly). Twigs - purplish. Found - from Long Island along the coast to South Carolina, and through eastern and Middle Kentucky to Southeastern Indiana; in sandy and generally barren soil. General Information - An evergreen tree fifteen to forty feet high, irregular in shape and with straggling, spreading, or drooping branches. The timber is very "pitchy," soft, and durable, but poor even for fuel. "Next to the Gray Pine, the Jersey Pine is the most uninteresting species of the United States." - Michaux, f.

Genus Pinus, L. (Pine)

Leaves - simple; indeterminate in position because of their closeness, but arrange along the branches…

Leaves - simple; indeterminate in position because of their closeness, but arranged along the branches in two-leaved sheathed bunches. Leaf - needle-shape, about two and one half inches long, stiff; outer side smooth and rounded; inner side hollowed. Cones - about three and one half inches long, of a light yellow color, stemless, often united in clusters of fours. Scales - with a stout spine, widening at its base, one sixth of an inch in length. Found - within narrower limits than any other American Pine; along the Alleghany Mountains from Pennsylvania to Tennessee, especially upon Table Mountain in North Carolina, one of the highest peaks of the range. General Information - A tree ten to fifty feet high, with light and soft wood, largely used for charcoal.

Genus Pinus, L. (Pine)

Leaves - simple; indeterminate in position because of their closeness, but arranged along the branches…

Leaves - simple; indeterminate in position because of their closeness, but arranged along the branches in two-leaved sheathed bunches. Leaf - needle-shape, five to eight inches long; dark, dull, green; rounded and smooth on the outside; on the inside hollowed. Cones - about two to three inches long; rounded at the base; sometimes crowded in large clusters. Scales - not armed with points or knobs. Bark - of the trunk, comparatively smooth and reddish, of a clearer red than that of any other species in the United States. Found - in dry and sandy soil from Newfoundland and the northern shores of the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the Winnipeg River, through the Northern States to Massachusetts, in the mountains of Northern Pennsylvania. Rare in the Eastern States, except in the extreme northern parts of New England. General Information - An evergreen tree fifty to eight feet high, or more, with hard and durable wood, useful for all kinds of construction. It is low-branching and regular in shape. In a note give in confirmation of his estimate of the height of the red pine, Michaux says that when the French in Quebec built the war-ship St. Lawrence, fifty guns, they made its main-mast of this pine.

Genus Pinus, L. (Pine)

Leaves - simple; indeterminate in position because of their closeness, but arranged along the branches…

Leaves - simple; indeterminate in position because of their closeness, but arranged along the branches in two-leaved sheathed bunches (On vigorous young shoots the leaves are sometimes clustered in threes, not on the old branches.) Leaf - needle-shape, two and a half to five inches long, usually four to five inches; dark green; slender; rounded on the outer side; on the inner side, hollowed. Cone - about two to three inches long, in old trees scarcely more than one and a half inches long; the smallest of the American Pine cones; surface roughened by the slightly projecting ends of the scales; not growing in large clusters. Scales - tipped with a weak prickle pointing outward.Found - in Staten Island and New Jersey, and southward to Western Florida; through the Gulf States, Arkansas, and parts of Kansas, Missouri, and Illinois. General Information - An evergreen tree forty to eighty feet high, with straight trunk, regular branches, and pyramid-shaped head. The timber is hard and very valuable, second in value (among the Yellow Pines) only to the "Georgia Pine" (P. palustris -" Long-leaved Pine," "Southern Pine").

Genus Pinus, L. (Pine)

Leaves - simple; indeterminate in position because of their closeness, but arranged along the branches…

Leaves - simple; indeterminate in position because of their closeness, but arranged along the branches in three-leaved sheathed bunches. Leaf - needle-shaped, three to six inches long; stiff and sharp; the outer side flattish; the inner side slightly ridged, and rough downwards. Bark - very thick and rough, and deeply fissured; dark, often with a reddish or purplish tinge. Cones - two to three inches long, oftenest in clusters of two to four. Scales - tipped with stiff and sometimes curved prickles. Found - from New Brunswick to Lake Ontario, through the Atlantic States to Northern Georgia, and extending to the western slope of the Alleghany Mountains, in West Virginia and Kentucky. Usually in dry, sandy soil, sometimes in deep swamps. Very common. General Information - An evergreen tree thirty to eighty feet high, with very irregular branches, and a trunk that is seldom straight to the top. The wood is hard and full of pitch, of slight value except for fuel and charcoal and coarse lumber.

Genus Pinus, L. (Pine)

Leaves - simple; indeterminate in position because of their closeness, but arranged along the branches…

Leaves - simple; indeterminate in position because of their closeness, but arranged along the branches in five-leaved bunches, with their sheaths lacking or very short, excepting when young. Leaf - needle-shape, three to five inches long, light bluish-green, three-sided, soft, and very slender. Cones - four to six inches long, cylinder-shape, about one inch in diameter before the scales loosen; solitary, drooping, slightly curved. Scales - thin, without prickles. Bark - of trunk, lighter than in the other pines; in young trees smooth, and only slightly rough when older. Found - from Newfoundland to the Winnipeg River, southward through the Northern States, and along the Alleghany Mountains to Georgia. Its finest growth is in the region of the Great Lakes. General Information - An evergreen tree of soft and delicate foliage, eighty to one hundred and fifty feet high; one of the most valuable timber trees of any country. The wood is clear of knots, straight-grained, and soft, and is used in immense quantities for building and many kinds of manufacturing. The branches are given off in flat, regular whorls around the straight trunk.

