A South American fan palm.

Cornahuba Palm

A South American fan palm.

The Amazon River is the largest, most voluminous river on earth, having a greater total flow than the next six largest rivers combined.

Amazon River

The Amazon River is the largest, most voluminous river on earth, having a greater total flow than the…

Table Mountain is a mountain in the Western Cape, South Africa, overlooking the greater Cape Town area.

Table Mountain

Table Mountain is a mountain in the Western Cape, South Africa, overlooking the greater Cape Town area.

An endangered South American bird with vibrant red and green plumage. It is thought to be extinct.

Quezal

An endangered South American bird with vibrant red and green plumage. It is thought to be extinct.

Statue of Lincoln at Chicago

Statue of Lincoln

Statue of Lincoln at Chicago

Lake George, also known as <em>Queen of American Lakes</em>, is a long narrow lake at the southeast base of the Adirondack Mountains, northern New York. The lake extends about 32.2 miles on a north-south axis and varies from 1 to 3 miles in width.

View of Lake George, N.Y.

Lake George, also known as Queen of American Lakes, is a long narrow lake at the southeast…

A South American palm that produce a seed for the which the plant is named.

Vegetable Ivory

A South American palm that produce a seed for the which the plant is named.

A South American plant that is sought after for its roots.

Ipecac

A South American plant that is sought after for its roots.

The world's largest rodent, it has webbed feet and is usually in the water or along the shore of a river or lake.

Capybara

The world's largest rodent, it has webbed feet and is usually in the water or along the shore of a river…

A large South African antelope.

Hartebeest

A large South African antelope.

A relative of the South African antelope.

Blue Goat

A relative of the South African antelope.

Pines are native to most of the Northern Hemisphere. In North America, they range from Arctic south to Nicaragua and Hispaniola, with the highest diversity in Mexico and California. In Eurasia, they range from Portugal and Scotland east to the Russian Far East, Japan, and the Philippines, and south to northernmost Africa, the Himalaya and Southeast Asia, with one species (Sumatran Pine) just crossing the Equator in Sumatra. Pines are also extensively planted in many parts of the Southern Hemisphere.

Pine Tree

Pines are native to most of the Northern Hemisphere. In North America, they range from Arctic south…

A relative of the South African antelope.

Water Goat

A relative of the South African antelope.

A relative of the South African antelope.

Beautiful Goat

A relative of the South African antelope.

A relative of the South African antelope.

Bush Buck

A relative of the South African antelope.

A relative of the South African antelope.

Fierce Bush Buck

A relative of the South African antelope.

A group of South American natives.

Aruaca'nians

A group of South American natives.

Thought to be native to Southern Asia. They are extensively cultivated throughout the tropical zones, both north and south of the equator. Since their fruit is very nutritious, and the yield of a given fruit are great, they form an exceedingly important staple of food.

Banana

Thought to be native to Southern Asia. They are extensively cultivated throughout the tropical zones,…

Bread-Fruit is the pulpy fruit of a tree which grows only in the tropics. The tree yields fruit during most of the year, and is said to be a native of the South Sea Islands, though it is now quite common in the Friendly and Society groups, and in many of the neighboring islands.

Bread Fruit

Bread-Fruit is the pulpy fruit of a tree which grows only in the tropics. The tree yields fruit during…

