Part 53

=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Common along the Ohio River at Wheeling. Reported from Wirt, Gilmer and Monongalia counties and from points along the Ohio River north of Wheeling.

=Habitat=.—Moist soils of river banks and ravines.

=Notes=.—The Fetid or Ohio Buckeye is an unimportant tree of stream borders, confined in its distribution here principally to the western part of the State. It can easily be distinguished when in fruit from the common species, next described, by its prickly pods. This tree is sometimes planted on lawns but is less desirable than its European relative the Horse Chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum).

SWEET BUCKEYE

=Aesculus octandra=, Marsh.

=Form=.—Height 50-80 feet, diameter 1-2½ feet; trunk usually short; crown conical or round-topped.

=Leaves=.—Opposite, digitately compound, leaflets 5-7, oval, 4-10 inches long, long-pointed, finely toothed, smooth and dark green above, somewhat hairy and yellowish-green beneath.

=Flowers=.—April-May; polygamo-monoecious or perfect, borne in terminal panicles 4-12 inches long; corolla yellow, with included stamens.

=Fruit=.—October; a large smooth irregularly rounded or pear-shaped pod or capsule, 1-2 inches thick, 3-celled but usually bearing only one large irregularly rounded, glossy, brown nut, which is somewhat poisonous.

=Bark=.—Evenly furrowed, the gray-brown ridges breaking up into irregular scales.

=Wood=.—Light, soft, yellowish, or nearly white.

=Range=.—Pennsylvania to Georgia, west to Oklahoma and Texas.

=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Common locally. Found in the following counties: Barbour, Boone, Braxton, Calhoun, Doddridge, Fayette, Kanawha, Lewis, Logan, Marshall, Mingo, Monongalia, Monroe, Pocahontas, Putnam, Ritchie, Summers, Tyler, Upshur (rare), Webster (rare), and Wyoming.

=Habitat=.—Rich soil, preferring river valleys.

=Notes=.—The wood of Sweet Buckeye is not important commercially, but is used to some extent for veneer, cooperage, candy boxes, paper pulp, etc. The tree is a rapid grower and is sometimes planted with satisfactory results on lawns and in parks. Variety hybrida (D. C.) Sarg. with calyx and corolla tinged with purple has been found at Weston and other points in the State.

BASSWOOD

=Tilia americana=, L.

=Form=.—Height 60-100 feet, diameter 2½-4 feet; trunk straight and free from limbs to a considerable height; crown dense, ovoid or round-topped.

=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, 5-6 inches long, obliquely heart-shaped, coarsely serrate, thick and firm, dark-green and shining above, pale green and almost glabrous beneath.

=Flowers=.—June; perfect; yellowish-white, fragrant, 5-20, in drooping cymes, the peduncle or flower stalk attached for half its length to a flat narrow greenish bract.

=Fruit=.—October; a woody, globose, nut-like drupe, about the size of a pea and borne in drooping clusters.

=Bark=.—On old trunks deeply furrowed and with broad, scaly, light brown ridges.

=Wood=.—Light, soft, close-grained, tough, light brownish-red, with thick scarcely lighter sapwood.

=Range=.—Manitoba to Georgia, and Texas.

=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Common, especially in the mountainous and high hilly parts of the State, though occurring less frequently than the following species.

=Habitat=.—Rich, well-drained soil of bottoms and slopes.

=Notes=.—The wood of this species is used for paper pulp, wooden ware, furniture, kegs, buckets, barrel heads, boxes, etc. It is one of our valuable forest trees and should be encouraged to grow wherever it is possible. Linden, Lynn, Beetree, and Lime Tree are others of its common names. Its smooth leaves furnish the best distinguishing characteristic.

WHITE BASSWOOD