Genus Pinus, L. (Pine)

Leaves - simple; indeterminate in position because of their closeness, but arranged along the branches…

Leaves - simple; indeterminate in position because of their closeness; arranged singly and thickly all around the branchlets. Leaf - needle-shape, five twelfths to two thirds of an inch long, four-sided, mostly straight, stiff, and sharp; dark green. Cones - three fourths to one and one half inches long, drooping at the ends of the branchlets; broad oval; dark purple when young, becoming reddish-brown as they ripen. Scales - long reverse egg-shape, thin, with a wavy or toothed edge toward their apex. Found - along the Alleghany Mountains from the high peaks of North Carolina to Pennsylvania, through the Northern States, andGeneral Information - An evergreen tree thirty to sixty feet high, with straight, tapering trunk. The wood is light and straight-grained and is used for lumber, for the masts and spars of ships, in building, etc. From its twigs is prepared the "essence of spruce."

Genus Picea, Link. (Spruce)

Leaves - simple; indeterminate in position because of their closeness; arranged singly and thickly all…

Leaves - simple; indeterminate in position because of their closeness; arranged singly all around the branchlets. Leaf - needle-shaped, five twelfths to three fourths of an inch long, four-sided, curved, sharp, rather slender, bluish-green, much lighter than the leaf of the Black Spruce. Bark - lighter than that of the Black Spruce. Cones - one to two inches long, and always in the proportion of about two inches in length to one half or three fourths of an inch in thickness; drooping at the ends of the branchlets; long oval or cylinder-shape; pale green when young, becoming brownish as they ripen. Scales - broad reverse egg-shape, with an entire edge, and rounded or somewhat two-lobed at the apex. Found - in Maine, Northeastern Vermont, Northern Michigan, Minnesota, and far northward, on low ground and in swamps. It is most common north of the United States boundaries. General Information - An evergreen tree, forty to seventy feet high. One of the most important of the Northern timber trees.

Genus Picea, Link. (Spruce)

Leaves - simple; indeterminate in position because of their closeness; arranged singly all around the…

Leaves - simple; indeterminate in position because of their closeness; arranged singly all around the branchlets. Leaf - needle-shaped, five twelfths to three fourths of an inch long, four-sided, curved, sharp, rather slender, bluish-green, much lighter than the leaf of the Black Spruce. Bark - lighter than that of the Black Spruce. Cones - five inches and more in length; about one and a half inches in thickness. Branches and branchlets - heavily drooping, especially in the older trees. Scales - broad reverse egg-shape, with an entire edge, and rounded or somewhat two-lobed at the apex. General Information - This spruce is not a native, but is now very widely cultivated, and is sometimes found escaped from cultivation. It is a finer and large tree than the native spruces.

Genus Picea, Link. (Spruce)

Leaves - simple; indeterminate in position because of their closeness; arranged singly all around the…

Leaves - simple; indeterminate, in position because of their closeness; arranged singly in two flat distinctly opposite ranks up and down the branchlets. Leaf - one half inch long, narrow; blunt sometimes minutely toothed toward the apex; flat; green above; silvery white beneath. Bark - reddish and scaly; when old, somewhat roughened by long, shallow furrows. Cones - very small (three fourths of an inch long); drooping; oval or egg-shape. Scales - few, thin, rounded and entire. The seed with the wing is about three fourths the length of the scale. The cone does not fall apart when ripe. Found - from Southern New Brunswick and the Valley of the St. Lawrence through the Northern States to Delaware, and along the Alleghany Mountains to Alabama. Common northward, often forming large forests. General Information - An evergreen tree, sixty to eighty feet high, irregular in outline, very graceful, especially when young, with light and delicate foliage and horizontal or drooping branches. The timber is very coarse; the bark much used for tanning, and with medicinal qualities.

Genus Tsuga, Carr. (Hemlock)

Leaves - simple; indeterminate, in position because of their closeness; arranged singly in two flat…

Leaves - Simple; indeterminate in position because of their closeness; arranged singly up and down the branchlets, at first radiating about equally on every side, afterward flattened into two ranks, as in the Hemlock. Leaf - one half to one inch long, narrow; apex blunt or notched; edge entire; flat, with a grooved line above and a corresponding raised line below; bright green above; silvery white below. Bark - smooth and unbroken (especially when young), and usually covered with "blisters." Cones - two to four inches long, one inch broad, erect, at the sides of the branchlets; violet-colored. Scales - thin and flat, broad and rounded. The thin bracts between the scales are tipped with a slender bristle. The cone falls apart when ripe. Found - from the far North through the Northern States to Pennsylvania, and along the Alleghany Mountains to the high peaks of West Virginia. Common northward in damp forests. General Information - A slender, evergreen tree, twenty to sixty feet high; pyramid-shaped, with regular horizontal branches; its wood is very light and soft. From the "blisters," which form under the bark of the trunk and branches, the valuable Canada balsam is obtained. The tree is short-lived, and therefore of less value in cultivation.

Genus Abies, Link. (Fir)

Leaves - Simple; indeterminate in position because of their closeness; arranged singly up and down the…

Leaves - simple; indeterminate in position because of their closeness; arranged along the branches in many-leaved bunches without sheaths. Leaf - thread-like, one to two inches long, withering and falling in the autumn. Bark - smooth. Cones - about one half inch long; broad egg-shaped; green or violet when young, becoming purple and brownish as they ripen. Scales - thin, nearly round, their edges entire. Found - from Pennsylvania, Northern Indiana, and Northern Illinois through the Northern States and far northward. It grows usually in low, swampy land, where it often thickly covers large areas. General Information - A tree fifty to one hundred feet high (not evergreen), with a straight trunk and slender, horizontal branches. The wood is durable, hard, and very strong, and is largely used in ship-building, for posts, railroad ties, etc. The Indians and Canadians were accustomed to use the fibres of the Larch roots for sewing their bark canoes; and for tightening the seams, the gum of the Balsam Fir. Give me of your roots, O Tamarak! Of your fibrous roots, O Larch-Tree! My canoe to bind together, So to bind the ends together, That the water may not enter, That the river ma not wet me! Give me of your balm, O Fir-Tree! Of your balsam and your resin, So to close the seams together That the water may not enter, That the river may not wet me! And the Fir-Tree tall and sombre, Sobbed through all its robes of darkness, Answered wailing, answered weeping. 'Take my balm, O Hiawatha!'"