A French Jacobin, born in Province, in 1755, of an ancient family; served as second lieutenant in the regiment of Languedoc until 1775. He made, about this time, a voyage to the Isle-de-France, the governor of which was one of his relations, and entered into the garrison of Pondicherry. On his return, he gave himself up to gambling and women, and dissipated his fortune. The Revolution broke out. He immediately showed himself an opponent of the Court, and had a seat in the <em>tiers-etat</em>, while his brother was sitting in that of the nobility. July 14, 1789, he took part in the attack upon the Bastille, and Aug. 10, 1792, upon the Tuileries. In 1792 he was elected a member of the National Convention, and voted for the unconditional death of Louis XVI. He was sent, in 1793, to the South of France, and commanded the left wing of the besieging army under Dugommier, and it was here that he first met Napoleon Bonaparte, then captain of artillery. The patriotic reputation of Barras was so well established that he abd Freron were the only representatives not denounced by the popular societies. Robespierre, however, was friend of his, and often wished to arrest him. Barras, knowing this, became one of the principle actors of the 9th Thermidor, and put himself at the head of the troops which surrounded Robespierre at the Hotel de Ville. In 1794 he was named one of the Committee of Public Safety, and became a great enemy to the members of the members of the "Mountain." In February, 1795, he was elected President of the Convention, and, in that capacity, declared Paris in a state of siege, when the Assembly was attacked by the populace. Afterward, when the Convention was assailed, Bonaparte, by Barras' advice, was appointed to command the artillery; and that general, on the 13th Vendemaire, decisively repressed the royalist movement. For his services, Barras was now named one of the Directory, and took a prominent part in the changes which that body unerwent until Napoleon's <em>coup d'etat</em> on the 18th Brumaire, which effectually overthrew the power of Barrras and his colleagues. His life, from this date, was, generally speaking, one of retirement. He died in Paris, Jan. 29, 1829. His "Memoirs" appeared in 1895.

Comte de Barras

A French Jacobin, born in Province, in 1755, of an ancient family; served as second lieutenant in the…

(1816-1870) Known as the "Rock of Chickamauga," he was a U.S. Army office and Union general during the American Civil War.

General George Henry Thomas

(1816-1870) Known as the "Rock of Chickamauga," he was a U.S. Army office and Union general during the…

(1820-1891) Served as a general for the United States Army during the American Civil War.

General William Tecumseh Sherman

(1820-1891) Served as a general for the United States Army during the American Civil War.

(1820-1906) A prominent American civil rights leader and abolitionist, who worked to secure women's suffrage in the United States.

Susan B. Anthony

(1820-1906) A prominent American civil rights leader and abolitionist, who worked to secure women's…

Diagram of points on a compass.

Compass Points

Diagram of points on a compass.

(1818-1893) Pierre Gustave Toutant de Beauregard was a general for the Confederate Army during the American Civil War, writer, civil servant, and inventor.

Pierre Beauregard

(1818-1893) Pierre Gustave Toutant de Beauregard was a general for the Confederate Army during the American…

American opponent of slavery.

John Brown

American opponent of slavery.

(1823-1914) U.S. Army officer and a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.

Simon B. Buckner

(1823-1914) U.S. Army officer and a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil…

A tropical tree native to southeast Asia and northern Australasia, from Taiwan south to Malaya and east to the Solomon Islands.

Gutta Percha

A tropical tree native to southeast Asia and northern Australasia, from Taiwan south to Malaya and east…

"A small (under two feet) South and East African antelope, in which the horns of the male rarely exceed four inches."&mdash;Finley, 1917

Steinbok

"A small (under two feet) South and East African antelope, in which the horns of the male rarely exceed…

Figure showing magnetic lines of force from a magnet, as well as both north and south poles.

Magnetic Field

Figure showing magnetic lines of force from a magnet, as well as both north and south poles.

"If a magnet is cut or broken into two or more pieces, each piece becomes a separate magnet, with north and south poles in the same relative positions as in the original magnet...But if the pieces be pressed closely together, their poles dissapear leaving only the two original poles." -Atkinson 1903

Effect of Breaking a Magnet

"If a magnet is cut or broken into two or more pieces, each piece becomes a separate magnet, with north…

"A coil of wire through which an elecric current is flowing shows magnetic properties similar to those of an electromagnet, b much weaker than those of a similar coil having a soft iron core. Such a coil, if suspended...will assume a north and south position..." -Atkinson 1903

Solenoid

"A coil of wire through which an elecric current is flowing shows magnetic properties similar to those…

"Suppose a b c to represent a portion of the earth's surface a being towards the north pole, c towards the south pole...The currents of air are supposed to pass in the direction of the arrows. the wind, therefore, for a to b would blow on the surface of the earth, from north to south, while from e to a, the upper current would pass from south to north, untl it came to a, when it would change is direction towards the south." -Comstock 1850

