Part 47

=Range=.—Pennsylvania to Georgia west to Iowa and Kansas. Naturalized over a large area in America and extensively cultivated in Europe.

=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Common throughout West Virginia, but most abundant and healthiest in high limestone areas.

=Habitat=.—Prefers rich limestone soil, but adapts itself to other soils and to almost all exposures and elevations.

=Notes=.—Black Locust, Yellow Locust, and False Acacia are other names of this tree. According to Sargent’s “Manual of the Trees of North America” locust trees are “most abundant and of largest size on the western slopes of the Alleghanies of West Virginia.” It is a rapid grower, its wood is unsurpassed for many purposes and, as a legume, it adds fertility to the soil wherever it grows.

HOP TREE

=Ptelea trifoliata=, L.

=Form=.—A shrub occasionally attaining the size and form of a small tree.

=Leaves=.—Alternate, compound, 3-foliate, the leaflets entire, ovate, pointed, downy when young.

=Flowers=.—June; polygamous; small, greenish-white, arranged in compound terminal cymes.

=Fruit=.—A 2-celled, 2-seeded, nearly circular samara, winged all around, in drooping cymes; bitter, used as a substitute for hops.

=Bark=.—Smooth, light brownish-gray.

=Range=.—Long Island to Minnesota and southward.

=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Rare, collected in Summers and Morgan counties.

=Habitat=.—Prefers sandy soils of river banks.

=Notes=.—This small, shrubby tree is useful only for ornamental planting for which purpose it will be found very interesting and attractive.

STAGHORN SUMACH

=Rhus typhina=, L.

=Form=.—A shrub or small tree sometimes reaching a height of 15-20 feet and a diameter of 8-10 inches; trunk short, bearing a broad crown of ascending branches.

=Leaves=.—Alternate, compound, 16-24 inches long, and with 11-31 leaflets; leaflets oblong, 2-5 inches long, nearly sessile, oblanceolate, pointed, serrate, when mature dark green and smooth above, pale beneath.

=Flowers=.—May-June; polygamous, arranged in compact oblong yellowish-green panicles.

=Fruit=.—Matures in late summer and persists through the winter; numerous dry drupes aggregate in a compact pyramidal panicle, 5-8 inches long; drupes thickly studded with red acid hairs, not poisonous.

=Bark=.—On old trunks somewhat roughened by loose brown scales. Twigs and leaf stalks are densely velvety-hairy.

=Wood=.—Soft, light, coarse-grained, orange-colored, showing plainly the annual growths.

=Range=.—New Brunswick to Minnesota, south to Georgia and Alabama.

=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Common throughout the State and reaching higher altitudes than some of the other sumachs.

=Habitat=.—Fertile dry upland soil, preferring abandoned fields, borders of woods and fence rows.

=Notes=.—The wood of this species is sometimes used for sugar spiles and for the manufacture of napkin rings, cups, etc. The leaves are rich in tannin; the wood has little commercial value. Its beautiful foliage and red fruit spikes give it value for ornamental planting.

DWARF SUMACH