Charles Herbert Otis

Hornbeam. Ironwood

Hornbeam. Ironwood

1. Winter twig, × 1/2.

2. Portion of twig, enlarged.

3. Leaf, × 1/2.

4. Flowering branchlet, × 1/2.

5. Staminate flower, enlarged.

6. Pistillate flower, enlarged.

7. Fruit, × 1/2.

BETULACEAE

Hornbeam. Ironwood

Ostrya virginiana (Mill.) K. Koch

HABIT.—A small tree usually 20-30 feet high, with a trunk diameter of 8-12 inches; forming a broad, rounded crown of many long, slender branches and a slender, stiff spray.

LEAVES.—Alternate, simple, 3-5 inches long, about one-half as broad; oblong-ovate; sharply doubly serrate; thin and very tough; dull, dark green above, paler and more or less pubescent beneath; petioles short, slender, pubescent.

FLOWERS.—April-May, with the leaves; monoecious; the staminate in drooping, cylindrical catkins from wood of the previous season, usually in threes; stamens 3-14, crowded on a hairy torus; the pistillate in erect, lax catkins on the season’s shoots, usually in pairs, each flower inclosed in a hairy, sac-like involucre.

FRUIT.—September; strobiles, resembling clusters of hops, 1-2 inches long, borne on slender, hairy stems; nuts small and flat, inclosed by sac-like involucres.

WINTER-BUDS.—Terminal bud absent; lateral buds 1/8-1/4 inch long, ovoid, acute, red-brown.

BARK.—Twigs at first light green, becoming lustrous, red-brown, and finally dull dark brown; thin, gray-brown on the trunk, very narrowly and longitudinally ridged.

WOOD.—Heavy, very strong and hard, tough, close-grained, durable, light red-brown, with thick, whitish sapwood.

DISTRIBUTION.—Common throughout the entire state.

HABITAT.—Prefers dry, gravelly slopes and ridges.

NOTES.—Often grows in shade of other trees. Not easily transplanted. Rather slow of growth. Too small for street use.

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Blue Beech. Water Beech

Blue Beech. Water Beech

1. Winter twig, × 1.

2. Portion of twig, enlarged.

3. Leaf, × 1.

4. Flowering branchlet, × 1/2.

5. Staminate flower, enlarged.

6. Pistillate flower, enlarged.

7. Fruit, × 1/2.

BETULACEAE

Blue Beech. Water Beech

Carpinus caroliniana Walt.

HABIT.—Usually a low, bushy tree or large shrub, 10-30 feet high, with a trunk diameter of 6-12 inches; trunk short, usually fluted; slender zigzag branches and a fine spray form a close, flat-topped crown.

LEAVES.—Alternate, simple, 2-4 inches long and one-half as broad; ovate to oval, long-pointed; sharply doubly serrate; thin and firm; dull green above, lighter beneath, turning scarlet and orange in autumn; petioles short, slender, hairy.

FLOWERS.—May, after the leaves; monoecious; apetalous; the staminate catkins 1-1-1/2 inches long, their scales greenish, boat-shaped, each bearing 3-20 stamens; the pistillate catkins 1/2-3/4 inch long, their scales hairy, greenish, each bearing 2 pistils with long, scarlet styles.

FRUIT.—Ripens in midsummer, but often remains on the tree long after the leaves have fallen; in loose, terminal strobiles; involucre halberd-shaped, inclosing a small, ovate, brownish nut.

WINTER-BUDS.—Terminal bud absent; lateral buds 1/8 inch long, narrow-ovoid, acute, puberulous, brownish.

BARK.—Twigs pale green, hairy, becoming lustrous, dark red the first winter; trunk and large limbs thin, smooth, close, dark bluish gray, often mottled with lighter or darker patches.

WOOD.—Heavy, hard, tough, very strong, close-grained, light brown, with thick, whitish sapwood.

DISTRIBUTION.—Common throughout the state.

HABITAT.—Prefers a deep, rich, moist soil along the borders of streams and swamps. Often found in drier situations in the shade of other trees.

NOTES.—Propagated from seed. Not easily transplanted. Slow of growth. Seldom found in masses.

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SUMMER KEY TO THE SPECIES OF BETULA

a.	Bark of trunk white, separating freely into thin, papery layers; twigs without wintergreen taste; leaves usually solitary, not aromatic.		B.albapapyrifera,p.91.
aa.	Bark of trunk not white, usually dark colored, not separating freely into papery layers; twigs with more or less wintergreen taste; leaves solitary or in pairs, aromatic.
	b.	Bark dirty-yellow, breaking into strips more or less curled at the edges; leaves solitary or in pairs, slightly aromatic; twigs with slight wintergreen taste	B. lutea,p.89.
bb.		Bark dark red-brown, cleaving off in thick, irregular plates (resembles bark of Black Cherry); leaves in pairs, strongly aromatic; twigs with strong wintergreen taste.	B. lenta,p.87.

WINTER KEY TO THE SPECIES OF BETULA

a.	Bark of trunk white, separating freely into thin, papery layers; twigs without wintergreen taste.		B.albapapyrifera,p.91.
aa.	Bark of trunk not white, usually dark colored, not separating into papery layers; twigs with more or less wintergreen taste.
	b.	Bark dirty-yellow, breaking into strips more or less curled at the edges; twigs with slight wintergreen taste.	B. lutea,p.89.
bb.		Bark dark red-brown, cleaving off in thick, irregular plates (resembles bark of Black Cherry); twigs with strong wintergreen taste.	B. lenta,p.87.