Genus Larix, Tourn. (Larch)

Leaves - simple; indeterminate in position because of their closeness; arranged along the branches in…

Leaves - simple; indeterminate in position because of their smallness and closeness. They are scale-like, somewhat egg-shape, overlapping each other, and closely pressed in four rows up and down the very flat branchlets. Each leaf has at its centre a raised gland, easily distinguished if held between the eye and the light. Bark - fibrous. The "spray" (formed from the flat branchlets) is itself flat and very delicate and of a dull green. Cones - about one fourth of an inch in diameter, round, variously placed, compact, purplish as they ripen; opening when ripe toward the centre line (i. e., not toward its base). Scales - fleshy, shield-shaped and apparently fastened near their centres, with the edge several-pointed, and with a sharp point or knob in the centre. Seeds - usually four to eight under each scale, oval, with wide wings at the sides. Found - in deep, cold swamps (filling them densely and exclusively), from Southern Maine along the coast to Florida, and along the Gulf coast to Mississippi. General Information - A tapering evergreen tree, thirty to seventy feet high, with light and durable wood, largely used in boat-building, for wooden-ware, shingles, etc.

Genus Chamaecyparis, Spach. (White Cedar)

Leaves - simple; indeterminate in position because of their smallness and closeness. They are scale-like,…

Leaves - simple; indeterminate in position because of their smallness and closeness. They are scale-like, somewhat egg-shape, overlapping each other, and closely pressed in four rows up and down the very flat branchlets. Each leaf has at its centre a raised gland, easily distinguished if held between the eye and the light. Bark - fibrous. The "spray" (formed from the flat branchlets) is itself flat and of rather a bright green. Cones - about five twelfths of an inch in length, long oval or reverse egg-shape, nodding, yellowish-brown as they ripen, dry and opening to the base when ripe. Scales - pointless, oval or egg-shape, smooth (i. e., not pointed on the edge or near the centre.) Seeds - one to two under each scale, long and narrow (like a small caraway seed); broadly winged all around, with the wing notched at one end. Found - along the Alleghany Mountains from the high peaks of North Carolina to Northern Pennsylvania and Central New York, northward into Southern Canada and westward; along rocky banks of streams and in swamps; very common at the North, where it often occupies large areas of swamp land. It is very widely cultivated, especially in hedges. General Information - A tapering evergreen tree, twenty to fifty feet high, with close, dense branches, and a light and durable wood.

Genus Thuya, L. (Arbor Vitae)

Leaves - simple; indeterminate in position because of their smallness and closeness. They are scale-like,…

Leaves - simple; indeterminate in position because of their smallness and closeness. They are arranged in four rows up and down the branchlets. In younger or rapidly growing sprouts the leaves are awl-shaped or needle-shaped, somewhat spreading from the branch, very sharp and stiff, placed in pairs (or sometimes in threes), usually about one fourth of an inch long, and with the fine branchlets, which they cover, rounded. In the older and slower-growing trees the leaves are scale-like and overlapping, egg-shape, closely pressed to the branchlets which they cover, and with the branchlets square. As the branchlets grow, the lower scales sometimes lengthen and become dry and chaffy and slightly spreading. Bark - brown and sometimes purplish-tinged, often shredding off with age and leaving the trunk smooth and polished. Berries - about the size of a small pea, closely placed along the branchlets, bluish, and covered with a whitish powder. Found - in Southern Canada, and distributed nearly throughout the United States - more widely than any other of the cone-bearing trees. General information - An evergreen tree, fifteen to thirty feet high (much larger at the South), usually pyramid-shaped, with a rounded base, but varying very greatly, especially near the coast, where it is often twisted and flattened into angular and weird forms. The wood is very valuable, light, straight-grained, durable, fragrant. It is largely used for posts, for cabinet-work, for interior finish, and almost exclusively in the making of lead pencils. The heart-wood is usually a dull red (whence the name), the sap-wood white.  Among the most picturesque objects in the Turkish landscape, standing like sentinels, singly or in groups, and slender and upright as a Lombardy Poplar, are the black cypress trees (C. sempervirens). They mark the sites of graves, often of those which have long since disappeared. In America, more than any other northern tree, the red cedar gives the same sombre effect, whether growing wild or planted in cemeteries. The Common Juniper (J. communis, L.), common as a shrub, is occasionally found in tree form, low, with spreading or drooping branches, and with leaves resembling those of a young Red Cedar, awl-shaped and spreading, but arranged in threes instead of opposite.

Genus Juniperus, L. (Red Cedar)

Leaves - simple; indeterminate in position because of their smallness and closeness. They are arranged…

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered, but with the odd leaflet often dwarfed or broken off; leaflets, twenty-one to forty-one); alternate; edge of the leaflets entire, with one or two coarse, blunt teeth at each side of their base. Outline - of leaflet, long egg-shape or lance-shape. Apex - taper-pointed. Base, squared, or heart-shaped. Leaf/Stem - smooth, round, swollen at base. Leaflet/Stems - smooth and short. Leaf - one and a half to six feet long. Leaflets variable, usually about six inches by two and a quarter, rather smooth and thin. Bark - of the trunk, smooth and brown; the new shoots marked with whitish dots. Flowers - in long bunches at the ends of the branches; greenish, and of very disagreeable odor. June, July. Seeds - flat, at the centre of greenish and sometimes pink-tinged wings, in large, loose clusters. October. Found - common in cultivation, and to some extent naturalized. General Information - A large, showy tree (sixty to seventy feet high) of remarkable vigorous and rapid growth. It is a native of China. A Jesuit missionary sent its seeds in 1751 to England. In 1784 it was brought from Europe to the United States, and started near Philadelphia. Also about 1804 it was brought to Rhode Island from South America. But the source of most of the trees now found abundantly in the region of New York is Flushing, Long Island, where it was introduced in 1820. It has been a great favorite, and would deserve to be so still were it not for the peculiar and disagreeable odor of its flowers. Ailanthus, from a Greek word meaning "tree of heaven." Ailanthus - This spelling of the name should rule because so given by its author, although, etymologically, Ailantus would be correct, the native Amboyna name being "Aylanto."

