Part 30

Bark: Light brown, eventually broken into small scales.

Twigs: Slender, flexible, brown, hairy at first but becoming smooth; leaf scars alternate, half-round, with 3 bundle traces.

Buds: Narrow, pointed, finely hairy, orange-brown, up to ½ inch long.

Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades obovate, rounded or short-pointed at the tip, rounded or sometimes tapering to the base, up to 6 inches long, sometimes nearly half as broad, usually with several low, rounded teeth, dark green and usually somewhat hairy on the upper surface, paler and hairy on the lower surface; leafstalks up to ¾ inch long, slightly hairy.

Flowers: Blooming from September to November, several in a cluster, each with 4 bright yellow, strap-shaped petals up to ⅔ inch long.

Fruit: Capsules up to ½ long, brown, hairy, splitting open during the following autumn to liberate several small, shiny seeds.

Wood: Hard, heavy, close-grained, light brown.

Uses: Planted as an ornamental. The astringent witch hazel is derived from this plant.

Habitat: Woodlands.

Range: Southern Quebec across to Minnesota, south to Missouri, Tennessee, and Georgia.

Distinguishing Features: The late-flowering period and the obovate leaves with shallow, rounded teeth characterize the Witch Hazel.

SWAMP HOLLY Ilex decidua Walt.

Other Name: Possum Haw; Deciduous Holly.

Growth Form: Small tree up to 20 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 3 inches; crown spreading.

Bark: Light brown, more or less warty.

Twigs: Slender, gray, smooth or slightly hairy, often with short spurs; leaf scars alternate, crescent-shaped, slightly elevated, with 1 bundle trace.

Buds: Rounded, gray, up to ⅛ inch in diameter.

Leaves: Alternate, simple, sometimes clustered at the tips of the short spur-like twigs; blades narrowly oblong to elliptic, short-pointed or rounded at the tip, tapering to the base, up to 3 inches long, less than ½ as broad, sparsely and finely toothed along the edges, green and smooth on the upper surface, paler and slightly hairy on the lower surface; leafstalks slender, hairy, up to ¼ inch long.

Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately on different trees, appearing in April and May; both types of flowers in few-flowered clusters, greenish or whitish, with usually 4 small petals.

Fruit: Red or rarely orange berries, spherical, up to ¼ inch in diameter, remaining on the tree during the winter.

Wood: Hard, heavy, close-grained, whitish.

Use: The handsome berries make this species an attractive ornamental.

Habitat: Bottomland woods.

Range: Maryland across to eastern Kansas, south to Texas, east to Florida.

Distinguishing Features: Swamp Holly is distinguished by its alternate, remotely toothed leaves clustered at the ends of spur-like shoots, and by its red berries.

BUTTERNUT Juglans cinerea L.

Other Name: White Walnut.

Growth Form: Medium tree up to 90 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 3 feet; crown flat to broadly rounded; trunk straight, columnar, not buttressed.