Opposite Currents of Air

"Suppose a b c to represent a portion of the earth's surface a being towards the north pole, c towards…

"The instant this is done and the galvanic circle completed, the needle will deviate from its north and south position, turning towards the east or west, according to the direction in which the galvanic circle flows." -Comstock 1850

Uniting Wire above the Needle

"The instant this is done and the galvanic circle completed, the needle will deviate from its north…

War token with head with winged cap obverse and eagle with shield reverse. These little mementoes of the War of the Rebellion represent the small currency chiefly in use during that period. They were all privately issued, and the Government did not interfere. Merchants displayed their cards on them (often with appropriate characteristic devices), and freely used them in their business. Others partook of the general type, were supplied in suitable quantities to the purchaser, and were "current everywhere." They continued in circulation until about 1867 when their use was prohibited by law.

War Token, 1863

War token with head with winged cap obverse and eagle with shield reverse. These little mementoes of…

War token with femal head and "FOR PUBLIC ACCOMODATION" obverse and eagle reverse. These little mementoes of the War of the Rebellion represent the small currency chiefly in use during that period. They were all privately issued, and the Government did not interfere. Merchants displayed their cards on them (often with appropriate characteristic devices), and freely used them in their business. Others partook of the general type, were supplied in suitable quantities to the purchaser, and were "current everywhere." They continued in circulation until about 1867 when their use was prohibited by law.

War Token, 1863

War token with femal head and "FOR PUBLIC ACCOMODATION" obverse and eagle reverse. These little mementoes…

War token with male head with Phrygian (liberty) cap obverse and "OUR LITTLE MONITOR" reverse. These little mementoes of the War of the Rebellion represent the small currency chiefly in use during that period. They were all privately issued, and the Government did not interfere. Merchants displayed their cards on them (often with appropriate characteristic devices), and freely used them in their business. Others partook of the general type, were supplied in suitable quantities to the purchaser, and were "current everywhere." They continued in circulation until about 1867 when their use was prohibited by law.

War Token, 1863

War token with male head with Phrygian (liberty) cap obverse and "OUR LITTLE MONITOR" reverse. These…

War token with profile of Washington looking right obverse and cannon and "PEACE MAKER" reverse. These little mementoes of the War of the Rebellion represent the small currency chiefly in use during that period. They were all privately issued, and the Government did not interfere. Merchants displayed their cards on them (often with appropriate characteristic devices), and freely used them in their business. Others partook of the general type, were supplied in suitable quantities to the purchaser, and were "current everywhere." They continued in circulation until about 1867 when their use was prohibited by law.

War Token, 1863

War token with profile of Washington looking right obverse and cannon and "PEACE MAKER" reverse. These…

War token with walking figure and "KNICKERBOCKER CURRENCY" obverse and shield and "UNION" reverse. These little mementoes of the War of the Rebellion represent the small currency chiefly in use during that period. They were all privately issued, and the Government did not interfere. Merchants displayed their cards on them (often with appropriate characteristic devices), and freely used them in their business. Others partook of the general type, were supplied in suitable quantities to the purchaser, and were "current everywhere." They continued in circulation until about 1867 when their use was prohibited by law.

War Token, Civil War Period

War token with walking figure and "KNICKERBOCKER CURRENCY" obverse and shield and "UNION" reverse. These…

War token buiders square and compass obverse and shield and "UNITED STATES MEDAL" reverse. These little mementoes of the War of the Rebellion represent the small currency chiefly in use during that period. They were all privately issued, and the Government did not interfere. Merchants displayed their cards on them (often with appropriate characteristic devices), and freely used them in their business. Others partook of the general type, were supplied in suitable quantities to the purchaser, and were "current everywhere." They continued in circulation until about 1867 when their use was prohibited by law.