Genus Ailanthus, Desf.

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered, but with the odd leaflet often dwarfed or broken off; leaflets, twenty-one…

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflets, eleven to twenty-five); alternate; edge entire. Outline - oval or egg-shape. Apex, rounded. Base - rounded. Stem - of leaf, smooth, and covering the leaf-bud of the next year. Leaflets - very smooth, thin, often slightly tipped with the end of the mid-rib. Bark - of trunk, dark, rough, and very deeply ridged. The smaller branches and young trunks are armed with strong, triangular prickles, but these disappear when the parts are three to four inches thick. Flowers - showy and abundant; in long, loose clusters drooping from the sides of the branchlets; white; and very fragrant. May, June. Fruit - a smooth and rather blunt pod, two to three inches long, one and a half inches wide, four- to six-seeded. Seeds, dark brown. September. Found - Native in the Alleghany Mountains from Pennsylvania (Monroe County - Porter) to Georgia; but now very generally naturalized throughout the United States east of the Rocky Mountains. General Information - A tree usually forty to fifty feet high, sometimes ninety feet, and of rapid growth. Its wood is exceedingly hard and strong, and remarkable durable when in contact with the ground. It is used largely for posts, in ship-building, and in turnery, and it is preferred to all other native wood for tree nails. It is one of the most valuable trees of this or of any country. But is cultivation as a timber tree, which at one time was very general, has nearly ceased in the United State on account of the constant damage done by the grub of the Painted Clytus (Clytus pictus). This troublesome borer not only injures the new growth, but also pierces and detaches large branches, leaving the tree ragged and stunted.

Genus Robinia, L. (Locust)

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflets, eleven to twenty-five); alternate; edge entire. Outline…

Leaves - unequally twice-compound (odd-feathered; leaflets very numerous - seven to thirteen on the different branches of the main leaf-stem; alternate; edge of leaflets entire. Outline - leaflets, egg-shape or oval. Apex - sharply taper-pointed. Base, slightly heart-shaped or rounded. Leaf-stem - in the autumn takes a violet tinge. Leaf - one and one half to three feet long, about one half as wide. Leaflets, one to two and one half inches long, of a dull green. Bark - of trunk, rough and scaly, separating in small and hard crosswise and backward-curled strips. Branchlets stout and not thorny. Flowers - in white spikes along the branches. May-July. Fruit - in large curved pods (Six to ten inches long, by two inches broad), pulpy within, of a reddish-brown color, flattened and hard. Each pod contains several hard, gray seeds one half of an inch or more in diameter. September, October. Found - in Franklin County, Pennsylvania (Porter), Western New York, westward and southward to Middle Tennessee. Not common. General information - A tree sixty to eighty feet high, or more, with a rather small and regular head. The fewness and the abruptness of its large branches give to it in the winder a dead and stumpy look, whence one of its common names. Its bruised and sweetened leaves are used at the South for poisoning flies. Its seeds were formerly used as a substitute for coffee.

Genus Gymnocladus, Lam. (Coffee Tree)

Leaves - unequally twice-compound (odd-feathered; leaflets very numerous - seven to thirteen on the…

Leaves - compound; )even-feathered, leaflets, ten to twenty-two or more, usually about fourteen), sometimes twice compound; alternate; edge of leaflets entire as seen above, but as seen below often remotely and slightly toothed. Outline of leaflet - long oval or long egg-shape. Base - and narrowed. Apex - rounded. Leaf/Stem - and very short. Leaflet/Stem - downy. Leaflets - three fourths to one and a half inches long; about one third as wide. Often several of them (one to three) are partly or wholly divided into smaller leaflets. Surfaces smooth and shining. Bark - of trunk, gray, and much less rough than that of the common Locust (which has a somewhat similar leaf); branchlets brown and often warty. The branches and the trunk, excepting in very young and quite old trees, are usually thickly covered with spines, two to four inches long, which are curved at the base, often two- to three-branches, and of a reddish-brown color. Flowers - small and greenish. Fruit - a long, flat pod (nine to eighteen inches long) reddish; somewhat twisted, and filled between the seeds with a pulp which at first is sweet (whence the name "Honey" Locust) but which soon becomes sour. The seeds are flat, hard, and brown. Found - native in Pennsylvania, westward and southward, but also somewhat naturalized and widely introduced northward.  General Information - A tree sometimes seventy feet high, with wide-spreading and graceful branches, and light and delicate foliage. It is often used as a hedge plant. A variety entirely bare of thorns (var. inermis) is sometimes found; also a variety (var. brachycarpos) with shorter fruit and thorns.

