1918] Ashe,— Notes on Betula 63 
NOTES ON BETULA. 
W. W. ASHE. 
Tue finding in the mountains of North Carolina of Betula papyrifera 
cordifolia (Regel) Fern., not only adds another tree to this intensively 
investigated region but extends the range of this form southward 
about 550 miles, Goshen, Litchfield County, Connecticut,' and 
Woods Hole, Massachusetts,? being the hitherto most southerly 
reported eastern stations. A single specimen of this birch was noticed 
in July 1915, on the eastern flank of Mt. Mitchell, in the Black Moun- 
tain range. In March 1916, while I was camping on the summit 
with my associates in the United States Forest Service, Messrs. Noyes 
and Damtoft, a large number of these trees were noticed on the 
western slope of the range. In October 1916, the fruit was scant, 
but in September 1917, abundant fruiting material was collected 
from a number of trees. In 1916 fruiting material was referred to 
Blanchard, who seemed to regard it as typical. These investigations 
show this species to be generally distributed in these mountains above 
an altitude of 5500 feet in the spruce and balsam forest. Specimens 
can be located readily at the following places: east slope of Mt. 
Mitchell on north side of trail between summit and old sawmill com- 
missary, at an altitude of 6200 feet; in the gap to the north of the 
second of the Black Brothers peaks, which is about one mile north of 
Mitchell Peak; on the west side of the crest trail near where the 
Pensacola trail leaves the Buncombe County trail. Nearly every 
investigator who has ascended the mountain has passed within a few 
feet of this last tree. 
It is estimated that this species forms about .05 of one per cent of 
this forest. One specimen measured 16 inches in diameter at breast- 
height and had an estimated height of 70 feet; but the usual range of 
diameters is from 10 to 12 inches and corresponding heights of from 
40 to 60 feet, exceeding the dimensions recorded for the tree in New 
England. Prof. Fernald has informed me, however, that he has 
measured trees of this form in Newfoundland 3 to 4 feet in diameter, 
1 Bissell, in Flow. Pl. of Conn., 148 (1910). 
2 Bartlett, Rhod. 11, 231 (1909). 
