Part 40

=Fruit=.—Matures in early autumn; short, cylindric, resembling a banana, 3-5 inches long, with a thin, greenish-yellow skin, enclosing a yellow pulpy edible mass through which is scattered several brown shiny seeds.

=Bark=.—Rather smooth, brown, often blotched, thin and close.

=Wood=.—Light, soft, coarse-grained, brown with yellowish sapwood.

=Range=.—Western New York and central New Jersey, south to Florida and west to Texas, Kansas and Michigan.

=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Scattered groups throughout the State, except in the Spruce belt, and in the higher adjacent sections. Common along the Ohio and Potomac river valleys.

=Habitat=.—Prefers moist soils along streams, but grows well on loamy slopes.

=Notes=.—The Pawpaw or Custard Apple is not important as a forest tree but is interesting and attractive on account of its peculiar fruits. It is very tolerant of shade and is suitable for underplanting where production of wood is not the object.

SASSAFRAS

=Sassafras variifolium=, (Salis.) Kuntze.

=Form=.—Height 40-50 feet, diameter 1-3 feet; trunk usually short, stout, and bearing an open crown of contorted branches.

=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, ovate in outline, entire, or 2-5 lobed, 4-6 inches long, smooth, dark green above, paler beneath.

=Flowers=.—May, with the leaves; dioecious; both sexes about ½ inch long, greenish yellow, in few-flowered, drooping racemes.

=Fruit=.—Matures in early autumn; a dark blue, berry-like drupe, one-third inch long, borne on a bright red thickened stalk with persistent calyx.

=Bark=.—Rough, with shallow fissures and flat-topped connected ridges, light brown.

=Wood=.—Soft, weak, brittle, durable in the soil, aromatic, dull orange-brown with thin lighter sapwood.

=Range=.—Massachusetts to Florida, and west to Texas, Kansas and Michigan.

=Distribution in West Virginia=.—A common tree distributed throughout the State except at high elevations.

=Habitat=.—Prefers sandy loam. Common in thin soil of worn out fields and along fence rows.

=Notes=.—This species is commonly considered a weed among trees. The wood is very durable when in contact with the ground but is not often used. The fruits are eagerly eaten by birds and the aromatic bark is used for flavoring candy and medicine.

WITCH HAZEL

=Hamamelis virginiana=, L.

=Form=.—Height 15-25 feet, diameter 4-10 inches; trunk short, often inclined, bearing an irregular crown.

=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, oval, 4-6 inches long, rounded at the apex, wavy-toothed, somewhat downy when young.

=Flowers=.—October and November; perfect; with 4 slender, strap-shaped yellow petals, clustered at the leaf axils.

=Fruit=.—Ripens in autumn from flowers of the previous year; a two-celled, woody, nut-like pod, ½ inch long, containing black shining seeds which are propelled a distance of several feet when the pods burst open.

=Bark=.—Smooth or scaly, thin, light brown and blotched.

=Wood=.—Heavy, hard, close-grained, light brown.

=Range=.—Ontario to Florida, west to Texas and Minnesota.