War Token, 1863

War token buiders square and compass obverse and shield and "UNITED STATES MEDAL" reverse. These little…

War token with union shield and "ONE COUNTRY" obverse and snake and "BEWARE" reverse. These little mementoes of the War of the Rebellion represent the small currency chiefly in use during that period. They were all privately issued, and the Government did not interfere. Merchants displayed their cards on them (often with appropriate characteristic devices), and freely used them in their business. Others partook of the general type, were supplied in suitable quantities to the purchaser, and were "current everywhere." They continued in circulation until about 1867 when their use was prohibited by law.

War Token, 1865

War token with union shield and "ONE COUNTRY" obverse and snake and "BEWARE" reverse. These little mementoes…

War token with Washington facing right obverse and "THE FLAG OF OUR UNION" reverse. These little mementoes of the War of the Rebellion represent the small currency chiefly in use during that period. They were all privately issued, and the Government did not interfere. Merchants displayed their cards on them (often with appropriate characteristic devices), and freely used them in their business. Others partook of the general type, were supplied in suitable quantities to the purchaser, and were "current everywhere." They continued in circulation until about 1867 when their use was prohibited by law.

War Token, 1863

War token with Washington facing right obverse and "THE FLAG OF OUR UNION" reverse. These little mementoes…

War token with Sigel on hourseback and "HERO OF PEO RIDGE" obverse and shield and "OUR COUNTRY" reverse. These little mementoes of the War of the Rebellion represent the small currency chiefly in use during that period. They were all privately issued, and the Government did not interfere. Merchants displayed their cards on them (often with appropriate characteristic devices), and freely used them in their business. Others partook of the general type, were supplied in suitable quantities to the purchaser, and were "current everywhere." They continued in circulation until about 1867 when their use was prohibited by law.

War Token, Civil War Period

War token with Sigel on hourseback and "HERO OF PEO RIDGE" obverse and shield and "OUR COUNTRY" reverse.…

War token with crossed flags obverse and crossed cannon reverse. These little mementoes of the War of the Rebellion represent the small currency chiefly in use during that period. They were all privately issued, and the Government did not interfere. Merchants displayed their cards on them (often with appropriate characteristic devices), and freely used them in their business. Others partook of the general type, were supplied in suitable quantities to the purchaser, and were "current everywhere." They continued in circulation until about 1867 when their use was prohibited by law.

War Token, 1863

War token with crossed flags obverse and crossed cannon reverse. These little mementoes of the War of…

Five Dollars ($5) South Carolina currency from 1776. Image of a horse surrounded by the inscription - DOMINUM GENEROSA RECUSAT. Wood engraving, rough brown paper.

Paper Money, Five Dollars Bill, 1776

Five Dollars ($5) South Carolina currency from 1776. Image of a horse surrounded by the inscription…

Leaves - simple; alternate; edge entire. Outline - oval or reverse egg-shape. Apex - pointed. Base - pointed. Leaf/Stem - slightly hairy when young. Leaf - two to five inches long; usually about half as broad; dark green and very shining above, especially when old; light green and shining below; thick, tough, and firm. Middle rib slightly hairy when young; side ribs rather indistinct and curved. Bark - grayish and often broken into short sections. Fertile Flowers - small, in clusters of three to eight on slender stems. April, May. Fruit - nearly one half inch long; bluish-black when ripe; egg-shape or oval; acid and rather bitter until "frosted." Stone - oval, somewhat pointed at each end, slightly flattened, and with three or four blunt ridges on each side. September. Found - from Southern Maine to Michigan, and southward to Florida and Texas. General Information - A tree twenty to forty feet high (larger southward), with flat, horizontal branches. The wood, even in short lengths, is very difficult of cleavage, and so is well fitted for beetles, hubs of wheels, pulleys, etc. Its leaves are the first to ripen in the fall, changing (sometimes as early as August) to a bright crimson. In the South, opossums climb the tree in search of its fruit and are immortalized in stories.