Genus Gleditschia, L. (Honey Locust)

Leaves - compound; )even-feathered, leaflets, ten to twenty-two or more, usually about fourteen), sometimes…

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflets eleven to thirty-one); alternate; edge of leaflets evenly and sharply toothed. Outline - of leaflet, narrow egg-shape. Apex - long, taper-pointed. Base, rounded or slightly heart-shaped. Leaflet/Stem - lacking. Leaf/Stem - densely velvety-hairy. Leaflet - usually two to four inches long and about one fourth as wide; the under surface whitish and more or less downy. Leaf - one or two feet or more in length. Branchlets - and stalks, especially towards their ends, covered with a very dense velvet-like down, often crimson-tinged. The just is milky and acid. Flowers - greenish-yellow, in upright, pyramid-shaped bunches at the ends of the branches. June. Berries - rounded, somewhat flattened, bright crimson velvety, crowded. Stone - smooth. Juice, acid. September, October. Found - from New Brunswick and the valley of the St. Lawrence through the Northern States, and southward along the Alleghany Mountains to Central Alabama. General Information - A small tree, ten to thirty feet high (or often a shrub), with straggling and evenly spreading branches that are leaved mostly toward their ends, giving an umbrella-like look to the tree. The wood is very soft and brittle; yellow within; the sap-wood white. The young shoots with the pith removed, are used in the spring as "sap quills" in drawing the sap from the sugar maples. The downy and irregular branchlets are suggestive of the horns of a stag, whence the name. An infusion of the berries is sometimes used as a gargle for sore-throat. This species is not poisonous. A variety with deeply gashed leaves (var. laciniata) is reported from Hanover, N. H.

Genus Rhus, L. (Sumach)

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflets eleven to thirty-one); alternate; edge of leaflets evenly…

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflets, nine to fifteen); alternate (often alternate in threes); edge of leaflets finely and sharply toothed. Outline - of leaflet, long and narrow egg-shape. Apex, taper-pointed. Base - rounded and slightly pointed. Leaflet/Stem - lacking, or very short. Leaf - eight to twelve inches long. Leaflet - two to three and one half inches long; surfaces smooth. Bark - of the trunk, reddish-brown and rather smooth. Flowers - small and white, in large, flat clusters, over the surface of the tree - fifty to one hundred or more flowers in a cluster. May, June. Fruit - very ornamental, about the size of peas, scarlet, in large, flat clusters, ripening in autumn and remaining into the winter. Found - from Labrador and Newfoundland through the Northern States and southward along the Alleghany Mountains. Its finest growth is on the northern shores of Lake Huron and Lake Superior. General Information - A slender, somewhat pyramid-shaped, tree, ten to thirty feet high, much and justly prized as one of the best of the native trees for ornamental planting. Its bark and the unripe fruit are very astringent, and are sometimes used medicinally. A slightly different species (P. sambucilolia) is sometimes found in cold swamps and on the borders of streams along the Northern frontier. The Mountain Ash or "Rowan Tree" has for a long time been renowned as a safeguard against witches and all evil spirits. A mere twig of it suffices. "Rowen-tree and red thread Put the witches to their speed." "The spells were vain, the hag returned To the queen in sorrowful mood, Crying that witches have no power Where there is row'n-tree wood."

Genus Pyrus, L. (Mountain Ash)

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflets, nine to fifteen); alternate (often alternate in threes);…

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflets, thirteen to twenty-one); alternate; edge of leaflets sharp-toothed. Outline of leaflet - long egg-shape. Apex - taper-pointed. Base - rounded or slightly heart-shaped, and one-sided. Leaf/Stem - slightly downy. Leaflet/Stem - very short. Leaf - twelve inches long, or more. Leaflets - about two to four inches long; the lower pairs shortest; slightly downy beneath. Bark - blackish and thick. Fruit - about two inches in diameter; rounded; the husk greenish-yellow when ripe, roughly dotted, spongy, decaying without splitting into sections; the nut dark, and deeply and roughly furrowed. October. Found - from Western Massachusetts westward and southward. Its finest growth is west of the Alleghany Mountains. Eastward it is now everywhere scarce.. General Information - A tree thirty to sixty feet high, or often much higher. Its rich, dark-brown heart-wood is of great value, and has been more widely used in cabinet-work, for interior finish, and for gun-stocks than the wood of any other North American tree. Juglans, from two Latin words meaning nut of Jupiter.

Genus Juglans, L. (Walnut)

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflets, thirteen to twenty-one); alternate; edge of leaflets sharp-toothed.…

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflets, fifteen to seventeen); alternate; edge of leaflets sharp-toothed. Outline - of leaflet, long egg-shaped or long oval. Apex - taper-pointed. Base - rounded. Leaf/Stem - downy and sticky. Leaf - twelve to twenty inches long. Leaflet - three inches or more in length; downy, especially beneath. Bark - of the branches, light gray and smoothish. Twigs - as well as leaf-stems and fruit, very sticky. Fruit - long (two to three inches), pointed. Husk - very sticky; green at first; brown when ripe, becoming very dark; not splitting in sections. Nut - deeply and roughly furrowed and sharp-ridged, with a sweet oily kernel. September.Found - in Southern Canada, and common in New England and the Middle and Western States. General Information - A tree twenty to fifty feet high, with a short, stout trunk and very wide-reaching, horizontal branches. The heart-wood is reddish or light brown, not as dark nor as hard as in the Black Walnut. It is used for ornamental cabinet-work and interior finish.

