Part 33

+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.

1. Winter twig, × 1. 2. Portion of twig, enlarged. 3. Leaf, × 1. 4. Flowering branchlet, × 3/4. 5. Staminate flower, enlarged. 6. Pistillate flower, enlarged. 7. Bur, opened, × 1. 8. Nut, × 1.]

+FAGACEAE+

+Beech. White Beech+

Fagus grandifolia Ehrh. [Fagus atropunicea (Marsh.) Sudw.] [Fagus ferruginea Ait.] [Fagus americana Sweet]

HABIT.--A beautiful tree, rising commonly to a height of 50-75 feet, with a trunk diameter of 2-4 feet; in the forest, tall and slender, with short branches forming a narrow crown, in the open with a short, thick trunk and numerous slender, spreading branches, forming a broad, compact, rounded crown.

LEAVES.--Alternate, simple, 3-5 inches long, one-half as broad; oblong-ovate, acuminate; coarsely serrate, a vein terminating in each tooth; thin; dark blue-green above, light yellow-green and very lustrous beneath; petioles short, hairy.

FLOWERS.--April-May, with the leaves; monoecious; the staminate in globose heads 1 inch in diameter, on long, slender, hairy peduncles, yellow-green; calyx campanulate, 4-7-lobed, hairy; corolla 0; stamens 8-10; the pistillate on short, hairy peduncles in 2-flowered clusters surrounded by numerous awl-shaped, hairy bracts; calyx urn-shaped, 4-5-lobed; corolla 0; ovary 3-celled; styles 3.

FRUIT.--Ripens in autumn; a prickly bur borne on stout, hairy peduncles, persistent on the branch after the nuts have fallen; nuts usually 3, 3/4 inch long, sharply tetrahedral, brownish; sweet and edible.

WINTER-BUDS.--Nearly 1 inch long, very slender, cylindrical, gradually taper-pointed, brownish, puberulous.

BARK.--Twigs lustrous, olive-green, finally changing through brown to ashy gray; close, smooth, steel-gray on the trunk, often mottled by darker blotches and bands.

WOOD.--Hard, tough, strong, very close-grained, not durable, difficult to season, light or dark red, with thin, whitish sapwood.

DISTRIBUTION.--Common in the Lower Peninsula, especially in the northern portions; rare in the Upper Peninsula.

HABITAT.--Prefers deep, rich, well-drained loam, but is found and does well on a great variety of soils.

NOTES.--Hardy throughout its range. Desirable for landscape work because of its clean trunk and limbs, deep shade, and freedom from insect pests. Often suckers from the roots.

1. Winter twig, × 1. 2. Leaf, × 1/2. 3. Flowering branchlet, × 1/2. 4. Staminate flower, enlarged. 5. Pistillate flower, enlarged. 6. Prickly bur, opened, × 1/2. 7. Nut, × 1/2.]

+FAGACEAE+