Genus Nyssa, L. (Sour Gum)

Leaves - simple; alternate; edge entire. Outline - oval or reverse egg-shape. Apex - pointed. Base -…

Leaves - simple; alternate, edge entire. Outline - long oval or long egg-shape. Apex - pointed. Base - pointed or rounded. Leaf - three to five inches long, thickish; dark and smooth, usually shining, above; below dull, with ribs curved and irregular and minutely downy. On the upper surface the ribs are quite indistinct, except as the lea is held toward the light when they appear almost transparent. In the same position the left is seen also to be edged with a slight delicate fringe (appearing in the dried leaf like a line of yellow light). Bark - of trunk dark and rough. Flowers - greenish-yellow and small, at the base of the leaf-stems. June. Fruit - about one inch in diameter, rounded, nearly stemless, orange-red when ripe, with about eight large flat seeds. After frost it is of very pleasant flavor, before, exceedingly "puckery." Found - from Connecticut southward to Florida and westward to Southeastern Iowa. General Information - A tree twenty to sixty feet high; sometimes, at the South, more than one hundred feet high. The wood is hard and close-grained; the bark tonic and astringent. From two Greek words meaning fruit of Jove.

Genus Diospyros, L. (Persimmon)

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

Leaves - simple; alternate; edge toothed (with the points of the teeth so incurved as to appear blunt), and often finely "crinkled." Outline - usually long oval or long egg-shape. Apex - pointed. Base - rounded or slightly pointed. Leaf/Stem - usually with two to five tooth-like glands near the base of the leaf. Leaf - two to five inches long; thickish; polished, and of a deep shining green above; beneath, lighter and smooth, with the middle rib sometimes downy toward the base. In the autumn the leaves turn to orange and later to pale yellow. Bark - of old trunks, blackish and rough; of young trunks and on the larger branches, reddish or purplish brown; marked with scattered lines; on young shoots, at first green or olive brown, gradually becoming darker, and sprinkled (sic) with small orange dots. Flowers - white, with short stems, closely set in a long, cylinder-shaped cluster. May, June. Fruit - about one and a quarter inches in diameter; with short stems (one and a quarter to one and a third inches ) hanging in long, close clusters from the ends of the twigs. It is nearly black when ripe, and of a pleasant flavor though somewhat bitter; it is eagerly eaten by birds. August. Found - very widely distributed north, south, and west. It reaches its finest growth on the western slopes of the Alleghany Mountains. General Information - A tree fifty to eighty feet high. The wood is light and hard, of a brown or reddish tinge, becoming darker with exposure, and of very great value in cabinet work and interior finish. It is now becoming scarce, so that stained birch is often used as a substitute. The bitter aromatic bark is used as a valuable tonic; "cherry brandy" is made from the fruit.

Genus Prunus L. (Cherry, Plum)

Leaves - simple; alternate; edge toothed (with the points of the teeth so incurved as to appear blunt),…

Leaves - simple; alternate (and in alternate bunches); edge unevenly sharp-toothed (with five to nine deep cuts almost forming small lobes). Outline - rounded egg-shape Apex - pointed Base - usually slightly pointed, but often blunt or slightly heart-shape. Leaf/Stem - slender and often with small wart-like glands. Leaf - usually one and a half to two and a half inches long, but of variable size on the same tree; thin; smooth; shining. Branchlets - greenish, or whitish and shining, as though washed with silver. Thorns - one to two inches long, stout, often whitish, usually slightly curved. Flowers - about two thirds of an inch across; white (often with a rosy tinge); twelve or so in a bunch; with a strong and rather disagreeable odor. May. Fruit - nearly one half inch in diameter; rounded or egg-shape; bright red; with thin pulp and one to five stones; somewhat edible. September Found - through the Atlantic forests southward to Northern Florida and Eastern Texas. General Information - A low tree (or often a bush), ten to twenty feet high, with crooked, spreading branches; very common at the North; rare in the South. From a Greek word meaning strength.