Genus Juglans, L. (Walnut)

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflets, fifteen to seventeen); alternate; edge of leaflets sharp-toothed.…

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflets, five); alternate; edge of leaflets sharp-toothed. Outline - of leaflet, long oval, reverse egg-shape or egg-shape, the lower pair differing in shape from the others, and much smaller. Apex - long-pointed. Base - of the end leaflet, wedge-shape; of the others, more or less blunted. Leaf/Stem - rough throughout. Buds - large and scaly, often of a green and brown color. Leaflet/Stems - lacking (or scarcely noticeable), excepting the roughish stem of the end leaflet. Leaflets - four to eight inches long; roughish below. Bark - dark and very rough in the older trunks, peeling up and down in long, shaggy strips. Often the strips cling at their middle and are loose at each end. Fruit - round, nearly one and a half to two inches in diameter; the husk, thick (nearly half an inch), depressed at the center, grooved at the seams, and wholly separating into four inches at maturity; the nut, about one inch long, often the same in breadth, slightly flattened at the sides, angular, nearly pointless, whitish, with a rather this shell, and a large finely flavored kernel. October. Found - from the valley of the St. Lawrence River to Southeastern Minnesota, and southward to Western Florida. Its finest growth is west of the Alleghany Mountains.General Information - A tree, fifty to eighty feet high, of great value. Its tough and elastic wood is used in making agricultural implements, carriages, axe-handles, etc. It ranks also among the best of woods for fuel. Most of the "hickory nuts" of the markets are from this species. All the Hickories are picturesque trees. Their tendency, even when standing alone, is to grow high, and with heads that, instead of being round, are cylinder-shaped to the very top, with only enough breaks and irregularities to add to the effect. This tendency is more marked in the Hickories than in any other of the leaf-shedding trees of North America. They are worthy of the name sometimes given them of 'the artist's tree." Hicoria, from a Greek word meaning round, in allusion to the shape of the nut.

Genus Hicoria, Raf., Carya, Nutt. (Hickory)

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflets, five); alternate; edge of leaflets sharp-toothed. Outline…

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered, leaflets, seven to nine); alternate; edge slightly and rather roundly toothed. Outline - of leaflets, mostly long oval, the lower pairs becoming smaller and more egg-shaped. Apex - long-pointed. Base - of the end leaflet, wedge-shape; of the others, more or less blunted. Leaf/Stem - rough throughout. Buds - large and round and covered with downy, yellowish-brown scales, or, in winter, with hard and grayish-white scales. Leaflet/Stem - lacking (or scarcely noticeable), except the short, roughish stem of the end leaflet. Leaflets - two to seven inches long, rough beneath, especially on the ribs; fragrant when crushed. Bark - rough, becoming cracked across, but not scaly. Fruit - rounded, slightly egg-shaped or oval, one and one half to two inches or more in length. The husk is about one fourth of an inch thick and splits nearly to the base when ripe. Nut - slightly six-angled, light brown, with a very thick and hard shell. Kernel - is sweet, but small. October. Found - common in dry woods, especially southward and westward. It grows in Southern Canada and I all the Atlantic States. General Information - All the Hickories are picturesque trees. Their tendency, even when standing alone, is to grow high, and with heads that, instead of being round, are cylinder-shaped to the very top, with only enough breaks and irregularities to add to the effect. This tendency is more marked in the Hickories than in any other of the leaf-shedding trees of North America. They are worthy of the name sometimes given them of 'the artist's tree." Hicoria, from a Greek word meaning round, in allusion to the shape of the nut.

Genus Hicoria, Raf., Carya, Nutt. (Hickory)

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered, leaflets, seven to nine); alternate; edge slightly and rather roundly…

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflets, five to seven, oftenest five); alternate; edge of leaflets sharp-toothed. Outline - of leaflets, mostly long oval. Apex - pointed. Base - pointed. Leaf/Stem - smooth. Leaflet/Stems - lacking (or scarcely noticeable), excepting the short stem of the end leaflet. Leaflets - mostly four to eight inches long, remarkable smooth, excepting that the under surface is tufted in the angles of the ribs and usually dotted with dark glandular spots. Bark - rough and close. Fruit - broad egg-shape. Husk - thin, splitting part way to the base. Nut - small (three fourths of an inch in diameter), not angled, not sharp-pointed, and with a thin shell.Found - on moist ground, New York to Delaware, west to Michigan and Illinois, rarely, if ever, in New England. General Information - All the Hickories are picturesque trees. Their tendency, even when standing alone, is to grow high, and with heads that, instead of being round, are cylinder-shaped to the very top, with only enough breaks and irregularities to add to the effect. This tendency is more marked in the Hickories than in any other of the leaf-shedding trees of North America. They are worthy of the name sometimes given them of 'the artist's tree." Hicoria, from a Greek word meaning round, in allusion to the shape of the nut.

Genus Hicoria, Raf., Carya, Nutt. (Hickory)

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflets, five to seven, oftenest five); alternate; edge of leaflets…

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflet, five to nine, usually seven) ; alternate, edge of leaflets sharp-toothed. Outline - of leaflets, usually long oval. Apex - taper-pointed. Base - of end leaflet, wedge-shaped, of the others more or less rounded or slightly pointed. Leaf/Stem - smooth. Leaf/Buds - egg-shape and pointed or rounded, and with their outer scales a polished-brown. Leaflet/Stems - lacking, except the smooth, very short stem of the end leaflet. Leaflets - mostly two to five inches long (the lower ones much the smallest), smooth above and below. Bark - not shaggy. Fruit - of two forms: (a) pear-shape, (b) rounded. Husks - very thin, splitting about half-way to the base. Nut - about one inch in diameter; in (b) somewhat flattened at the sides and slightly hollowed above, and with the apex a sharp point. Shell - rather thin, smooth, hard, and bluish-gray. Meat - small and sweetish or slightly bitter. Found - from Southern Maine westward and southward. General information - All the Hickories are picturesque trees. Their tendency, even when standing alone, is to grow high, and with heads that, instead of being round, are cylinder-shaped to the very top, with only enough breaks and irregularities to add to the effect. This tendency is more marked in the Hickories than in any other of the leaf-shedding trees of North America. They are worthy of the name sometimes given them of 'the artist's tree." Hicoria, from a Greek word meaning round, in allusion to the shape of the nut.

