. Handbook of the trees of the northern states and Canada east of the Rocky Mountains, photo-descriptive . Trees. Handbook of Teees of the iSToETiiEEN States and Canada, li This interesting tree occasionally attains the height of 80 or 90 ft. with trunk 4 to 5 ft. in diameter. When isolated it develops a narrow oblong head of many small branches, but with age a fuller, rounder and usually irregular picturesque head. The bark of branches is smooth at first, of a lustrous red- dish brown color, but with age breaks and separates into successive layers which curl up and long persist as thin papery
. Handbook of the trees of the northern states and Canada east of the Rocky Mountains, photo-descriptive . Trees. Handbook of Teees of the iSToETiiEEN States and Canada, li This interesting tree occasionally attains the height of 80 or 90 ft. with trunk 4 to 5 ft. in diameter. When isolated it develops a narrow oblong head of many small branches, but with age a fuller, rounder and usually irregular picturesque head. The bark of branches is smooth at first, of a lustrous red- dish brown color, but with age breaks and separates into successive layers which curl up and long persist as thin papery scales of various tints of red and brown. These form a veritable mat on the larger limbs and trunks of medium size, while the bark of old trunks becomes rough with thick irregular plate-like scales. It inhabits the banks of streams sub- ject to frequent inundation, and here its grace- ful branches hanging over the waters and al- most touching their surface with long sprays of handsome foliage add greatly to their charm. Prof. Sargent has called attention, to the fact that the early ripening of the seeds of this and other riparian trees greatly assures their germination and growth, as they fall on the banks at the season of low water, germinate and make substantial gi'owth when a later seed would have found only water in which to perish. The wood of the River Birch, of which a cubic foot when dry weighs lbs., is used in the manufacture of wooden ware, Leaves rhombic-ovate, acute. 2-4 in. long, wide cuneate or almost truncate and entire at base, serrate and serrately-lobed or doubly serrate, pale tomentose at first but finally lustrous dark green above and tomentose on midribs and veins be- neath ; petioles slender, tomentose ; branchlets the first season tomentose. Flowers: staminate aments 1 in. or less long in winter with rounded lustrous scales finally 2-S in. Ion?; pistillate aments about Vi in. long with pubescent ciliate scales. Fruit ripening in May or .June
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Keywords: ., bookauthorhoughromeynbeck185719, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900