Genus Crataegus, L. (Thorn)

Leaves - simple; alternate (and in alternate bunches); edge unevenly sharp-toothed (with five to nine…

Leaves - simple; alternate; edge very sharply and finely toothed. Outline - long oval, long egg-shape, or reverse egg-shape. Apex - sometimes bristle-pointed. Base - slightly heart-shaped or rounded. Leaf - usually two to three inches long, somewhat downy when young, afterward very smooth above and below. Bark - of branches and twigs usually purplish-brown and very smooth. Flowers - large, white, in long and loose clusters at the ends of the branchlets; appearing before the leaves. April, May. Fruit - berry-like, round, purplish, sweet, and edible. June. Found - in woods and along streams; common at the North; rare in the South. General Information - A small tree, ten to thirty feet high, or in some of its numerous forms reduced to a low shrub; noticeable and showy in early spring because of its flowers. The variety A. C. oblongifolia, T. and G., differs somewhat from the above in the dimensions of the flowers and flower clusters, etc. The name "shad-bush" is given because the trees blossom about the time that the shad "run".

Genus Amelanchier, Medik (June-berry)

Leaves - simple; alternate; edge very sharply and finely toothed. Outline - long oval, long egg-shape,…

Leaves - simple; alternate; edge sharp-toothed, but entire at the base. Outline - obliquely egg-shaped, very one-sided. Apex - taper-pointed. Base - usually somewhat heart-shaped, or slightly pointed or rounded. Leaf - two to three inches long, one to two inches wide; rough. Bark - of the trunk, rough; sometimes much crumpled. Fruit - about the size of a pea; solitary; drooping from the bases of the leaf-stems, on stems once or twice as long as the leaf-stems; rounded; pulp thin, sweet, and edible; purplish red; ripe in September. Found - from the valley of the St. Lawrence westward and southward. General Information - A tree fifteen to thirty feet high (but much larger at the South), most common, and reaching its finest growth in the basin of the Mississippi. It is very variable in size and in the shape and texture of its leaves. Variety crassifolia is sometimes found, in which the leaves are thicker and usually toothed all around. Hackberry is an ancient name for lotus.

Genus Celtis, L. (Hackberry)

Leaves - simple; alternate; edge sharp-toothed, but entire at the base. Outline - obliquely egg-shaped,…

Leaves - simple; alternate; edge unequally double-toothed, entire at base. Outline - egg-shape, often approaching diamond-shape. Apex - pointed. Base - somewhat pointed, often rather blunt wedge-shaped. Leaf/Stem - short (about one half to three fourths of an inch) and downy. Leaf - about three inches long by two inches wide, or often less; whitish and (until old) downy beneath; dotted; in autumn turning to a bright yellow. Bark - of the trunk reddish-brown. As the tree grows the bark becomes torn and loose, hanging in thin shreds of varying shades. The young twigs are downy.  Found - on low grounds, especially along river banks, from Massachusetts westward and southward. It becomes common only in the lower part of New Jersey. Its finest growth is in the South. It is the only birch which grows in a warm climate. General Information - A tree usually thirty to fifty feet high, with the branches long and slender, arched and heavily drooping. Often the branches cover the trunk nearly to the ground. "Birch brooms" are made from the twigs.

Genus Betula, L. (Birch)

Leaves - simple; alternate; edge unequally double-toothed, entire at base. Outline - egg-shape, often…

Leaves - simple; alternate; edge very sharply and slightly irregularly and unequally toothed. Outline - long oval or long egg-shape. Apex - taper-pointed. Base - slightly heart-shaped. Leaf/Stem - about one fourth inch long, and often rough. Leaf - usually three to four inches long, and about half as wide, but with many smaller leaves of varying size on the same branch; smoothish above, paler and somewhat downy below. Ribs - The straight ribs and their angles hairy. Bark - of trunk, brownish or dark gray, and remarkable for being finely furrowed up and down, with the ridges broken into three - to four-inch lengths. These divisions are narrower than on any other rough-barked tree, and they become narrower and finer as the tree grows older. The new shoots are reddish green and dotted with brown; the younger branches purplish-brown and dotted with white or gray. When the branch is two to three inches thick, its bark becomes grayish and begins to crack. Fruit - in long oval, drooping clusters, resembling those of the hop-vine, with long, unlobed scales that lap each other like shingles. August, September. Found - oftenest on dry hill-sides. Common North, South, and West, especially in Southern Arkansas. General Information - A tree twenty to thirty feet high, with white, very strong, and compact wood. It would be very valuable, if it were more abundant and of larger growth.