Genus Hicoria, Raf., Carya, Nutt. (Hickory)

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflet, five to nine, usually seven) ; alternate, edge of leaflets…

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflets, seven to eleven); alternate; edge of leaflet sharp-toothed. Outline - of leaflet, long oval or long egg-shape. Apex, taper-pointed. Base, pointed or blunted. Leaf/Stem - rather slender, somewhat downy, and often flattened and winged. Leaf/buds - small, slightly rounded or (at the ends of the branchlets) pointed, and yellow. Leaflet/Stems - lacking, except the short stem of the end leaflet. Leaflets - four to six inches long, the upper one usually short; smooth on both sides, or with a slight, scattered down below. Bark - rather smooth. Fruit - rounded or slightly egg-shaped, dark green. Husk - very thin and fleshy, never becoming entirely hard, with prominent winged edges at the seams, only two of which reach more than half-way to the base. It divides half-way down when ripe. Nut - barely one inch long, heart-shaped at the top, broader than long, white and smooth. Shell - so thin that it can be broken with the fingers. Kernel - intensely bitter. Found - usually in wet grounds, though often also on rich uplands, from Southern Maine westward and southward. It reaches its finest growth in Pennsylvania and Ohio. General information - A rather smaller and less valuable tree than the rest of the hickories.

Genus Hicoria, Raf., Carya, Nutt. (Hickory)

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflets, seven to eleven); alternate; edge of leaflet sharp-toothed.…

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflets, three, sometimes five, rarely seven); opposite; edge of leaflet remotely and unequally coarse-toothed. Outline - of leaflets, egg-shape or oval. Apex - taper-pointed. Base - variable and often uneven. Leaflets - slightly rough; the ribs very marked. Bark - of young trunks, smoothish and yellowish-green; twigs, light green. Flowers - small and greenish, in delicate, drooping clusters from the sides of the branches. Fruit - large, yellowish-green, smooth, in long, loose, late-hanging clusters. Found - North, South, and West. One of the most widely distributed of the North American trees, with its finest growth in the region of the Wabash and Cumberland rivers. General Information - A tree twenty to thirty feet high, with spreading branches. Its wood is light and of slight value.

Genus Negundo, Moench

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflets, three, sometimes five, rarely seven); opposite; edge of…

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflets, seven to nine); opposite; edge of leaflets slightly toothed or entire; entire at base. Outline - of leaflet, long oval or long egg-shape. Apex - taper-pointed. Base - somewhat pointed. Leaf/Stem - smooth. Leaflet/Stem - about one fourth of an inch long, or more; smooth. Leaf/Bud - rusty-colored and smooth. Leaflet - two to six inches long; pale beneath; downy when young, but becoming nearly smooth, except on the ribs. Bark - of the trunk, light gray. In very young trees it is nearly smooth, but it soon becomes deeply furrowed - the furrows crossing each other, and so breaking the bark into irregular, somewhat square or lozenge-shaped plates. Then in very old trees it becomes smooth again, from the scaling off of the plates. The branches are smooth and grayish-green. The young shoots have a polished, deep-green bark, marked with white lines or dots. Winged seeds - one and a half to two inches long, with the "wing" about one fourth of an inch wide, hanging in loose clusters from slender stems. The base of the seed it pointed and not winged. Found - in rich woods, from Southern Canada to Northern Florida and westward. It is most common in the Northern States. The finest specimens are seen in the bottom lands of the lower Ohio River basin. General Information - a tree forty to eighty feet high. Often the trunk rises forty feet without branching. Its tough and elastic timer is of very great value, being widely used in the manufacture of agricultural implements, for oars, and the shafts of carriages, and in cabinet-work. Fraxinus from a Greek word meaning "separation," because of the ease with which the wood of the Ash can be split. I find in the notes of an old copy of White's "Natural History of Selborne" this comment: "The Ash, I think, has been termed by Gilpin the Venus of British trees." Gerardes' "Herbal" comments: "The leaves of the Ash are of so great a vertue against serpents, as that the serpents dare not be so bolde as to touch the morning and evening shadowes of the tree, but shunneth them afarre off, as Pliny reporteth in his 16 book, 13 chap. He also affirmeth that the serpent being penned in with boughes laide rounde about, will sooner run into the fire, if any be there, than come neere to the boughes of the Ash."In Scandinavian mythology the great and sacred tree, Yggdrasil, the greatest and most sacred of all trees, which binds together heaven and earth and hell, is an Ash. Its roots spread over the whole earth. Its branches reach above the heavens. Underneath lies a serpent; above is an eagle; a squirrel runs up and down the trunk, trying to breed strife between them.

Genus Fraxinus, L. (Ash)

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflets, seven to nine); opposite; edge of leaflets slightly toothed…

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflets, seven to nine); edge of leaflets nearly entire or slightly toothed. Outline - of leaflet, long oval or egg-shape. Apex - taper-pointed. Base - somewhat pointed. Leaf/Stem - velvety-downy. Leaflet/Stem - about one fourth of an inch long, or somewhat less, and velvety-downy. Leaf/Bud - rounded, nearly concealed by the leaf-stem, downy, and of a dark, rusty brown. Leaflet - two to six inches long, downy beneath, and pale, becoming reddish. Bark - of the trunk, dark ashy or granite-gray, or of a deep brown. It is slightly furrowed up and does, the furrows seldom joining or crossing. The branches are grayish. The young shoots are velvety, with a grayish or rusty down. Winged seeds - resembling those of the White Ash, but usually with the end of the wing more rounded. Found - along borders of streams and in low and swampy ground - New Brunswick to Minnesota, and southward to Northern Florida and Alabama; but rare west of the Alleghany Mountains. Its finest growth is in the Northern Atlantic States. General Information - A medium-sized tree, usually thirty to fifty feet high, of less value than the White Ash. Fraxinus from a Greek word meaning "separation," because of the ease with which the wood of the Ash can be split. I find in the notes of an old copy of White's "Natural History of Selborne" this comment: "The Ash, I think, has been termed by Gilpin the Venus of British trees." Gerardes' "Herbal" comments: "The leaves of the Ash are of so great a vertue against serpents, as that the serpents dare not be so bolde as to touch the morning and evening shadowes of the tree, but shunneth them afarre off, as Pliny reporteth in his 16 book, 13 chap. He also affirmeth that the serpent being penned in with boughes laide rounde about, will sooner run into the fire, if any be there, than come neere to the boughes of the Ash."In Scandinavian mythology the great and sacred tree, Yggdrasil, the greatest and most sacred of all trees, which binds together heaven and earth and hell, is an Ash. Its roots spread over the whole earth. Its branches reach above the heavens. Underneath lies a serpent; above is an eagle; a squirrel runs up and down the trunk, trying to breed strife between them.