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Sweet Birch. Black Birch. Cherry Birch

Sweet Birch. Black Birch. Cherry Birch

1. Winter twig, × 1.

2. Portion of twig, enlarged.

3. Leaf, × 1/2.

4. Flowering branchlet, × 1/2.

5. Staminate flower, enlarged.

6. Pistillate flower, enlarged.

7. Fruiting branchlet, × 1/2.

8. Fruit, enlarged.

BETULACEAE

Sweet Birch. Black Birch. Cherry Birch

Betula lenta L.F

HABIT.—A medium-sized tree 70-80 feet high, with a trunk diameter of 1-3 feet; slender, wide-spreading, pendulous branches, forming a narrow, rounded, open crown.

LEAVES.—Alternate in pairs, simple, 3-4 inches long and one-half as broad; outline variable, ovate to oblong-ovate; sharply doubly serrate, with slender, incurved teeth; dull, dark green above, light yellow-green beneath; petioles short, stout, hairy, deeply grooved above; aromatic.

FLOWERS.—April, before the leaves; monoecious; the staminate catkins 3-4 inches long, slender, pendent, yellowish; the pistillate catkins 1/2-3/4 inch long, erect or suberect, greenish.

FRUIT.—Ripens in autumn; sessile, glabrous, erect strobiles, 1-1-1/2 inches long and half as thick; scales glabrous; nuts slightly broader than their wings.

WINTER-BUDS.—Terminal bud absent; lateral buds about 1/4 inch long, conical, sharp-pointed, red-brown, divergent.

BARK.—Twigs light green, becoming lustrous, red-brown in their first winter; very dark on old trunks, cleaving off in thick, irregular plates. Resembles bark of Black Cherry. Inner bark aromatic, spicy.

WOOD.—Heavy, very hard and strong, close-grained, dark red-brown, with thin, lighter colored sapwood.

DISTRIBUTION.—Scattered throughout the state; rare in the south, more abundant and of larger size in the north.

HABITAT.—Grows in any situation, but prefers moist, rocky slopes and rich uplands.

NOTES.—Hardy throughout its range. Easily transplanted.

BETULACEAE

Yellow Birch. Gray Birch

Betula lutea Michx. f.

HABIT.—A tree 60-80 feet high and 2-4 feet in trunk diameter; numerous slender, pendulous branches form a broad, open, rounded crown.

LEAVES.—Alternate, solitary or in pairs, simple, 3-5 inches long and one-half as broad; ovate to oblong-ovate; sharply doubly serrate; dull dark green above, yellow-green beneath; petioles short, slender, grooved, hairy; slightly aromatic.

FLOWERS.—April, before the leaves; monoecious; the staminate catkins 3-4 inches long, slender, pendent, purplish yellow; the pistillate catkins sessile or nearly so, erect, almost 1 inch long, greenish.

FRUIT.—Ripens in autumn; sessile or short-stalked, erect, glabrous strobiles, about 1 inch long and half as thick; scales downy on the back and edges; nut about as broad as the wing.

WINTER-BUDS.—Terminal bud absent; lateral buds about 1/4 inch long, conical, acute, chestnut-brown, more or less appressed; bud-scales more or less pubescent.

BARK.—Twigs, branches and young stems smooth, very lustrous, silvery gray or light orange; becoming silvery yellow-gray as the trunk expands and breaking into strips more or less curled at the edges; old trunks becoming gray or blackish, dull, deeply and irregularly fissured into large, thin plates; somewhat aromatic, slightly bitter.

WOOD.—Heavy, very strong and hard, close-grained, light brown tinged with red, with thin, whitish sapwood.

DISTRIBUTION.—Throughout the state, but more abundant and of larger size northward.

HABITAT.—Prefers rich, moist uplands, but grows in wet or dry situations.

NOTES.—One of the largest deciduous-leaved trees of Michigan. Easily transplanted, but not desirable as a street tree.

BETULACEAE

Paper Birch. Canoe Birch. White Birch

Betula alba papyrifera (Marsh.) Spach. [Betula papyrifera Marsh.]

HABIT.—A tree 50-75 feet high, with a trunk diameter of 1-3 feet, forming in youth a compact, pyramidal crown of many slender branches, becoming in old age a long, branchless trunk with a broad, open crown, composed of a few large limbs ascending at an acute angle, with almost horizontal branches and a slender, flexible spray.

LEAVES.—Alternate, simple, 2-3 inches long, 1-1/2-2 inches broad; ovate; coarsely, more or less doubly serrate; thick and firm; glabrous, dark green above, lighter beneath, covered with minute black glands; petioles stout, yellow, glandular, glabrous or pubescent.

FLOWERS.—April, before the leaves; monoecious; the staminate catkins clustered or in pairs, 3-4 inches long, slender, pendent, brownish; the pistillate catkins about 1-1/2 inches long, slender, erect or spreading, greenish; styles bright red.

FRUIT.—Ripens in autumn; long-stalked, cylindrical, glabrous, drooping strobiles, about 1-1/2 inches long; scales hairy on the margin; nut narrower than its wing.

WINTER-BUDS.—Terminal bud absent; lateral buds 1/4 inch long, narrow-ovoid, acute, flattish, slightly resinous, usually divergent.

BARK.—Twigs dull red, becoming lustrous orange-brown; bark of trunk and large limbs cream-white and lustrous on the outer surface, bright orange on the inner, separating freely into thin, papery layers, becoming furrowed and almost black near the ground.

WOOD.—Light, hard, strong, tough, very close-grained, light brown tinged with red, with thick, whitish sapwood.

DISTRIBUTION.—Lansing and northward. Common in central Michigan as a small tree. Of larger size in the Upper Peninsula.

HABITAT.—Prefers rich, moist hillsides; borders of streams, lakes and swamps; but is also found in drier situations.

NOTES.—A rapid grower in youth. The bark is used by the Indians and woodsmen for canoes, wigwams, baskets, torches, etc.