Genus ostrya, Scop. (Hop-Hornbeam)

Leaves - simple; alternate; edge very sharply and slightly irregularly and unequally toothed. Outline…

Leaves - simple; alternate; edge very sharply and quite irregularly and unevenly toothed. Outline - long egg-shape, or reverse long egg-shape. Apex - taper-pointed. Base - rounded or slightly heart-shaped. Leaf/Stem - about one half inch long, slender and smooth, or slightly hairy. Leaf - usually three to four inches long, and about half as wide, but with many smaller leaves of varying size on the same branch; nearly smooth, slightly hairy on the straight and distinct ribs and in their angles. Bark - of trunk, a deep bluish-gray or slate; smooth, but often marked up and down with irregular ridges, which run from each side of the lower branches. The new shoots are somewhat hairy, and brownish or purple; the older branchlets, an ashy-gray color, with a pearly luster. Fruit - in loose drooping cluster, with leaf-like scales that are strongly three-lobed and placed in pairs base to base. October. Found - along streams and in swamps. Quite common North, South, and West; northward often only as a low shrub. General Information - A small tree or shrub, usually ten to twenty feet high, but in the southern Alleghany Mountains sometimes reaching a height of fifty feet. Its wood is white and very compact and strong.

Genus Carpinus, L. (Hornbeam)

Leaves - simple; alternate; edge very sharply and quite irregularly and unevenly toothed. Outline -…

Leaves - simple; alternate; edge large-toothed, with the hollows rounded. Outline - wide egg-shape. Apex - sharp-pointed. Base - squared, or slightly rounded. Leaf/Stem - long and slender, and flattened sidewise. Leaf - three to five inches long, smooth on both sides when mature; white, and covered thickly with silky wool when young. Ribs, whitish and distinct above. Bark - of the trunk, smooth, and of a soft, light greenish-gray; when old, becoming somewhat cracked. On the young branches the bark is dark. Found - in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, through the Northern States, along the Alleghany Mountains to North Carolina, and west to Wisconsin and Iowa. Rare at the South. common at the North. General Information - A tree forth to eight feet high, with open, crooked branches. Large quantities of the soft, white wood are ground into pulp for making paper. "In both this and the P. tremuloides, Michx., the leaves of young sprouts are often differently shaped and toothed, and much enlarged." -- (Porter.) Poplar wood, like other soft woods, is not usually esteemed for durability' but an old couplet, said to have been found inscribed on a poplar plank, teaches differently: "Though 'heart of Oak' be e'er so stout, Keep me dry, and I'll see him out."

Genus Populus, L. (Aspen, Poplar)

Leaves - simple; alternate; edge large-toothed, with the hollows rounded. Outline - wide egg-shape.…

Leaves - simple; alternate; edge quite deeply wavy-toothed. Outline - reverse egg-shape or oval. Apex - blunt-pointed. Base - pointed. Leaf - five to eight inches long; smooth, and rather bright green above; whitish-downy beneath, becoming almost silvery-white; often with a rather deep hollow just below the middle, and usually abruptly spreading above; the teeth unequal, longest toward the middle of the leaf, sometimes almost long enough to be called lobes; mostly rounded at the apex, but sometimes ending in a hard point; the main ribs prominent and rust-colored. Bark - of trunk, grayish-white, dividing into large, flat scales. Acorns - usually in pairs on a stem one and a quarter to three inches long. Cup - rounded, rather thin, rough, with sharp scales; the upper scales bristle-tipped, forming a border, or sometimes a fringe, along the edge; slightly downy within. Nut - one inch or less in length, egg-shape; sweet. October. Found - from Southern Maine and the Upper St. Lawrence to Southeastern Iowa and Western Missouri, south to Delaware and along the Alleghany Mountains to Northern Georgia; along borders of streams and in swamps, in deep, rich soil. Its finest growth is in the region of the Great Lakes. General Information - A tree thirty to sixty feet high or more, with wood similar in value to that of the White 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 quite deeply wavy-toothed. Outline - reverse egg-shape or oval. Apex…

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 (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; 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…