Genus Fraxinus, L. (Ash)

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflets, seven to nine); edge of leaflets nearly entire or slightly…

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflets, seven to eleven, usually nine); opposite; edge of leaflet toothed. Outline - of leaflet, narrow, long oval or long egg-shaped Apex - taper-pointed. Base - rounded. Leaf/Stem - lacking. Leaf/Bud - deep blue or blackish. Leaflet - three to five inches long, smooth and green on both sides, excepting where it is slightly hairy along the lower part of the middle rib. When crushed it has an Elder-like odor. Bark - of trunk, dark granite-gray, somewhat furrowed and broken up and down with roughness, which continue in the old tree. The young branches are smooth and grayish and marked with black and white dots and warts. Winged seeds - nearly one and one half inches long, with the wing three eighths of an inch wide and extending around the seed. Ripe in July. Found - along low river-banks and in swamps, which it sometimes fills; in Delaware, the mountains of Virginia, Northwestern Arkansas, through the Northern States to Canada. It is the most Northern of the American Ashes. General Information - Usually a small or medium-sized tree. The wood is largely used for barrel-hoops, baskets, in cabinet-work, and interior finish. Fraxinus from a Greek word meaning "separation," because of the ease with which the wood of the Ash can be split. I find in the notes of an old copy of White's "Natural History of Selborne" this comment: "The Ash, I think, has been termed by Gilpin the Venus of British trees." Gerardes' "Herbal" comments: "The leaves of the Ash are of so great a vertue against serpents, as that the serpents dare not be so bolde as to touch the morning and evening shadowes of the tree, but shunneth them afarre off, as Pliny reporteth in his 16 book, 13 chap. He also affirmeth that the serpent being penned in with boughes laide rounde about, will sooner run into the fire, if any be there, than come neere to the boughes of the Ash."In Scandinavian mythology the great and sacred tree, Yggdrasil, the greatest and most sacred of all trees, which binds together heaven and earth and hell, is an Ash. Its roots spread over the whole earth. Its branches reach above the heavens. Underneath lies a serpent; above is an eagle; a squirrel runs up and down the trunk, trying to breed strife between them.

Genus Fraxinus, L. (Ash)

Leaves - compound (odd-feathered; leaflets, seven to eleven, usually nine); opposite; edge of leaflet…

Leaves - compound (hand-shaped; leaflets, usually five, sometimes seven); opposite; edge toothed. Outline - of leaflet, long oval, long egg-shape, or long reverse egg-shape. Apex - taper-pointed. Base - pointed. Leaflet - four to nine inches long, one to three inches wide, usually minutely downy beneath. Flowers, pale yellow. April, May. Fruit - two to two and one half inches in diameter, rounded. Husk - not prickly, but uneven. Nut - one or two in a husk, large and brown. Found - from Alleghany County, Pennsylvania, southward along the Alleghany Mountains to Northern Georgia and Alabama, and westward. General Information - A tree thirty to seventy feet high. Its wood is light and hard to split. With the other species of the same genus it is preferred, above any other American wood, for the making of artificial limbs.

Genus Aesculus, L. (Buckeye, Horse Chestnut)

Leaves - compound (hand-shaped; leaflets, usually five, sometimes seven); opposite; edge toothed. Outline…

Leaves - compound (hand-shaped; leaflets, five); opposite; edge toothed. Outline - of leaflet, oval or long oval. Apex - taper-pointed. Base - pointed. Leaflets - three to seven inches long; one and a half to three inches wide. Bark - with a disagreeable odor. Flowers - small, yellowish-white. June. Fruit - about three fourths of an inch in diameter. Husk - prickly when young. Nut - smooth. Found - along the western slopes of the Alleghany Mountains - Pennsylvania to Northern Alabama and westward. General Information - A small, ill-scented tree (eighteen to thirty-five feet high). Its wood is light and hard to split. With the other species of the same genus it is preferred, above any other American wood, for the making of artificial limbs.

Genus Aesculus, L. (Buckeye, Horse Chestnut)

Leaves - compound (hand-shaped; leaflets, five); opposite; edge toothed. Outline - of leaflet, oval…

The various types of oak leaves: "a. Bur oak, b. Live oak, c. Willow oak, d. White oak." -Foster, 1921

Oak Leaves

The various types of oak leaves: "a. Bur oak, b. Live oak, c. Willow oak, d. White oak." -Foster, 1921

The parts of the opium poppy from which the drug is made from the poppy's juice. "a, whole plant; b, flower and leaf; c, ripe capsule; d, seed and its section, enlarged." -Foster, 1921

Opium poppy

The parts of the opium poppy from which the drug is made from the poppy's juice. "a, whole plant; b,…

An image of a potato bug, its young and eggs. The insect is native to the Rocky Mountains and thrived when the West cultivated potatoes.

Potato Bug

An image of a potato bug, its young and eggs. The insect is native to the Rocky Mountains and thrived…

A leaf of the Zamia, a tree from the Mesozoic time.

Zamia Leaf

A leaf of the Zamia, a tree from the Mesozoic time.